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Placenta (1991), Vol. 12
in low concentration on the fetal side within 60 min after addition to the maternal side and remained constant for the rest of the experiment. IgG concentration, however, showed a slow but continuous rise throughout the whole length of the perfusion. In two out of three experiments, there was an increase in the slope of the fetal IgG concentration curve towards the end of the experiment. The transport behaviour of the four IgG-subclasses is under investigation. (Supported by Central Laboratory, Blood Transfusion Service, Swiss Red Cross, Beme and Swiss National Foundation grant # 32-26361.89.)
METABOLISM OF GLUTAMIC ACID STUDIED IN THE DUALLY IN VITRO PERFUSED HUMAN PLACENTAL COTYLEDON A. Malek, R. Sager, E. Aegerter & H. Schneider (Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, University of Beme, CH-3012 Beme, Switzerland). It has been shown previously that there is no transfer of glutamic acid (Glu) across the placenta. Glu is removed from the umbilical circuit by uptake by the placenta. Placental metabolism of Glu was studied with closed circuits in both maternal (M) and fetal (F) compartment. Glu and Alanine (Ala) were added at 2.50 mu to the perfusate in both circuits together with 3H- or 14C-label. No other amino acids were added. Cold and radioactive amino acids were analysed by HPLC. In most experiments, there was uptake of Glu by the placenta from the fetal side while on the maternal side this was seen in five out of nine experiments. Glutamine (Gln) was found at the end of 4-5 h of perfusion in both circuits and up to 39 per cent of the radioactivity present at the end of the experiment was shown to be Gln. There was a significant rise in Ala in both circuits in seven out of nine experiments. Therefore there is uptake by the placenta of Glu from both M and F side. At least some of this Glu is metabolized to Gln which is released into M and F circulation. (Supported by Swiss National Foundation grant # 32-9003.86.)
MATERNAL AND FETAL SERUM VITAMIN E SUB PARTU IN PREGNANCIES WITH COMPLICATIONS AND/OR POOR OUTCOMES U. von Mandach, A. Huch & R. Huch (Department of Obsetetrics/Gynecology, University of Zurich, Zurich 809 1, Switzerland) For certain animals there is a relationship between vitamin E deficiency during pregnancy and spontaneous abortions, still births and malformations; for humans the few results found so far are not consistent. With a group of 7-l 2 healthy women with normal pregnancies and outcomes, we tested vitamin E serum levels from venous blood (HPLC method) longitudinally at five different gestational stages. This group, which had an increase from 12 pug/ml at the beginning of pregnancy to 22.8 ,&ml at term, was used as a control group for a collective with the following complications: late spontaneous abortion (n = 7), abortus imminens (n = 14), intrauterine death (n = lo), premature onset of labour (n = 38), i.v. tocolysis (n = 19), and malformations (n = 15). For this group, serum from blood samples obtained sub partu from the mothers and, when possible, from the newborns (mixed umbilical blood) was analysed for the vitamin E level. The maternal levels were classified according to gestational age and then compared with the control group values. Between 24 and 36