The effect of alterations in placental blood flow on the growth of and nutrient supply to the fetal guinea‐pig.

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Abstract
Distribution of the cardiac output and the maternal placental blood flow was measured in guinea pigs at days 49-51 of pregnancy using radioactively labeled microspheres. In some instances uterine blood flow was reduced chronically by ligating 1 uterine artery at day 30 of pregnancy. Results indicate that over the range of 50-100% of normal fetal growth, maternal placental blood flow and probably nutrient supply to the fetus vary in parallel. Hence, over this range, fetal and placental growth rates are determined in part by placental blood flow. At placental blood flow rates and fetal growth rates below 40% of normal, fetal growth is less dependent upon placental blood flow than usual, presumably because of a reduced dependence upon glucose metabolism for growth. This would appear to be essential, since, as maternal placental blood flow is reduced to low values, the placenta has to utilize an increasing proportion of the available glucose.

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