Umbilical vessels of preeclamptic women have low contents of both n-3 and n-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids

Background: Preeclampsia is characterized by enhanced platelet aggregation and vasoconstriction and is related to an elevated ratio of thromboxane A(2 ) to prostacyclin I-2. Objective: We investigated whether altered eicosanoid production in preecla mptic women could be explained by the fatty acid composition of umbilical v essel walls and platelets. Design: The fatty acid composition of maternal and umbilical platelets and of umbilical arteries and veins in 27 preeclamptic women and 24 normotensiv e women was determined. Between-group differences were analyzed with linear discriminant analysis, the Kruskal-Wallis test, or analysis of covariance with gestational age as the covariate. Results: Platelets of preeclamptic women contained lower amounts of 20:5n-3 and a higher ratio of 20:4n-6 to 20:5n-3 than did platelets of normotensiv e women. Additionally, linear discriminant analysis revealed higher amounts of 20:4n-6 in platelets of preeclamptic women. Umbilical arteries and vein s in preeclamptic women contained lower amounts of long-chain polyunsaturat ed fatty acids (PUFAs) of the n-3 series, n-6 long-chain PUFAs, and 20:3n-6 than did umbilical arteries and veins of normotensive women. Umbilical art eries also had lower amounts of 20:4n-6, higher amounts of 20:3n-9, and a h igher ratio of 20:3n-9 to 20:4n-6. Conclusions: Low amounts of long-chain n-3 and n-6 PUFAs in umbilical vesse ls of preeclamptic women with adequate n-6 status may indicate insufficient transplacental transfer of long-chain PUFAs, The low amounts of 20:4n-6, h igh amounts of 20,3n-9, and high ratio of 20:3n-9 to 20:4n-6 in umbilical a rteries may unfavorably affect local prostacyclin production. Low amounts o f 20:3n-6 in umbilical arteries and veins and low amounts of 20:5n-3 in mat ernal platelets may contribute to the dominance of eicosanoids derived from 20:4n-6.