Placental transfer of I131-insulin in the rhesus monkey

Abstract

Pregnant rhesus monkeys were anesthetized, their uteri were exposed, and the interplacental vessels (fetal circulation) were cannulated without incision of the amnion. This procedure permitted simultaneous sampling of maternal blood, umbilical venous blood and umbilical arterial blood. I131-labeled insulin injected into the material circulation was detected in umbilical venous plasma, within 5 minutes after the injection, by the use of a chromatographic procedure which permits the separation of I131-insulin from other iodinated compounds. The concentration of I131-insulin in fetal plasma did not exceed 20% of that found concurrently in maternal plasma. A marked umbilical arterial-venous difference in I131-insulin concentration was consistently observed. The concentration of iodinated degradation products of I131-insulin was considerably higher in umbilical arterial plasma than in umbilical venous plasma, suggesting rapid degradation of the labeled hormone by the fetus. Conversely, the injection of I131-insulin into the fetal circulation was followed by the appearance of significant quantities of the labeled hormone in the maternal circulation. These experiments lead to the conclusion that insulin can cross the primate placenta.