Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Upsets the Proportion of Fatty Acids in Umbilical Arterial but Not Venous Plasma

  1. Henar Ortega-Senovilla, PHD1,
  2. Gioia Alvino, MD2,
  3. Emanuela Taricco, MD2,
  4. Irene Cetin, MD2 and
  5. Emilio Herrera, PHD1
  1. 1Faculties of Pharmacy and Medicine, Universidad San Pablo Centro de Estudios Universitarios (CEU), Madrid, Spain
  2. 2Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology I, Fondazione Policlinico, Mangiagalli e Regina Elena, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico di Natura Pubblica, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
  1. Corresponding author: Emilio Herrera, eherrera{at}ceu.es

Abstract

OBJECTIVE—Neonates of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have reduced levels of arachidonic acid (AA) (20:4 n-6) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (22:6 n-3). To assess whether this is the result of impaired placental transfer or endogenous fetal metabolism, fatty acids in umbilical venous and arterial plasma were analyzed in neonates of GDM women.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography in the plasma of 15 subjects with GDM and 30 healthy control subjects undergoing elective cesarean section and in vein and artery cord blood collected separately.

RESULTS—The percentages of AA (20:4 n-6), DHA (22:6 n-3), and total n-6 or n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) as well as total PUFAs were lower in umbilical arterial but not in venous plasma of neonates of the GDM versus the control group.

CONCLUSIONS—An altered handling or metabolism of long-chain PUFAs by the fetus rather than impaired placental transfer seems to be responsible for the lower proportion of those fatty acids in the plasma of neonates of GDM mothers.

Footnotes

  • Published ahead of print at http://care.diabetesjournals.org on 13 October 2008.

    Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ for details.

    The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

    • Accepted October 1, 2008.
    • Received April 8, 2008.
« Previous | Next Article »Table of Contents

This Article

  1. Published online before print October 13, 2008, doi: 10.2337/dc08-0679 Diabetes Care January 2009 vol. 32 no. 1 120-122
  1. » Abstract
  2. Full Text
  3. Full Text (PDF)
  4. All Versions of this Article:
    1. dc08-0679v1
    2. 32/1/120 most recent

Current Issue

  1. December 2009, 32 (12)
  1. Current Issue
  1. Alert me to new issues of Diabetes Care