Ghrelin in gestational diabetes: serum level and mRNA expression in fat and placental tissue.

Objectives: We studied the effect of an oral glucose load on circulating ghrelin, as well as ghrelin and ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) mRNA expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and placental tissue from pregnant women with gestational diabetes (GDM) and normal glucose tolerance (NGT).

Methods: Plasma total ghrelin levels were measured in 58 patients with GDM and 61 women with NGT by radioimmunoassay. Ghrelin and GHS-R1a mRNA expression was studied in 16 subjects with GDM and 20 healthy pregnant women at term, using RT-PCR.

Circulating asymmetric dimethylarginine, endothelin-1 and cell adhesion molecules in women with gestational diabetes.

We measured plasma concentrations of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), endothelin-1 (ET-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and E-selectin in 56 patients with gestational diabetes (GDM), 68 pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and 36 healthy non-pregnant women. ADMA concentrations were markedly lower in NGT [0.48 (0.