Influence of albumin concentration in the foetal circulation on the placental transfer of 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl in the guinea pig.

Placental transport of 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl in the guinea-pig was studied by means of perfusion technique. This transfer was rapid when heparinized blood was used as perfusion medium. The same concentration of the chlorobiphenyl in both maternal and foetal compartments was achieved about 20 min. after start of infusion. It was also shown that when dextran solution or dextran solution with addition of Intralipid to the same concentration as the total lipid concentration in blood, were used as perfusion medium, there was no placental transport of the chlorobiphenyl. Furthermore, it was shown that the placental transport of the chlorobiphenyl was strongly dependent on the albumin concentration, but independent of the gamma-globulin concentration in the perfusion medium.