title: The influence of placental metabolism on fatty acid transfer to the fetus.
abstract: The factors determining fatty acid transfer across the placenta are not fully understood. This study used a combined experimental and computational modeling approach to explore placental transfer of nonesterified fatty acids and identify the rate-determining processes. Isolated perfused human placenta was used to study the uptake and transfer of13C-fatty acids and the release of endogenous fatty acids. Only 6.2 ± 0.8% of the maternal13C-fatty acids taken up by the placenta was delivered to the fetal circulation. Of the unlabeled fatty acids released from endogenous lipid pools, 78 ± 5% was recovered in the maternal circulation and 22 ± 5% in the fetal circulation. Computational modeling indicated that fatty acid metabolism was necessary to explain the discrepancy between uptake and delivery of13C-fatty acids. Without metabolism, the model overpredicts the fetal delivery of13C-fatty acids 15-fold. Metabolic rate was predicted to be the main determinant of uptake from the maternal circulation. The microvillous membrane had a greater fatty acid transport capacity than the basal membrane. This study suggests that incorporation of fatty acids into placental lipid pools may modulate their transfer to the fetus. Future work needs to focus on the factors regulating fatty acid incorporation into lipid pools.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering and Environment, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.|Institute for Life Sciences Southampton, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perazzolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hirschmugl
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wadsack
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Gernot
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Desoye
authors.affiliation: Institute for Life Sciences Southampton, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.|Bioengineering Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.
authors.forename: Rohan M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering and Environment, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK B.G.Sengers@soton.ac.uk.|Institute for Life Sciences Southampton, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK.
authors.forename: Bram G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Sengers
mesh_terms: D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000737:chemistry; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D033261:Maternal-Fetal Relations; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D005227:Fatty Acids
keywords: compartmental modelling; dual placental perfusion; fatty acids; lipid computational model; placenta; placental transport