A study of placental transfer mechanisms in nonhuman primates using [14C]phenylalanine.

Placental transfer mechanisms were investigated in pregnant Macaca Fascicularis and Macaca mulatta during the gestational age of 120 to 130 days. These primates underwent an operative procedure that allowed continuous fetal blood sampling. The administration of [14C]phenylalanine into the maternal circulation revealed a significant increase of radioactive material in the fetal circulation, indicating an active placental transport mechanism unidirectional to the fetus. When [14C]phenylalanine was injected into the fetus, radioactive aromatic amino acids in the maternal circulation increased only slightly over time, resembling a simple diffusion process.