Increased Alkaline Phosphatase in Cord Blood of Obese Diabetic Mothers Is Associated to Polyunstaurated Fatty Acid Levels.

INTRODUCTION

Recent studies indicate that alkaline phosphatase (ALP) may affect expression and activity of fatty acid (FA) transport proteins in placenta and other tissues.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate if disturbed FA profile in offspring of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with different maternal pregestational weight could be related to maternal or neonatal ALP.

METHODS

Prospective observational study of pregnant women recruited in the third trimester (25 controls, 23 lean-GDM, 20 obese-GDM). Fetal ultrasound was performed. At delivery, FAs were analyzed in placenta, maternal, and venous cord blood. Western blotting analysis of lipid carriers was performed in placenta.

RESULTS

Newborns from obese-GDM tended to higher birthweight (p = 0.059) than those from both lean-GDM and controls. ALP in maternal blood tended to be lower in GDM (p = 0.170) while increased significantly in cord blood of obese-GDM with respect to controls (p = 0.039). Saturated FA percentages in cord blood were significantly higher (p < 0.000), while polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) percentages were lower (p = 0.003) in both GDM, which could be due to a lower expression of major family domain 2a receptor (MFSD2a) in the placenta. Plasma ALP in the offspring of obese-GDM was inversely associated to cord essential PUFAs (β = -6.18, p = 0.005) and to placental MFSD2a (β = -38.46, p = 0.014).

CONCLUSIONS

Cord PUFA and placental MFSD2a are decreased in both lean and obese-GDM pregnancies. Higher ALP in cord blood of obese-GDM could play a role in the FA levels in these pregnancies.