title: The relationship between weight gain during pregnancy and allopregnanolone levels: a longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Large weight gain during pregnancy is a risk factor for complications for mother and fetus. Hunger and satiety are regulated in the hypothalamus, where the gamma-amino-butyric acid system (GABA) has an important role. Allopregnanolone, a progesterone metabolite, increases during pregnancy and is a potent GABA-A receptor modulating steroid. Allopregnanolone has been shown to induce overeating in rodents. The aim was to investigate whether there is a relationship between weight gain and allopregnanolone concentrations during pregnancy in humans.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal, cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant women (n= 56) were recruited in primary care in northern Sweden. Allopregnanolone concentrations in plasma were measured using radioimmunoassay and weight was measured in gestational weeks 12 and 35.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Weight increase correlated significantly to allopregnanolone in late pregnancy increase (rs= 0.320;P= 0.016), indicating a positive relationship between weight increase and allopregnanolone increase. A positive relationship was also noted between allopregnanolone in the 35th gestational week and weight increase. Women who gained ≥11 kg during pregnancy showed higher allopregnanolone concentrations in week 35 and higher increase compared to women who increased <11 kg (P= 0.006 andP= 0.009 resp.). There was no difference in weight or allopregnanolone concentrations at the onset of pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show a relationship between weight gain during pregnancy and increase in allopregnanolone concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical MedicineFamily Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden anette.lundqvist@umu.se.
authors.forename: Anette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lundqvist
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical MedicineFamily Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sandström
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical SciencesObstetrics and Gynecology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Torbjörn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bäckström
keywords: allopregnanolone; longitudinal; pregnancy; weight increase