Transplacental Transfer of Drugs Used in Pregnant Women
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2017-05-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The most important guideline for drug prescription concerning pregnant women is 'drugs should
be given only if the maternal benefits outweigh the potential risk to the fetus'. However,
poor data is available on maternal drug disposition and transfer through the placenta, so the
evidence available for decision making in clinical practice is weak.
An ex-vivo placenta perfusion model will be used to explore the mechanisms governing
differences between fetal and maternal drug exposure. The expression of placental
transporters and cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes will be investigated in primary placenta cell
culture and placental biopsies from different gestational stages to learn how the placental
drug transfer and disposition is regulated.
The investigators choose to examine the transfer of paracetamol, erythromycin and
azithromycin because these drugs are commonly used in human pregnancies and have different
metabolic pathways.