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Related Experiment Videos

Acyclovir transport by the human placenta.

G I Henderson1, Z Q Hu, R F Johnson

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, 78284-7878.

The Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine
|December 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Acyclovir, a key treatment for genital herpes, crosses the placenta. This study found acyclovir transfer is carrier-dependent but overall passive, influenced by solubility, not saturable, and not metabolized by the placenta.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Pharmacology
  • Neonatology

Background:

  • Genital herpes simplex virus infections are increasingly prevalent in childbearing women and neonates.
  • Concerns regarding neonatal herpes transmission often lead to cesarean deliveries.
  • Severe herpes hepatitis can occur during pregnancy, necessitating effective antiviral treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the transport mechanisms of acyclovir across the human placenta.
  • To determine if acyclovir transfer is an active or passive process.
  • To assess placental metabolism and identify potential inhibitors of acyclovir transport.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the single, isolated perfused human placental cotyledon technique for overall transport studies.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Employed microvesicles from the maternal-facing syncytiotrophoblast to assess initial drug uptake.
  • Compared acyclovir transfer rates to a freely diffusible marker, antipyrine.

    • Main Results:

    • Overall acyclovir transfer from maternal to fetal compartments was approximately 30% of antipyrine's rate.
    • Acyclovir transport was not saturable, did not occur against a concentration gradient, and was not inhibited by adenine.
    • Placental metabolism of acyclovir was not detected; fetal-to-maternal transfer occurred at a similar rate.
    • Uptake into microvesicles was temperature-dependent, inhibited by adenine and ganciclovir, suggesting carrier-mediated nucleobase-type transport.

    Conclusions:

    • Acyclovir transfer across the human placenta appears to be a passive process influenced by drug solubility.
    • Initial uptake mechanisms involve carrier-dependent transport, similar to nucleobases.
    • The lack of placental metabolism and non-saturable overall transfer suggest acyclovir is generally safe regarding placental transfer dynamics.