Maternal plasma choline levels are positively correlated with maternal and placental phospholipid-DHA content in females with obesity who receive DHA supplementation

E C Francis; J H Dumolt; K Zemski-Berry; T Jansson; T L Powell

doi:10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.12.030

Maternal plasma choline levels are positively correlated with maternal and placental phospholipid-DHA content in females with obesity who receive DHA supplementation

J Nutr. 2024 Dec 30:S0022-3166(24)01257-4. doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.12.030. Online ahead of print.

Authors

E C Francis¹, J H Dumolt², K Zemski-Berry³, T Jansson², T L Powell⁴

Affiliations

¹ Rutgers School of Public Health, Biostatistics and Epidemiology Department, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
² Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
³ Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, School of Medicine.
⁴ Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA; Section of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA. Electronic address: Theresa.Powell@cuanschutz.edu.

PMID: 39742970
DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.12.030

Abstract

Pregnancies complicated by maternal obesity are characterized by metabolic differences affecting placental nutrient transport and fetal development. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is critical for fetal brain development and is primarily incorporated into phosphatidylcholine (PC). Recent evidence suggests choline may enhance PC-DHA synthesis; however, data on the impact of maternal plasma choline on placental phospholipid DHA content in females with obesity are limited. We conducted a secondary analysis of a DHA supplementation trial (800 mg/d) in 38 pregnant females with obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m²). Blood samples at 36 weeks' gestation and term placentas were analyzed for phospholipids using mass spectrometry. Choline transporter-like (CLT) proteins in the syncytiotrophoblast microvillous (MVM) and basal (BM) plasma membranes were quantified by Western Blot. Daily DHA supplementation from 25 weeks' gestation was associated with higher maternal plasma and placental PC- and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC)-DHA. A significant interaction (P interaction <0.05) between DHA supplementation and choline indicated that higher choline enhanced the incorporation of DHA into plasma PC. MVM CTL-1 expression was correlated with placental total PC-DHA and LPC-DHA content, suggesting that CTL-1 has a predominate role in placental choline uptake and phospholipid synthesis. These findings suggest that choline may influence maternal PC- and LPC-DHA synthesis and plasma levels, as well as the expression of placental choline transporters and the resulting PC- and LPC-DHA content in females with obesity. These relationships may have implications for DHA transport to the fetus and overall fetal development.

Keywords: Fetal development; Human; Maternal-fetal exchange; Neurodevelopment; Pregnancy.