Glucose transporters expression in the placental terminal villi of preeclampsia and intrauterine growth retardation complicated pregnancies

Introduction: Transmembrane sodium-independent glucose transporters (GLUTs) play an important role in both placental and fetal development by the providing transplacental glucose transport. Abnormal GLUT-1 and GLUT-3 placental expression could play a role in such late pregnancy complications development as preeclampsia and intrauterine growth retardation. Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemistry was performed to reveal patterns of GLUT-1 and GLUT-3 expression in the placental terminal villi compartments. Results: GLUT-1 syncytial expression in the terminal villi of severe PE cases (both with and without IUGR) was significantly lower in compare to control group. We also report about GLUT-3 both syncytial and endothelial expression in the near term and term placental terminal villi without significant difference between the study and control groups. Conclusion: other study should be performed to establish the nature of GLUT-1 downregulation in severe preeclampsia cases and whether GLUT-3 is expressed in the syncytiotrophoblast of near term and term placentas or not.