PREECLAMPSIA - THE EFFECTS OF SERUM ON ENDOTHELIAL-CELL PROSTACYCLIN,ENDOTHELIN, AND CELL-MEMBRANE INTEGRITY

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether serum from women with preeclampsia or gestational hypertension (1) decreased endothelial cel l prostacyclin, (2) increased endothelial cell endothelin, and (3) cau sed endothelial cell damage. STUDY DESIGN: Production of 6-keto-prosta glandin F-1 alpha and endothelin by cultured endothelial cells was mea sured after 48 hours' incubation with sera from 23 nonpregnant women, 23 normal pregnant women, 12 women with preeclampsia, and 11 women wit h gestational hypertension, Structural damage of endothelial cells was assessed by a chromium release assay. RESULTS: Serum from normal preg nant women induced more endothelial prostacyclin but less endothelin t han did serum from nonpregnant women (rho < 0.05). No difference was f ound between normal pregnant and hypertensive pregnant women for prost acyclin production, but serum of preeclamptic women induced less endot helin production than did that of normal pregnant women (rho < 0.05). Chromium 51 release by endothelial cells was similar between normal pr egnant and hypertensive pregnant groups. CONCLUSIONS: Serum from preec lamptic women stimulates less endothelin production than does serum fr om normal pregnant women but does not alter prostacyclin production an d is not cytotoxic to endothelial cells after short-term incubation.