title: Pre-eclampsia does not alter the response to endothelin-1 in human omental artery.
abstract: Endothelin-1 (ET-1), known to be present in high concentrations in serum from pre-eclamptic compared with normotensive pregnant women, may contribute to the increased vascular reactivity seen in pre-eclampsia. Experiments were designed to compare the contractile activity of ET-1 in isolated omental arteries from menopausal women (n = 6), normotensive pregnant women (n = 7), and pre-eclamptic patients (n = 7). Intact rings (3-mm width) were suspended for isometric tension recording in organ chambers filled with modified Krebs/bicarbonate buffer aerated with 95% air and 5% CO2, 37 degrees C, pH 7.35-7.4, under tension of 1 g. No significant differences were found in either the sensitivity to (concentration producing 50% of contraction) or efficacy of (maximal increase in tension, normalized to reference contraction to KCl) ET-1 in the vessels of all three groups of patients studied. These data argue against ET-1 as a primary factor in pre-eclampsia. The modulatory role of ET-1 on the effects of other contractile factors of human blood, as a possible cause of pre-eclamptic changes, remains to be elucidated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Y P
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Vedernikov
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Belfort
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Saade
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Moise
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016232:Endothelins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009852:Omentum / Q000098:blood supply; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D016232:Endothelins