Studies on the transport of insulin antibodies across the placenta to the fetus and their effect on the fetal pancreatic islet system

Summary This paper continues the preliminary communications on the insulin resistance of the offspring of insulin-resistant mothers. The investigations were carried out in guinea pigs and humans. It was shown that insulin antibodies pass into the fetal circulation which results in the appearance of passive insulin-resistance. This resistance disappears in the first weeks of life. Antibodies to bovine insulin bind in part endogenous insulin of guinea pigs, as demonstrated by marked hyperglycemia in the offspring of insulin-resistant mothers. Insulin antibodies have no noticeable effect on the architecture of the pancreas in guinea pigs in the perinatal period.This work was subsidized in part by the Polish Academy of Science.