title: The effects of diabetes on placental lipase activity in the rat and human.
abstract: Lipase activities were measured at pH 4 and pH 8 in the placentas of rats made diabetic by streptozotocin treatment and also in the placentas of women classified as having 1) impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes, 2) type 1 diabetes with no associated vascular complication, and 3) type 1 diabetes with associated vascular disease. In both sets of experiments, the placentas were compared with normal control groups. The placental lipase activity measured at pH 8 was not significantly different in either streptozotocin-treated rats or impaired glucose tolerance/diabetic women as compared with controls, whereas the lipase activity measured at pH 4 increased significantly as compared with controls in both species. Furthermore, in the women there was a significant correlation between placental lipase activity at pH 4 and birth weight in impaired glucose tolerance/type 2 diabetes. It is suggested that the increased placental lipase activity may contribute to the increased fetal weight in human diabetic pregnancy, by contributing to the increased fat transfer across the placenta from mother to fetus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Health, University of Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaminsky
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Sibley
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maresh
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: D'Souza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001724:Birth Weight; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008049:Lipase / Q000378:metabolism*; D010920:Placenta / Q000201:enzymology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D008049:Lipase