title: Carbon monoxide disposition and permeability-surface area product in the foetal circulation of the perfused term human placenta.
abstract: In order to estimate the placental barrier to gas transfer, a novel carbon monoxide (CO) wash-in method was used to estimate the permeability-surface area (PS) product for the transfer of gas across the foetal circulation in the perfused human term placenta. The PS product for CO was 0.0096+/-0.006 ml/s/g or 0.012+/-0.007 ml/s/g using compartmental or Crone-Renkin analysis, respectively. Using this result and a published estimate of the placental capillary surface area, the permeability coefficient to CO across the foetal circulation was found to be approximately 4 x 10(-5)cm/s. This result is compatible with the hypothesis that the foetal circulation of the human placenta imposes a potentially significant barrier to gas transfer.
authors.affiliation: The Canberra Clinical School, University of Sydney, 2605 Australia. msangalli@wnmeds.ac.nz
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sangalli
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Mclean
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Peek
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Rivory
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Le Couteur
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002199:Capillary Permeability / Q000502:physiology*; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010477:Perfusion; D010920:Placenta / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D002248:Carbon Monoxide