| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000)
Fiscal Year 1999: ¥1,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000)
Fiscal Year 1998: ¥2,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000)
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| Research Abstract |
The transport and-metabolic pathway of triglycerides (TG) in the placenta have not been studied in detail. The present study examined the characteristics of blood lipids in patients with Preeclampsia and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and lipid metabolism in the fetoplacental system in these patients. Especially, this study measured the expressions of very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) receptor mRNA and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor mRNA in the placenta, aiming to elucidate the relationship between these mRNA expressions and the pathology. Informed consent was obtained from women (normal pregnant women and those complication) who delivered at our department. Serum levels of lipids and lipoproteins were measured. In addition, villous tissue was obtained from human placenta, and used as materials in the following experiments. RNA was extracted by the AGPC method, and Northern blot was performed. To compare the relative quantities of mRNA expression, the bands of mRNA expre
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ssion were scanned and quantitated. At delivery in the Preeclampsia and GDM groups, TG, VLDL levels were significantly higher than the levels in the normal pregnancy group. The VLDL receptor mRNA was significantly higher in the GDM group, lower in the Preeclampsia group. No significance difference in the LDL receptor mRNA was observed between the normal control, GDM and Preeclampsia. In all pregnancy groups, a positive correlation was Observed between the VLDL receptor mRNA expression and the TG or VLDL levels in umbilical blood. In the GDM group, three neonates with birth weights over 3500 g had high concentrations of TG and VLDL in the umbilical blood. At 1 month postpartum, although the blood glucose had normalized in a kind of Preeclampsia and GDM groups, serum TG and VLDL levels remained elevated, and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol level was significantly lowered. The present study demonstrated for the first time that compared to the normal pregnant women, patients with Preeclampsia and GDM had (1)excessive lipids, especially TG, in the blood, which are the energy source in the placenta. (2) showed up-regulation of the expression of VLDL receptor mRNA in the placenta, (3) had elevated TG and VLDL levels in the umbilical blood, and (4) continued to have hyperlipemia even one month after parturition. The reason is speculated as follows. TG is necessary to compensate for impaired glucose utilization in cells because of insulin resistance, and VLDL metabolism is augmented for the transport of TG. Less
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