Functional role of P-glycoprotein in the human blood-placental barrier

Abstract

P-glycoprotein has a major functional role in the human blood-placental barrier but a negligible role in the removal of substances from the fetal circulation to maternal blood. Pharmacologic blockade of P-glycoprotein function can lead to disruption of the blood-placental barrier and increase the transfer of P-glycoprotein substrates to the fetal side by several-fold, which may be a noteworthy mechanism for teratogenicity.