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Relationship between basal metabolic rate and cortisol secretion throughout pregnancy

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Abstract

The role of cortisol in mediating basal metabolic rate (BMR) changes that accompany the adjustment of maternal body weight (BW) and body composition during pregnancy is unknown. We tested whether increase in BMR during pregnancy is explained by variations in cortisol secretion. Longitudinal changes in BW, fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), BMR, hormonal, and metabolic parameters in 31 parous Caucasian women at gestational weeks 12, 26, and 36 were examined. Individual differences (Δ) between the last and the first measurement occasions for each variable were calculated. By gestational week 36, BW and BMR increased while both FFM/FM and BMR/BW ratio decreased (P < 0.001 for all) suggesting higher proportion of FM accretion. Cortisol, leptin, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentration rose, whereas non-placental growth hormone (GH) and thyroid hormones declined (P < 0.001 for all). Insulin resistance changed; basal glucose (P < 0.001) and ghrelin (P < 0.014) declined, whereas insulin (P < 0.001), homeostatic model index (HOMA-IR) (P = 0.041), and free fatty acid (FFA) concentration (P = 0.007) increased. The elevation in BMR showed inverse correlations with ΔBW (r = 0.37, P = 0.047) and Δcortisol (r = −0.53, P = 0.004). Significant portion (51.6%) of the variation in BMR change was explained by increases of cortisol (27.1%), FFA (13.4%), and free triiodothyronine (11.1%). In conclusion, the changes in maternal cortisol concentration are in relationship with changes in BMR and BW, further suggesting that increased cortisol secretion during pregnancy could be linked with the maintenance of maternal BW and body composition.

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Acknowledgment

We thank the subjects who participated in this study. This research was supported by Clinical Center of Serbia Belgrade and by Serbian Ministry of Science Grant M145019.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Diseases of Metabolism, Belgrade University School of Medicine, Dr Subotica 13, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    Svetozar S. Damjanovic, Nebojsa M. Lalic, Aleksandra Z. Jotic, Djuro P. Macut, Sanja I. Ognjanovic, Milan S. Petakov & Bojana M. Popovic

  2. Department of Gynecology, Dom Zdravlja Vozdovac, Belgrade, Serbia

    Rada V. Stojic

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  1. Svetozar S. Damjanovic
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Correspondence to Svetozar S. Damjanovic.

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Damjanovic, S.S., Stojic, R.V., Lalic, N.M. et al. Relationship between basal metabolic rate and cortisol secretion throughout pregnancy. Endocr 35, 262–268 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-008-9137-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-008-9137-z

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