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Oestrous rats were anaesthetized with pentobarbital and one of the femoral arteries, femoral veins and utero-ovarian veins were cannulated. Five min blood fractions were collected from the ovary for 50 min.

The concentration of Γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the activity of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), and the presence of specific GABA receptor binding sites have been examined in human term placentas. The estimated values of GABA concentration and GAD activity in the plactenta were about 50 nmol/g tissue and 1.1 nmol/mg protein/h, respectively. A remarkable density of high-affinity and specific GABA binding sites has also been demonstrated in membranes of the human term placenta. These binding sites showed the properties of a GABAA receptor. The present findings suggest a possible role of GABA in the function of human placenta.