Abstract

Our study aimed to evaluate the effect of intake of different iron concentrations on the expression of insulin signaling pathway mediators and to investigate the role played by iron overload in the development of gestational diabetes. The expression of growth-related indicators, markers of glucose and lipid metabolism, iron metabolism-related indicators and insulin signaling pathway mediators were analyzed in insulin receptor heterozygous knockout pregnant mice and wild type pregnant mice. The expression of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase and phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase in the insulin signaling pathway of the liver and placental tissue was significantly lower in the wild type pregnant mice fed with an iron-rich diet group than in the wild type pregnant mice fed with a conventional diet and insulin receptor heterozygous knockout pregnant mice fed with an iron-rich diet groups (p<0.05). In the liver tissue, insulin receptor substrate 1 concentration was significantly higher in the wild-type pregnant mice fed with a conventional diet group than in the wild-type pregnant mice fed with an iron-rich diet and pregnant mice fed with an iron-rich diet and insulin receptor heterozygous knockout pregnant mice fed with a conventional diet groups (p<0.05). The placental phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase/adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase ratio was significantly lower in wild type group than in the knockout mice group (p<0.05). The differential expression and activation of adenosine monophosphateactivated protein kinase in different tissues was affected by supplementation of high concentrations of iron. The effect of iron on adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase someway relates to the insulin receptor gene.