Cross James C
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada.
Reprod Fertil Dev. 2006;18(1-2):71-6. doi: 10.1071/rd05121.
The placenta is an organ that clinicians and embryologists would all agree is important for pregnancy success. Unfortunately, however, they too often ignore it when they are exploring causes for embryonic, fetal and perinatal complications. The core function of the placenta is to mediate the transport of nutrients between the maternal and fetal circulation, but it also has critical endocrine functions that alter different maternal physiological systems in order to sustain pregnancy. Both its development and ongoing functions can be dynamically regulated by environmental factors, including nutrient status and tissue oxygenation. In recent years, mainstream attention has begun to shift onto the placenta and it is now becoming clear that placental pathology is associated with several complications in human and animal pregnancies, including embryonic lethality, fetal growth restriction, pre-eclampsia and the high rates of fetal deaths observed after nuclear transfer (cloning).
胎盘是一个临床医生和胚胎学家都认为对妊娠成功至关重要的器官。然而，不幸的是，当他们探究胚胎、胎儿和围产期并发症的原因时，往往会忽视胎盘。胎盘的核心功能是介导母体和胎儿循环之间营养物质的运输，但它也具有关键的内分泌功能，可改变母体的不同生理系统以维持妊娠。其发育和持续功能均可受到环境因素的动态调节，包括营养状况和组织氧合。近年来，主流关注已开始转向胎盘，现在越来越清楚的是，胎盘病理学与人类和动物妊娠中的几种并发症相关，包括胚胎致死、胎儿生长受限、先兆子痫以及核移植（克隆）后观察到的高胎儿死亡率。
