Increased chemerin concentrations in fetuses of obese mothers and correlation with maternal insulin sensitivity

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of maternal obesity and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on (i) the circulating concentrations of chemerin in cord and maternal plasma, and (ii) gene expression and release of chemerin from human placenta and adipose tissue. Design: Chemerin concentrations were measured in maternal and cord plasma from 62 normal glucose tolerant women (NGT) and 69 women with GDM at the time of term elective Caesarean section. Placenta and adipose tissue expression and release of chemerin was measured from 22 NGT and 22 GDM women. Results: There was no effect of maternal obesity or GDM on maternal chemerin concentrations. Chemerin concentrations were significantly higher in cord plasma from women with maternal obesity. Cord chemerin concentrations in NGT women negatively correlated with the concentrations of maternal insulin sensitivity. There was no effect of GDM on maternal and cord chemerin concentrations, and on the release of chemerin from placenta and adipose tissue. Conclusions: At the time of term Caesarean section, preexisting maternal obesity, and its associated insulin resistance, is associated with higher cord plasma chemerin concentrations.

Keywords::

• Adipose tissue
• chemerin
• gestational diabetes
• obesity
• pregnancy
• placenta

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the Clinical Research Midwives Gabrielle Fleming, Astrid Tiefholz, Lyndall Paolucci, Debra Jinks, Asha Ferguson; and the Obstetrics and Midwifery staff of the Mercy Hospital for Women for their co-operation. Connie Celeste Jamie Louzios (Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne) is thanked for her assistance with the statistical analysis.

Declaration of Interest: Dr Martha Lappas was a recipient of a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) RD Wright Fellowship (grant no. 454777). The work described in this manuscript was funded by a project grant from the NHMRC (grant no. 454310). Funding for the iQ5 multicolour RT-PCR machine (in-part) and xMark Microplate Absorbance Spectrophotometer was provided by the Medical Research Foundation for Women and Babies. ML conceived the idea, designed the study, performed some of experiments, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript. GB performed some of the experiments and reviewed the paper. RL performed the explants studies. GER reviewed the manuscript.