Effect of epinephrine on placental carbohydrate metabolism

Abstract The rate of glycogen utilization, lactic acid production, and glucose uptake and the effect of in vitro epinephrine on these processes were determined in normal human placentas. Epinephrine increased placental lactic acid production and glycogen breakdown in both bicarbonate and phosphate buffers; glucose uptake was increased only in bicarbonate buffer. Different metabolic patterns were produced during incubation in anoxic conditions. The results show that placental, glycogen is not the sole source of the lactic acid produced during incubation or of the excess lactate released under the influence of epinephrine and they provide evidence that the human placenta has its own specific metabolic pattern and is not the biochemical equivalent of the liver.