Abnormalities in vascular arachidonic acid metabolism in the infant of the diabetic mother

Abstract

The infant of the diabetic mother has an increased incidence of thromboses in utero and in the neonatal period. In the adult with diabetes a decrease in prostacyclin formation has been suggested as a cause for the atherothrombotic tendency. We therefore evaluated arachidonic acid metabolism in infants of diabetic mothers. Endogenous radioimmunoassayable 6-keto prostaglandin F1α (PGF1α) was normal in umbilical vessels obtained from the infants of diabetic mothers whose glucose homoeostasis was maintained when compared with control values. Nevertheless, a significant inhibition of vascular production of 6-keto PGF1α was observed in infants born to mothers with raised HbAlc concentrations. A decrease in the concentration of plasma 6-keto PGF1α was also seen in the infants of diabetic mothers when compared with control neonates. The correlation observed between plasma 6-keto PGF1α concentrations and endogenous vascular prostacyclin formation in the infants of diabetic mothers indicates that the in vitro deficiency of prostacyclin formation reflects a concomitant in vivo abnormality. Moreover, since prostacyclin functions as an endogenous pulmonary vasodilator, a decrease in plasma concentrations might contribute to the transient respiratory distress observed in infants of diabetic mothers. © 1985, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.