title: Increased lipolytic activity and high ratio of free fatty acids to albumin in sera from women with preeclampsia leads to triglyceride accumulation in cultured endothelial cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The null hypothesis of this study was that the triglyceride accumulation in endothelial cells exposed to sera from preeclamptic women was determined by the presence of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in the sera.
  
  
  METHODS
  The accumulation of triglycerides in cultured endothelial cells was studied using incorporation of tritiated glycerol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in the patient sera contributed little to the endothelial triglyceride accumulation. However, sera from preeclamptic women were found to have a higher molar ratio of free fatty acids to albumin compared with sera from women with normal pregnancies (1.6 +/- 0.5 vs 0.9 +/- 0.4, respectively, p less than 0.025). In addition, sera from preeclamptic women, compared with sera from normal pregnancies, showed enhanced lipolytic activity (release of free fatty acids 0.85 +/- 0.29 vs 0.17 +/- 0.16 mmol/ml per 24 hours, respectively; p less than 0.025) that further increased the free fatty acids/albumin ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sera from preeclamptic women have both a higher ratio of free fatty acids to albumin and increased lipolytic activity, resulting in enhanced endothelial uptake of free fatty acids, which are further esterified into triglycerides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aker Hospital, Norway.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Endresen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lorentzen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Henriksen
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005990:Glycerol / Q000378:metabolism; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008066:Lipolysis; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL / Q000494:pharmacology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood; D012016:Reference Values; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014280:Triglycerides; D005990:Glycerol