Maternal and umbilical venous plasma lipid concentrations at delivery in the mare

Abstract

Summary The concentrations and fatty acid composition of the plasma free fatty acid, triacylglycerol and phospholipid fractions were determined in maternal and umbilical cord vein blood samples taken at delivery from 17 mares. Maternal and umbilical vein plasma free fatty acid concentrations were of a similar order and a positive correlation was found between the two levels suggesting that the equine placenta is permeable to fatty acid. Substantial amounts of the essential fatty acids and their longer chain derivatives were seen in both umbilical vein plasma free fatty acid and phospholipid fractions supporting this view. Certain long chain polyunsaturated derivatives of the essential fatty acids found in the umbilical venous plasma phospholipid fraction were not seen in the maternal circulating lipids. The precursor fatty acids were readily available to both foetal and placental tissues and therefore must have been elongated and incorporated into phospholipid by either or both. Very small amounts of the essential fatty acids were found in adipose stores in the newborn foal and virtually no fat stores at all in the newborn foal liver.

The composition of polyunsaturated fatty acids in mare's blood and foal's blood plasma at birth and the first days after parturition

“…In agreement with Stammers et al (1991) we found the percentage of LA markedly lower and of DGLA and AA…”

“…In humans the total lipid concentration is lower in cord blood than in maternal blood at delivery (Ruyle et al 1990), and the absolute amount of AA in umbilical plasma is therefore lower compared with maternal values (Ruyle et al .1990;Al et al 1995). In the horse the content of total blood lipids in foetal venous blood is almost as high as in maternal venous blood (Stammers et al 1991). Therefore the relative composition of total plasma fatty acids reflects the absolute fatty acid status in the horse.…”

“…(1995) found high amounts of linolenic acid (18:3n-3; LNA) in mare milk, probably due to a pasture of better quality in Hungary than we can expect in North-Germany in the early spring time. Stammers et al (1991) The composition of polyunsaturated fatty acids in mare's blood and foal's blood plasma at birth and the first day long-chain ar3 fatty acids in both mare and foal blood plasma, whereas these fatty acids were under the detection limit for the analyses carried out in our experiment.…”

“…The composition of polyunsaturated fatty acids in plasma lipids in neonates differs from the fatty acid composition in the maternal plasma in humans (Hull 7 979) and in horses (Stammers et al 1991). In the neonates the content of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids is higher, whereas the concentration of linoleic acid (18:2n-6; LA) is lower compared to maternal plasma.…”

Placental Transport of Nutrients to the Fetus

“…First, in humans, fetal pat terns of essential fatty acids and structural lipids correlate directly with the fatty acid/lipid composition of the ma ternal plasma (and, thus, the maternal diet) [45]. While this pattern is found in most mammals, there is some vari ation, as sheep transport very little total lipid except for some long-chain essential fatty acids, and the horse pro duces a lipid profile in the fetal plasma qualitatively and quantitatively different form the maternal plasma [46]. Second, fatter human fetuses develop in pregnant women who have higher plasma concentrations of lipids [47], Third, among species, there is a relatively direct relation ship between placental lipid transport capacity and fetal body fat content [ 1 ].…”