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Journal of Lipid Research, Vol. 44, 49-55, January 2003
Copyright © 2003 by Lipid Research, Inc.

In vivo investigation of the placental transfer of ¹³C-labeled fatty acids in humans

Elvira Larqué^*, Hans Demmelmair^*, Britta Berger, Uwe Hasbargen and Berthold Koletzko^1,*

^* Division of Metabolism and Nutrition, Kinderklinik and Kinderpoliklinik, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany
Klinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany

¹ To whom correspondence should be addressed. e-mail: berthold.koletzko{at}kk-i.med.uni-muenchen.de

Placental fatty acid transfer in humans in vivo was studied using stable isotopes. Four pregnant women undergoing cesarean section received 4 h before delivery an oral dose of [¹³C]palmitic acid (PA), [¹³C]oleic acid (OA), [¹³C]linoleic acid (LA), and [¹³C]docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Maternal blood samples were collected at -4 h (basal), -3 h , -2 h, -1 h, 0 h, and +1 h relative to time of cesarean section. At the time of birth, venous cord blood and placental tissue were collected. Fatty acid composition was determined by gas-liquid chromatography and isotopic enrichment by gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry. ¹³C-enrichment of fatty acids in the nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) of cord plasma tended to be higher than in NEFA of placenta, with statistically significant differences for the nonesterified OA and DHA ([¹³C]PA, 0.024 ± 0.011 vs. 0.001 ± 0.001; [¹³C]OA, 0.042 ± 0.008 vs. 0.005 ± 0.003; [¹³C]LA, 0.038 ± 0.010 vs. 0.008 ± 0.002; [¹³C]DHA, 0.059 ± 0.009 vs. 0.010 ± 0.003). The ratio of tracer fatty acid concentrations of placenta to maternal plasma was significantly higher for [¹³C]DHA than for the other fatty acids ([¹³C]PA, 7.1 ± 1%; [¹³C]OA, 3.8 ± 0.4%; [¹³C]LA, 9.2 ± 1.3%; [¹³C]DHA, 25.9 ± 3.4%).

These 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.

Abbreviations: AA, arachidonic acid, C20:4n-6; APE, atom percent excess; DHA, docosahexaenoic acid, C22:6n-3; LA, linoleic acid, C18:2n-6; LC-PUFA, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids; NEFA, nonesterified fatty acids; PA, palmitic acid C16:0; PL, phospholipids; OA, oleic acid, C18:1n-9; TG, triglycerides

Supplementary key words fatty acids • long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids • placenta • pregnancy • stable isotopes

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