Placental corticotrophin-releasing hormone: Activator of the pituitary–adrenal axis in human pregnancy?

Linton, E. A.; Wolfe, Charles D.A.; Lowry, P. J.

doi:10.1079/pns19910047

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 40 publications

(57 reference statements)

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“…During pregnancy, the placenta develops into a highly active endocrine organ [68][69][70]. Implantation, maintenance of pregnancy, and parturition are dependent on a complex interaction of hormones within the maternalfetal-placental unit.…”

Section: Placental Hormone Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of the placenta in fetal nutrition and growth.

Garnica

Chan

1996

Journal of the American College of Nutrition

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The placenta plays a key role in the nutrition of the fetus. It mediates the active transport of nutrients and metabolic wastes across the barrier separating maternal and fetal compartments, as well as modifying the composition of some nutrients through its own metabolic activity. The function of the placenta is essential to the growth of a healthy fetus; it is becoming apparent that the activities of the placenta are in turn modulated by signals originating from the fetus. Communication between placenta and fetus is especially critical in intrauterine growth retardation. The importance of the interaction of factors like insulin-like growth factor and epidermal growth factor with their receptors is becoming increasingly clear.

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Section: Placental Hormone Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of the placenta in fetal nutrition and growth.

Garnica

Chan

1996

Journal of the American College of Nutrition

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“…However, the association between high cortisol concentrations and distress has come mainly from studies of more severely or chronically distressed subjects (19)(20)(21), and does not seem to be significant in healthy adults (22,23). Cortisol concentrations are high not only in severely or chronically distressed adults, but also in pregnant women (2,(24)(25)(26). Nevertheless, it should be emphasized that the high concentrations of cortisol in pregnancy are not pathological.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship between salivary cortisol concentrations and anxiety in adolescent and non-adolescent pregnant women

Rondó

Vaz

Moraes

et al. 2004

Braz J Med Biol Res

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The main purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between salivary cortisol concentrations and self-report anxiety in 50 adolescent and 178 non-adolescent women during the last month of pregnancy. The subjects were randomly selected from a previous study involving women who attended antenatal care from September 1997 to August 2000 at 17 health services in Southeast Brazil. Salivary cortisol was measured with an enzyme immunoassay kit, and anxiety was assessed by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventories (STAI) of Spielberger. After saliva collection, the participants completed the STAI. Mean concentrations of cortisol for both pregnant adolescents (14.17 ± 6.78 nmol/l) and non-adolescents (13.81 ± 8.51 nmol/l) were similar (P = 0.89). Forty-three percent of the pregnant adolescents and 30.5% of the non-adolescents felt anxious at the time of being questioned (State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) scores >40; P = 0.06). Cortisol concentrations in adolescents were negatively related to the SAI scores (r = -0.39; P = 0.01) which assess a temporary condition of anxiety. There was a statistically significant difference in mean cortisol concentrations between adolescents with low (≤40) and high (>40) SAI scores (P = 0.03, t-test), but no differences for non-adolescents. The negative relationship between salivary cortisol concentrations and anxiety scores in adolescents may be due to puberty-related hormone differences during this period of life. Pregnant adolescents may possess unique biological or psychological characteristics compared to adults and non-pregnant adolescents. Thus, we need to know more about the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis of pregnant adolescents.

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