Cholesterol Metabolism and Placental Transfer in the Pregnant Rhesus Monkey

• Text
• PDF

Abstract

The placental transfer of cholesterol (5-cholesten-3β-ol) was investigated by giving pregnant rhesus monkeys cholesterol-1α-3H or cholesterol-4-14C and then determining the cholesterol specific activity (SA) in maternal serum and in fetal serum and tissues. An isotopic steady state was established in five pregnant animals by the daily feeding of a tracer dose of cholesterol-4-14C. Comparison of maternal and fetal serum cholesterol SA revealed that an average of 42.6% of the serum cholesterol in the term fetus originated by transfer from the maternal blood. The remainder presumably arose by fetal synthesis de novo. Fetal tissues had cholesterol SA equal to or slightly less than that of fetal serum, except for brain which had a SA only 5% that of fetal serum.

Authors

Roy M. Pitkin, William E. Connor, Don S. Lin