title: Effect of prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors on pressor response to angiotensin II in human pregnancy.
abstract: Pregnant women destined to develop pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) lose refractoriness to the pressor effects of infused angiotensin II (A-II) several weeks before the onset of hypertension. This loss of refractoriness to A-II is unrelated to plasma renin activity or circulating levels of A-II. In animal studies it has been shown that the prostaglandins are important mediators of vascular reactivity. Specifically, the uterine blood flow appears to vary directly with prostaglandin E concentrations in uterine venous effluent. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors on the pressor effects of A-II in human pregnancy. The "effective A-II pressor dose" (nanograms of A-II X kg-1 X min-1 necessary to cause a 20 mm Hg rise in diastolic pressure) was determined in 14 pregnant women before and after treatment with either 25 mg indomethacin or 600 mg aspirin given twice, 6 h apart. The effective pressor dose required before treatment [22.7 +/- 3.4 ng X kg-1 X min-1 (mean +/- SE)] was significantly greater than that after treatment [8.7 +/- 1.2 ng X kg-1 X min-1 (P less than 0.001)]. The refractoriness to A-II observed in normal human pregnancy may be mediated in part by the action of prostaglandins or related substances produced in the arteriole.
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001241:Aspirin; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007213:Indomethacin; D007263:Infusions, Parenteral; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D000804:Angiotensin II; D001241:Aspirin; D007213:Indomethacin