9 research outputs found
Serum from healthy pregnant women reduces oxidative stress in human umbilical vein endothelial cells
Serum from healthy pregnant women reduces oxidative stress in human umbilical vein endothelial cells
Increased uterine arterial pressure and contractility of perfused swine uterus after treatment with serum from pre-eclamptic women and endothelin-1. Clin Sci (Lond
A B S T R A C T The present study was designed to examine the effects of ET-1 (endothelin-1) and serum from PE (pre-eclamptic), HP (healthy pregnant) and HNP (healthy non-pregnant) women on uterine arterial perfusion pressure and uterine contractility. Swine uteri (n = 25) were perfused for a period of up to 11 h, with the aim being to preserve a viable organ. Various concentrations of ET-1 as well as serum from PE, HP and HNP women (n = 10 per group) were administered to the perfused swine uteri and IUP (intrauterine pressure) and IAP (intra-arterial pressure) were recorded. ET-1 produced dose-dependent increases in IUP and IAP. The ET-1 concentration in serum was higher in serum from PE women than in HP and HNP women (P > 0.05). Administration of all serum samples had a contractile effect on the swine uterus, with the greatest effect being seen in HNP women (12.8 + − 5.3 mmHg), followed by PE (9.06 + − 4.2 mmHg) and HP (6.1 + − 4.1 mmHg) women. Statistically significant differences were observed between HNP and PE women (P = 0.048), and PE and HP women (P = 0.021). Increases in IAP following administration of serum from PE women (48.8 + − 20.0 mmHg) were significantly higher (P = 0.024) compared with the effect of serum from HP women (28.4 + − 13.7 mmHg). In conclusion, the findings show that serum from PE women has significant vasoconstrictive and oxytocic effects compared with serum from HP women. In pre-eclampsia, the balance between vasorelaxing and vasoactive substances is disturbed