title: [Therapeutic effect of hemin on gestational hypertension in rats and the mechanism].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the therapeutic effects of hemin, an inducer of heme oxygenase, in a rat model of gestational hypertension and explore the possible mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen pregnant SD rats at day 12 of gestation were randomized equally into gestational hypertension model group, hemin treatment group, and normal pregnancy (control) group. In the former two groups, the rats were subjected to daily nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 80 mg/kg) gavage since gestational day 14 for 7 consecutive days to induce gestational hypertension; saline was administered in the same manner in the control rats. The rats in hemin group received daily intraperitoneal injection of hemin (30 mg/kg) starting from gestational day 16. HO activity and carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level in rat placental tissue were detected with spectrophotometric method, and soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sFlt-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level in the placental tissue homogenate supernatant were detected using ELSIA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At gestational day 20, the blood pressure and 24-h urinary protein were significantly higher in the model group than in the other two groups (P<0.05), and were higher in hemin group than in the control group (P<0.05); HO activity and COHb content in the placenta tissue were the lowest in the model group (P<0.05), and was lower in hemin group than in the control group (P<0.05). The level of sFlt-1 was significantly higher and VEGF level significantly lower in the model group than in the other two groups (P<0.05); sFlt-1 level remained higher and VEGF lower in hemin group than in the control group (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hemin can reduce blood pressure and urinary protein in rats with gestational hypertension possibly by up-regulating HO activity, enhancing carbon monoxide production, reducing sFlt-1 and increasing VEGF in the placental tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410013, China. E-mail: 347390990@qq.com.
authors.forename: Mai-Lian
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Ai-Bin
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Chun-Xia
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Rui-Zhen
authors.initials: RZ
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); D006427:Hemin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010920:Placenta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C467498:vascular endothelial growth factor A, rat; D006427:Hemin; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); C501164:Flt1 protein, rat; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1