Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme activity in pre-eclamptic pregnancy: evidence for a relative hypermesorACEemia.
The circadian rhythm of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity was investigated in pregnant women with normal and pre-eclamptic gestation. The chronobiological approach was able to document the occurrence of a circadian rhythm for serum ACE activity in normal pregnancy. Such a rhythm is characterized by a decreased mesor and amplitude and a shifted crest. The circadian rhythm for serum ACE activity was not detectable in pre-eclamptic pregnancy. Such an abrogation is accompanied by a negligible decrease of mesor suggesting the occurrence of a relative hyperACEemia. This disorder could play a role in pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Cugini
P
P
I Patologia Medica, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy.
Letizia
C
C
Di Palma
L
L
Battisti
P
P
Caserta
D
D
Moscarini
M
M
Scavo
D
D
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000097:blood; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000097:blood*; D010507:Periodicity; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000201:enzymology*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*
D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A