Plasma AA and DHA levels are not compromised in newly diagnosed gestational diabetic women
Abstract
Objective The polyunsaturated fatty acids, arachidonic (AA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA), are vital structural and functional components of the neural, vascular and visual systems. There is increased demand for these fatty acids during pregnancy. Diabetes impairs the synthesis of both AA and DHA. We have investigated the possibility that pregnancy-induced diabetes compromises the levels of plasma AA and DHA in newly diagnosed expectant mothers. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting London, UK. Subjects and methods Venous blood was obtained from 44 women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and from the same number of nondiabetics, during the third trimester. Fatty acid composition of plasma choline phosphoglycerides (CPG), triglycerides (TG) and cholesterol esters (CE) was analysed. Results The GDM women had higher levels of AA (20:4n-6; P<0.0001) and AA/linoleic acid ratio (20:4n-6/18:2n-6; P<0.01) in the CPG, and linoleic acid (LA; P<0.0001), total n-6 (P<0.01), DHA (P<0.05) and n-3 metabolites (P<0.05) in TG compared to their nondiabetic counterparts. Similarly, AA (P<0.0001), osbond acid (22:5n-6; P<0.05), total n-6 metabolites (P<0.0001), AA/LA (P<0.0001) and n-6 metabolites/LA (P<0.01) were higher in the CE of the GDM women. There was no difference in the levels of DHA in CPG and CE between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusions The results of this study do not provide evidence that the activity of delta-6 or delta-5 desaturases, which are vital for the synthesis of AA and DHA, is compromised by pregnancy-induced diabetes. However, since the samples were taken at diagnosis, it is conceivable that the duration of the diabetes was too short to have a discernable adverse effect on the levels of AA and DHA in plasma lipids.
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Lower levels of alpha-linolenic acid, AA, and DHA are observed in red blood cell membranes in women with GDM compared to women without GDM.
“Lower levels of alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid), AA, and DHA are observed in red blood cell membranes in women with GDM compared to women without GDM [105,106].”
From Medical Nutrition Therapy for Women with Gestational Diabetes: Current Practice and Future Perspectives (2025) · cites this paper as [106]
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- Authors
- Thomas, B., Ghebremeskel, K., Lowy, C., Min, Y., & Crawford, M. A.
- Affiliations
- London Metropolitan University (GB)
- St Thomas' Hospital (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Thomas, B
- Venue
- European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
- Published
- 2004-05-19
- Volume
- 58
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 1492-1497
- ISSN
- 0954-3007 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-5640
- OpenAlex
- W1963687284
- Cited by
- 36
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.90
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- March of Dimes Foundation
- Diabetes UK
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Fatty Acid Research and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Gestational Diabetes Research and Management
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biochemistry › Lipid metabolism and biosynthesis
- Keywords
- gestational diabetes mellitus, arachidonic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids, plasma fatty acid composition, choline phospholipids, triglycerides, cholesterol esters, linoleic acid, n-6/n-3 ratio, delta-6 desaturase, delta-5 desaturase, fatty acid synthesis, pregnancy
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Age Factors, Cholesterol Esters, Cross-Sectional Studies, Docosahexaenoic Acids, Fasting, Female, Humans, Phosphatidylcholines, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Trimester, Third, Triglycerides, Body Mass Index, Case-Control Studies, Diabetes, Gestational, Arachidonic Acid
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