Cross-species comparison of pregnancy-induced GDF15.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Preclinical animal and laboratory comparative study
PubMed 37584611 · doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00134.2023
What was done
The authors evaluated growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) circulating plasma levels during pregnancy across mice, rats, rhesus macaques, and humans. They also analyzed placental Gdf15 mRNA and GDF15 protein expression in mice, rats, and macaques.
What was found
Macaques exhibited an approximate 75-fold increase in plasma GDF15 levels during pregnancy, contrasting with an approximate 2-fold increase in pregnant mice and rats. These circulating differences were mirrored in placental Gdf15 mRNA and protein expression. Specific sample sizes and absolute numerical values were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
Rodents exhibit negligible pregnancy-induced GDF15 elevation compared to primates, indicating that rodent models may be unsuitable for studying human GDF15-mediated morning sickness and hyperemesis gravidarum. Non-human primates provide a more translationally relevant model for evaluating therapies targeting the GDF15-GFRAL pathway.
Limits
Sample sizes for all species are not reported in the abstract. Absolute baseline and gestational concentration measurements are omitted. The abstract does not detail specific human cohort demographics or quantify human placental expression.
Cited by
- supports GDF15 is the trigger for morning sickness and hyperemesis gravidarum in pregnancy, during which its levels can increase up to 10,000-fold.