Placental transporter activity and expression in relation to fetal growth

The question of whether there are causative or compensatory changes in placental transport physiology affecting fetal growth is considered. Reductions in uterine and umbilical blood flow in growth retardation will reduce maternofetal exchange of lipophilic solutes, such as O-2 and CO2, but will not have a major effect on the transfer of hydrophilic solutes. These solutes are transferred across the placenta by paracellular diffusion, transporter protein-mediated transport and endocytosis-exocytosis. Neither paracellular diffusion nor endocytosis-exocytosis has been investigated in relation to fetal growth. The weight of evidence is that there is no change in the activity and expression of the syncytiotrophoblast GLUT1 glucose transporter in fetal growth retardation. However, there is strong evidence that the activity of the system A amino acid transporter, per milligram of placental membrane protein, is altered in relation to fetal growth, but in a complex manner. There is also some weaker evidence that the activity of the Na+-H+ exchanger, per milligram of placental membrane protein, is directly related to birth-weight. There are no data for other solute transporters; a considerable amount of work still remains to be done in order to understand the relationship between placental function and fetal growth rate.