Placental transfer of bromocriptine in an ex vivo human placental perfusion model

Abstract

Purpose

To determine the rate and extent of the maternal–fetal transplacental passage of bromocriptine (BCT) in the dually perfused human placental model.

Methods

Twenty term placentas were included in an ex vivo human placental perfusion experiment with a closed-circuit model. At the start of the perfusion, BCT at the concentration of 10 or 100 ng/ml along with 100 µg/ml antipyrine which used as a positive marker were added to the maternal reservoir. Samples were collected for the measurements of BCT and markers of placental viability both from the maternal reservoir and fetal reservoir throughout the perfusion which lasted for 3 h. Determination of BCT was carried out with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry.

Results

At the end of the study, the concentration in the fetal compartment was 0.82 ± 0.32 ng/ml in the low concentration group and 5.02 ± 0.97 ng/ml in the high concentration group with a fetal transfer rate of 6.13 ± 1.94% and 5.46 ± 0.87%, respectively.

Conclusion

These data showed that only trace amount of BCT could transport across the human placenta in vitro which suggested that fetal exposure to maternally administered BCT may be insignificant. More additional studies are required to explore the safety of BCT administrated in pregnancy.

Keywords:

• Bromocriptine
• placental transfer
• ex vivo human placental perfusion model
• pregnancy

Disclosure statement

These authors report no disclosures of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Applied Basic Research Programs’ Foundation of Yunnan Provincial Science & Technology Department under grant number 2014FB192, the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant numbers 81360108 and 81560252, and the Union Specific Foundation of Yunnan Provincial Science & Technology Department and Kunming Medical University under grant number 2014FB028; also supported by the special fund of the high-level health and family planning technical talents cultivation of Yunnan province.