Original Data

Metformin Treatment Does Not Affect Testicular Size in Offspring Born to Mothers with Gestational Diabetes

Kristiina Tertti¹, Jorma Toppari², Helena E. Virtanen², Sergey Sadov², Tapani Rönnemaa³

Manuscript submitted July 12, 2015; resubmitted July 29, 2015; accepted August 4, 2015.

Keywords: gestational diabetes mellitus, metformin, insulin, offspring, testis, testicular size

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Studies in rodents suggest that metformin treatment during pregnancy may have harmful effects on testicular development in offspring. Our aim was to determine whether metformin treatment of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects testicular size in male offspring. METHODS: We compared the testicular size in prepubertal boys born to mothers who participated in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing metformin with insulin in the treatment of GDM. Twenty-five (42.4% of invited) and 27 (52.9% of invited) boys whose mothers had been treated with metformin or insulin, respectively, participated in the study. Testicular size was measured by a ruler, an orchidometer, and by ultrasonography at the age of 33 to 85 months. RESULTS: The mean age of the boys was 60 months at the time of examination, and did not differ between the metformin and insulin group (p = 0.88). There was no difference in testicular size between the boys in the two groups (p always ≥ 0.40), and there were no significant differences in height, weight, BMI, BMI z-score, or waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) between the boys in the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Prepubertal testicular size did not differ between offspring born to metformin-treated mothers and those born to insulin-treated mothers.

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