In vitro perfusion studies of the human placenta. IV. Some characteristics of the glucose transport system in the human placenta.

In vitro perfusion studies of glucose transport in the human placenta show saturation kinetics at high glucose concentrations and competitive inhibition of glucose transfer by the nonmetablizable glucose analog 3-O-methyl-alpha-D glucopyranoside. These characteristics provide further evidence that glucose is transported by a facilitated diffusion process in the human placenta.