Prenatal androgen excess impairs beta-cell function by decreased sirtuin 3 expression

Prenatal androgen exposure induces metabolic disorders in female offspring. However, the long-term effect of maternal testosterone excess on glucose metabolism, especially on pancreatic beta cell function, is rarely investigated. Our current study mainly focused on the effects of prenatal testosterone exposure on glucose metabolism and pancreatic beta cell function in aged female offspring. By using maternal mice and their female offspring as animal models, we found that prenatal androgen treatment induced obesity and glucose intolerance in aged offspring. These influences were accompanied by decreased fasting serum insulin concentration, elevated serum triglyceride and testosterone concentrations. Glucose stimulated insulin secretion in pancreatic beta cells of aged female offspring was also affected by prenatal testosterone exposure. We further confirmed that increased serum testosterone contributed to down regulation of Sirtuin 3 expression, activated oxidative stress and impaired pancreatic beta cell function in aged female offspring. Moreover, over-expression of Sirtuin 3 in islets isolated from female offspring treated with prenatal testosterone normalized the oxidative stress level, restored cyclic adenosine monophosphate and adenosine triphosphate generation, which finally improved glucose stimulated insulin secretion in beta cells. Taken together, these results demonstrated that prenatal testosterone exposure caused metabolic disturbance in aged female offspring via suppression of Sirtuin 3 expression and activation of oxidative stress in pancreatic beta cells.