The pregnancy-induced increase of plasma angiotensin-(1-7) is blunted in gestational diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
It has been shown that the circulating Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) is activated during normal pregnancy, but little is known about RAS in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes (GDM). GDM is considered not merely a temporary condition, but a harbinger of hypertension and type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the circulating RAS profile in normotensive women with GDM at the third trimester of pregnancy and to compare the results with healthy pregnant and non-pregnant age-matched women.


METHODS
The diagnostic criteria for GDM followed the recommendations of the American Diabetes Association. Angiotensin I (Ang I), Angiotensin II (Ang II) and Angiotensin 1-7 [Ang-(1-7)] were determined in 24 pregnant patients with GDM; 12 healthy pregnant women and 12 non-pregnant women by radioimmunoassay.


RESULTS
Levels of Ang I, Ang II and Ang-(1-7) were higher in pregnant women (p<0.05), but showed a different pattern in the GDM group, in which reduced Ang-(1-7) circulating levels were found (p<0.05). This observation was confirmed by the significantly lower Ang-(1-7)/Ang I ratio (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that reduced levels of the vasodilator Ang-(1-7) could be implicated in the endothelial dysfunction seen in gestational diabetic women during and after pregnancy.
Nogueira
Anelise Impellizzeri
AI
Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av. Professor Alfredo Balena, 190, Santa Efigênia, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Souza Santos
Robson Augusto
RA
Simões E Silva
Ana Cristina
AC
Cabral
Antônio Carlos Vieira
AC
Vieira
Renata Lúcia Pereira
RL
Drumond
Thaís Costa
TC
Machado
Lucas José de Campos
LJ
Freire
Cláudia Maria Vilas
CM
Ribeiro-Oliveira
Antônio
A
D000328:Adult; D000803:Angiotensin I / Q000097:blood*; D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000097:blood; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000502:physiology*
D010446:Peptide Fragments; D000804:Angiotensin II; D000803:Angiotensin I; C118790:angiotensin I (1-7)