Ultrastructure of Human Placenta: Effects of Maternal Drinking

Abstract

The effects of maternal alcohol consumption upon the fetus during gestation have been well documented in the literature. The data in such studies are primarily based on gross morphological evaluations of the fetus and the placenta. The placenta is an organ specially formed during gestation to exchange metabolites between mother and fetus. Although it functions by selectively transporting certain materials from the maternal blood, it is freely permeable to other substances such as alcohol. In this investigation, we have studied the effects of maternal alcohol consumption on the ultrastructure of the human placenta by TEM and SEM.Placentae from four women who admitted to consuming copious amounts of alcoholic beverages and four controls were used in this study. Villous tissue from centrally located cotyledons of freshly delivered placentae were fixed in 3% gluteraldehyde in 0.1M cacodylate buffer pH 7.3.Samples for SEM were processed by OTOTO3 technic, dehydrated and critical point dried with CO2. Samples for TEM were post-fixed in Osmium ferro- cyanide (1:1 mixture of 1.5% aqueous OsO4 and 2.5% K4Fe(CN)6).