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© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

The placenta is an endocrine fetal organ, which secretes a plethora of steroid- and proteo-hormones, metabolic proteins, growth factors, and cytokines in order to adapt maternal physiology to pregnancy. Central to the growth of the fetus is the supply with nutrients, foremost with glucose. Therefore, during pregnancy, maternal insulin resistance arises, which elevates maternal blood glucose levels, and consequently ensures an adequate glucose supply for the developing fetus. At the same time, maternal β-cell mass and function increase to compensate for the higher insulin demand. These adaptations are also regulated by the endocrine function of the placenta. Excessive insulin resistance or the inability to increase insulin production accordingly disrupts physiological modulation of pregnancy mediated glucose metabolism and may cause maternal gestational diabetes (GDM). A growing body of evidence suggests that this adaptation of maternal glucose metabolism differs between pregnancies carrying a girl vs. pregnancies carrying a boy. Moreover, the risk of developing GDM differs depending on the sex of the fetus. Sex differences in placenta derived hormones and bioactive proteins, which adapt and modulate maternal glucose metabolism, are likely to contribute to this sexual dimorphism. This review provides an overview on the adaptation and maladaptation of maternal glucose metabolism by placenta-derived factors, and highlights sex differences in this regulatory network.

Details

Title
Placental Endocrine Activity: Adaptation and Disruption of Maternal Glucose Metabolism in Pregnancy and the Influence of Fetal Sex
Author
Stern, Christina 1 ; Schwarz, Sarah 1 ; Moser, Gerit 2 ; Cvitic, Silvija 3 ; Jantscher-Krenn, Evelyn 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Gauster, Martin 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Hiden, Ursula 1 

 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria; [email protected] (C.S.); [email protected] (S.S.); [email protected] (E.J.-K.) 
 Division of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria; [email protected] 
 Research Unit of Analytical Mass Spectrometry, Cell Biology and Biochemistry of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria; [email protected] 
First page
12722
Publication year
2021
Publication date
2021
Publisher
MDPI AG
ISSN
16616596
e-ISSN
14220067
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2608093644
Copyright
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.