Asymmetrical transfer of alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB), leucine and lysine across the in vitro perfused human placenta.

The mechanism for establishing transplacental gradients for leucine, lysine and alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) has been investigated in the perfused human placenta. Experiments were done with either the maternal or the fetal circulation closed and the donor circulation open. Transfer of the amino acids towards the fetal side was more rapid than it was in the reverse direction. When the maternal perfusate was recirculated, the amino acid concentrations were maintained at a considerably lower level in the maternal circulation than in the open fetal circuit. When the fetal circuit was closed, the concentrations approached or slightly exceeded those in the maternal perfusate over a period of three hours. Within the placenta, higher concentrations were established during the experiments with transfer towards the fetal side than in the reverse direction. Of the three amino acids, leucine was transferred most rapidly across the placenta while AIB reached the highest concentrations in the placental tissue. The asymmetry of the transplacental amino acid flux is favoured by rapid uptake from the maternal circulation and transfer towards the fetus. Both rates exceed those observed in the reverse direction. The transfer rate of D-leucine was 1.7 times that of L-glucose. For in vitro studies of the transfer rate of physiological compounds a correction for diffusion is required. The results may differ considerably depending on which marker is used as the basis.