Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
PLoS Biol. 2020 May 28;18(5):e3000676. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000676. eCollection 2020 May.
We have used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to provide important new insights into the function of the human placenta in utero. We have measured slow net flow and high net oxygenation in the placenta in vivo, which are consistent with efficient delivery of oxygen from mother to fetus. Our experimental evidence substantiates previous hypotheses on the effects of spiral artery remodelling in utero and also indicates rapid venous drainage from the placenta, which is important because this outflow has been largely neglected in the past. Furthermore, beyond Braxton Hicks contractions, which involve the entire uterus, we have identified a new physiological phenomenon, the 'utero-placental pump', by which the placenta and underlying uterine wall contract independently of the rest of the uterus, expelling maternal blood from the intervillous space.
我们利用磁共振成像（MRI）为深入了解人类胎盘在子宫内的功能提供了重要的新见解。我们已经测量到胎盘内的缓慢净流动和高净氧合作用，这与从母亲向胎儿有效输送氧气的情况一致。我们的实验证据证实了先前关于螺旋动脉重塑在子宫内作用的假说，也表明胎盘的静脉快速引流，这很重要，因为过去这一流出过程在很大程度上被忽视了。此外，除了涉及整个子宫的布拉克斯顿·希克斯收缩之外，我们还通过“子宫胎盘泵”这一全新的生理现象来识别，该现象通过胎盘和其下的子宫壁独立于子宫的其余部分收缩，将母体血液从绒毛间隙中排出。
