title: Placental growth hormone is not suppressed by oral glucose loading in normal human pregnancy.
abstract: Placental growth hormone (PGH) progressively replaces pituitary growth hormone in the maternal circulation from mid-gestation onwards in human pregnancy. Our previous investigations have shown that placental growth hormone concentrations correlate well with foetal growth. Despite the apparent correlation between PGH and birthweight, the physiology of its secretion during pregnancy has not been well defined. We investigated the response of maternal serum PGH to oral glucose loading in pregnant women (n = 24) who demonstrated normal glucose tolerance at a mean gestation of 29 weeks. Mean (SEM) fasting PGH concentrations were high (36.9 [6.4] ng/ml). No suppression of PGH was noted at one, two or three hours after a 75 g oral glucose load. Similarly, no changes were noted in growth hormone binding protein or in calculated free PGH over the course of the glucose tolerance test. As expected, insulin concentrations rose sixfold and insulin like growth factor binding protein 1 concentrations fell by 20 % with glucose loading. Correlation analysis showed maternal weight, BMI, fasting serum glucose serum insulin to be significantly correlated with the babies' birthweight. Our results support the proposition that PGH concentrations in maternal serum are not suppressed by oral glucose loading in non-diabetic mothers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Mater Hospital, Stanley Street, South Brisbane, Q 4101 Australia. dmcintvr@mater.org.au
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: McIntyre
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Serek
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Veveris-Lowe
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cotterill
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cowley
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barnard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood; D005215:Fasting / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D010926:Placental Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; C064980:GH2 protein, human; D007328:Insulin; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1; D010926:Placental Hormones; D013006:Growth Hormone; D005947:Glucose