Ashok Yadav/LinkedIn
Feb 26, 2026, 15:39
Ashok Yadav: Placental Glycogen as a Vital Energy Reserve for Fetal and Placental Health
Ashok Yadav, Biology Educator of Biology Faculty at Apex Academy, shared a post on LinkedIn:
”Placental glycogen storage serves as a vital energy reserve, primarily thought to support fetal growth and maintain glucose levels when maternal supply fluctuates. While its exact function in humans is still debated, animal models provide significant evidence for its role in both fetal development and placental health.
Functions of Placental Glycogen
- Fetal Energy Support: It is widely hypothesized that placental glycogen acts as a ‘buffer,’releasing glucose during periods of high fetal demand, particularly in late gestation.
- Local Placental Fuel: The placenta is a highly metabolic organ; glycogen stores may provide direct energy for its own functions, such as hormone production and maintaining vasomotor activity in placental blood vessels.
- Pathological Protection: In cases of maternal diabetes, the placenta may store excess glucose as glycogen to protect the fetus from hyperglycemia.
Dynamics and Storage Locations
- Temporal Peaks: In humans, glycogen accumulation peaks in the first trimester and declines toward term. In mice, it peaks around embryonic day 15.5.
- Cellular Storage:
- Mice: Specialized glycogen trophoblast cells in the junctional zone are the primary storage site.
- Humans: Storage occurs in extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) located in the basal plate.
Clinical Significance
- Growth Complications: Both abnormally high and low placental glycogen levels are linked to Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) and pre-eclampsia.
- Diabetes: Maternal diabetes often leads to aberrant glycogen storage, which can disrupt normal metabolic communication between mother and fetus.
- Genetic Disorders: Rare conditions like Glycogen Storage Disease Type IV can show specific placental involvement, potentially allowing for prenatal diagnosis via biopsy.”
Stay updated with Hemostasis Today.
-
Apr 14, 2026, 17:32Denise M.: Surviving Sepsis 2026 – The Upstream Revolution
-
Apr 14, 2026, 17:23Meghanath Yenni։ What’s New in Acute Ischemic Stroke in 2026
-
Apr 14, 2026, 17:11Phil Spinella: What Dose of TXA for Children With Severe Traumatic Bleeding Should You Use?
-
Apr 14, 2026, 17:08Abdulrahman Katib: How Endovascular Stenting Is Transforming the Treatment of Severe PTS
-
Apr 14, 2026, 17:00Anna A. Avagyan: Glad to Be Part of EHA Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Course
-
Apr 14, 2026, 16:58Ney Carter Borges: NLRP3 Inhibition in Atherosclerosis – Early Clinical Signal Beyond Lipids
-
Apr 14, 2026, 16:56Saskia Middeldorp: Key Takeaways from the 2026 ACC/AHA Guideline on Acute PE
-
Apr 14, 2026, 16:54Chokri Ben Lamine: Extracorporeal Photopheresis for aGVHD cGVHD Post-SCT – 50 Pearls
-
Apr 14, 2026, 16:49Ahmed Magdi Omar: Key Takeaways From the Latest 2026 Guidelines on Antiplatelet Therapy in AIS