Background and objective: The maternal glucose-insulin axis is central for metabolic adaptations required for a healthy pregnancy. Metabolic changes in obese mothers in early pregnancy have been scantly described. Here we characterized the glucose-insulin axis in the first trimester of human pregnancy and assessed the effect of maternal obesity and fat mass. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, maternal blood samples ( N = 323) were collected during voluntary pregnancy termination (gestational age 4 +0 –11 +6 weeks) after overnight fasting. Smokers ( N = 198) were identified by self-report and serum cotinine levels (ELISA). Maternal BMI (kg/m 2 ) and serum leptin (ELISA) were used as proxy measures of obesity and maternal fat mass, respectively. BMI was categorized into under-/normal weight (BMI < 25.0 kg/m 2 ), overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9 kg/m 2 ) and obese (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m 2 ), and leptin in tertiles (1st tertile: leptin < 6.80 ng/ml, 2nd tertile: leptin 6.80–12.89 ng/ml, 3rd tertile: leptin > 12.89 ng/ml). IS HOMA insulin sensitivity index was calculated from glucose and C-peptide (ELISA) serum concentrations. Analyses of covariance including multiple confounders were performed to test for differences in glucose, C-peptide and IS HOMA between gestational age periods, BMI and leptin groups. C-peptide and IS HOMA were log-transformed before analyses. Results: At weeks 7–9, fasting glucose and C-peptide levels were lower ( P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively) and insulin sensitivity higher ( P < 0.001) than at weeks 4–6. Glucose levels were not significantly different between BMI or leptin categories. In contrast, C-peptide increased by 19% ( P < 0.01) between the normal weight and the overweight group and by 39% ( P < 0.001) between the overweight and obese group. In the leptin groups, C-peptide increased by 25% ( P < 0.001) between the 1st and 2nd leptin tertile and by 15% ( P < 0.05) between the 2nd and 3rd leptin tertile. IS HOMA decreased with higher BMI and fat mass. IS HOMA decreased by 18% ( P < 0.01) between the normal weight and the overweight group and by 30% ( P < 0.01) between the overweight and the obese group. In the leptin groups, IS HOMA decreased by 22% ( P < 0.001) between the 1st and 2nd leptin tertile and by 14% ( P < 0.05) between the 2nd and 3rd leptin tertile. Conclusions: At the group level, fasting glucose, C-peptide and insulin sen...

In the first trimester of pregnancy, placental development involves a wide range of cellular processes. These include trophoblast proliferation, fusion, and differentiation, which are dependent on tight cell cycle control. The intrauterine environment affects placental development, which also includes the trophoblast cell cycle. In this work, we focus on maternal obesity to assess whether an altered intrauterine milieu modulates expression and protein levels of placental cell cycle regulators in early human pregnancy. For this purpose, we use first trimester placental tissue from lean and obese women (gestational week 5+0–11+6, n = 58). Using a PCR panel, a cell cycle protein array, and STRING database analysis, we identify a network of cell cycle regulators increased by maternal obesity in which breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) is a central player. Immunostaining localizes BRCA1 predominantly to the villous and the extravillous cytotrophoblast. Obesity-driven BRCA1 upregulation is not able to be explained by DNA methylation (EPIC array) or by short-term treatment of chorionic villous explants at 2.5% oxygen with tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) (50 mg/mL), leptin (100 mg/mL), interleukin 6 (IL-6) (100 mg/mL), or high glucose (25 nM). Oxygen tension rises during the first trimester, but this change in vitro has no effect on BRCA1 (2.5% and 6.5% O2). We conclude that maternal obesity affects placental cell cycle regulation and speculate this may alter placental development.