Pregnancy and amyloidosis: II. Suppression of amyloidogenesis during pregnancy.
The observation of a deleterious effect of pregnancy on kidney function in amyloidosis of familial Mediterranean fever suggests that pregnancy may enhance amyloidogenesis. To determine whether pregnancy may indeed affect amyloidogenesis, pregnant mice were made amyloidotic by administration of amyloid-enhancing factor (AEF) and AgNO3 at different points in time from conception, and amyloid- deposition was studied with the crush-and-smear technique. A possible effect of exogenous female sex hormones (beta-estradiol and progesterone) on amyloidogenesis was studied by administration of these hormones during amyloid induction in nonpregnant female mice. Amyloidogenesis was found to be significantly suppressed in mice during pregnancy. The reduction was possibly related to the effect of pregnancy on the inflammatory stimulus (AgNO3) and not on the administered AEF. Exogenous estrogen and progesterone failed to inhibit amyloidogenesis in nonpregnant mice. These findings suggest that pregnancy may suppress amyloidogenesis in mice. The suppression is caused by an anti-inflammatory effect of pregnancy. Estrogen and progesterone are probably unrelated to this finding.
Shtrasburg
S
S
Heller Institute of Medical Research, and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
Pras
M
M
Dolitzky
M
M
Pariente
C
C
Gal
R
R
Livneh
A
A
D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D012835:Silver Nitrate; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology
D004967:Estrogens; D006023:Glycoproteins; C046748:amyloid enhancing factor; D011374:Progesterone; D012835:Silver Nitrate