The Effects of Glycine Therapy on the Fetal Outcome of Diabetic Mice

The effect of glycine in preventing diabetes teratogenicity was studied in mice. Pregnant female animals were given an IP injection of 200 mg/kg of streptozotocin (STZ) on gestation day (GD) 7. Glycine was administered ad libitum from GD9 through GD19 (day of sacrifice) as a 1 and 2% drinking water solution. Nine whole-litter resorptions, a decreased number of live fetuses and fetal parameters, and an increase in HbA1C levels in diabetic dams were found. Malformations were limited. Glycine had a protective effect from hemoglobin glycation and embryotoxicity due to STZ-induced diabetes. Also, resorptions and malformed fetuses were positively correlated to HbA1C levels with a negative correlation to the number of live fetuses. The data suggest that glycine reduces the embryolethality of STZ-induced diabetes due to its anti-glycation effect.