ENDOTHELIN-1 AND BIG ENDOTHELIN-1 LEVELS IN NORMAL TERM PREGNANCY ANDIN PREECLAMPSIA

Citation
K. Wolff et al., ENDOTHELIN-1 AND BIG ENDOTHELIN-1 LEVELS IN NORMAL TERM PREGNANCY ANDIN PREECLAMPSIA, Regulatory peptides, 67(3), 1996, pp. 211-216
Citations number
25
Categorie Soggetti
Endocrynology & Metabolism",Physiology
Journal title
ISSN journal
01670115
Volume
67
Issue
3
Year of publication
1996
Pages
211 - 216
Database
ISI
SICI code
0167-0115(1996)67:3<211:EABELI>2.0.ZU;2-O
Abstract
To study the concentrations of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and its precursor, big ET-1, in samples of amniotic fluid, fetal urine, umbilical arteria l and venous blood, retroplacental blood and maternal uterine and brac hial venous blood obtained from normal and preeclamptic women. Samples were collected from 31 healthy pregnant women (16 in labor and 15 und ergoing elective cesarean section) and 35 preeclamptic women (9 in lab or and 26 undergoing cesarean section). Big ET-1 and ET-1 were measure d by radioimmunoassay and the ET-1 to big ET-1 ratios were calculated. In preeclamptic women there was a significant elevation of ET-1 in th e maternal brachial and uterine veins and of big-ET-1 in the brachial vein, The ET-1 concentrations and the ET-1/big ET ratios were signific antly higher on the fetal side (i.e., in the umbilical vein and amniot ic fluid) than in maternal blood, but in these sampling locations ther e was no difference between the normal pregnancy and preeclampsia grou p. A significant negative correlation (r = - 0.67, P < 0.01) was found between plasma ET-1 in the umbilical vein and birth weight in the pre eclamptic group. ET-1 was significantly higher in amniotic fluid than in the first neonatal urine of corresponding pregnancies (15.0 +/- 2.0 vs. 8.0 +/- 2.9 pmol/l, P < 0.05). The ET-1 and big ET-1 concentratio ns are significantly higher in fetal plasma and amniotic fluid than in maternal plasma, indicating increased endothelin converting enzyme ac tivity and increased ET-1 production in utero. The elevated ET-1 conce ntration in maternal blood in preeclamptic compared with normal pregna nt women and the negative correlation between ET-1 in the umbilical ve in and birth weight suggest that ET-1 plays a pathophysiological role in preeclampsia and other conditions with intrauterine growth restrict ion.