title: Acylated ghrelin concentrations are markedly decreased during pregnancy in mothers with and without gestational diabetes: relationship with cholinesterase.
abstract: Acylated (octanoylated) ghrelin stimulates food intake and growth hormone secretion and is deacylated into desacyl ghrelin by butyrylcholinesterase. Acylated and desacyl ghrelin both promote adipogenesis. Ghrelin concentrations decrease with hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinism. We hypothesized that 1) acylated ghrelin increases during pregnancy, contributing positively to energy balance, but is lower in women with gestational diabetes and 2) butyrylcholinesterase activity is inversely correlated with acylated ghrelin concentrations. In a first group of subjects, using two-site sandwich ghrelin assays that specifically detect full-length forms, we investigated women with and without gestational diabetes (n = 14/group) during pregnancy and after delivery. We examined whether changes in ghrelin during a test meal were correlated with changes in pituitary growth hormone [assessed through calculation of the area under the curve (AUC) during the test meal]. In postpartum subjects, the percent of total ghrelin that is acylated was four to five times higher than previously observed using single antibody assays. During pregnancy, acylated ghrelin concentrations (mean +/- SE) were lower compared with the postpartum period throughout the meal (AUC 1.2 +/- 0.2 vs. 10.2 +/- 1.9 ng.ml(-1).90 min(-1), P < 0.001). In the postpartum, acylated ghrelin and growth hormone were positively correlated (r = 0.50, P = 0.007). Desacyl (but not acylated) ghrelin was increased in subjects with gestational diabetes during and after pregnancy (AUC 15.4 +/- 1.9 vs. 8.6 +/- 1.2 ng.ml(-1).90 min(-1), P = 0.005). In a second group of subjects (n = 13), acylated ghrelin was similarly suppressed during pregnancy. Circulating octanoate concentrations (3.1 +/- 0.5 vs. 4.5 +/- 0.6 microg/ml, P = 0.029) and cholinesterase activity (705 +/- 33 vs. 1,013 +/- 56 U/ml, P < 0.001) were lower during pregnancy compared with the postpartum period. In conclusion, acylated ghrelin markedly decreases during pregnancy, likely because of a decrease in the acylation process. Desacyl ghrelin increases in gestational diabetes, possibly reflecting resistance to the inhibitory effect of insulin on ghrelin secretion.
authors.affiliation: British Columbia's Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6H 3V4.
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tham
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Innis
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Bruce D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Gaylinn
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bogarin
authors.forename: Alon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haim
authors.forename: Michael O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Thorner
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Chanoine
mesh_terms: D000215:Acylation; D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D001786:Blood Glucose; D054439:Ghrelin; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin; C422650:ghrelin, des-n-octanoyl; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D002802:Cholinesterases