Objectives: In vitro preparations have provided evidence suggesting that acute and chronic exposure to very high glucose concentrations can lead to embryonic demise via disruption of the extra-celomic membranes and yolk sac. In this study, we sought to determine, in vivo, if an acute increase in extra-embryonic fluid glucose concentration could cause spontaneous abortion.
Materials and methods: We employed a pregnant non-human primate model and ultrasound-guided celocentesis at 38-42 days from conception. In three control animals, partial replacement of the extra-embryonic celomic fluid was performed using normal saline containing 0.6 mg/mL of glucose. In four study animals, the extra-celomic fluid was replaced with a similar solution containing high glucose concentrations. All animals were then followed until delivery.
Results: Immediately after celocentesis, the estimated celomic fluid glucose concentration in experimental animals ranged between 5 mg/mL and 83.8 mg/mL (8-140 times the physiologic glucose concentration of 0.6 mg/mL). All animals delivered live newborns at term without congenital abnormalities.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that transitory increases in the extra-celomic fluid glucose concentration are not likely to cause a spontaneous abortion detectable with the sample size of our study.