Intrauterine Transfer of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Mother-Infant Dyads as Analyzed at Time of Delivery.

Vanessa Woodard,Melissa Thoene,Tara Nordgren,Maheswari Mukherjee,Matthew Van Ormer,Corrine Hanson,Sathish Natarajan,Maranda Thompson,Arzu Ulu,Ann Anderson-Berry,Ana Yuil-Valdes,Kristina Harris Jackson

doi:10.3390/nu13030996

Abstract

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are essential for fetal development, and intrauterine transfer is the only supply of PUFAs to the fetus. The prevailing theory of gestational nutrient transfer is that certain nutrients (including PUFAs) may have prioritized transport across the placenta. Numerous studies have identified correlations between maternal and infant fatty acid concentrations; however, little is known about what role maternal PUFA status may play in differential intrauterine nutrient transfer. Twenty mother–infant dyads were enrolled at delivery for collection of maternal and umbilical cord blood, and placental tissue samples. Plasma concentrations of PUFAs were assessed using gas chromatography (GC-FID). Intrauterine transfer percentages for each fatty acid were calculated as follows: ((cord blood fatty acid level/maternal blood fatty acid level) × 100). Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to compare transfer percentages between maternal fatty acid tertile groups. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. There were statistically significant differences in intrauterine transfer percentages of arachidonic acid (AA) (64% vs. 65% vs. 45%, p = 0.02), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (41% vs. 19% vs. 17%, p = 0.03), and total fatty acids (TFA) (27% vs. 26% vs. 20%, p = 0.05) between maternal plasma fatty acid tertiles. Intrauterine transfer percentages of AA, EPA, and TFA were highest in the lowest tertile of respective maternal fatty acid concentration. These findings may indicate that fatty acid transfer to the fetus is prioritized during gestation even during periods of maternal nutritional inadequacy.

Highlights

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are essential for growth and development during pregnancy, structural growth in the third trimester such as cell membranes, the retina, and the brain
Fetuses rely on transfer of PUFAs through the placenta and umbilical cord; some studies have shown that maternal dietary intake of PUFAs can impact umbilical cord concentrations [1,2]
Larger charged molecules are often able to cross the placenta with the aid of intraplacental transporters, as is the case with glucose crossing the placenta via glucose transporters (GLUT) proteins [3,4]

Summary

Introduction

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are essential for growth and development during pregnancy, structural growth in the third trimester such as cell membranes, the retina, and the brain. PUFAs including linoleic acid (LA), α-linolenic acid (ALA), arachidonic acid (AA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are large molecules and do not readily cross the placenta; placental transport of fatty acids is heavily transporter dependent, and the mechanisms that regulate preferential transfer remain poorly understood [5]. Among nutrients that are highly transferred, such as glucose, there does not seem to be a consistent correlation between maternal plasma level and fetal growth [6]. Placental PUFA transfer appears to rely largely on plasma membrane bound proteins that bind non-esterified fatty acids and transport them across the membrane, with a small number of fatty acids being able to cross the placental membrane via passive diffusion [8]. Since the maternal to fetal gradient of free fatty acids is high, some passive diffusion can occur; these fatty acids are processed and esterified prior to release into the fetal circulation [9]

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