These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Ovine placental and fetal arginine metabolism at normal and increased maternal plasma arginine concentrations.
    Author: Thureen PJ, Baron KA, Fennessey PV, Hay WW.
    Journal: Pediatr Res; 2002 Apr; 51(4):464-71. PubMed ID: 11919331.
    Abstract:
    Arginine (A) may play a significant role in fetal growth, by stimulating insulin secretion and as a precursor for both polyamine synthesis and nitric oxide production. To determine whether increased maternal plasma A concentrations can enhance delivery of A to the fetus, uterine, umbilical, and net uteroplacental (UP) A uptake rates were measured in 12 pregnant ewes at 129.6 +/- 0.4 d gestation (mean +/- SEM) during normal and after 3 h of increased maternal plasma A concentrations. With a 2.7-fold increase in maternal plasma A concentrations (p < 0.001), there were significant increases in uterine A uptake (13.8 +/- 1.0 to 41.3 +/- 7.7 micromol/min, p < 0.005), umbilical A uptake (3.3 +/- 0.5 to 5.2 +/- 0.8 micromol.min(-1).kg(-1) fetus, p < 0.005), UP A uptake (17.8 +/- 6.2 to 89.2 +/- 20.3 micromol.min(-1).kg(-1) placenta, p < 0.01), fetal arterial A concentration (98.7 +/- 6.3 to 137.1 +/- 9.9 microM, p < 0.001), maternal A disposal rate (143.7 +/- 9.4 to 217.0 +/- 6.7 micromol/min, p < 0.001), fetal A disposal rate (7.9 +/- 0.8 to 9.9 +/- 1.1 micromol.min(-1).kg(-1), p < 0.05), fetal A oxidation rate (1.31 +/- 0.24 to 1.84 +/- 0.36 micromol.min(-1).kg(-1), p < 0.05), and plasma insulin concentration in both fetus (16 +/- 2 to 20 +/- 2 microU/mL, p < 0.001) and mother (24 +/- 3 to 32 +/- 4 microU/mL, p < 0.001). Thus, increased maternal plasma A concentration increases maternal, UP, and fetal A net uptake, and increases insulin secretion in mother and fetus. The 4.2-fold larger increase in UP than net fetal A uptake could represent preferential UP A metabolism relative to fetal A metabolism, relatively limited placental-fetal A transport capacity compared with uterine A uptake capacity, or both; responsible mechanisms remain unknown.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]