Ontogeny of Sex-Related Differences in Foetal Developmental Features, Lipid Availability and Fatty Acid Composition

Abstract

Sex-related differences in lipid availability and fatty acid composition during swine foetal development were investigated. Plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in the mother were strongly related to the adequacy or inadequacy of foetal development and concomitant activation of protective growth in some organs (brain, heart, liver and spleen). Cholesterol and triglyceride availability was similar in male and female offspring, but female foetuses showed evidence of higher placental transfer of essential fatty acids and synthesis of non-essential fatty acids in muscle and liver. These sex-related differences affected primarily the neutral lipid fraction (triglycerides), which may lead to sex-related postnatal differences in energy partitioning. These results illustrate the strong influence of the maternal lipid profile on foetal development and homeorhesis, and they confirm and extend previous reports that female offspring show better adaptive responses to maternal malnutrition than male offspring. These findings may help guide dietary interventions to ensure adequate fatty acid availability for postnatal development.

Ozone-induced fetal growth restriction in rats is associated with sexually dimorphic placental and fetal metabolic adaptation

“…In fact, the female fetal liver appeared to have higher levels of substrates such as cholesterol and triglycerides compared to the male liver. Similar observations have been reported in swine, with female fetuses demonstrating increased levels of hepatic lipogenesis, allantoic fluid cholesterol, and placental essential free fatty acid transfer [ [51] , [52] , [53] ]. Further, these studies provide evidence that females maintain the capacity to support metabolic development in swine models of undernutrition, an effect not observed in male fetuses.…”

Antioxidant homeostasis is disturbed in fetuses with leptin-resistant genotypes: A cross-sectional study

“…The values were almost equal when comparing normal and IUGR Iberian fetuses, which in addition to the developmental and metabolic adaptations (9) would favor vitality and survival rates of the offspring in this breed. However, in both genotypes, parameters for antioxidant capacity and oxidative status were similar in both male and female fetuses, evidencing no significant sex-related effects; which supports previous findings in the Iberian breed (30).…”

Polyphenols and IUGR Pregnancies: Effects of Maternal Hydroxytyrosol Supplementation on Hepatic Fat Accretion and Energy and Fatty Acids Profile of Fetal Tissues

“…Previous studies using our swine IUGR model [15] evidenced that maternal undernutrition diminishes antioxidant capacity and increases lipid peroxidation of fetuses from early stages of pregnancy, prejudicing lipids and fatty acid availability at later stages of gestation. Lipids, mainly essential fatty acids, are crucial for adequate fetal development and an excess of lipid peroxidation may compromise their availability to the fetus [6,16], worsening IUGR [17,18], because excessive oxidative stress causes the degradation of fatty acids and mainly of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which produce a variety of aldehydes, alkanals, alkenes, and alkanes of pathological significance [19].…”