Abstract
When lipids of different tissues were compared for the period 16–24 weeks of gest ation, the liver has the highest concentration of all the lipid components studied. The concentrations in the small intestine were close to that of the liver in the case of the neutral lipids. The lung and heart were found to have comparable concentrations of various lipids. Fetal growth retardation seems to be associated with a higher concentration of cholesterol in the liver, the lung and small intestine. Lower values for phospholipid concentration and phospholipid to cholesterol ratio were observed in the lung, heart and small intestine with such retardation. These studies suggest the delayed maturation of these tissues, as these lipids play an important role in the maintenance of cellular integrity, structure and function of plasma membrane as well as subcellular membranes.
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Shah, R.S., Rajalakshmi, R. Studies on human fetal tissues-II. Lipid composition of human fetal tissues in relation to gestational age, fetal size and maternal nutritional status. Indian J Pediatr 55, 272–282 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02722197
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02722197