Received: 25 September 2020 | Revised: 26 November 2020 | Accepted: 7 December 2020 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202002212R RESEARCH ARTICLE Maternal adiponectin prevents visceral adiposity and adipocyte hypertrophy in prenatal androgenized female mice Yanling Wu1 | Belén Chanclón1 | Peter Micallef1 | qElisabet Stener-Victorin2 | Ingrid Wernstedt Asterholm1 | Anna Benrick1,3 1Department of Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Abstract Academy, University of Gothenburg, Hyperandrogenism is the main characteristic of polycystic ovary syndrome, which Gothenburg, Sweden affects placental function and fetal growth, and leads to reproductive and metabolic 2 Department of Physiology and dysfunction in female offspring. Adiponectin acts on the placenta and may exert Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden endocrine effects on the developing fetus. This study aims to investigate if mater- 3School of Health Sciences, University of nal and/or fetal adiponectin can prevent metabolic and reproductive dysfunction in Skövde, Skövde, Sweden prenatal androgenized (PNA) female offspring. Adiponectin transgenic (APNtg) and wild-type dams received dihydrotestosterone/vehicle injections between gesta- Correspondence Anna Benrick, Department of Physiology, tional days 16.5-18.5 to induce PNA offspring, which were followed for 4 months. University of Gothenburg, Institute of Offspring from APNtg dams were smaller than offspring from wild-type dams, in- Neuroscience and Physiology, Box 423, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden. dependent of genotype. Insulin sensitivity was higher in wild-type mice from APNtg Email:
[email protected] dams compared to wild-types from wild-type dams, and insulin sensitivity correlated with fat mass and adipocyte size. PNA increased visceral fat% and adipocyte size in Funding information Novo Nordisk Fonden (NNF), Grant/ wild-type offspring from wild-type dams, while wild-type and APNtg offspring from Award Number: NNF19OC0056601; APNtg dams were protected against this effect.