EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF THE GLP-1 RECEPTOR AGONIST - SEMAGLUTIDE ON MATERNAL CARE: A MOUSE MODEL STUDY

Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, has gained significant popularity as a treatment for diabetes and obesity. However, the consequences of its use by women of reproductive age and during pregnancy are remain poorly understood. Manufacturers recommend discontinuing semaglutide use two months before attempting to conceive, however nearly 45% of pregnancies are unplanned and discovered within the first 10 weeks (during the first trimester), meaning many women unknowingly continue treatment during early pregnancy. In our study female Swiss albino mice received increasing doses of semaglutide or saline before and during pregnancy (up to day 14th). Body weight was monitored throughout treatment and pregnancy, as both maternal overweight and underweight can negatively affect offspring development. Blood glucose levels were also monitored, since changes in glucose regulation during lactation may influence milk quality and offspring health. As maternal care critically influences offspring development, maternal behavior was recorded twice daily for one hour between days 1 and 7. Analyzed maternal and non-maternal behaviors included nursing, licking, contact with pups, and pup retrieval, lack of interaction, eating/drinking, and nest building. Before pregnancy no significant differences in body weight were found between groups. During pregnancy, control females had higher mean body weight than semaglutide-treated females. Blood glucose levels did not differ significantly between groups. Semaglutide-treated females spent more time nursing their pups, though this difference was not statistically significant. Funding: National Science Centre of Poland, grant number 2023/51/B/NZ7/02360 and statutory fund of IP PAS.