A comparative study of the distribution and fatty acid composition of the lipoproteins in the fetal and maternal plasma of sheep.

Fetal plasma contained significantly lower amounts of lipoproteins than the mother. In both mother and fetus, high density lipoprotein (HDL) was the major fraction. Very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) accounted for 12% of total plasma lipid in the mother but only 4% in the fetus. Maternal and fetal plasmas showed similar distributions of lipids in their HDL and low density lipoprotein (LDL) with cholesteryl esters comprising the major lipid of both and LDL having a higher level of triglycerides and lower level of phospholipids than HDL. Low levels of triglycerides were present in fetal VLDL. There were pronounced increases in levels of unsaturated fatty acids with increasing lipoprotein density. In the mother, levels of linoleic acid increased and in the fetus palmitoleic and oleic acids increased. The major saturated fatty acids in the fetal lipoproteins was palmitic acid and in the maternal lipoproteins stearic acid. In contrast to the mother, LDL and HDL of the fetus showed similar fatty acid compositions.