OBJECTIVES: Preeclampsia, the most common pregnancy-associated pathological syndrome, is accompanied by significant remodelling of the extracellular matrix and alteration in lipid composition of the umbilical cord artery (UCA). DESIGN AND METHODS: We evaluate the sphingolipid composition of UCA and its alteration in preeclampsia. Thin layer chromatography, solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography were employed for these analyses. RESULTS: The UCA wall is abundant in sphingomyelins and ceramides, whereas the amounts of sphingoid bases are rather low. Preeclampsia is associated with significant increases in sphingomyelins and sphinganine with a decrease in ceramides and other sphingoid bases. CONCLUSIONS: Sphingoids, as secondary messengers, may evoke preeclampsia-associated decrease in hyaluronate and accumulation of collagen, sulphated glycosaminoglycans and cholesterol in the UCA wall. This we propose corresponds to an "early ageing" of the umbilical cord and may be a potential mechanism by which preeclampsia evokes an initiation of hypertension in utero and its amplification through childhood and adult life.
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