title: Pregnancy reduces arachidonic and docosahexaenoic in plasma triacylglycerols of Korean women.
abstract: Plasma triacylglycerol (TG) fatty acid composition of healthy non-pregnant and non-lactating women, expectant mothers and their term neonates from Seoul, South Korea was investigated. They were ethnically homogeneous and the women had comparable age and parity. Blood samples were obtained at recruitment, third trimester and birth from the non-pregnant women, expectant mothers and neonates respectively. Percent levels of linoleic and arachidonic acids and n-6 metabolites and total n-6 were significantly lower in the pregnant women than in the non-pregnant (p < 0.0001). Similarly, there were lower levels of alpha-linolenic (p = 0.033), eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids and n-3 metabolites and total n-3 (p < 0.0001) in the expectant mothers. Compared with their mothers, the neonates had higher proportions of dihomo-gamma-linolenic, arachidonic, docosatetraenoic and docosapentaenoic acids and n-6 metabolites (p < 0.0001) and lower linoleic acid (p < 0.0001). Of the n-3 series, alpha-linolenic acid was lower (p < 0.0001) and eicosapentaenoic, docosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids and n-3 metabolites and total n-3 higher (p < 0.0001) in the neonates compared with their mothers. The study reveals that pregnancy is associated with a reduction in the relative levels of plasma triacylglycerol arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids. Moreover, it indicates that the decline is a manifestation of selective transfer of these fatty acids to the developing fetus.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition, University of North London.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ghebremeskel
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000097:blood*; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000097:blood; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007723:Korea; D019301:Oleic Acid / Q000097:blood; D019308:Palmitic Acid / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D013229:Stearic Acids / Q000097:blood; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D013229:Stearic Acids; D014280:Triglycerides; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; C008757:palmitoleic acid; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D019301:Oleic Acid; D019308:Palmitic Acid; C031183:stearic acid