ABSTRACT
Fetal growth is dependent on maternal nutrient supply in utero, which is determined by placental transport activity. The placenta exhibits specic alterations in the expression and activity of a number of nutrients in pregnancies with altered fetal growth and changes that are important for the development of pregnancy complications. Inappropriate placental supply of these may affect fetal growth and development. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) and their metabolites long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) are of critical importance in fetoplacental growth and development (Dutta-Roy 2000b; Innis 2007). In fact, fetal brain and retina are very rich in LCPUFA, specially arachidonic acid,
6.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................85 6.2 Fatty Acids and Their Roles in Fetal Development ................................................................86 6.3 Fatty Acid Uptake and Transport Human Placental Trophoblasts .........................................87 6.4 Placental Metabolism of Fatty Acids ......................................................................................88 6.5 Uptake of Fatty Acid by Placental Third-Trimester Trophoblast Cells, BeWo2 .................... 89 6.6 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................. 91 References ........................................................................................................................................ 91
20:4n-6 (ARA), and docosahexaenoic acid, 22:6n-3 (DHA) (Innis 2000). Various studies suggest that learning ability may be impaired if there is a reduction in the accumulation of sufcient DHA during intrauterine life. Premature babies, in particular, born during the last trimester of pregnancy, have been shown to have low levels of DHA in the blood (Whalley et al. 2004). The critical importance of these fatty acids in the fetoplacental unit therefore demands an efcient uptake system for these fatty acids. It is important to understand the mechanisms involved in the placental fatty acid transport and the metabolic relationships between maternal fatty acids and their supply by the placenta to the developing fetus. A growing body of data indicate that placental structural and functional abnormalities can cause numerous adverse pregnancy outcomes. Recent evidence also underscores the importance of placental development in long-term health and disease for both mother and offspring.
