THE TRANSPORT OF VITAMIN-C IN THE ISOLATED HUMAN NEAR-TERM PLACENTA

We investigated the specific uptake (reference: [H-3]-L-glucose) as a measure of membrane transfer of [C-14]-labeled L-ascorbic acid (AA), L -dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) and diketogulonic acid using the single in jection, double tracer dilution method in the artificially perfused lo be of the near-term human placenta. The uptake of DHA (40-60%) on both the fetal and the maternal side was 3-6 times higher than the uptake of AA, whereas an uptake of diketogulonic acid was not detected. AA tr ansport was slightly higher on the maternal side. Uptake of DHA was su ppressed by phloretin and cytocholasin B, whereas AA transfer was not affected. Low sodium concentrations inhibited the uptake of DHA. D-glu cose (>20 mmol/l) inhibited the DHA uptake, and DHA inhibited D-glucos e uptake but not L-alanine uptake. The K-m value (self inhibition) for DHA was 6-14 mmol/l. Vitamin C enters the trophoblast predominantly a s L-dehydroascorbic acid. Its transfer through the microvillous and ba sal membrane might use the glucose transporter, however, a specific so dium-dependent pathway is not ruled out. Our transfer data suggest an intracellular pool of vitamin C which fills up with increasing plasma DHA-concentrations.