Question

In a pregnant woman, which of the following be most likely to cause fetal toxicity?

	a.	Exposure to a lipid soluble chemical that can be biotransformed into non-polar, and then polar metabolites in the maternal compartment.
	b.	Exposure to a lipid soluble chemical that is unable to pass through the placenta
	c.	Exposure to a lipid soluble chemical that can be biotransformed into polar metabolites by fetus.
	d.	Exposure to a lipid soluble chemical that is transformed into polar metabolites by the maternal compartment

Answer 1

Ans) d. Exposure to a lipid soluble chemical that is transformed into polar metabolites by the maternal compartment.

Explaination:

- Most xenobiotics cross the placental barrier by simple diffusion. In fact, small, lipid-soluble, ionized, and poorly protein-bound molecules cross the placenta easily. For other substrates, the placenta facilitates maternal to fetal transport through the polarized expression of various transporters