Effect of dexamethasone on circulating leptin levels during pregnancy

Background: Leptin, the protein product of the Ob gene, is thought to have a role in signaling safety through hypothalamic pathways. Glucocortisteroids are potent stimulation of both Ob gene expression and circulating Leptin in animals and powerful appetite stimulants in humans. Usage in pregnant women has limits, more for fetal lung maturation.

Setting: A Tertiary Prenatal Diagnosis and Therapy Centre and Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology of the University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.

Aim: We investigated circulating Leptin response to administration of dexamethasoneduring pregnancy.

Methods and Material: In n = 13 pregnant women between 28 and 36 weeks of pregnancy after informed current obtained. Dexamethasone, 2 mg was given 12hourly for 24 hours and blood samples taken at 6 hourly starting at 8AM after a placebo administration 72 hourly before the venous blood samples were collected, centrifuged at 2 weeks separated and plasma stored at -20⁰Cuntil Leptin is assayed using commercial ELISA kit. For statistical analysis, student't' test was used.

Results: Dexamethasone 2 mg 12 hourly resulted in a rapid and sustained rise in 0800 hour Leptin concentration from basal values/levels of 1.36 ± 0.25 µg/l after 24 hours of application. Placebo administration 24 hours profile confirmed a nocturnal rise in Leptin levels with an increase of 73 ± 37% at midnight.

Conclusion: The study confirms a noctual rise in Leptin during pregnancy and shows increase in Leptin response to steroid administration as previously demonstrated in non-pregnant women.