The placental transfer of cerium: experimental studies and estimates of doses to the human fetus from 141Ce and 144Ce.

PURPOSE: To measure the transfer of cerium from mother to fetus in experimental animals and estimate doses to the human fetus following intakes of radioisotopes of Ce. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cerium-141 in chloride solution was administered intravenously to rats at different stages of pregnancy (days 9.5, 12.5 or 18.5), and retention in the embryo/fetus and associated tissues was measured 3 days later in each case. Retention in rat fetal tissues on day 21.5 (shortly before birth) was also measured after administration of 141Ce chloride 1 month prior to conception or 141Ce citrate on day 18.5. Cerium-141 chloride was administered to guinea pigs on day 50 for measurements of fetal retention on day 57 (shortly before birth). RESULTS: Retention of 141Ce in the rat embryo/fetus, measured at 3 days after administration to the mother, increased from about 0.00002% of injected activity per embryo/fetus on day 12.5 to about 0.014% on day 21.5 of gestation. However, the relative concentrations of 141Ce in the embryo/fetus and mother (CF:CM ratio) were between 0.005 and 0.01 in each case. After 141Ce administration prior to conception, retention by the rat fetus on day 21.5 was substantially lower than after short-term administration. Comparison of retention of 141Ce on day 21.5 after administration on day 18.5 as either chloride or citrate showed similar levels in maternal tissues but greater transfer to the fetus (CF:CM ratio of 0.03). Retention in the guinea pig fetus in late gestation at 7 days after administration of (141)Ce chloride was about 0.05% injected activity per fetus, corresponding to a CF:CM ratio of about 0.02. CONCLUSION: These results and other published animal data have been used to specify CF:CM ratios for use in the calculation of doses to the human fetus. The values used were 0.05 for intakes during pregnancy and 0.01 for intakes prior to conception. Doses to the offspring after maternal ingestion of 141Ce or 144Ce are largely due to irradiation from activity in the maternal colon and are insensitive to CF:CM. After inhalation, however, absorption of Ce to blood is much greater and doses to the offspring are dominated by the contribution from activity in the fetus, and therefore dependent on the CF:CM ratio used.

Placental transfer of ruthenium in rat and guinea-pig.

Ruthenium-106 in citrate solution was administered intravenously to rat at different stages of pregnancy and to guinea-pig either before conception or in late pregnancy. The results for rat showed that retention in the embryo/foetus measured at 3-5 days after administration increased from about 0.0002% of injected activity per embryo/foetus on day 12 of gestation to about 0.05% at birth. The relative concentrations of 106Ru in embryo/foetus and mother (Cf/Cm ratio) were about 0.1 in each case. Concentrations in the yolk sac on day 12 were about 1% g-1 compared with 0.01% g-1 in the foetus. Retention in the guinea-pig foetus in late gestation at 7 days after administration (days 50-57) was about 0.2% injected activity per foetus, corresponding to a Cf/Cm = 0.2. Retention in each foetoplacental unit was 2% of injected 106Ru with 50% in the yolk sac, 35% in the placenta and 10% in the foetus. For administration 4 weeks prior to conception, the level of 106Ru retained in the foetus on day 57 of gestation was two orders of magnitude lower than after short-term administration, with a Cf/Cm about 0.004.

Evidence for aqueous soluble vitamin D-like substances in the calcinogenic plant, Tristetum flavescens.

A crude aqueous extract of the leaves of T. flavescens when administered orally to vitamin D-deficient chicks produced significant increases in plasma phosphate but had little effect on plasma calcium. When chicks, fed a high strontium diet to inhibit endogenous 1,25 (OH)2 vitamin D3 production and intestinal calcium transport, were dosed with the extract or synthetic 1,25 (OH)2D345Ca absorption from the duodenum in vivo was stimulated, whereas vitamin D3 was ineffective. Partial purification of the crude extract on a Sephadex GH25 column yielded two factors, one of which mimicked 1,25 (OH)2D3 activity in chicks fed the high strontium diet while the other produced a significant increase in plasma phosphate. The presence of these substances, together with previously demonstrated organic solvent soluble vitamin D-type activity, may account for the calcinogenic nature of the plant.