GDM-complicated pregnancies: focus on adipokines

Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a serious complication of pregnancy and is defined as a state of glucose intolerance that is first diagnosed and arises during gestation. Although the pathophysiology of GDM has not yet been thoroughly clarified, insulin resistance and pancreatic β-cell dysfunction are considered critical components of its etiopathogenesis. To sustain fetus growth and guarantee mother health, many significant changes in maternal metabolism are required in normal and high-risk pregnancy accompanied by potential complications. Adipokines, adipose tissue-derived hormones, are proteins with pleiotropic functions including a strong metabolic influence in physiological conditions and during pregnancy too. A growing number of studies suggest that various adipokines including adiponectin, leptin, visfatin, resistin and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) are dysregulated in GDM and might have pathological significance and a prognostic value in this pregnancy disorder. In this review, we will focus on the current knowledge on the role that the aforementioned adipokines play in the development and progression of GDM.

Effects of puerarin on chronic inflammation: Focus on the heart, brain, and arteries

“… 14 Notably, increased resistin has been reported to be involved in insulin resistance; adipokines, such as leptin, regulates energy balance by inhibiting hunger and subsequently prevent an increase in body weight. 15 , 16 These findings suggest that puerarin is a beneficial adjuvant medicine for prevention and treatment of obesity and obesity associated type II diabetes.…”

Predictive and Diagnostic Value of Serum Adipokines in Pregnant Women with Intrahepatic Cholestasis

“…In a cross-sectional study, results were obtained suggesting that the leptin/adiponectin ratio increases in preeclampsia and that the imbalance between adipocytokines may play a role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia [ 36 ]. Although adiponectin and leptin seem to be the main adipocytokines involved in the pathogenesis of GDM in the last review, their direct relationship to the pathophysiology of GDM is not clear and further studies are needed [ 37 ].…”

“…The relationship of ICP with GDM and preeclampsia has been evaluated and found in many studies recently. However, there are few studies on the relationship of ICP with GDM and preeclampsia, and they state that there is a lack of reliable data [ 37 , 39 ].…”

New Insights into Adipokines in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

“…Although some key pathophysiological mechanisms in GDM have been extensively described to date, it is in the last few decades that several adipokines have shown some involvement in the metabolic alterations underlying GDM. Today, there are excellent reviews of the role of adipokines in GDM, with special focus on the maternal circulating profile [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. However, it is in recent years that more progress has been made in the study of their expression in visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), placenta, and their concentrations in the umbilical circulation.…”