title: Reduced function of endothelial prostacyclin in human omental resistance arteries in pre-eclampsia.
abstract: It remains unclear in pre-eclampsia whether or not a functional change occurs in the role played by prostacyclin in endothelium-dependent relaxation in resistance arteries. We examined this using human omental resistance arteries (obtained from pre-eclamptic or normotensive pregnant women) in the presence of N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase). In endothelium-intact strips from both groups, 9,11-epithio-11,12-methano-thromboxane A(2) (STA(2), a thromboxane A(2) mimetic) produced a contraction. Diclofenac (an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase) enhanced the STA(2) contraction only in the normotensive pregnant group (1.4 times control, P < 0.01). In the presence of STA(2), bradykinin (0.1 microM) produced an endothelium-dependent relaxation in both groups, the relaxation being significantly smaller for the pre-eclamptic group (P < 0.002). Diclofenac significantly attenuated the bradykinin-induced relaxation only for the normotensive pregnant group (31 % inhibition, P < 0.001). The bradykinin-induced membrane hyperpolarization consisted of diclofenac-sensitive and -insensitive components. The former, but not the latter, was significantly smaller in pre-eclampsia (-4.3 vs. -2.6 mV, P < 0.05). The concentrations of 6-keto-PGF(1alpha) (a stable metabolite of prostacyclin) in these arteries were significantly lower in pre-eclampsia in both the absence and presence of bradykinin (about 0.2-0.4 times the normotensive pregnant value in each case, P < 0.01). By contrast, both the relaxation and the membrane hyperpolarization in response to beraprost (10 nM, a stable analogue of prostacyclin) were similar between the two groups. We conclude that, in pre-eclampsia, a reduced part is played by prostaglandins in the endothelium-dependent relaxation seen in resistance arteries and that this may be due to a reduced production of prostacyclin by the endothelium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan. og.yo@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoshikatsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kajikuri
authors.forename: Tamao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzumori
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Itoh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D001920:Bradykinin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004008:Diclofenac / Q000494:pharmacology; D004594:Electrophysiology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism*; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D009852:Omentum / Q000098:blood supply*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014655:Vascular Resistance; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D004008:Diclofenac; C048081:beraprost; D011464:Epoprostenol; D001920:Bradykinin