Fetal Origin of Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by elevated blood glucose levels resulting from defective insulin secretion and/or action. While genetics and human lifestyle are known factors contributing to the development of diabetes, emerging evidence suggests that an adverse environment during early development may also play a role. Intrauterine growth retardation, caused by adverse factors during pregnancy (such as maternal diseases, nutritional imbalances, and exposure to foreign substances), may lead to abnormal development and function of fetal pancreatic β-cells and peripheral glucose-metabolizing organs such as the liver and fat. These changes may result in continuous adaptive changes in glucose-insulin metabolism, including decreased insulin secretion ability and insulin resistance, predisposing individuals to diabetes later in life. The occurrence and development of fetal-originated diabetes may be related to the “two-programming and two-strike” mechanism, in which epigenetic modifications play a significant role.