ESPE2021 ePoster Category 2 Fetal, neonatal endocrinology and metabolism (to include hypoglycaemia) (16 abstracts)
Placenta n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio is associated with visceral adiposity and cardiovascular risk in the offspring at 6 years of age
Ariadna Gómez-Vilarrubla 1 , Berta Mas-Parés 1 , Gemma Carreras-Badosa 1 , Alexandra Bonmatí 2 , José-María Martínez-Calcerrada 1 , Elsa Puerto-Carranza 3 , Francis de Zegher 4 , Lourdes Ibañez 5 , Abel López-Bermejo 1 & Judit Bassols 1
1Pediatrics, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Salt, Spain; 2Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; 3Pediatrics, Dr. Josep Trueta Hospital, Girona, Spain; 4Department of Development & Regeneration, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; 5Endocrinology, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Background and Aims: Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) are essential nutrients for the development of the fetus and are supplied by the mother through the placenta. Omega-6 arachidonic acid (AA) and both omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docoshexaenoic acid (DHA) stand out for their functional roles. Recent studies show that the concentrations of these fatty acids in maternal blood and umbilical cord are associated with adiposity in the offspring. Indeed, prenatal exposure to AA n-6 promotes adipocyte maturation while DHA n-3 is known to inhibit it. Our objective was to study the placental levels of n-6 and n-3 functional LC-PUFA and its association with anthropometric and cardio-metabolic parameters in the offspring at 6 years of age.
Methodology: The n-6 and n-3 PUFA profile was analyzed in 117 placentas from a population cohort of pregnant women-newborn pairs by gas chromatography. Total n-6 and n-3 PUFA content as well as the ratios of LC-PUFA (AA/EPA and AA/DHA) were calculated from the percentages of relative abundance of each PUFA. They were subsequently correlated with anthropometric (weight, height and body mass index) and cardio-metabolic parameters [(total fat mass, visceral fat mass and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT)] in the offspring at 6 years of age.
Results: Placental concentrations of AA (n-6) and total PUFA n-6 were positively correlated with visceral fat mass (r = 0.229, p = 0.036 and r = 0.211, p = 0.045, respectively). DHA (n-3) and total PUFA n-3 were negatively correlated with cIMT (r = –0.228, p = 0.036 and r = –0.254, p = 0.019, respectively). The AA/EPA ratio was positively correlated with total fat mass SDS (r = 0.271, p = 0.018) and visceral fat mass SDS (r = 0.337, p = 0.002) while the AA/DHA ratio was positively correlated with cIMT (r = 0.243, p = 0.025). All these associations remained significant in multivariate analysis after adjusting for possible confounding variables (maternal age, gestational weight gain, gestational age, sex, and birth-weight).
Conclusions: A higher ratio of LC-PUFA n-6/n-3 (AA/EPA and AA/DHA) in placenta is associated with higher total and visceral fat and thicker cIMT at 6 years of age. The n-6 and n-3 fatty acids provided by the mother during pregnancy may influence visceral adiposity and cardiovascular risk in the offspring at 6 years of age.
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