Abstract
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are important for neonatal development and health. One mechanism by which omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids exert their effects is through their metabolism into oxylipins and specialized pro-resolving mediators. However, the influence of oxylipins on fetal growth is not well understood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify oxylipins present in maternal and umbilical cord plasma and investigate their relationship with infant growth. Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was used to quantify oxylipin levels in plasma collected at the time of delivery. Spearman’s correlations highlighted significant correlations between metabolite levels and infant growth. They were then adjusted for maternal obesity (normal body mass index (BMI: ≤30 kg/m2) vs. obese BMI (>30 kg/m2) and smoking status (never vs. current/former smoker) using linear regression modeling. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Our study demonstrated a diverse panel of oxylipins from the lipoxygenase pathway present at the time of delivery. In addition, both omega-3 and omega-6 oxylipins demonstrated potential influences on the birth length and weight percentiles. The oxylipins present during pregnancy may influence fetal growth and development, suggesting potential metabolites to be used as biomarkers for infant outcomes.
Highlights
Pregnancy is a period of rapid fetal growth and cell differentiation in the womb, where diverse insults lead to acute diseases with untoward long-term consequences
The main findings of our study highlight the relationship between LOX pathway metabolites in maternal and cord plasma and the impact these metabolites have on infant growth metrics
The levels of lipoxygenase pathway metabolites derived from linoleic acid (LA), dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA), arachidonic acid (AA), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were quantified in maternal and umbilical cord plasma using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric (LC–MS) approaches
Summary
Pregnancy is a period of rapid fetal growth and cell differentiation in the womb, where diverse insults lead to acute diseases with untoward long-term consequences. Examples include chronic lung diseases, retinopathy of prematurity, intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, and necrotizing enterocolitis [2,3] These considerations underscore the importance of identifying modifiable factors that can reduce and limit the negative consequences of inflammation in the intrauterine environment. Maternal nutrition is a modifiable factor that impacts infant outcomes [4,5]; for example, fatty acids (FAs) are essential for proper pregnancy progression and normal fetal growth [6,7]. Excess maternal intake of n-6 FAs can limit the metabolism of beneficial n-3 FAs as all FAs compete for the same metabolic enzymes This competition impacts the balance of n-3 and n-6 FAs available to the fetus and may adversely affect fetal growth and pregnancy outcomes [19]
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