Elevated serum squalene and cholesterol synthesis markers in pregnant obese women with gestational diabetes mellitus

Current Insights into the Biological Action of Squalene

“…Not surprisingly, pregnant women at risk for gestational diabetes mellitus (BMI > 30 kg m −2 ) had an increased squalene‐to‐cholesterol ratio in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Maternal serum squalene was also positively correlated with neonatal birth weight, thus suggesting a potential contribution of maternal cholesterol synthesis to newborn weight in these subjects . In light of the above, squalene reflects cholesterol biosynthesis while also showing its own dynamics in terms of pathological events; it also seems to be sex‐dependent.…”

Effect of gestational diabetes mellitus on newborn cholesterol metabolism

“…Cord blood samples were collected at birth and stored at À80 C until analyzed. Serum and cord blood cholesterol and cholesterol precursors (squalene, lanosterol, dihydrolanosterol, 7 methostenol, cholestenol, desmosterol and lathosterol), cholestanol and plant sterols (campesterol, sitosterol and avenasterol) were assayed by gas liquid chromatography as described [15]. Shortly, serum/cord blood squalene and noncholesterol sterols were quantified from non-saponifiable materials by capillary gas liquid chromatography (Agilent 6890 N Network GC System, Agilent Technologies, Wilmington, DE) equipped with a 50 m long non-polar Ultra 2 capillary column (5% phenyl-methyl siloxane; Agilent Technologies, Wilmington, DE) with 5a-cholestane as internal standard [15].…”

“…All pregnant study subjects were participants of our previous study [7] and originated from the control arm of the Finnish RADIEL-study [12]. Characteristics of the pregnant study subjects, as well as their serum non-cholesterol sterol concentrations and ratios to cholesterol, have been described previously in detail [7]. Briefly, pregnant women classified as at risk for developing GDM (BMI>30 kg/m 2 ) were enrolled to the study at the time of their first visit to the maternity clinics in Southern Finland.…”

“…Cord blood samples were collected when technically feasible from all subjects (n ¼ 28) participating in our previous study [7]. The GDM group (n ¼ 15) consisted of women having a pathological OGTT while the control subjects (n ¼ 13) had a normal OGTT during pregnancy and no history of previous GDM.…”

“…Furthermore, in GDM, the second trimester maternal Abbreviations: GDM, gestational diabetes mellitus; OGTT, oral glucose tolerance test. serum squalene concentration correlated with neonatal birth weight suggesting potential contribution of maternal cholesterol metabolism to fetal weight [7].…”