Galanin concentrations in maternal circulation, amniotic fluid and umbilical cord blood during term labor: relationship with maternal body mass and neonatal birth weight.

BACKGROUND: Galanin is a hypothalamic regulatory peptide involved in the regulation of appetite. It is synthesized by the nervous system, anterior pituitary gland, adrenal medulla, pancreas, intestine and placenta. Placental secretion of galanin has until now only been investigated in animals. Additionally, galanin concentration has not been assessed in umbilical cord blood and amniotic fluid. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Galanin concentrations were measured in maternal circulation before term delivery, in cord blood and in amniotic fluid of 45 healthy pregnant women (gestational age 38 - 40 gestational weeks). The control group consisted of 26 normally menstruating healthy women. RESULTS: Plasma galanin concentrations were found to be similar in pregnant healthy women before term delivery (20.8 +/- 1.9 pg/ml) and non-pregnant women (19.0 +/- 1.7 pg/ml). Galanin concentration in umbilical cord blood (26.5 +/- 2.2 pg/ml) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in maternal circulation. Galanin concentration in amniotic fluid (20.4 +/- 1.0 pg/ml) was similar to that observed in maternal plasma, but significantly (p < 0.01) lower than in umbilical cord blood. A significant correlation was found between maternal body mass index and plasma galanin concentration (tau = 0.246; p < 0.05) and between birth weight and cord blood galanin concentration (tau = 0.345; p = 0.01). There was no significant correlation between placental mass and cord blood galanin concentration (tau = 0.124; p = 0.26). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma galanin concentration in pregnant women before term delivery is similar to that in non-pregnant women. The fetus rather than the placenta is the source of the high galanin concentration in umbilical cord blood. The role of galanin in the regulation of newborn weight is uncertain.

[Correlation between amniotic fluid index (AFI) and glucose concentration in amniotic fluid, glycaemia, glycosylated haemoglobin concentration during normal pregnancy and pregnancy complicated by insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus]. / Korelacja pomiedzy wartoscia indeksu plynu owodniowego (AFI) a stezeniem glukozy w plynie owodniowym, glikemia, stezeniem hemoglobiny glikowanej podczas ciazy prawidlowej oraz powiklanej cukrzyca insulinozalezna.

INTRODUCTION: In spite of confirming an association between type I diabetes of pregnancy with hydramnios, in the most recent studies there is still no clarity about which of the maternal or foetal metabolic parameters linked with amniotic fluid volume play the most important role. AIM: To determine which of the maternal or foetal metabolic parameters has the closest association with amniotic fluid volume. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research was performed in two groups: normal healthy pregnant women (n=43) and group of pregnant women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (n=17) and their newborns. We measured: amniotic fluid index, glucose level in serum and in amniotic fluid, in newborn serum, HbA1c level in serum of women and newborns. RESULTS: We found statistically significant higher values of amniotic fluid index 16.3 +/- 5.2 cm (p<0.01), glucose level in amniotic fluid 2.7 +/- 0.3 mmol/l (p<0.01), serum glucose level before delivery 8.4 +/- 1.6 mmol/l (p<0.001), glycosylated haemoglobin in serum levels 7.9 +/- 0.4% (p<0.05), levels of glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin in serum newborns 3.4 +/- 0.3 mmol/l (p<0.05), 7.7 +/- 0.4% (p<0.001) in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus as compared with these values in the group of healthy parturient women and their newborn infants. Performed correlation study shows statistical correlation between amniotic fluid index and glycosylated hemoglobin serum levels in the group of women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (p<0.05), t=0.56. CONCLUSION: We conclude that long hyperglycemia or increased HbA1c level have an important role in amniotic fluid index increase in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.