title: Elevation of (Pro)Renin and (Pro)Renin Receptor in Preeclampsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Preeclampsia (preE), a syndrome of hypertension, proteinuria, and edema, has many elusive triggers. The renin-angiotensin system has been implicated in preE pathogenesis. In this study, we test the hypothesis that (pro)renin levels are increased in preE patients and that levels of (pro)renin and (pro)renin receptor ((P)RR) are elevated in a rat model of preE.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 30 preE and 43 normal pregnant consenting patients. We used normally pregnant rats (NP, n = 10) and pregnant rats receiving weekly injections of desoxycorticosterone acetate and whose drinking water was replaced with 0.9% saline (preE, n = 10). Plasma and placental levels of (pro)renin were assayed by ELISA. Placental and kidney (P)RR was measured both by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean plasma (pro)renin of 27.1±5.2 in preE patients differs from that in patients without preE: 14.8±5.2 ng Ang I/ml/hour (P < 0.0001). In rats, both plasma (NP: 22.7±4.3 and preE: 49.2±10.0 ng Ang I/ml/hour) and placental (NP: 152±24 and preE: 302±39 ng/g tissue) levels of (pro)renin were higher (P < 0.001) in preE compared to NP rats. (P)RR expression was greater (P < 0.05) in placental tissue of preE rats, while kidney (P)RR expression was similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated levels of circulating (pro)renin have been observed in preE patients and in a rat model of preE. We also found the increased expression of placental (P)RR in preE rats.
authors.affiliation: Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, Texas;
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thomason
authors.affiliation: Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Temple, Texas;
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.affiliation: Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Temple, Texas;
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Temple, Texas;
authors.forename: Richard O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Scott & White Healthcare/Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, Texas.
authors.forename: Madhava R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Beeram
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Kuehl
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, Texas. mnuddin@sw.org.
authors.forename: Mohammad Nasir
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Uddin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000097:blood*; D012083:Renin / Q000097:blood*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D055815:Young Adult; D000093342:Prorenin Receptor
chemical_list: D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D012083:Renin; D000093342:Prorenin Receptor
keywords: (pro)renin; (pro)renin receptor; blood pressure; hypertension; placenta; preeclampsia; renin–angiotensin system.