Abstract
Placenta metabolism is closely linked to pregnancy outcome, and few modalities are currently available for studying the human placenta. Here, we aimed to investigate a novel ex vivo human placenta perfusion system for metabolic imaging using hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate. The metabolic effects of 3 different human placentas were investigated using functional and metabolic magnetic resonance imaging. The placenta glucose metabolism and hemodynamics were characterized with hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate magnetic resonance imaging and by dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) imaging. Hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate showed a decrease in the 13C-lactate/13C-pyruvate ratio from the highest to the lowest metabolic active placenta. The metabolic profile was complemented by a more homogenous distributed hemodynamic response, with a longer mean transit time and higher blood volume. This study shows different placenta metabolic and hemodynamic features associated with the placenta functional status using hyperpolarized magnetic resonance ex vivo. This study supports further studies using ex vivo metabolic imaging of the placenta alterations associated with pregnancy complications.
Highlights
The placenta is an endocrine organ with a high metabolic demand
The processes are complex, illustrated by a maternofetal glucose transfer that depends on the density of glucose transporters (GLUT), primarily in the ratelimiting basal membrane of the placenta [7]
We aimed to introduce hyperpolarized 13C-labeled magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a novel method for the examination of glucose metabolism in human placentas perfused ex vivo
Summary
The placenta is an endocrine organ with a high metabolic demand. Several pregnancy complications, such as fetal growth restriction, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes, are associated with abnormal placental endocrine function [2,3,4,5,6]. The processes are complex, illustrated by a maternofetal glucose transfer that depends on the density of glucose transporters (GLUT), primarily in the ratelimiting basal membrane of the placenta [7]. The expression of GLUT1 [8, 9], GLUT4, and GLUT9 [9] is increased in diabetic pregnancies and this expression is associated with fetal birth weight [9]. Increasing evidence supports lactate as an important energy source in fetoplacental energy production [10, 11]. A higher concentration of lactate is found in fetal circulation than in maternal circulation [11]
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