Placental transfer of fatty acids and fetal implications.

@article{Larqu2011PlacentalTO,
  title={Placental transfer of fatty acids and fetal implications.},
  author={Elvira Larqu{\'e} and Hans Demmelmair and Alfonso Gil-S{\'a}nchez and Mar{\'i}a Teresa Prieto-S{\'a}nchez and Jos{\'e} Eliseo Blanco and Ana Pag{\'a}n and Fabienne L Faber and Salvador Ventura Zamora and Juan Jos{\'e} Parrilla and Berthold V. Koletzko},
  journal={The American journal of clinical nutrition},
  year={2011},
  volume={94 6 Suppl},
  pages={
          1908S-1913S
        }
}
Considerable amounts of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs), particularly arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3), are deposited in fetal tissues during pregnancy; and this process is facilitated by placental delivery. Nevertheless, the mechanisms involved in LC-PUFA placental transfer remain unclear. Stable isotope techniques have been used to study human placental fatty acid transfer in vivo. These studies have shown a significantly higher ratio of (13)C-DHA in… 
View on PubMed
academic.oup.com
120 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
5
Background Citations
49

120 Citations

Citation Type

Citation Type

Current understanding of placental fatty acid transport
TLDR
The amount and activity of placental enzymes, receptors, and transport proteins will determine the extent of lipid transfer to the fetus that strongly contributes to fetal fat accretion, although the mechanisms are still uncertain.
Placental Fatty Acid Transfer: A Key Factor in Fetal Growth
TLDR
The tracer study pointed towards an impaired placental DHA uptake as a critical step, while the transfer of other 13C-FA was less affected, and the DHA transfer to the fetus was reduced in GDM pregnancies compared to controls.
Importance of fatty acids in the perinatal period.
TLDR
There are good indications of beneficial effects of a higher pre- or postnatal docosahexaenoic acid status on visual function and asthma risk, and Randomised clinical trials that compare different maternal or infant intakes of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids so far have not led to firm conclusions about the optimal LC-PUFA status.
Alterations in placental long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism in human intrauterine growth restriction.
TLDR
MVM FATP6 and CD36 protein expression is increased and LCPUFA are preferentially routed toward cellular storage in TG in the IUGR placenta, possibly to protect against oxidative stress associated with cellular FA accumulation.
A potential role for lysophosphatidylcholine in the delivery of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids to the fetal circulation.
Altered maternal proportions of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and their transport leads to disturbed fetal stores in preeclampsia.
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Gestational Diabetes
TLDR
The decrease in placental transfer of LC-PUFAs in GDM pregnancies may constitute a possible explanation for the neurodevelopmental fetal malprogramming associated with GDM.
Intrauterine Transfer of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Mother–Infant Dyads as Analyzed at Time of Delivery
TLDR
Findings may indicate that fatty acid transfer to the fetus is prioritized during gestation even during periods of maternal nutritional inadequacy.
Materno-fetal transfer of docosahexaenoic acid is impaired by gestational diabetes mellitus.
TLDR
DHA transfer to the fetus was reduced in GDM pregnancies compared with controls, which might affect the programming of neurodevelopment in their neonates.
Effects of maternal n-3 fatty acid supplementation on placental cytokines, pro-resolving lipid mediators and their precursors.
TLDR
It is concluded that n-3 PUFA supplementation in pregnancy enhances placental accumulation of DHA and SPM precursors, does not alter placental EPA levels, and has no stimulatory effects on inflammatory gene expression.
...
1
2
3
4
5
...

References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 57 REFERENCES
Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) transfer across the placenta.
Perinatal Supply and Metabolism of Long‐Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
TLDR
It is concluded that LC‐PUFA are conditionally essential substrates during early life that are related to the quality of growth and development and a dietary supply during pregnancy, lactation, and early childhood that avoids the occurrence of LC‐ PUFA depletion is desirable.
Transport of fatty acids across the human placenta: a review.
Placental regulation of fatty acid delivery and its effect on fetal growth--a review.
TLDR
There is little evidence to suggest that placental delivery of fatty acids limits normal fetal growth although the importance of the in utero supply may be to support post-natal development as most of the LCPUFA accumulated by the fetus is stored in the adipose tissue for use in early post- prenatal life.
Docosahexaenoic acid supply in pregnancy affects placental expression of fatty acid transport proteins.
TLDR
Correlation of the mRNA expression of the membrane placental proteins FATP-1 and especially of FATp-4 with maternal and cord DHA leads us to conclude that these lipid carriers are involved in placental transfer of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.
ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS AND FETAL BRAIN GROWTH
Fatty acid composition of lipid classes in maternal and cord plasma at birth
TLDR
The fetus appears to obtain fatty acids from a combination of de novo synthesis, a passive gradient dependent transplacental passage of nonesterified fatty acids and a selective materno-fetal placental transport for certain fatty acids, such as physiologically important long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Tissue levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids during early human development.
In vivo investigation of the placental transfer of (13)C-labeled fatty acids in humans.
TLDR
The results suggest that only a part of the placental NEFA participated in fatty acid transfer, and that the placenta showed a preferential accretion of DHA relative to the other fatty acids.
Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid transport across the perfused human placenta.
...
1
2
3
4
5
...