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Updated: Aug 27, 2025

Author Spotlight: Modeling an Aspect of Preeclampsia in Female Mice Using Hypoxic Human Placenta-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles
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Author Spotlight: Modeling an Aspect of Preeclampsia in Female Mice Using Hypoxic Human Placenta-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles

Published on: January 26, 2024

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Placental ion channels: potential target of chemical exposure

Yi Zhao1, Markku Pasanen2, Jaana Rysä2

  • 1Department of Obstetrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China.

Biology of Reproduction
|September 29, 2022
PubMed

The placenta is an important organ for the exchange of substances between the fetus and the mother, hormone secretion, and fetoplacental immunological defense. Placenta has an organ-specific distribution of ion channels and trophoblasts, and placental vessels express a large number of ion channels. Several placental housekeeping activities and pregnancy complications are at least partly controlled by ion channels, which are playing an important role in regulating hormone secretion, trophoblastic homeostasis, ion transport, and vasomotor activity. The function of several placental ion channels (Na, Ca, and Cl ion channels, cation channel, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and aquaporin-1) is known to be influenced by chemical exposure, i.e., their responses to different chemicals have been tested and confirmed in experimental models. Here, we review the possibility that placental ion channels are targets of toxicological concern in terms of placental function, fetal growth, and development.

Keywords:
chemical exposureion channelpharmaceuticalsplacentasmokingtrophoblast

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