Metabolism and Maternofetal Transfer of Human Growth Hormone in the Pregnant Woman at Term

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The disappearance of radioiodinated human growth hormone from the serum after intravenous injection was followed by immuno-chemical precipitation in 10 pregnant women in labor at term. The concentrations of labeled hormone in cord and fetal placental serum and the concentration of trichloroacetic acid-precipitable radio-activity in the placenta and membranes were also determined. The half-life of labeled growth hormone during the first 90 min. after injection averaged 43 min. as determined from the release of trichloro-acetic acid-nonprecipitable radioactivity during this period; the data also suggested the presence of components with much longer half-lives. The labeled growth hormone did not traverse the placenta in the direction of mother to fetus.