title: Comparison of immunoreactive gonadotropin-releasing hormone and human chorionic gonadotropin in term placentas from normal women and those with insulin-dependent and gestational diabetes.
abstract: We measured prohormone gonadotropin-releasing hormone (high-molecular-weight gonadotropin-releasing hormone), gonadotropin-releasing hormone and human chorionic gonadotropin concentrations in term placentas from normal women and those with insulin-dependent and gestational diabetes. The placental immunoreactive gonadotropin-releasing hormone levels were significantly higher in normal tissues than in tissues from insulin-dependent and gestational diabetes (p less than 0.01). When compared with diabetic placental extracts, normal tissue also had more stored prohormone immunoreactive gonadotropin-releasing hormone. Whereas there were no consistent differences in placental human chorionic gonadotropin concentrations in normal tissues and tissues from insulin-dependent and gestational diabetes, there was a significant correlation between gonadotropin-releasing hormone and human chorionic gonadotropin concentrations in normal samples (r = 0.57, p less than 0.05), which was abolished when the diabetic tissue was included in the analysis. These data suggest that differences in high-molecular-weight gonadotropin-releasing hormone and gonadotropin-releasing hormone concentrations in term placentas from normal versus diabetic mothers may be due to enhanced processing of the prohormone and increased release of the decapeptide in diabetic pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030.
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Elkind-Hirsch
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Raynolds
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Goldzieher
mesh_terms: D002585:Cesarean Section; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000032:analysis*; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010906:Pituitary Hormone-Releasing Hormones / Q000032:analysis*; D010920:Placenta / Q000032:analysis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D010906:Pituitary Hormone-Releasing Hormones