Nitric oxide/endothelin-1 in preeclampsia.
BACKGROUND
Preeclampsia is characterized by vasospasm, multiple organ hypoperfusion and endothelial cell damage. Many of its signs and symptoms can be explained by an imbalance in the vasomotor tone-regulating factors, including nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1).


METHODS
Plasma samples of 59 women (20 healthy nonpregnant (NP), 20 normotensive pregnant (NTP) and 19 preeclamptic pregnant (PEP) women) were investigated by means of nitrite (NO(2)(-))/nitrate (NO(3)(-)) (two end products of nitric oxide metabolism) and endothelin-1 values.


RESULTS
PEP, when compared with NP and NTP, showed a significant increase in the plasma nitrite/nitrate and endothelin-1 concentrations. There was a weak but significant correlation between the nitrite/nitrate and endothelin-1 concentrations in the NP and NTP groups (r(1)=0.46, P<0.05, and r(2)=0.38, P<0.05, respectively) which probably revealed the balance between these vasoactive factors. In PEP, no significant correlation between nitrite/nitrate and endothelin-1 was found. Increased nitric oxide production could be the compensation against the vasoconstriction and hypertension in preeclampsia.


CONCLUSIONS
A lack of correlation between nitrite/nitrate and endothelin-1 probably indicates that in preeclampsia, a primary defense mechanism of the compensatory nitric oxide may be lost.
Vural
Pervin
P
Department of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Capa 34390, Istanbul, Turkey. pervinvural@dostmail.com
D000328:Adult; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009566:Nitrates / Q000097:blood; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000097:blood; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012016:Reference Values
D019332:Endothelin-1; D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D009569:Nitric Oxide