boron and Diabetes--Gestational

Animal research has demonstrated that boron has effects on triglycerides and glucose and may act as a metabolic regulator in several enzymatic systems. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a prevalent obstetrical complication and the lack of data on maternal status of boron in normal/diabetic pregnancies, prompted us to undertake this study.. Maternal blood samples were collected during screening and diagnosis of GDM at 24-28 weeks. Serum lipids (total cholesterol, high-density cholesterol, low density cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoprotein-a, apolipoprotein-A-I and apolipoprotein-B) and boron levels were determined. Fifteen non-GDM and 19 GDM women constituted the study population.. The mean age was 30.1±5 years. The median boron levels were 15.2 μg/L (0.0152 ppm; range, 8.4-25.4 μg/L). When GDM and non-GDM cases were compared for age, gravidity, parity, lipid profiles and serum boron levels, no significant differences were found (P>0.05). No correlation was found between lipids and boron levels.. This preliminary study contributes to the limited information about the metabolic aspects of boron. Considering the evidence that boron acts as a regulator of energy substrate utilization, the effect of dietary boron on glucose metabolism deserves further research.

Topics: Adult; Apolipoprotein A-I; Apolipoproteins B; Boron; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, HDL; Cholesterol, LDL; Diabetes, Gestational; Female; Gestational Age; Humans; Lipids; Pregnancy; Triglycerides