title: Gestational age dependency of essential fatty acids in cord plasma cholesterol esters and triglycerides.
abstract: Plasma cholesterol ester and triglyceride fatty acid compositions of 38 singleton deliveries (23-42 wk), three twins (32, 39, and 40 wk), and their mothers were investigated. No gestational age-dependent changes occurred in maternal fatty acid compositions. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in fetal cholesterol esters and triglycerides were higher, and their precursors (18:2c,omega 6 and 18:3c,omega 3) were lower than those in corresponding maternal lipid classes. Except for 22:6c,omega 3,20:2c,omega 6, and 22:5c,omega 6, all long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in fetal triglycerides increased with advancing gestation. Fetal triglyceride 22:6c,omega 3/22:5c,omega 3 ratio decreased, whereas 22:5c,omega 6/22:4c,omega 6 remained constant. Fetal cholesterol ester and triglyceride 20:3c,omega 9 contents were higher than those of corresponding maternal fractions and did not change with gestation. Triglyceride 18:2c,omega 6 contents of babies with gestational ages of more than 34 wk were linearly related to those of their mothers. The data suggest that increasing triglyceride long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid content with advancing gestation is partially caused by delta 6- and delta 5-desaturase maturation in the liver. Constancy of 22:6c,omega 3 and 22:5c,omega 6/22:4c,omega 6 and decrease of 22:6c,omega 3/22:5c,omega 3 in triglycerides may point to low hepatic delta 4-desaturation. Transplacental transport of 20:3c,omega 9, following by fetal conservation, should be considered. High 18:2c,omega 6 and low 18:3,omega 3 intakes by the mother may unfavorably influence fetal production of 22:6c,omega 3 in the liver. Because of low hepatic delta 4-desaturation capacity the influence may be small, however.
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory for Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Hoving
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: van Beusekom
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Nijeboer
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Muskiet
mesh_terms: D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D002788:Cholesterol Esters / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D008041:Linoleic Acids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D014427:Twins; D014900:West Indies
chemical_list: D002788:Cholesterol Esters; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D019787:Linoleic Acid