Altered maternal thyroid function: fetal and neonatal heart cholesterol and phospholipids.

The influence of maternal thyroid function on the fetal and neonatal myocardial cholesterol and phospholipid content was studied in rats. Fetuses born to hyperthyroid mothers had decreased total cholesterol and increased esterified cholesterol while offsprings born to hypothyroid mothers had increased total, free and esterified cholesterol during late gestation and/or at term. Phospholipid fractions phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine in offsprings born to hyperthyroid mothers were not significantly changed. Offsprings born to hypothyroid mothers had decreased total phospholipids, phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine at fetal and neonatal stages. 3H-acetate incorporation in phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine was also decreased. Maternal thyroid seems to have important role in the regulation of cholesterol and phospholipid metabolism in fetal and neonatal hearts.