Normal and Atypical Butyrylcholinesterases in Placental Development, Function, and Malfunction

1. In utero exposure to poisons and drugs (e.g., anticholinesterases, cocaine) is frequently associated with spontaneous abortion and placental malfunction. The major protein interacting with these compounds is butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), which attenuates the effects of such xenobiotics by their hydrolysis or sequestration. Therefore, we studied BuChE expression during placental development.