Biomaterial Database

The influence of maternal fat metabolism on fetal carnitine levels. 1981

E Schmidt-Sommerfeld, and D Penn, and H Wolf

Carnitine facilitates fatty acid transport across mitochondrial membranes, playing a key role in fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis. To investigate the mechanism by which carnitine and its esters are supplied to the fetus, we measured free carnitine (FC) and acyl carnitine (AC) in amniotic fluid during late pregnancy, and FC, AC and beta-hydroxybutyrate (beta-OHB) in maternal and fetal plasma at vaginal term delivery. Amniotic fluid AC levels were elevated in pregnancies complicated by toxemia and diabetes mellitus, possibly reflecting placental transfer during abnormal fat catabolism. Maternal plasma levels of beta-OHB and AC were elevated and positively correlated at vaginal delivery, indicating enhanced fatty acid utilization. The positive correlation between maternal and fetal FC, AC and beta-OHB plasma levels suggests placental transfer. The maternal-fetal concentration gradient was descending for beta-OHB and AC and ascending for FC. No umbilical venous-arterial gradient for AF and beta-OHB was found, suggesting that the fetus does not utilize substantial amounts of either substance. The results demonstrate that fetal FC and AC levels are influenced by changes in maternal fat metabolism.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008431	Maternal-Fetal Exchange	Exchange of substances between the maternal blood and the fetal blood at the PLACENTA via PLACENTAL CIRCULATION. The placental barrier excludes microbial or viral transmission.	Transplacental Exposure,Exchange, Maternal-Fetal,Exposure, Transplacental,Maternal Fetal Exchange
D010927	Placental Insufficiency	Failure of the PLACENTA to deliver an adequate supply of nutrients and OXYGEN to the FETUS.	Insufficiency, Placental
D011225	Pre-Eclampsia	A complication of PREGNANCY, characterized by a complex of symptoms including maternal HYPERTENSION and PROTEINURIA with or without pathological EDEMA. Symptoms may range between mild and severe. Pre-eclampsia usually occurs after the 20th week of gestation, but may develop before this time in the presence of trophoblastic disease.	Toxemias, Pregnancy,EPH Complex,EPH Gestosis,EPH Toxemias,Edema-Proteinuria-Hypertension Gestosis,Gestosis, EPH,Hypertension-Edema-Proteinuria Gestosis,Preeclampsia,Preeclampsia Eclampsia 1,Pregnancy Toxemias,Proteinuria-Edema-Hypertension Gestosis,Toxemia Of Pregnancy,1, Preeclampsia Eclampsia,1s, Preeclampsia Eclampsia,EPH Toxemia,Eclampsia 1, Preeclampsia,Eclampsia 1s, Preeclampsia,Edema Proteinuria Hypertension Gestosis,Gestosis, Edema-Proteinuria-Hypertension,Gestosis, Hypertension-Edema-Proteinuria,Gestosis, Proteinuria-Edema-Hypertension,Hypertension Edema Proteinuria Gestosis,Of Pregnancies, Toxemia,Of Pregnancy, Toxemia,Pre Eclampsia,Preeclampsia Eclampsia 1s,Pregnancies, Toxemia Of,Pregnancy Toxemia,Pregnancy, Toxemia Of,Proteinuria Edema Hypertension Gestosis,Toxemia Of Pregnancies,Toxemia, EPH,Toxemia, Pregnancy,Toxemias, EPH
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011254	Pregnancy in Diabetics	The state of PREGNANCY in women with DIABETES MELLITUS. This does not include either symptomatic diabetes or GLUCOSE INTOLERANCE induced by pregnancy (DIABETES, GESTATIONAL) which resolves at the end of pregnancy.	Pregnancy in Diabetes,Pregnancy in Diabete,Pregnancy in Diabetic
D002331	Carnitine	A constituent of STRIATED MUSCLE and LIVER. It is an amino acid derivative and an essential cofactor for fatty acid metabolism.	Bicarnesine,L-Carnitine,Levocarnitine,Vitamin BT,L Carnitine
D005227	Fatty Acids	Organic, monobasic acids derived from hydrocarbons by the equivalent of oxidation of a methyl group to an alcohol, aldehyde, and then acid. Fatty acids are saturated and unsaturated (FATTY ACIDS, UNSATURATED). (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)	Aliphatic Acid,Esterified Fatty Acid,Fatty Acid,Fatty Acids, Esterified,Fatty Acids, Saturated,Saturated Fatty Acid,Aliphatic Acids,Acid, Aliphatic,Acid, Esterified Fatty,Acid, Saturated Fatty,Esterified Fatty Acids,Fatty Acid, Esterified,Fatty Acid, Saturated,Saturated Fatty Acids
D005260	Female		Females
D005333	Fetus	The unborn young of a viviparous mammal, in the postembryonic period, after the major structures have been outlined. In humans, the unborn young from the end of the eighth week after CONCEPTION until BIRTH, as distinguished from the earlier EMBRYO, MAMMALIAN.	Fetal Structures,Fetal Tissue,Fetuses,Mummified Fetus,Retained Fetus,Fetal Structure,Fetal Tissues,Fetus, Mummified,Fetus, Retained,Structure, Fetal,Structures, Fetal,Tissue, Fetal,Tissues, Fetal
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man