Whey protein preloading can alleviate stress adaptation disorder and improve hyperglycemia in women with gestational diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Aims

To investigate the change of stress hormones, oxidative stress and insulin resistance (IR) in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) after supplement whey protein, in an attempt to gain insights into the prevention and treatment of GDM.

Materials and methods

60 GDM women were recruited in this study, and 30 women received a preload drink containing 20 g whey protein as group GDM-W, and the other 30 women received control flavoring drink as group GDM, and the trial lasted for 14 days. Plasma epinephrine (E), noradrenaline (NE), and cortisol were detected; we also determined levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione (GSH). Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was used to assess IR.

Results

In the GDM-W group, postprandial blood glucose was decreased significantly on 3, 5, 7, and 14 days (all p < .05), plasma 2 h insulin was increased by 7.2, 8.6, and 20.5% on days 5, 7, and 14 (p < .05, .05, .01). HOMA-IR was decreased significantly on day 14 (p < .05). MDA was decreased by 20.7% on day 14 (p < .01), and anti-oxidative enzymes’ SOD was decreased by 13.4% on day 14 (p < .05) and GSH was decreased by 16.7 and 29.1% on days 7 and 14 (both p < .05). Stress hormones E and cortisol were decreased by 10.8 and 19.8%, respectively, on day 14 (p < .05). There was no significant difference in NE between the two groups within 14 days.

Conclusions

Whey protein supplementation may improve hyperglycemia by alleviating stress disorder and oxidative stress injury in GDM women. This trial was registered at chictr.org.cn/as ChiCTR1800020413.

乳清蛋白预负荷可减轻妊娠期糖尿病女性应激适应障碍和改善高血糖 摘要

目的：探讨妊娠期糖尿病（gestational diabetes mellitus, GDM）女性补充乳清蛋白后应激激素、氧化应激及胰岛素抵抗（insulin resistance, IR）的变化, 为GDM的防治提供依据。

材料与方法：本研究纳入了60名GDM女性, 30例给予含20g乳清蛋白的预负荷饮料, 作为GDM-W组；30例给予对照调味饮料, 作为GDM组, 试验持续14d。检测血浆肾上腺素（epinephrine, E）、去甲肾上腺素（noradrenaline, NE）和皮质醇；我们还测定了丙二醛（malondialdehyde, MDA）、超氧化物歧化酶（superoxide dismutase, SOD）和谷胱甘肽（glutathione, GSH）的水平。采用胰岛素抵抗稳态模型（Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, HOMA-IR）评价胰岛素抵抗。

结果：GDM-W组餐后第3、5、7、14天血糖明显下降（p都<0.05）, 第5、7、14天血浆2h胰岛素分别升高7.2%、8.6%、20.5%（p<0.05、0.05、0.01）。HOMA-IR在第14天显著降低（p<0.05）。MDA在第14天下降了20.7%（p<0.01）, 抗氧化酶SOD在第14天下降了13.4%（p<0.05）, GSH在第7天和第14天分别下降了16.7%和29.1%（p都<0.05）。应激激素E和皮质醇在第14天分别下降了10.8%和19.8%（p<0.05）。14天内两组间NE无显著性差异。

结论：补充乳清蛋白可能通过减轻GDM女性的应激障碍和氧化应激损伤而改善高血糖。本试验于chictr.org.cn注册为ChiCTR1800020413。

Keywords:

• Whey protein
• gestational diabetes mellitus
• oxidative stress
• insulin resistance
• stress adaptation

Ethics approval

Approval was obtained from Ethics committee of Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital (Approval no. 2018-104).

Disclosure statement

None of the authors has a conflict of interest to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the Yantai Science and Technology Innovation Development Plan Project [2020YD028].