Plasma apelin levels and apelin/APJ mRNA expression in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus☆
Received 10 June 2009; received in revised form 5 October 2009; accepted 26 October 2009. published online 19 November 2009.
Abstract
Aims and methods
Apelin is a novel adipokine identified as an endogenous ligand of the G protein-coupled receptor APJ. In this study we compared plasma apelin concentrations in 101 patients with gestational diabetes (GDM) and 101 women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) between 24 and 32 weeks of gestation (Group 1), as well as in 20 women with GDM and 16 subjects with NGT at term (Group 2). Apelin and APJ mRNA expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and placental tissue were also measured in Group 2, using quantitative real-time PCR.
Results
There were no significant differences in plasma apelin levels between the women with GDM and NGT (Group 1: 1555.6 [1281.2–1804.2]pg/ml vs 1656.5 [1430.2–1852.1]pg/ml, Group 2: 1607.9 [1453.4–1768.7]pg/ml vs 1493.8 [1316.8–1956.7]pg/ml) nor in apelin and APJ mRNA expression in SAT, VAT and placental tissue. Apelin mRNA expression was approximately 10 fold higher in placental than in adipose tissue (p<0.0001). Apelin and APJ mRNA expression correlated significantly in SAT (R=0.45, p=0.03), VAT (R=0.69, p=0.003) and placental tissue (R=0.37, p=0.03).
Conclusions
No associations between circulating apelin or apelin/APJ mRNA expression and GDM or the indices of insulin resistance were noted in our study.
aDepartment of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, , Poland
bDepartment of Gynecology, Medical University of Bialystok, , Poland
cDepartment of Biochemical Diagnostics, Medical University of Bialystok, , Poland
dFoetal-Maternal Medicine and Gynecology Department, Research Institute Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital (RI PMMH), Lodz, Poland
Corresponding author at: Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Białystok, M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 24A, 15-276 Białystok, Poland. Tel.: +48 857468239; fax: +48 857447611.
☆ The study was supported by grant no. KBN 2 PO5E 08829 from the State Committee for Scientific Research.
ABSTRACT