Differential apelin mRNA expression in placenta of women with gestational diabetes (GDM)

L Stirm; L Fritsche; A Ordelheide; N Stefan; HU Häring; A Fritsche; H Staiger

doi:10.1055/s-0036-1580923

Diabetologie und Stoffwechsel, Table of Contents

Differential apelin mRNA expression in placenta of women with gestational diabetes (GDM)

L Stirm ¹^,²^,³, L Fritsche ¹^,²^,³, A Ordelheide ¹^,²^,³, N Stefan ¹^,²^,³, HU Häring ¹^,²^,³, A Fritsche ¹^,²^,³, H Staiger ¹^,²^,³

¹Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases (IDM) of the Helmholtz Center Munich, at the University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
²German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
³Uniklinik Tübingen, Innere Medizin 4, Tübingen, Germany

Abstract

The percentage of pregnancies accompanied by gestational diabetes (GDM) is increasing globally. Also, GDM and the associated disturbances in maternal lipid metabolism are shown to have negative impacts on maternal and fetal long term health. In normoglycemic women (NGT), the pancreas can compensate for the reduction in insulin sensitivity being present in the 3^rd trimester of pregnancy. However in GDM, the compensatory beta cell response is absent. It is proposed that adipokines, also released from the placenta might lead to reduced compensatory effects of the beta cells.

In our clinical PREG study at the IDM in Tübingen we have access to blood and placenta samples of well characterized NGT (n = 18) and GDM (n = 8) women. Hypertriglyceridemia, accumulation of defined free fatty acids and triglycerides in the placenta as well as increased mRNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL1b, IL6, and IL8) and enzymes involved in placental lipid metabolism (i.e.: LIPG, CD36, FASN) are detected via GC-analysis and qRT-PCR in our cohort. This data indicate that GDM and increased maternal BMI have an influence on the lipid metabolism of the placenta and may lead to a proinflammatory placental milieu. Also, in the placenta samples we see an increase in apelin mRNA levels of women with GDM. Apelin is shown to reduce insulin release of the beta cells via activation of PI3-kinase-phosphodiesterase-3b. In further steps we will determine protein levels of apelin in placenta of mothers with NGT and GDM, and investigate a putative epigenetic regulation of apelin in the placenta.