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Optimal villi density for maximal oxygen uptake in the human placenta

2014; Elsevier BV; Volume: 364; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.jtbi.2014.09.022

1095-8541

Alexander S. Serov, Carolyn M. Salafia, Paul Brownbill, Denis S. Grebenkov, Marcel Filoche,

Gestational Diabetes Research and Management

We present a stream-tube model of oxygen exchange inside a human placenta functional unit (a placentone). The effect of villi density on oxygen transfer efficiency is assessed by numerically solving the diffusion–convection equation in a 2D+1D geometry for a wide range of villi densities. For each set of physiological parameters, we observe the existence of an optimal villi density providing a maximal oxygen uptake as a trade-off between the incoming oxygen flow and the absorbing villus surface. The predicted optimal villi density 0.47±0.06 is compatible to previous experimental measurements. Several other ways to experimentally validate the model are also proposed. The proposed stream-tube model can serve as a basis for analyzing the efficiency of human placentas, detecting possible pathologies and diagnosing placental health risks for newborns by using routine histology sections collected after birth.