Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid transport across the perfused human placenta

Haggarty, Paul; Page, K.R.; Abramovich, D. R.; Ashton, J; Brown, David Stanley

doi:10.1016/s0143-4004(97)90004-7

Cited by 162 publications

(117 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…The enhanced proportion of these fatty acids in cord blood plasma in contrast to the limited placental transfer for saturated fatty acids as compared to PUFA (Campbell et al, 1996;Haggarty et al, 1997) would indicate an active lipogenesis in the fetus, as demonstrated in previous studies (Dunlop & Court, 1978). Similar reasoning could be used to justify the high proportion of oleic acid in cord blood plasma, although slightly lower than in the mothers during late gestation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

“…Similar reasoning could be used to justify the high proportion of oleic acid in cord blood plasma, although slightly lower than in the mothers during late gestation. Placental transfer of oleic acid is also lower than that of PUFA (Campbell et al, 1996;Haggarty et al, 1997), and therefore its proportional abundance in the fetus may reflect an active desaturation of stearic acid.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Relationship between plasma fatty acid profile and antioxidant vitamins during normal pregnancy

et al. 2004

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Objective: To study the changes of plasma fatty acids and lipophilic vitamins during normal pregnancy. Design: Plasma fatty acid profile and the concentration of carotenoids, tocopherols and retinol were measured in healthy women at the first and third trimesters of pregnancy, at delivery, and in cord blood plasma. Results: Maternal plasma cholesterol and triglycerides increased from the first to the third trimester of gestation, while free fatty acids progressively increased from the first trimester through the third trimester to delivery, suggesting an enhanced lipolytic activity. Plasma levels of a-and g-tocopherols, lycopene and b-carotene also progressively increased with gestation, but values in cord blood plasma were lower than in mothers at delivery. Retinol levels declined with gestational time and values in cord blood plasma were even lower. The proportion of total saturated fatty acids increased with gestation, and it further increased in cord blood plasma. Total n-9 fatty acids remained stable throughout pregnancy, and slightly declined in cord blood plasma, the change mainly corresponding to oleic acid. Total n-6 fatty acids declined with gestation and further decreased in cord blood plasma, and a similar trend was found for linoleic acid. However, arachidonic acid declined in women at the third trimester and at delivery as compared to the first trimester, but was enhanced in cord blood plasma. The proportion of total n-3 fatty acids remained stable throughout pregnancy at the expense of decreased a-linolenic acid at delivery but enhanced eicosapentaenoic acid, with small changes in docosahexaenoic acid. The proportion of these n-3 fatty acids was similar in cord blood plasma and maternal plasma at delivery. Conclusions: Owing to the different placental transfer mechanisms and fetal capability to metabolize some of the transferred fatty acids and lipophilic vitamins, the fetus preserves the essential compounds to assure their appropriate availability to sustain its normal development and to protect itself from the oxidative stress of extrauterine life.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship between plasma fatty acid profile and antioxidant vitamins during normal pregnancy

et al. 2004

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“…Clark and colleagues (Cho et al, 1999) have measured delta-5 desaturase and delta-5 desaturase mRNA in human placental tissue although the levels were relatively low compared to other tissues and other workers have been unable to detect any delta-6 or delta-5 desaturase activity in human placental tissue (Chambaz et al, 1985). Similarly, two studies in the perfused placenta demonstrated no detectable chain elongation and desaturation of either LA or aLN (Booth et al, 1981;Haggarty et al, 1997). There is one report of incorporation of 14 C from labelled acetate into AA in slices of human placenta (Zimmermann et al, 1979) but taken overall, there appears to be little evidence of significant augmentation of AA and DHA supply to the fetus by placental chain elongation and desaturation.…”

Section: Synthesis Of Lcpufamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lipase activity and the presence of lipoprotein receptors have only been reported on the microvillous membrane of the placenta, suggesting that the esterified fatty acids in the fetal circulation may not be available to the placenta for reuptake and there is some direct experimental evidence for this (Kuhn & Crawford, 1986). The preferential incorporation of PUFA/LCPUFA into exported esterified lipids in the placenta (Haggarty et al, 1997;Kuhn & Crawford, 1986) and possibly even the fetal liver (Carnielli et al, 1996) would effectively trap these fatty acids within the fetal circulation.…”

Section: Maternalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of placental function on fatty acid requirements during pregnancy

Haggarty¹

2004

Eur J Clin Nutr

Self Cite

187

156

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The fetus has an absolute requirement for the n-3/n-6 fatty acids and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 n-3; DHA) in particular is essential for the development of the brain and retina. Most of the fat deposition in the fetus occurs in the last 10 weeks of pregnancy. The likely rate of DHA utilisation during late pregnancy cannot be met from dietary sources alone in a significant proportion of mothers. De novo synthesis makes up some of the shortfall but the available evidence suggests that the maternal adipose tissue makes a significant contribution to placental transport to the fetus. The placenta plays a crucial role in mobilising the maternal adipose tissue and actively concentrating and channelling the important n-3/n-6 fatty acids to the fetus via multiple mechanisms including selective uptake by the syncytiotrophoblast, intracellular metabolic channelling, and selective export to the fetal circulation. These mechanisms protect the fetus against low long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) intakes in the last trimester of pregnancy and have the effect of reducing the maternal dietary requirement for preformed DHA at this time. As a result of these adaptations, small changes in the composition of the habitual maternal diet before pregnancy are likely to be more effective in improving LCPUFA delivery to the fetus than large dietary changes in late pregnancy. There is little evidence that DHA intake/status in the second half of pregnancy affects visual and cognitive function in the offspring, but more studies are needed, particularly in children born to vegetarian and vegan and mothers who may have very low intakes of DHA.

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“…Long-chain n-3 FAs, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3), are required for many specific structural and metabolic functions in the body and are found in high concentrations in brain tissue (O'Brien and Sampson, 1965;Makrides et al, 1994;Innis, 2000;Carlson, 2001). DHA may be synthesised from its precursor, a-linolenic acid (LNA) via eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and is thought to be selectively transported across the placenta (Haggarty et al, 1997;Dutta-Roy, 2000). It remains unclear whether endogenous synthesis of DHA is always adequate to meet the needs of the developing neonatal brain (Bowen and Clandinin, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neonatal lamb vigour is improved by feeding docosahexaenoic acid in the form of algal biomass during late gestation

Pickard

Beard

Seal

et al. 2008

Animal

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To determine whether feeding a sustainable, algal source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to sheep during late pregnancy would improve neonatal lamb vigour, 48 English mule ewes, of known conception date, were divided into four treatment groups. For the last 9 weeks of gestation, ewes received one of two dietary supplements: either a DHA-rich algal biomass providing 12 g DHA/ewe per day, or a control supplement based on vegetable oil. The four dietary treatment groups (n 5 12) were: control supplement for the duration of the trial (C), DHA supplement from 9 to 6 weeks before parturition (3 week), DHA supplement from 9 to 3 weeks before parturition (6 week) and DHA supplement for the duration of the trial (9 week). Dietary supplements were fed alongside grass silage and commercial concentrate. There was a tendency for gestation length to be extended with increased duration of DHA supplementation (P 5 0.08). After parturition, the concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and DHA in ewe and lamb plasma and colostrum were elevated in line with increased periods of DHA supplementation. Lambs from the 6-week and 9-week groups stood significantly sooner after birth than lambs from the C group (P , 0.05). These data show that neonatal vigour may be improved by the supplementation of maternal diets with DHA-rich algal biomass and that this beneficial effect depends upon the timing and/or duration of DHA allocation.

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Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid transport across the perfused human placenta

Cited by 162 publications

References 31 publications

Relationship between plasma fatty acid profile and antioxidant vitamins during normal pregnancy

Relationship between plasma fatty acid profile and antioxidant vitamins during normal pregnancy

Effect of placental function on fatty acid requirements during pregnancy

Neonatal lamb vigour is improved by feeding docosahexaenoic acid in the form of algal biomass during late gestation

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