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Correlation of levels of alpha-fetoprotein in maternal serum and amniotic fluid in the rat

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a glycoprotein produced by the yolk sac and liver of the human conceptus and is found in maternal serum during pregnancy (see review by Lau & Linkins, 1976). The source of AFP in the pregnant woman is thought to be the fetus. This conclusion is based on the correlation between AFP levels in cord and maternal serum at the time of delivery, and on the disappearance of AFP from the maternal circulation after parturition (Seppala & Ruoslahti, 1972). In the rat, transplacental and trans-amniotic routes of AFP transfer have been suggested on the basis of radioisotope-labelled AFP tracer experiments (Sell & Alexander, 1974), but quantitative data throughout gestation were not available. The objective of the present investigation was to determine whether a relationship exists between the levels of AFP in amniotic fluid and maternal serum throughout gestation.