Amniotic fluid prolactin, decidual prolactin content and decidual prolactin secretion into HYPO-, ISO-, and sodium chloride hyperosmotic mediain vitro in pregnant diabetics at term

This study evaluated in pregnant women with diabetes mellitus (DM) the prolactin (PRL) concentration in amniotic fluid (A-PRL), the initial decidual PRL content (D-PRL), and the decidual PRL secretion (D-PRL-s)in vitro into isosmotic (315 mmol/kg), hyperosmotic (426 mmol/kg) and hyposmotic (252 mmol/kg) media. Decidual tissue was collected at term from 18 normal pregnancies and from 23 women with DM (White’s classification: 7 of class A (without insulin treatment) and 16 of the classes B-F. Twelve of the women with DM had signs of hydramnion. Amniotic fluid specimens were collected from 52 normal pregnancies and 17 of the women with DM. No significant difference was found between normals and diabetics when D-PRL, D-PRL-s into isosmotic mediu, and A-PRL were compared. No trends could be detected when the insulin treated women were grouped according to White’s classification. The increment of D-PRL-s into hyperosmotic medium was 15% in normals (p 0.10). In the group of diabetics no significant difference was found in any of the PRL quantities investigated between those with and without hydramnion. The results suggest that it is unlikely that changes in the PRL quantities measured are the main cause of hydramnion in pregnant DM.