The human placenta is responsible for the adequate supply of nutrients essential for proper embryonic and fetal development such as glucose, amino acids, and lipids. Processes involved in the placental transport of these nutrients are complex and tightly regulated and involve many transporters, receptors, and regulators. In this chapter, we describe the current methods to study the impact of maternal metabolic disorders on key players of human placental transfer of nutrients.
Keywords: Cholesterol; Fatty acids; Lipids; Placenta; Transport.