Production and utilization of amino acids by ovine placenta in vivo.

Uterine and umbilical uptakes of plasma amino acids were measured simultaneously in eighteen singleton pregnant ewes at 130 +/- 1 days gestation for the purpose of establishing which amino acids are produced or used by the uteroplacenta under normal physiological conditions and at what rates. The branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) had uterine uptakes significantly greater than umbilical uptakes. Net uteroplacental BCAA utilization was 8.0 +/- 2.5 mumol.kg fetus-1.min-1 (P < 0.005) and represented 42% of the total BCAA utilization by fetus plus uteroplacenta. There was placental uptake of fetal glutamate (4.2 +/- 0.3 mumol.kg fetus-1.min-1, P < 0.001) and no uterine uptake of maternal glutamate. Umbilical uptake of glutamine was approximately 61% greater than uterine uptake, thus demonstrating net uteroplacental glutamine production of 2.2 +/- 0.9 mumol.kg fetus-1.min-1 (P < 0.021). In conjunction with other evidence, these data indicate rapid placental metabolism of glutamate, which is in part supplied by the fetus and in part produced locally via BCAA transamination. Most of the glutamate is oxidized, and some is used to synthesize glutamine, which is delivered to the fetus. There was net uteroplacental utilization of maternal serine and umbilical uptake of glycine produced by the placenta. Maternal serine utilization and glycine umbilical uptake were virtually equal (3.14 +/- 0.50 vs. 3.10 +/- 0.46 mumol.kg fetus-1.min-1). This evidence supports the conclusion that the ovine placenta converts large quantities of maternal serine into fetal glycine.