Aim: 

The aim of this work was to test the acute and chronic effects of some dietary compounds upon the uptake of glucose by the human placenta. For this, we measured uptake of ³H-2-deoxy-D-glucose (³H-DG) by the human trophoblast (BeWo) cell line.

Methods: 

The acute (26 min) and chronic (48 h) effect of several phenolic compounds and methylxanthines present in different drinks upon the uptake of ³H-DG (1 mM) by BeWo cells was determined. Cellular uptake of ³H-DG was measured by liquid scintillometry. The effect of these compounds upon cellular viability was assessed by the MTT assay.

Results: 

Acutely, resveratrol (100 mM), quercetine (10-100 mM), epigallocatechin-3-gallate (100 mM), chrysin (10-100 mM), xanthohumol (100 mM) and acetaldehyde (30-100 mM) decreased ³H-DG uptake, whereas rutin (10-100 mM), catechin (10-100 mM) and epicatechin (100 mM) increased it. Chronically, uptake of ³H-DG was decreased by theophylline (0.1-1 mM) and increased by myricetin and rutin (0.1-1 mM). Acutely, none of the compounds tested, with the exception of crisin, caused a reduction on cellular viability. Chronically, cellular viability was increased in the presence of myricetin and rutin (0.1-1 mM), and decreased by theophylline (0.1-1 mM).

Conclusions: 

³H-DG uptake is differentially modulated by different phenolic compounds and methylxanthines.

This work was supported by FCT and Programa Ciencia, Tecnologia e Inovacao do Quadro Comunitario de Apoio (POCI/SAU-FCF/59382/2004).