title: Cross-sectional and longitudinal lipid determination studies in pregnant women reveal an association between increased maternal LDL cholesterol concentrations and reduced human umbilical vein relaxation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Maternal hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia during pregnancy is correlated with fetoplacental endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerotic lesions in fetal arteries. Few studies have reported the distribution of the concentrations of maternal total cholesterol (TCh), lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides during pregnancy. Therefore, we determined maternal lipid concentration during pregnancy and established the percentiles over which fetoplacental endothelial dysfunction is observed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A lipoprotein profile was determined for 249 pregnant Chilean women in each trimester of pregnancy in cross-sectional and longitudinal lipid determination studies. Distribution percentiles for TCh, high-, low- and very-low-density lipoprotein (HDL, LDL, and vLDL, respectively) cholesterol and triglycerides were estimated. The reactivity of human umbilical vein rings to the calcitonin gene-related peptide (0.1-1000 nmol/L, 5 min) and sodium nitroprusside (10 μmol/L, 5 min) was measured (wire myography) in KCl-preconstricted vessels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maternal lipoproteins and triglyceride concentrations increased over time from preconception to the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Newborn umbilical blood lipoprotein and triglyceride concentrations were lower than those in maternal circulation. Changes in maternal HDL correlated with newborn HDL concentration; however, no correlation between maternal lipoprotein concentrations and newborn weight was found. Maternal TCh and LDL concentrations were inversely correlated with the maximal dilation, but the >75th percentile of maternal TCh and LDL concentrations (>291 and >169 mg/dL, respectively) correlated with reduced calcitonin gene-related peptide sensitivity of the vein rings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We identified percentiles for maternal TCh and LDL concentrations over which abnormal endothelium-dependent human fetoplacental vascular response is observed.
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Physiology Laboratory (CMPL), Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile. Electronic address: aaleiva@uc.cl.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leiva
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Physiology Laboratory (CMPL), Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salsoso
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Physiology Laboratory (CMPL), Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sáez
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Physiology Laboratory (CMPL), Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sanhueza
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Physiology Laboratory (CMPL), Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pardo
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Physiology Laboratory (CMPL), Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville E-41012, Spain; University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research (UQCCR), Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Herston QLD 4029, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: sobrevia@med.puc.cl.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sobrevia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D009599:Nitroprusside; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide
keywords: Cholesterol; Fetal endothelium; Triglycerides; Vein reactivity