Transfer and metabolism of vitamin D across the human placenta is required for fetal development. However, these fundamental mechanisms are not well understood and model systems are required to help understand them. The BeWo choriocarcinoma cell line is derived from extravillous trophoblast but is used as a model for villous syncytiotrophoblast and the placental barrier. Questions have been raised about the suitability of the BeWo cell line as a model for villous trophoblast. This study compares the expression of amino acid transporters and vitamin D related genes in human term placenta with the BeWo and human embryonic kidney (HEK)293 cell lines. HEK293 cells, as transporting epithelium may be more similar to placenta. Gene expression in term placenta was much more similar to HEK293 than BeWo. This study provides further evidence that the BeWo cell line is not an appropriate model for villous trophoblast and a model that more closely represents the human placenta is now required to investigate the effects of vitamin D on the placenta ex-vivo.

中文翻译：

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研究合适的模型以研究维生素D介导的人类胎盘基因表达的调控。

胎儿发育需要维生素D在整个人胎盘中转移和代谢。但是，这些基本机制还没有得到很好的理解，因此需要模型系统来帮助理解它们。BeWo绒毛膜癌细胞株来自绒毛外滋养层，但被用作绒毛合体滋养层和胎盘屏障的模型。关于BeWo细胞系作为绒毛滋养层细胞模型的适用性已经提出了疑问。这项研究比较了人类足月胎盘与BeWo和人类胚胎肾（HEK）293细胞系中氨基酸转运蛋白和维生素D相关基因的表达。HEK293细胞，因为上皮运输可能与胎盘更相似。足月胎盘中的基因表达比BeWo与HEK293更相似。