MON-LB6 Association Between Sex Steroid and Metabolic Parameters in Cord Blood With Placental Fatty Acid Transporter in Obese Pregnant Women

Abstract

Obesity reduces maternal insulin sensitivity and alters sex steroid serum concentrations. However, it is not clear if these changes are reflected in the fetal circulation. On the other hand, similar to other metabolic tissues, modifications in sex steroid concentrations and metabolic parameters could modify the transport and metabolism of fatty acids (FA) in the placenta increasing their availability for the fetus. Therefore, we aimed to study, in pregnant women with normal-weight and obesity, sex steroid serum concentrations in cord blood and their relationship with the gene expression of FA transporters and of molecules related with FA metabolism in the placenta. We included 26 pregnant women with normal-weight and 26 pregnant women with obesity without pregnancy complications. At term of pregnancy, mixed cord blood and placenta samples were collected and stored at -80°C. Serum concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), DHEA sulfate (DHEAS), androstenedione, testosterone, estrone, estradiol, estriol, insulin and TNF-α were measured by RIA or ELISA. Glycemia and lipid profile were also analyzed. In placental samples, the gene expression of MFSD2A, CD36, FABP4, SLC27A4, PPARG, LPL and DGAT were determined by quantitative PCR. No differences were observed in sex steroid concentrations and metabolic parameters between groups. On the other hand, the gene expression of MFSD2A, CD36 and FABP4 were higher in placentas from women with obesity compared to women with normal-weight (P = 0.050, P = 0.037 and P = 0.038, respectively). When distributed according to fetal sex, cholesterol levels were higher in cord blood of women with obesity and female fetuses (P = 0.005), whereas glycemia was lower in women with obesity and male fetuses (P = 0.045). In turn, the gene expression of CD36 and FABP4 were higher (P = 0.024 and P = 0.034, respectively), whereas MFSD2A tended to be higher (P = 0.092) only in placentas from women with obesity and male fetuses. Moreover, in women with obesity and male fetuses, glycemia was positively correlated with MFSD2A (r = 0.650; P = 0.022), and in women with obesity and female fetuses FABP4 was inversely correlated with triglyceride levels (r = -0.580; P = 0.048). In conclusion, these data suggest that modifications in placental steroidogenesis do not affect sex steroid serum concentrations in the fetal circulation. On the other hand, metabolic parameters in cord blood of pregnant women with obesity are associated with an abnormal expression of FA transporters in placental tissue.