Wooding F B P, Dantzer V B, Klisch K, Jones C J, Forhead A J
Physiology Department, Cambridge University, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK.
Placenta. 2007 May-Jun;28(5-6):453-64. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2006.07.006. Epub 2006 Oct 5.
Glucose is one of the major fetal nutrients. Maternofetal transfer requires transport across the several placental membranes. This transfer is mediated by one or more of the fourteen known isoforms of glucose transporter. So far only Glucose Transporters 1 and 3 (GT1, GT3) have been shown to be located in placental membranes. GT1 may be the only one on the syncytiotrophoblast (human) or both may be present on the same membrane (rodents) or be required in sequence (ruminants, horses and elephant). This paper shows GT1 to be the only transporter demonstrable by immunocytochemistry in carnivore (cat, dog and mink) endotheliochorial placental membranes. GT1 is invariably present on both apical and basal surfaces of the cyto- and syncytiotrophoblast in all carnivore species examined and the pattern of development is described from implantation to term.
