Discussion
With this study, we show that being overweight can structurally alter the umbilical vein, causing vascular remodeling of the vessel, through hypertrophy and hyperplasia.
Methods
Umbilical cords were collected from eutrophic and overweight pregnant women and were processed according to histological routine. We analyzed morphometry parameters, collagen and elastin fibers deposition, glycosaminoglycan level, and cell proliferation.
Results
Veins from overweight pregnant women were found to have greater total area, wall area, wall thickness, and diameter. There was higher collagen labeling in the perivascular region of the overweight group and a higher amount of type III collagen in the vascular smooth muscle. The proliferation of muscle and perivascular cells was higher in overweight pregnant women. A positive, although weak, correlation was observed between BMI and vessel thickness and with type III collagen deposition in vascular smooth muscle.