Placental structural abnormalities and dysfunction in those with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) can lead to increased placental permeability, which is in turn related to a poorer maternal and fetal prognosis. The present study sought to assess whether increased placental permeability in rats with GDM was accompanied by alterations in tight junction (TJ) factors and to evaluate the impact of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) on these factors. The present study was conducted using pregnant female rats that were randomized into control, GDM and GDM + LMWH groups. Diabetes was induced via intraperitoneal administration of streptozotocin to rats in the GDM and GDM + LMWH groups, whereas rats in the GDM + LMWH group received daily subcutaneous LMWH starting on day 5 of pregnancy. On gestational day 16, all rats were sacrificed and Evans Blue (EB) assay was used to gauge vascular permeability based on EB dye leakage. Transmission electron microscopy was further used to assess TJ structures, and the TJ proteins zonular occludens‑1 (ZO‑1) and occludin (OCLN) were assessed using immunohistochemistry and western blotting. Blood samples were obtained from the abdominal aorta for ELISA measurements of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) concentrations, and placental receptor for AGEs (RAGE) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression was assessed using reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR. In addition, western blotting was used to measure placental NF‑κB. Compared with in the control group, EB leakage was markedly increased in GDM group rats; this was associated with reduced ZO‑1 and OCLN expression. Conversely, LMWH attenuated this increase in placental permeability in rats with GDM and also mediated a partial recovery of ZO‑1 and OCLN expression. Blood glucose and serum AGEs concentrations did not differ between the GDM and GDM + LMWH groups. Furthermore, LMWH treatment resulted in decreases in RAGE and VEGF mRNA expression levels, which were upregulated in the GDM group, whereas it had the opposite effect on the expression of NF‑κB. In conclusion, GDM was associated with increased placental permeability and this may be linked with changes in TJs. LMWH intervention mediated protection against this GDM‑associated shift in placental permeability via the RAGE/NF‑κB pathway.
Keywords: GdM; placental permeability; TJ; raGe; low molecular weight heparin; nF-κB.