What are the effects and functions of placenta?

I wonder if you have ever paid attention to the effects of placenta. In fact, it can effectively help enhance the body's resistance, that is to say, it can play a good role in fighting diseases, and it can also resist infection and has a good coagulation effect.

1. Enhance the body's resistance: subcutaneous injection of human placenta extract into mice can prolong their swimming time; intramuscular injection into rats has a certain preventive and therapeutic effect on experimental gastric ulcers caused by reserpine, tension, and ligation of the lower part of the pylorus. Intraperitoneal injection of the hydrochloric acid hydrolyzate of defatted placenta into rats had a significant inhibitory effect on hepatic fat deposition caused by carbon tetrachloride and ethylthiobutyric acid. Oral administration of placenta powder to mice can reduce their tuberculosis lesions, and in test tubes it can actually promote the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Therefore, it is believed that its main function is to enhance the body's resistance.

2. Anti-infection effect: Placental gamma-globulin contains interferon, which can be used to prevent and control viral infections. Placental γ-globulin also contains antibodies such as measles and influenza, as well as diphtheria antitoxin, which can be used to prevent and alleviate infectious diseases such as measles. Because placental γ-globulin is a protein, it is ineffective when taken orally and must be injected. The lysozyme contained in the placenta can prevent mice from dying from endotoxins caused by Salmonella, Salmonella typhimurium, and Shigella flexneri when injected intraperitoneally; but it has no effect on endotoxemia caused by Escherichia coli.

3. The placenta may contain chorionic gonadotropin, estrogen and progesterone components, and thus has the pharmacological effects of these hormones. However, human chorionic gonadotropin is a protein substance that is ineffective when taken orally and requires injection. Injection of placental extract into lactating rabbits seems to promote their development, and can significantly promote the development of the thymus, spleen, uterus, vagina, and mammary glands. It also has a promoting effect on the thyroid gland, testicles, etc., but has almost no effect on the pituitary gland, adrenal glands, ovaries, pancreas, liver, and kidneys.

4. Effect on blood coagulation: The placenta contains urokinase inhibitors, which can inhibit the "activation" effect of urokinase on plasminogen. The decrease in fibrinolytic activity during pregnancy is related to this. It has been reported that the ratio of plasminogen activator to urokinase inhibitor in the myometrium during pregnancy is 1:3.4, while the ratio in the placenta is as high as 1:1197. Human placenta contains low molecular weight coagulation factor XII (a glycoprotein), which can not only stabilize fibrin clots and promote wound healing, but also has an antihistamine effect in animal experiments. It can be used clinically to treat patients with bleeding caused by factor XII deficiency.