Page 42 - N. Metabolism and metabolic diseases

[N. Metabolism and metabolic diseases-23]

The regulation of steroid hormones in the placenta of

gestational diabetes mellitus

Da Hee Kang¹, Sung-Min An¹, Min Jae Kim¹, Da Som Kim¹, So Young Kim¹, Beum-Soo An¹˙*

¹Biomaterials science, Pusan national university, Miryang 50463, Republic of Korea

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a pregnancy complication, resulting in hyperglycemia. In parallel to the
epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity, the prevalence of GDM is rising worldwide. To maintain
pregnancy, the placenta produces steroid hormones. However, the study of steroidogenesis in the placenta of GDM

has not been well established. In the present study, we examined the expression of steroidogenic enzymes in in

vitro and in vivo diabetic models. In our results, the expression of cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (CYP11A1)
was significantly increased, while 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (17βHSD1) was decreased in BeWo cells after
72H of hyperglycemia condition. In the placental tissues of streptozotocin (STZ)- and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced

diabetic animal models, expression of CYP11A1 and 17βHSD1 was significantly increased compared with control
group respectively. Concentration of 17β-estradiol (E2), the final steroid hormone from steroidogenesis, was

significantly increased in the serum of animal and in vitro diabetic models. These results suggested that the GDM
dysregulates the production of E2 via regulating the expression of steroidogenic enzymes in the placenta, which

may cause E2-related pregnant disorders such as preterm birth.