This study evaluated the effect of perinatal taurine supplementation on insulin secretion in adult offspring of maternal diabetic rats. Female Wistar rats were fed normal rat chow and tap water with (Diabetes group) or without diabetes induction by intraperitonial streptozotocin injection (50 mg / kg of body weight) (Control group) before pregnancy. Then, they were supplemented with 3 % taurine in water (Control+T and Diabetes+T groups) or water alone from conception to weaning. After weaning, male offspring were fed normal rat chow and water throughout the study. At 16 weeks of age, fasting blood sugar (FBS), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), plasma insulin level, insulin resistance, and blood lipid profiles were measured. Body weight, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein and insulin resistance (estimated by HOMA-IR) were not significantly different among the four groups. Further, compared to Control, the Diabetes group displayed significant increases in fasting blood sugar, OGTT and plasma triglyceride, but a decrease in plasma insulin, pancreatic weight and pancreatic to body weight ratio. Perinatal taurine supplementation in drinking water significantly improved, at least in part, these adverse effects of maternal diabetes mellitus in the adult offspring (the Diabetes+T compared to other groups). These data suggest that maternal diabetes mellitus affects pancreatic growth and insulin-glucose homeostasis in adult male offspring, and these adverse effects can be prevented, in least in part, by perinatal taurine supplementation
