PEDIATRICS Vol. 48 No. 4 October 1971, pp. 534-539
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HUMAN PLACENTAL TRANSFER OF HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE-I125

Katherine C. King M.D.1, Peter A. J. Adam M.D.1, Robert Schwartz M.D.1, and Kari Teramo M.D.1

1 Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine at the Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio; and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology I and II, University of Helsinki at the Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

At term, human growth hormone (HGH) does not cross the human placenta: therefore, the source of HGH in the fetal plasma is the fetal pituitary. In order to determine whether the fetal pituitary is also the only source of HGH secretion early in gestation, the maternofetal transfer of HGH-I125 was evaluated in four pregnant women receiving legal therapeutic abortions by abdominal hysterotomy. The plasma concentration of HGH-I125 was maintained until fetal delivery by a continuous infusion of the labeled hormone at 20 µc/hr for 170 to 225 minutes; and the plasma HGH-I125 concentration was determined by a specific immunoprecipitation. Even with maternal plasma levels of radioactive HGH between 875 and 1287 cpm/ml, no HGH-I125 was detected in either umbilical venous or arterial plasma, or in the amniotic fluid.

As at term, no human placental transfer of HGH-I125 occurs early in gestation. Since the fetal hypophysis synthesizes, secretes, and stores HGH as early as 9 weeks in gestation, the fetal anterior pituitary apparently is the only source of HGH available to the human fetus.

Submitted on January 11, 1971
Accepted on April 21, 1971




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[Abstract] [Full Text]