The Importance of Antioxidant Micronutrients in Pregnancy

Figure 1

Diagram of the maternal fetal interface in early pregnancy. Extravillous cytotrophoblast cells migrate away from the cell column of the anchoring villus and invade through the maternal deciduas and inner third of the myometrium in order to gain access to maternal blood supply via maternal spiral arteries. Transformation of the maternal spiral arteries occurs as endovascular trophoblast help convert the endothelial cells lining the arteries into an amorphous fibrinoid matrix which is unresponsive to vasoactive stimuli and serves to enlarge the vascular lumen maximising blood supply to the intervillous space.