The influence of zinc-binding ligands in fetal circulation on zinc clearance across the in situ perfused guinea pig placenta.

Although zinc is essential for normal fetal growth and development, little is known about factors that influence its transfer across the placenta. The in situ perfused guinea pig placenta model was used to study the influence of zinc-binding ligands in fetal circulation on maternofetal placental zinc transfer. A placenta of each anesthetized sow was perfused (on the fetal side) with a physiological perfusate via the umbilical vessels, with the fetus excluded. The sow was infused intravenously with 65Zn as a tracer of placental zinc clearance and with antipyrine as an indirect indicator of maternal placental blood flow. Maternal plasma and placental effluent samples collected at intervals were counted for 65Zn with a gamma counter, and the absorbance of nitrosated antipyrine was measured at 350 nm. The addition of physiological levels of zinc-binding ligands (albumin, L-histidine and L-cysteine) to the perfusate increased the relative maternofetal clearance of zinc across the placenta calculated as zinc clearance/antipyrine clearance [mean +/- SEM; 0.113 +/- 0.016 vs. 0.062 +/- 0.012; ligands vs. no ligands; n = 8; P less than 0.05]. The results suggest that the availability of zinc-binding ligands in fetal circulation is one determinant factor of placental zinc transfer.