title: Nitric oxide in different types of hypertension during pregnancy.
abstract: 1. Serum nitric oxide (NO) levels (determined by its products of oxidation) were assessed in non-pregnant women, normal pregnant women and patients suffering from mild pre-eclampsia (MPE), severe pre-eclampsia (SPE), chronic hypertension (CHT) and CHT with pre-eclampsia (CHT + PE). The levels of NO products were significantly reduced during pregnancy in MPE (P < 0.001), CHT + PE (P < 0.01) and SPE (P < 0.05). Significant reductions of NO products were also observed in puerperium (P < 0.001) in all groups except CHT + PE (P < 0.05). 2. In normal pregnancy, three events were related to NO levels: (1) negative correlations were found between the levels of nitrite (r = -0.73, P = 0.0003), nitrate (r = -0.53, P = 0.017) and the number of weeks of gestation; (2) in the caesarean section group, the levels of NO at puerperium were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those during pregnancy; and (3) there was a significant reduction in NO levels in the pregnant women carrying male fetuses as compared with female fetuses (P < 0.05). 3. In SPE, the patients with a family history of hypertension had lower levels of NO compared with the patients without such a history (P < 0.05). 4. A negative correlation was observed between systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and NO levels in MPE (r = -0.62, P = 0.013 and r = -0.68, P = 0.0049 respectively) and SPE (r = -0.72, P = 0.004 and r = -0.53, P = 0.037 respectively). 5. In SPE, positive correlations were observed between platelet count and nitrite (r = 0.67, P = 0.006) and nitrate levels (r = 0.56, P = 0.028). 6. In MPE, patients with anti-hypertensive treatment showed significantly (P < 0.05) higher levels of NO compared with the non-treated patients. 7. NO may be important in the physiopathology of hypertension during pregnancy, although several factors may affect its levels.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, Maternidad Concepción Palacios Hospital, San Martín, Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Garmendia
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Blanca
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Bianco
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: De Sanctis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D009566:Nitrates / Q000097:blood; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000097:blood; D010976:Platelet Count; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000097:blood; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D009569:Nitric Oxide