Funding outcome

Having high cholesterol levels is a risk factor for heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the world. In contrast, during pregnancy, high cholesterol levels are needed for normal development of the fetus. However, when cholesterol levels become too high it increases the risk of developing serious pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia. Preeclampsia can lead to the mother and child having serious health complications during pregnancy and later in life. While we do not know how preeclampsia develops, the placenta, a new organ that develops only in pregnancy to support the growth of the fetus, may be key. Preclinical animal models have shown that excessively high cholesterol levels during pregnancy leads to the accumulation of lipids in the placenta which causes cell stress leading to inflammation. These effects differ depending on the sex of the fetus. While these changes have been seen in rats, we do not know if the same changes occur in humans. The goal of this project is to find out whether high cholesterol levels during pregnancy affects placental function in humans, as well as if high cholesterol is associated with lipid accumulation, cell stress, inflammation and if the sex of the fetus plays a role. To do this, we will categorize participants into normal or high cholesterol levels by analyzing maternal blood samples. Participants will be further subcategorized by fetal sex and placentas will be assessed for lipid accumulation. Additionally, cell stress and inflammatory pathway markers in placentas from male and female offspring will be analyzed to determine if there are any sex-specific differences. This research will increase our understanding of how high cholesterol levels in pregnancy increases the risk of complications and will help figure out how preeclampsia develops. This project aims to provide ways to prevent and treat preeclampsia and related complications, in hopes of improving outcomes for women and their children.