Increase of high molecular weight adiponectin in hypertensive pregnancy was correlated with brain-type natriuretic peptide stimulation on adipocyte

BackgroundHigh-molecular weight (HMW)-adiponectin is an active multimer for insulin sensitivity and anti-inflammatory reactions. We compared the ratio of serum total and HMW-adiponectin with brain-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and other adipocytokines in normal pregnancy and pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). Effect of BNP on the secretion of adiponectin from cultured adipocytes was also examined.MethodsThe three study groups consisted of 44 non-pregnant women, 40 normal (healthy) pregnant women over 28 weeks gestation and 29 patients with severe PIH. Adiponectin (protease-pretreated for HMW), BNP-N-terminal, leptin, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 were measured with ELISA. Pre-adipocytes were differentiated to matured adipocytes and cultured with recombinant-BNP addition.ResultsHMW-to-total adiponectin ratio (HMW-ratio) was lower in normal pregnancy than in non-pregnant, and significantly higher in PIH than normal pregnancies. BNP-N-terminal showed positive correlation with HMW-adiponectin and HMW-ratio. Leptin and MCP-1 showed positive correlation with HMW-adiponectin, but not with HMW-ratio. Adiponectin in the supernatant of adipocyte cultures and intracellular cyclic-GMP was increased in dose-dependent manner in response to BNP.ConclusionThe observed increase in the HMW-adponectin ratio in subjects with PIH may reflect a functional increase of adiponectin in the pathophysiology of PIH. Additionally, this increase seemed to be related to BNP via stimulation of adipocytes.