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Human Placental Arterial Distensibility, Birth Weight, and Body Size Are Positively Related to Fetal Homocysteine Concentration

D'Souza, SW; Solanky, N; Guarino, J; Moat, S; Sibley, CP; Taggart, M; Glazier, JD; (2017) Human Placental Arterial Distensibility, Birth Weight, and Body Size Are Positively Related to Fetal Homocysteine Concentration. Reproductive Sciences , 24 pp. 1070-1078. 10.1177/1933719116678694. Green open access

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Abstract

Methionine demethylation during metabolism generates homocysteine (Hcy) and its remethylation requires folate and cobalamin. Elevated Hcy concentrations are associated with vascular-related complications of pregnancy, including increased vascular stiffness, predictive of clinical vascular disease. Maternal and fetal total Hcy (tHcy) concentrations are positively related, yet the influence of Hcy on fetoplacental vascular function in normal pregnancy has not been examined. We hypothesized that Hcy alters fetoplacental vascular characteristics with influences on fetal growth outcomes. We investigated (1) placental chorionic plate artery distensibility and neonatal blood pressure in relation to umbilical plasma tHcy; (2) relationships between cord venous (CV) and cord arterial (CA) plasma tHcy, folate, and cobalamin concentrations; and (3) tHcy associations with birth weight and anthropometric measurements of body size as indices of fetal growth in normal pregnancies with appropriate weight-for-gestational age newborns. Maternal plasma tHcy, folate, and cobalamin concentrations were consistent with published data. Placental chorionic plate artery distensibility index (β; measure of vessel stiffness) was inversely related to CA tHcy, yet neonatal blood pressure was not significantly affected. CV and CA tHcy concentrations were positively related and CV tHcy negatively related to CV cobalamin but not folate. CV tHcy concentration positively related to birth weight, corrected birth weight per-centile, length, head circumference, and mid-arm circumference of newborns. CV cobalamin was inversely related to fetal growth indices but not to folate concentration. Our study demonstrates a potential relationship between fetal tHcy and placental artery distensibility, placing clinical relevance to cobalamin in influencing Hcy concentration and maintaining low vascular resistance to facilitate nutrient exchange favorable to fetal growth.

Type: Article
Title: Human Placental Arterial Distensibility, Birth Weight, and Body Size Are Positively Related to Fetal Homocysteine Concentration
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1177/1933719116678694
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719116678694
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Chorionic Plate Arteries, Folate, Neonatal Blood Pressure, Vascular Function, Vitamin B12
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health > Developmental Biology and Cancer Dept
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10118624
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