Lipid deposition and metabolism in rat placenta during gestation

Changes in placental lipid content in rats at the 15th and 20th days of pregnancy were investigates. It was found that progress of gestation is accompanied by a significant increase in triglycerides per mg placental DNA. Maternal starvation caused additional increase in the placental triglyceride content. By incubation with 14C-oleic acid, it was shown that placenta at term possesses an increased capacity to esterify fatty acids at a wide range of medium oleic acid concentrations. Increase in free fatty acid concentration caused a linear increase of their incorporation into placental lipids. Oxidation of oleic acid into CO2 was also increased with the duration of gestation, but to a lesser degree and over a narrower range of concentration than esterification, suggesting an increased channelling of fatty acids into glycerides.