title: Pregnancy enhances the prejunctional vasodilator response to adrenomedullin in selective regions of the arterial bed of Wistar rats.
abstract: The objective of this study is to determine whether the vascular response to adrenomedullin is modulated by pregnancy. To this end, the authors study the effect of adrenomedullin on different contractile responses of mesenteric, uterine, renal, and saphenous arteries of 10-day pregnant and nonpregnant rats in myographs. Adrenomedullin inhibited contractile responses induced by electrical field stimulation in only the mesenteric and uterine arteries. This effect was more pronounced during pregnancy than in the nonpregnant state. Adrenomedullin did not modify concentration response curves to noradrenaline. The reduction of contractile responses to 40 mmol/L K(+) by adrenomedullin was similar in arteries of pregnant and nonpregnant rats. However, after incubation with capsaicin, this effect was significantly increased in mesenteric arteries of the pregnant group. The authors conclude that pregnancy is associated with a rise in the prejunctional inhibitory effect of adrenomedullin in some regions of the arterial system.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands. h.vaneijndhoven@home.nl
authors: H W F
authors: HW
authors: van Eijndhoven
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Aardenburg
authors: M E A
authors: ME
authors: Spaanderman
authors: J G R
authors: JG
authors: De Mey
authors: L L H
authors: LL
authors: Peeters
mesh_terms: D053607:Adrenomedullin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007668:Kidney / Q000098:blood supply; D008638:Mesenteric Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009213:Myography; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D053607:Adrenomedullin