Abstract
Physiological pregnancy is associated with an increase in lipids from the first to the third trimester. This is a highly regulated response to satisfy energy and membrane demands of the developing fetus. Pregnancy disorders, such as pre-eclampsia, are associated with a dysregulation of lipid metabolism manifesting in increased maternal plasma lipid levels. In fetal placental tissue, only scarce information on the lipid profile is available, and data for gestational diseases are lacking. In the present study, we investigated the placental lipid content in control versus pre-eclamptic samples, with the focus on tissue phospholipid levels and composition. We found an increase in total phospholipid content as well as changes in individual phospholipid classes in pre-eclamptic placental tissues compared to controls. These alterations could be a source of placental pathological changes in pre-eclampsia, such as lipid peroxide insult or dysregulation of lipid transport across the syncytiotrophoblast.
Highlights
Physiologic pregnancy is associated with a broad spectrum of metabolic adaptations, including increased metabolism of lipids and lipoproteins
Our results show for the first time that phospholipid levels of the placenta proper are increased in pre-eclamptic tissue compared to normotensive controls, and this could be a source of oxidative damage within the placental parenchyma and associated placental pathophysiology in pre-eclampsia
We found a significant increase in total and individual phospholipid classes in pre-eclamptic placental tissue compared to control samples
Summary
Physiologic pregnancy is associated with a broad spectrum of metabolic adaptations, including increased metabolism of lipids and lipoproteins. On the other hand, elevated maternal triglyceride levels during early pregnancy have been associated with pregnancy complications, such as pre-eclampsia [4,5]. Pre-eclampsia is a human pregnancy-specific disorder that adversely affects maternal vascular function, and fetal intrauterine growth [6]. It is a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality [7]. A study by Vrijkotte et al found that an increase in maternal blood triglyceride levels was linearly associated with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia [5]. It is suggested that the rise in circulating triglycerides may be due to an increase in hepatic lipase activity and a decrease in lipoprotein lipase activity. Hepatic lipase is responsible for an increased synthesis of triglycerides at the hepatic level, whereas a decreased activity of lipoprotein lipase is responsible for reduced catabolism at the adipose tissue level [1], resulting in a net increase in circulating triglycerides
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