Background:

Vertebral abnormalities in offspring of diabetic mothers make major challenges worldwide and were not sufficiently studied before.

Aim:

To investigate the effects of alloxan-induced diabetes on rats’ lumbar vertebrae, and to assess the potential beneficial impact of arachidonic acid.

Materials and Methods:

Pregnant rats were randomly equally divided into four groups: control, alloxan-induced diabetes received alloxan injection 150 mg/kg, alloxan+ arachidonic acid group received arachidonic acid 10 μg/animal then given alloxan injection, and arachidonic acid group received it, until offspring age of three weeks. Six male offspring from each group were included in this study at ages of newborn, threeweek-old, two-month-old, and their body measurements were recorded. Lumbar vertebrae and pancreas specimens were examined by light microscopy, morphometry, transmission electron microscopy