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Published on: April 28, 2016
Ghrelin concentration in cord and neonatal blood: relation to fetal growth and energy balance
Seiko Kitamura1, Ichiro Yokota, Hiroshi Hosoda
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Tokushima School of Medicine, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
Insights
Fetal ghrelin levels inversely correlate with birth weight and length, with higher concentrations observed in smaller newborns. Neonatal ghrelin levels are significantly elevated compared to cord blood, suggesting a role in growth.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Neonatal research
- Growth factors
Background:
- Ghrelin, a peptide hormone, is known for its role in regulating appetite and energy balance.
- Its involvement in fetal and neonatal development is less understood.
- Investigating ghrelin's impact on early growth is crucial for understanding developmental trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between plasma ghrelin concentrations and fetal/neonatal growth parameters.
- To explore the relationship between ghrelin and energy balance indicators in newborns.
- To determine potential sources of fetal ghrelin.
Main Methods:
- Plasma ghrelin concentrations were measured in cord blood samples from 54 newborns and neonatal blood samples from 47 infants.
- Correlations were analyzed between ghrelin levels and birth weight, length, placental weight, and IGF-I and GH concentrations.
- Ghrelin levels were compared between small for gestational age (SGA) and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) newborns, and between umbilical vein and artery samples.
Main Results:
- Cord blood ghrelin concentrations were inversely correlated with birth weight, birth length, placental weight, and IGF-I.
- Ghrelin levels were significantly higher in small for gestational age newborns compared to appropriate for gestational age newborns.
- Neonatal ghrelin concentrations were significantly higher than cord blood ghrelin concentrations, and higher levels were found in umbilical vein samples, suggesting placental contribution.
Conclusions:
- Ghrelin may play a significant role in fetal growth, as indicated by its inverse correlation with birth parameters and higher levels in SGA infants.
- The placenta appears to be a notable source of fetal ghrelin.
- Elevated ghrelin levels in neonates suggest a potential role in neonatal growth and energy homeostasis.
Abstract:
To investigate the relationship between ghrelin and both fetal and neonatal growth parameters and energy balance, we measured plasma ghrelin concentrations in 54 cord blood samples (male, n = 34; female, n = 20; gestational age, 37.0-41.6 wk; birth weight, 2206-4326 g) and 47 neonatal blood samples (male, n = 27; female, n = 20; postnatal d 3-8). The plasma ghrelin concentrations in cord blood ranged from 110.6-446.1 pmol/liter (median, 206.7 pmol/liter), which were equal to or higher than those in normal weight adults. These values were inversely correlated with birth weight (r = -0.40; P = 0.002), birth length (r = -0.36; P = 0.007), placental weight (r = -0.35; P = 0.01), and IGF-I concentration (r = -0.49; P = 0.0002), but were not significantly correlated with the GH concentration (r = 0.22; P = 0.12). The ghrelin concentrations in small for gestational age newborn were significantly higher than those in appropriate for gestational age newborns (P = 0.0008). The ghrelin concentrations in the vein were significantly higher than those in the artery in 8 cord blood samples (P = 0.01), which suggests that the placenta is an important source of fetal ghrelin. In neonates, the ghrelin concentrations ranged from 133.0-481.7 pmol/liter (median, 268.3 pmol/liter), which were significantly higher than those in cord blood (P < 0.0001). These results suggest that ghrelin may contribute to fetal and neonatal growth.
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