Key result
Late pregnancy in mice linked to ~51% lower serum adiponectin versus virgin mice.
Why the study?
Adiponectin gene expression and circulating levels during pregnancy have not been fully characterized despite known insulin resistance in late pregnancy.
Observational
Adiponectin gene expression and serum levels are significantly reduced during late pregnancy in mice, correlating with increased adipocyte size, which may affect metabolic status.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Should not yet change practice; hypothesis-generating for adiponectin's role in human gestational metabolism.
Adiponectin, a fat-derived factor, is downregulated in insulin resistance and obesity; insulin resistance has been demonstrated during late pregnancy in both humans and in rodents. The present study examines the physiological change of adiponectin gene expression as well as the circulating levels of adiponectin during pregnancy. We examined the relative quantity of adiponectin mRNA produced in the adipose tissues of pregnant compared to virgin mice. We also measured serum adiponectin levels and parametrial adipocyte size in mice throughout pregnancy. Adiponectin mRNA was significantly reduced by 74 +/- 8 % and 63 +/- 4 % at days 15 and 18 of pregnancy, respectively, compared to virgin mice. Serum adiponectin concentration decreased on days 15 (30.7 +/- 8.5 microg/ml) and 18 (27.9 +/- 8.7 microg/ml) of pregnancy, and the values were significantly lower than that of virgin mice (56.8 +/- 6.6 microg/ml). Parametrial adipocytes from mice on days 15 and 18 of pregnancy were significantly larger than in virgin mice or during early pregnancy. Fat-cell size was closely correlated to degradation of adiponectin gene expression and serum adiponectin levels. These results suggest that changes of adiponectin expression affect metabolic status in pregnant mice.
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Kondo et al. (2004) conducted an observational in Pregnancy. Late pregnancy vs. Virgin mice was evaluated on Serum adiponectin levels. Late pregnancy in mice was associated with significantly reduced serum adiponectin levels (27.9 +/- 8.7 microg/ml on day 18 vs 56.8 +/- 6.6 microg/ml in virgin mice) and decreased mRNA expression.
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