Table 3.
Maternal and fetal plasma metabolite and hormone levels
| Twins | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gestational age range | Singletons N (n = 10) | PCUN (n = 12) | N (n = 12) | PCUN (n = 10) | ||
| Glucose (mmol.l−1) | ||||||
| Maternal | −61 | 4.02 ± 0.14 | 4.08 ± 0.26 | 3.99 ± 0.14 | 3.80 ± 0.09 | |
| −60 to 30 | 3.71 ± 0.10 | 3.48 ± 0.07** | 3.78 ± 0.05 | 3.53 ± 0.06** | ||
| 40 to 97 | 3.74 ± 0.10 | 3.55 ± 0.07 | 3.65 ± 0.07 | 3.65 ± 0.05 | ||
| 114 to 121 | 3.69 ± 0.06 | 3.53 ± 0.05 | 3.33 ± 0.07†† | 3.31 ± 0.07†† | ||
| Fetal | 114 to 121 | 1.03 ± 0.04 | 0.91 ± 0.05* | 0.80 ± 0.02†† | 0.81 ± 0.03†† | |
| Insulin (ng.ml−1) | ||||||
| Maternal | −61 | 0.19 ± 0.03 | 0.19 ± 0.05 | 0.14 ± 0.03 | 0.15 ± 0.02 | |
| −60 to 30 | 0.18 ± 0.02 | 0.13 ± 0.01** | 0.18 ± 0.02 | 0.11 ± 0.02** | ||
| 40 to 97 | 0.20 ± 0.04 | 0.11 ± 0.02* | 0.19 ± 0.02 | 0.14 ± 0.03* | ||
| 114 to 121 | 0.33 ± 0.03 | 0.25 ± 0.02* | 0.17 ± 0.02†† | 0.16 ± 0.01*†† | ||
| Fetal | 114 to 121 | 0.20 ± 0.02 | 0.21 ± 0.02 | 0.16 ± 0.02†† | 0.14 ± 0.02†† | |
| IGF1 (ng.ml−1) | ||||||
| Maternal | −61 | 44.3 ± 3.6 | 41.7 ± 2.4 | 40.3 ± 3.6 | 34.7 ± 2.1 | |
| −60 to 30 | 44.2 ± 2.1 | 41.3 ± 2.0 | 43.1 ± 3.2 | 42.6 ± 1.8 | ||
| 40 to 97 | 46.5 ± 2.2 | 44.4 ± 2.0 | 47.6 ± 4.9 | 45.2 ± 1.5 | ||
| 114 to 121 | 77.6 ± 9.9 | 46.6 ± 5.0* | 70.1 ± 7.1 | 56.9 ± 8.0* | ||
| Fetal | 114 to 121 | 71.5 ± 6.8 | 62.4 ± 6.1 | 68.7 ± 3.5 | 74.2 ± 3.0 | |
| Beta hydroxy butyrate (mmol.l−1) | ||||||
| Maternal | −61 | 0.15 ± 0.01 | 0.18 ± 0.02 | 0.16 ± 0.02 | 0.19 ± 0.02 | |
| −60 to 30 | 0.19 ± 0.01 | 0.21 ± 0.01** | 0.17 ± 0.01 | 0.25 ± 0.01** | ||
| 40 to 97 | 0.22 ± 0.02 | 0.22 ± 0.01 | 0.24 ± 0.03 | 0.25 ± 0.02 | ||
| 114 to 121 | 0.45 ± 0.02 | 0.44 ± 0.04 | 0.73 ± 0.11†† | 0.65 ± 0.06†† | ||
| FFA (mmol.l−1) | ||||||
| Maternal | −61 | 0.54 ± 0.08 | 0.58 ± 0.12 | 0.4 ± 0.13 | 0.46 ± 0.09 | |
| −60 to 30 | 0.35 ± 0.05 | 0.56 ± 0.06** | 0.25 ± 0.02 | 0.62 ± 0.07** | ||
| 40 to 97 | 0.56 ± 0.06 | 0.37 ± 0.06 | 0.43 ± 0.06 | 0.44 ± 0.07 | ||
| 114 to 121 | 0.20 ± 0.03 | 0.19 ± 0.03 | 0.46 ± 0.08†† | 0.37 ± 0.03†† | ||
| Urea (mmoll−1) | ||||||
| Maternal | −61 | 8.39 ± 0.50 | 9.34 ± 0.48 | 8.92 ± 0.61 | 7.21 ± 0.64 | |
| −60 to 30 | 7.46 ± 0.29 | 5.55 ± 0.17** | 7.17 ± 0.27 | 5.40 ± 0.28** | ||
| 40 to 97 | 5.85 ± 0.15 | 5.57 ± 0.19 | 5.57 ± 0.23 | 5.72 ± 0.20 | ||
| 114 to 121 | 5.08 ± 0.33 | 5.13 ± 0.38 | 4.40 ± 0.35 | 4.60 ± 0.21 | ||
| Fetal | 114 to 121 | 5.71 ± 0.29 | 5.76 ± 0.35 | 5.14 ± 0.21†† | 5.42 ± 0.16**†† | |
Day −61 was prior to the start of experiment. Days −60 to 30 were the period of undernutrition. Day 40 to 97 was after undernutrition and prior to surgery. Day 114 to 121 was after surgery. Data are mean ±s.e.m. PCUN, periconceptional undernutrition. See text for details of nutritional groups.
††
P < 0.01 for twin effect
*
P < 0.05
**
P < 0.01 for nutrition effect.