[Structural and metabolic mechanisms of placental adaptation].

Ninety-two placentas from patients with late toxaemia of pregnancy were studied by means of histologic, stereologic and enzyme histochemical methods. 32 placentas were from live births and 60 from stillbirths. In the stillbirth series, 31 placentas were from cases of fetal antepartum deaths and 29 from cases of fetal intrapartum deaths. The increase of the microcirculation volume in placental villi and the increase of oxidative enzyme activity in the syncytiotrophoblast, stroma and villi vesel wall are considered as structural and metabolic mechanisms of placenta adaptation. The role of structural and metabolic placenta insufficiency in the pathogenesis of the intrauterine fetal death is discussed.