Journal
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HYPERTENSION
Volume 22, Issue 7, Pages 777-783Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1038/ajh.2009.68
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- Ministero dell' Universit edella Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica PRIN, Italy
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BACKGROUND Mechanisms of normalization of blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) during pregnancy were investigated. We hypothesized that at the end of pregnancy (20th day), the modified renal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a pivotal role in this effect associated with reduced inflammation and oxidative damage. METHODS We measured blood pressure and heart rate (HR) using a noninvasive tail-cuff method in conscious SHR and Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). Nonpregnant (-NP) or pregnant (-P) SHR and WKY were used to compare the changes of angiotensin II (ANG II) type 1 (AT1) and type 2 (AT2) receptor expression in the kidney. Renal modification of proinflammatory enzyme expression, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and their transcription factor nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) were also evaluated. Renal malonyldialdehyde (MDA) content and protein nitrotyrosylation, as indicators of oxidative stress, were assessed. Moreover monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) mRNA was determined. RESULTS Our findings indicate that the significant reduction of blood pressure induced by pregnancy in the SHR strain could be related to reduced AT1 and increased AT2 expression. We also saw a significant decline in renal NF-kappa B, COX-2, iNOS, and macrophage infiltration, as well as the fall in oxidative stress indicators. CONCLUSIONS The increased proinflammatory and oxidative variables, seen in SHR, are strongly ameliorated by pregnancy. In pregnant SHR animals, the adaptive and compensative changes of RAS and inflammation in the kidney seem to contribute to the reduction of blood pressure near term.
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