Transport of calcium across the dually perfused placenta of the rat

1. A rat placenta was dually perfused in situ with modified Krebs fluid. Perfusion was carried out through the femoral artery on the maternal side and through the umbilical artery on the fetal side. 2. Transfer of 45Ca2+ and [3H]L-glucose across the placenta was measured in the maternal-fetal direction. The transcellular component of the maternal-fetal transport of Ca2+, Jmf,tc, was estimated from transfer rates of the two tracers and from Ca2+ concentration in maternal perfusate, [Ca2+]m. 3. At [Ca2+]m of 1.1 mM (physiological concentration of Ca2+ in plasma) Jmf,tc was 92.4 +/- 13.7 nmol min-1 (mean +/- S.D.), which is about 90% of the transport expected in an intact placenta. The permeability-surface area product (PS) of the placenta to [3H]L-glucose was 13.8 +/- 3.9 microliters min-1, about 4 times higher than that expected in intact placenta. 4. Transport of 45Ca2+ changed rapidly when [Ca2+]m was varied. Kinetic constants of the transcellular transport of Ca2+ are the Michaelis constant, Km, = 0.45 mM and the maximum rate of transport, Vmax, = 116 nmol min-1. It follows from this that at physiological levels of Ca2+, transport of Ca2+ to the fetus is relatively independent of changes in [Ca2+]m. 5. Strontium and barium (SrCl2 and BaCl2, 1 mM) decreased Jmf,tc; the response was prompt and reversible. Magnesium (2 mM) had no effect. Maternal-fetal transport of 85Sr2+ and 133Ba2+ was decreased rapidly and reversibly by elevating [Ca2+]m from 0.35 to 2 mM. These observations suggest that Sr2+ and Ba2+ are transported across the placenta by the Ca2+ transport system. This means that the transport is not substrate specific. 6. Cadmium (1 mM-CdCl2) decreased Jmf,tc irreversibly with some latency. The slowness of the response suggests a non-competitive inhibition. Cadmium (0.02 mM-CdCl2) was without effect on Jmf,tc. 7. A Ca2+ channel blocker, nifedipine (10 microM), administered to the maternal side had no effect on Jmf,tc.