Search

The isolated perfused placental cotyledon technique has led to numerous advances in placental biology. Combining placental perfusion with mathematical modelling provides an additional level of insight into placental function. Mathematical modelling of perfusion data provides a quantitative framework to test the understanding of the underlying biology and to explore how different processes work together within the placenta as part of an integrated system. The perfusion technique provides a high degree of control over the experimental conditions as well as regular measurements of functional parameters such as pressure, solute concentrations and pH over time. This level of control is ideal for modelling as it allows placental function to be studied across a wide range of different conditions which permits robust testing of mathematical models. By placing quantitative values on different processes (e.g. transport, metabolism, blood flow), their relative contribution to the system can be estimated and those most likely to become rate-limiting identified. Using a combined placental perfusion and modelling approach, placental metabolism was shown to be a more important determinant of amino acid and fatty acid transfer. In contrast, metabolism was a less important determinant of placental cortisol transfer than initially thought. Identifying the rate-limiting factors in the system allows future work to be focused on the factors that are most likely to underlie placental dysfunction. A combined experimental and modelling approach using placental perfusions promotes an integrated view of placental physiology that can more effectively identify the processes leading to placental pathologies.

Introduction A healthy pregnancy depends on placental transfer from mother to fetus. Placental transfer takes place at the micro scale across the placental villi. Solutes from the maternal blood are taken up by placental villi and enter the fetal capillaries. This study investigated the effect of maternal blood flow on solute uptake at the micro scale. Methods A 3D image based modelling approach of the placental microstructures was undertaken. Solute transport in the intervillous space was modelled explicitly and solute uptake with respect to different maternal blood flow rates was estimated. Fetal capillary flow was not modelled and treated as a perfect sink. Results For a freely diffusing small solute, the flow of maternal blood through the intervillous space was found to be limiting the transfer. Ignoring the effects of maternal flow resulted in a 2.4 ± 0.4 fold over-prediction of transfer by simple diffusion, in absence of binding. Villous morphology affected the efficiency of solute transfer due to concentration depleted zones. Interestingly, less dense microvilli had lower surface area available for uptake which was compensated by increased flow due to their higher permeability. At super-physiological pressures, maternal flow was not limiting, however the efficiency of uptake decreased. Conclusions This study suggests that the interplay between maternal flow and villous structure affects the efficiency of placental transfer but predicted that flow rate will be the major determinant of transfer.

Amino acid transfer to the fetus is dependent on several different factors. While these factors can be understood in isolation, it is still not possible to predict the function of the system as a whole. In order to do this an integrated approach is required which incorporates the interactions between the different determinants of amino acid transfer. Computational modelling of amino acid transfer in the term human placenta provides a mechanism by which this integrated approach can be delivered. Such a model would be invaluable for understanding amino acid transfer in both normal and pathological pregnancies.In order to develop a computational model it is necessary to determine all the biological factors which are important contributors to net amino acid transfer and the ways in which they interact. For instance, how different classes of amino acid transporter must interact to transfer amino acids across the placenta. Mathematically, the kinetics of each type of transporter can be represented by separate equations that describe their transfer rate as a non-linear function of amino acid concentrations. These equations can then be combined in the model to predict the overall system behaviour. Testing these predictions experimentally will demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of the model, which can then be refined with increasing complexity and retested in an iterative fashion.In this way we hope to develop a functional computational model which will allow exploration of the factors that determine amino acid transfer across the placenta. This model may also allow the development of strategies to optimise placental transfer in pathologies associated with impaired amino acid transfer such as fetal growth restriction

s / Placenta 35 (2014) A1eA112 A99 Results: IF dams consumed 29±1% less food and gained less weight (P Ala>BCH>Pro>Gly>MeAIB>Met. Conclusion: The identity of amino acids present on the internal face of MVM dictates serine uptake capacity across MVM. The broad internal amino acid selectivity by system L in MVM indicates that both the composition and concentration of freely-exchangeable amino acids within syncytiotrophoblast is likely to regulate system L exchange capacity in MVM. Collectively these observations provide further experimental support for previous model predictions regarding serine uptake by system L exchange transporters. P2.123-N. STATUS ANALYSIS OF TUMOUR ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN HUMAN PLACENTAE AND STEM-LIKE CELLS DERIVED FROM PLACENTAL CELL LINES Rham Balahmar, Shiva Sivasubramaniam Nottingham Trent university

Introduction: The Na+-independent uptake of serine into microvillous plasma membrane (MVM) vesicles is thought to be mediated by the exchange transporter LAT2. Exchangers are predicted to transport one amino acid (aa) in exchange for another in an obligatory 1:1 manner. However, the observation that serine is transported across MVM under zero-trans conditions, in the absence of internal exchangeable aa, questions whether exchange is indeed obligatory. We revisit the exchange-for-nothing phenomenon by developing mathematical models to examine obligate versus non-obligate exchange, by introducing a hypothesised facilitated component. Methods: Mathematical models were developed based on carrier-mediated transport via a) obligatory exchange, or b) non-obligatory exchange, corresponding to facilitative diffusion. Models were tested by measuring uptake of 7.5 �M 14C-serine into MVM vesicles isolated from normal term placentas, preloaded with either 0 �M or 250 �M (equal to extravesicular serine concentration) or 1 mM serine (outwardly directed substrate gradient to drive facilitated transport). Results: Trans-stimulation of tracer uptake was observed with increasing intra-vesicular serine concentration indicating an exchange component. However, if exchange were obligatory, the model predicted that equilibrium values would be reflected by ratios of intra- and extra-vesicular concentrations, which was not observed. Crucially, the model predicted that for a facilitated transport component, an outwardly directed aa gradient would cause an overshoot of tracer uptake, which was indeed observed.Conclusion: Models were consistent with serine uptake into MVM vesicles by non-obligatory exchange, or exchange together with an as yet uncharacterised facilitated transporter in parallel. This study emphasizes the utility of mathematical modelling in developing an improved quantitative understanding of aa transporter mechanisms. The physiological role for a facilitated transport component on the MVM is at present unclear and warrants further investigation.