Effects of maternal obesity on maternal and fetal plasma concentrations of adiponectin and expression of adiponectin and its receptor genes in cotyledonary and adipose tissues at mid- and late-gestation in sheep

Adiponectin potentially influences fetal weight by altering insulin signaling and trans-placental amino acid and glucose transporters. The objective of this study was to determine how maternal obesity influences maternal and fetal plasma concentrations of adiponectin, expression of fetal adiponectin, its receptors, and adipogenic genes at mid- and late-gestation. Blood samples and tissues were collected from obese and control multiparous pregnant ewes at day 75 or 135 of gestation. Although day of gestation or maternal obesity did not influence (P >  0.6) maternal plasma concentrations of adiponectin, fetal weight was increased (P <  0.001) and adiponectin tended to decrease (P =  0.10) at mid-gestation in fetuses from obese ewes. Differences were not apparent at late-gestation (P > 0.70). Relative abundance of adiponectin (P =  0.01), AdipoR2 (P =  0.04) and PPARγ (P =  0.01) mRNA was less at mid-gestation in fetal adipose tissue from obese mothers. By late gestation, maternal obesity tended to associated with a decrease in relative abundance of adiponectin (P =  0.09) and SREBF1 (P =  0.10) mRNA in fetal adipose tissue. Maternal obesity did not influence (P ≥  0.20) the relative abundance of adiponectin, AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 mRNA in cotyledonary tissue at mid or late- gestation. In conclusion, maternal obesity in sheep influences relative abundance of fetal adipose tissue mRNA for adiponectin and adipogenic, as well as plasma concentrations of total adiponectin. Although adiposity in pregnant ewes did not influence maternal adiponectin, maternal obesity potentially influenced fetal adipogenesis by altering the abundance of adiponectin, PPARγ and SREBF1 mRNA in fetal adipose tissue.