Johnson H J, Simpson E R, Carr B R, MacDonald P C, Parker R C
Pediatr Res. 1982 Aug;16(8):682-3. doi: 10.1203/00006450-198208000-00021.
The present study was undertaken to define the umbilical cord plasma concentrations of cholesterol throughout human gestation. Mixed arterial and venous cord plasma samples obtained from abortuses of women undergoing elective abortion or from infants of women who underwent spontaneous premature vaginal delivery, and from infants of women who delivered vaginally at term were assayed for cholesterol by a micro-enzymatic method. No cases that involved any maternal or fetal complications (other than prematurity) were included in this study. Early in gestation (10-16 weeks post-conception), the total cholesterol level in cord plasma was 85.4 +/- 30.7 mg/dl (mean +/- SD), N = 68, with the cholesterol levels in some samples falling within the range of those of adults. Between 16.5 and 20 weeks post-conception, the umbilical cord plasma cholesterol level declined to 39.9 +/- 21.0 mg/dl, n = 19 (P less than 0.001). The cholesterol concentration in umbilical cord plasma then rose to 67.8 +/- 24.0 mg/dl, n = 17 (P less than 0.01) between 26.5 and 32 weeks of gestation. Thereafter, a second decline in the umbilical cord plasma cholesterol level occurred, with the values at 32.5-36 weeks being 58.4 +/- 13.6 mg/dl (n = 16), and at 36.5 to 40 weeks post-conception (term) being 51.4 +/- 11.5 mg/dl, n = 44 (P less than 0.01 vs. 26.5-32 wks). We suggest that the observed changes in fetal cholesterol levels could be related to alterations during development in the rates of lipoprotein-cholesterol biosynthesis and subsequent clearance from plasma by the fetal adrenals wherein cholesterol is used as substrate for steroid biosynthesis.
本研究旨在确定人类妊娠期全过程脐带血浆中胆固醇的浓度。通过微量酶法对从接受选择性流产的妇女的流产胎儿、或经历自然早产阴道分娩的妇女的婴儿、以及足月阴道分娩的妇女的婴儿中采集的混合动脉和静脉脐带血浆样本进行胆固醇检测。本研究未纳入任何涉及母体或胎儿并发症（早产除外）的病例。在妊娠早期（受孕后10 - 16周），脐带血浆中的总胆固醇水平为85.4±30.7mg/dl（均值±标准差），N = 68，部分样本中的胆固醇水平处于成人范围。在受孕后16.5至20周之间，脐带血浆胆固醇水平降至39.9±21.0mg/dl，n = 19（P＜0.001）。然后，在妊娠26.5至32周之间，脐带血浆胆固醇浓度升至67.8±24.0mg/dl，n = 17（P＜0.01）。此后，脐带血浆胆固醇水平再次下降，在32.5 - 36周时的值为58.4±13.6mg/dl（n = 16），在受孕后36.5至40周（足月）时为51.4±11.5mg/dl，n = 44（与26.5 - 32周相比，P＜0.01）。我们认为，观察到的胎儿胆固醇水平变化可能与脂蛋白 - 胆固醇生物合成速率的发育变化以及随后胎儿肾上腺从血浆中清除胆固醇的过程有关，其中胆固醇被用作类固醇生物合成的底物。
