Effect of maternal hypothyroidism during pregnancy on insulin resistance, lipid accumulation, and mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle of fetal rats
Authors: Datong Deng
Tongjia Xia
Youmin Wang
Xue Zhang
Journal: Bioscience reports (2018)
Discipline: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY & GENETICS
Keywords: fetal rats; hypothyroidism; insulin resistance; lipid accumulation; mitochondrial dysfunction.
Affiliations: Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No. 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China., Department of Endocriology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China., Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No. 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China  .

Abstract:  The present study aimed to investigate the effect of maternal hypothyroidism during pregnancy on thyroid function of the fetal rat. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into two groups. Propylthiouracil (PTU) group received PTU in drinking water for 6 weeks (n=90), normal group received normal drinking water (n=50). The pregnant rats were obtained and had a cesarean-section to get at gestational ages of 8.5, 13, and 21 days, following blood samples and skeletal muscle were obtained from fetal rats. Levels of thyroid hormone, insulin, mitochondrial protein, and adipokines were detected using ELISA. Western blotting was performed to analyze mitochondria and insulin signal transduction-related protein in fetal rat skeletal muscle. Immunostaining of Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) and Oil Red O was used to observe the accumulation of muscle glycogen and lipid in the fetal rat. The results showed that the levels of thyroid hormone, insulin, insulin signal transduction-related protein, mitochondrial, and adipokines increased with the fetus developed, but had no statistical differences in the PTU group compared with the normal group. In conclusion, pregnant rats with hypothyroidism had no influence on insulin resistance (IR), lipid accumulation, and mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle of the fetal rats. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. Figures published in this article were not only used several times without citation in two subsequent other studies published in journal Dent. J. 2018, 6, 12; doi:10.3390 dj6020012 and in journal Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 3006; doi:10.3390 app10093006 which have now been retracted, but the images were also manipulated and used for different results. As an example, see Fig. 4 and Fig. 7 from the Annals of Anatomy. Fig 4 was demonstrated as SEM  Image of bone formation inside a socket filled with MP3 modified with pamidronate at 4 weeks . The legend of Fig. 7 shows the image as  SEM Image of bone formation inside a socket filled with MP3 modified with pamidronate at 8 weeks . However, Fig. 7 is only a higher magnification of Fig. 4. If you enlarge Fig. 4 to the same ratio as Fig. 7, you will quickly find the place in Fig. 4 from which Fig. 7 was copied (see below). The manuscript contains a number of other manipulations as well as some absolutely identical text passages with the other two manuscripts mentioned. Although this article was published earlier than the other articles, the Editor decided to retract this article given concerns about the reliability of the data. h t https: retractionwatch.com 2020 12 24 misconduct-on-a-grand-and-terrible-scale-dental-scientist-up-to-26-retractions ,