2 Maternal-Fetal Transfer of Vitamin A …
49
have been associated with increased birth weight in both hyperglycemic (Kushtagi
and Arvapally 2009; Whyte et al. 2013) and euglycemic women (Sommer et al. 2015;
Vrijkotte et al. 2011). Given the critical role of lipids during embryonic development
and the current trend of recommending supplementation with vitamins, including
β-carotene, during pregnancy, we feel that it is important to understand whether
the maternal intake of β-carotene, by influencing the placental-fetal transport of
dietary fatty acids, is beneficial or detrimental to the short- and long-term wellbeing of the fetus. This is a previously unforeseen cross-talk between micro- and
macro-nutrient metabolism during pregnancy, whereby the maternal diet can have
potentially critical effects on fetal health. In this vein, it is necessary to further
understand the molecular details of the β-apocarotenoid-mediated modulation of
placental lipoprotein secretion. For example, direct targets of β-apocarotenoids in
placenta, as well as in other tissues, still remain to be identified. Also, it remains to be
established which β-apocarotenoid form (alcohol, acid, aldehyde) is transcriptionally
active in the above-mentioned process. Further investigations may also be warranted
to confirm the existence of the above-described feed-forward regulation of placental
lipoprotein assembly and secretion under a maternal regimen of high VA intake, as
well as to determine whether the regulation of MTP function by dietary cues (i.e.,
β-apocarotenoids) may take place in other maternal or embryonic organs.
References
Al Tanoury Z, Piskunov A, Rochette-Egly C (2013) Vitamin A and retinoid signaling: genomic and
nongenomic effects. J Lipid Res 54:1761–1775. PMID: 23440512
Amengual J, Zhang N, Kemerer M, Maeda T, Palczewski K, Von Lintig J (2014) STRA6 is critical
for cellular vitamin A uptake and homeostasis. Hum Mol Genet 23:5402–5417
Barnes AC (1951) The placental metabolism of vitamin A. Am J Obstet Gyynecol 1951(61):368–372
Baumann CA, Riising BM, and Steenbock H (1934) Fat-soluble vitamins. XLII. the absorption and
storage of vitamin A in the rat. J Biol Chem 107:705–715
Bavik C, Ward SJ, Chambon P (1996) Developmental abnormalities in cultured mouse embryos
deprived of retinoic by inhibition of yolk-sac retinol binding protein synthesis. Proc Natl Acad
Sci USA 93:3110–3114
Bharadwaj KG, Hiyama Y, Hu Y, Huggins LA, Ramakrishnan R, Abumrad NA, Shulman GI, Blaner
SW, Goldberg IJ (2010) Chylomicron- and VLDL-derived lipids enter the heart through different
pathways: in vivo evidence for receptor- and non-receptor-mediated fatty acid uptake. J Biol
Chem 285:37976–37986
Bird JK, Murphy RA, Ciappio ED, and McBurney MI (2017) Risk of deficiency in multiple
concurrent micronutrients in children and adults in the United States. Nutrients 9(7)
Blaner WS, Li Y, Brun PJ, Yuen JJ, Lee SA, Clugston RD (2016) Vitamin A absorption, storage
and mobilization. Subcell Biochem 81:95–125
Bouillet P, Sapin V, Chazaud C, Messaddeq N, Decimo D, Dolle P, Chambon P (1997) Developmental expression pattern of Stra6, a retinoic acid-responsive gene encoding a new type of membrane
protein. Mech Dev 63:173–186
Bushue N, Wan YJ (2010) Retinoid pathway and cancer therapeutics. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 62:1285–
1298
Cannon MD (1940) Failure of maternal vitamin A depletion to produce congenital anomalies in the
young of rats. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 44:129–132
49
have been associated with increased birth weight in both hyperglycemic (Kushtagi
and Arvapally 2009; Whyte et al. 2013) and euglycemic women (Sommer et al. 2015;
Vrijkotte et al. 2011). Given the critical role of lipids during embryonic development
and the current trend of recommending supplementation with vitamins, including
β-carotene, during pregnancy, we feel that it is important to understand whether
the maternal intake of β-carotene, by influencing the placental-fetal transport of
dietary fatty acids, is beneficial or detrimental to the short- and long-term wellbeing of the fetus. This is a previously unforeseen cross-talk between micro- and
macro-nutrient metabolism during pregnancy, whereby the maternal diet can have
potentially critical effects on fetal health. In this vein, it is necessary to further
understand the molecular details of the β-apocarotenoid-mediated modulation of
placental lipoprotein secretion. For example, direct targets of β-apocarotenoids in
placenta, as well as in other tissues, still remain to be identified. Also, it remains to be
established which β-apocarotenoid form (alcohol, acid, aldehyde) is transcriptionally
active in the above-mentioned process. Further investigations may also be warranted
to confirm the existence of the above-described feed-forward regulation of placental
lipoprotein assembly and secretion under a maternal regimen of high VA intake, as
well as to determine whether the regulation of MTP function by dietary cues (i.e.,
β-apocarotenoids) may take place in other maternal or embryonic organs.
References
Al Tanoury Z, Piskunov A, Rochette-Egly C (2013) Vitamin A and retinoid signaling: genomic and
nongenomic effects. J Lipid Res 54:1761–1775. PMID: 23440512
Amengual J, Zhang N, Kemerer M, Maeda T, Palczewski K, Von Lintig J (2014) STRA6 is critical
for cellular vitamin A uptake and homeostasis. Hum Mol Genet 23:5402–5417
Barnes AC (1951) The placental metabolism of vitamin A. Am J Obstet Gyynecol 1951(61):368–372
Baumann CA, Riising BM, and Steenbock H (1934) Fat-soluble vitamins. XLII. the absorption and
storage of vitamin A in the rat. J Biol Chem 107:705–715
Bavik C, Ward SJ, Chambon P (1996) Developmental abnormalities in cultured mouse embryos
deprived of retinoic by inhibition of yolk-sac retinol binding protein synthesis. Proc Natl Acad
Sci USA 93:3110–3114
Bharadwaj KG, Hiyama Y, Hu Y, Huggins LA, Ramakrishnan R, Abumrad NA, Shulman GI, Blaner
SW, Goldberg IJ (2010) Chylomicron- and VLDL-derived lipids enter the heart through different
pathways: in vivo evidence for receptor- and non-receptor-mediated fatty acid uptake. J Biol
Chem 285:37976–37986
Bird JK, Murphy RA, Ciappio ED, and McBurney MI (2017) Risk of deficiency in multiple
concurrent micronutrients in children and adults in the United States. Nutrients 9(7)
Blaner WS, Li Y, Brun PJ, Yuen JJ, Lee SA, Clugston RD (2016) Vitamin A absorption, storage
and mobilization. Subcell Biochem 81:95–125
Bouillet P, Sapin V, Chazaud C, Messaddeq N, Decimo D, Dolle P, Chambon P (1997) Developmental expression pattern of Stra6, a retinoic acid-responsive gene encoding a new type of membrane
protein. Mech Dev 63:173–186
Bushue N, Wan YJ (2010) Retinoid pathway and cancer therapeutics. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 62:1285–
1298
Cannon MD (1940) Failure of maternal vitamin A depletion to produce congenital anomalies in the
young of rats. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 44:129–132