Deficiency of Essential Fatty Acids and Membrane Fluidity During Pregnancy and Lactation

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 88; no. 11; pp. 4835 - 4839
• Main Authors: Holman, Ralph T., Johnson, Susan B., Ogburn, Paul L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 01.06.1991; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Adult; Analytical, structural and metabolic biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Childbirth; Essential fatty acids; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids, Essential - blood; Fatty Acids, Essential - deficiency; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified - blood; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - blood; Female; Fetus; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Lactation; Lactation - blood; Lipids; Membrane Fluidity; Other biological molecules; Parturition; Phospholipids; Phospholipids - blood; Phospholipids - chemistry; Postpartum Period - blood; Pregnancy; Pregnancy - blood; Ratios; Reference Values; Human; Pregnancy; Gas chromatography; Lactation; Polyunsaturated fatty acid; Qualitative analysis; Woman; Melting point; Concentration distribution; Blood plasma

In a group of 19 normal pregnant women, plasma lipids were extracted, phospholipids were isolated, and the fatty acid (FA) compositions were measured by capillary gas chromatography. Blood samples were taken at 36 wk, at labor, and at 6 wk postpartum. The FA profiles showed deficiencies of ω6 and ω3...