Abstract: We have previously demonstrated that the human placenta possesses potent platelet anti-aggregatory activity. This activity was exhibited only when aggregation was induced by adeosine diphosphate (ADP), but not when induced by adrenaline, ristocetin or collagen. We have also shown that placental extracts degrade ADP. We therefore concluded that the placenta's anti-aggregatory activity, in vitro, was not due to prostacyclin (PGI2) but to an ‘ADPase’. In view of some reports claiming that the human placenta produces PGI2, we carried out a series of experiments to establish whether human placental tissue can convert [14C]-arachidonic acid ([14C]-AA) to 6-oxo-PGF1α, the stable metabolite of PGI2. Tissue from placenta and the membranes did not show any appreciable conversion of [14C]-AA into 6-oxo-PGF1α. This finding was confirmed by radioimmunoassay techniques where the placenta was shown to produce spontaneously only minimal amounts of 6-oxo-PGF1α. We conclude that placental tissue and the fetal membranes do not synthesize a significant amount of PGI2, certainly not enough to account for the potent platelet anti-aggregatory activity of the placenta in vitro. Placental platelet anti-aggregatory activity in vitro, is probably due entirely to ADPase activity.
Publication Year: 1985
Publication Date: 1985-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 34
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