Maternal tobacco smoking and alterations in amino acid transport in human placenta: induction of transport systems.

The uptake of 14C-alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) by human placental villi from smokers and nonsmokers was measured. Washed placental villi of smokers exhibited higher uptake capacity for AIB than those of nonsmokers. The higher uptake capacity in smokers was due to increase in Vmax. Smoking increased Km and decreased affinity to AIB. This is possibly due to decreased fluidity of the plasma membrane of the villus during maternal smoking. These observations suggest that placenta utilizes its ability to increase the accumulation of amino acids during the adverse environmental conditions produced by maternal smoking.