PMID- 9414475
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19980115
LR  - 20220310
IS  - 1359-6004 (Print)
IS  - 1359-6004 (Linking)
VI  - 2
IP  - 3
DP  - 1997 Sep
TI  - Placental 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase: barrier to maternal 
      glucocorticoids.
PG  - 129-32
AB  - During mammalian pregnancy, the circulating concentration of cortisol (in 
      rodents, corticosterone) in the mother is much higher than that in the fetus. 
      Since the placenta is the only barrier, apart from the uterus, between the mother 
      and her fetus, this gradient in cortisol concentrations suggests that there is a 
      placental barrier preventing maternal cortisol from crossing into the fetus. The 
      intracellular enzyme 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11 beta-HSD) is an 
      ideal candidate for this barrier because it interconverts cortisol and 
      corticosterone to their inactive metabolites cortisone and 
      11-dehydrocorticosterone. Indeed, 11 beta-HSD enzyme is expressed in the placenta 
      of humans and a range of other animal species. Moreover, it is well positioned to 
      serve as the barrier since it is localized to the syncytiotrophoblast, the site 
      of maternal-fetal exchange. Given that fetal exposure to excessive amounts of 
      glucocorticoids leads to intrauterine growth retardation, it has been 
      hypothesized that the physiological significance of this placental 11 beta-HSD 
      barrier is to protect the fetus from adverse effects of maternal glucocorticoids.
FAU - Yang, K
AU  - Yang K
AD  - Lawson Research Institute, St. Joseph's Health Centre, Department of 
      Obstetrics/Gynecology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PT  - Review
PL  - England
TA  - Rev Reprod
JT  - Reviews of reproduction
JID - 9602351
RN  - EC 1.1.- (Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases)
RN  - EC 1.1.1.146 (11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases)
RN  - W980KJ009P (Corticosterone)
RN  - WI4X0X7BPJ (Hydrocortisone)
SB  - IM
MH  - 11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases
MH  - Animals
MH  - Biological Transport
MH  - Corticosterone/*metabolism
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Hydrocortisone/*metabolism
MH  - Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases/genetics/*metabolism
MH  - Maternal-Fetal Exchange/*physiology
MH  - Placenta/*enzymology
MH  - Pregnancy
MH  - Species Specificity
RF  - 29
EDAT- 1998/01/01 00:00
MHDA- 1998/01/01 00:01
CRDT- 1998/01/01 00:00
PHST- 1998/01/01 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1998/01/01 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1998/01/01 00:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1530/ror.0.0020129 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Rev Reprod. 1997 Sep;2(3):129-32. doi: 10.1530/ror.0.0020129.