Placenta cadmium transfer

Bursa (1996) studied the population consisted of 40 pregnant women (living in the Silesia district over 10 years and non-professionally exposed to heavy metals) and their 40 newborns, who had perinatal period problems (mainly respiratory effort). The concentrations of cadmium in whole maternal blood and in cord blood of their newborns with different birth weight (BW) are shown in Table 20. The author concluded, that the placenta barrier between mothers and babies exist only in relation to cadmium transfer, independently of birth weight. 

Roels HA, Hubermont G, Buchet J-P, et al. 1978. Placental transfer of lead, mercury, cadmium, and carbon monoxide in women III. Factors influencing the accumulation of heavy metals in the placenta and the relationship between metal concentration in the placenta and in maternal and cord blood. 

Cadmium does not readily pass the blood-brain barrier, the blood-testis barrier or the placental barrier, but it accumulates in the placenta of animals and humans [14]. In humans, placental transfer of Cd seems to be very low and Cd is found to accumulate in the placenta [15,16]. 

Eisenmann CJ, Miller RK. 1994. The placental transfer and toxicity of selenite relative to cadmium in the human term perfused placenta. Placenta 15 883-985. 

Roels H, Hubermont G, Buchet JP, Lauwerys R (1978) Placental transfer of lead, mercury, cadmium, and carbon monoxide in women. III. Factors influencing the accumulation of heavy metals in the placenta and the relationship between metal concentration in the placenta and in maternal and cord blood. Environ. Res. 16 236 Wilson JG (1973) Environment and birth defects. Academic Press, New York - London Wilson JG (1977) Current status in teratology - general principles and mechanisms derived from animal studies. In Handbook of teratology, Vol. 1, eds. Wilson JG, Fraser FC, Plenum Press, New York, p. 75... 

The purpose of this chapter is provide an overview of the mechanisms for transport of two toxic metals, lead and cadmium, and to identify factors that may influence this process. The mechanisms for transfer of these two metals differ in that lead is readily diffusible across the placenta. There is no placental barrier for lead, whereas the placenta provides a protective barrier to fetal exposure to cadmium. Consideration of the placental transport of these two metals is prefaced by a few comments on possible experimental... 

Boadi WY, Yannai S, Urbach J, Brandes JM, Summer KH (1991) Transfer and accumulation of cadmium at the level of metallothionein in the perfused placenta. Arch Toxicol 65 318-323... 

---