Stress in pregnancy: A new Wistar rat model for human preeclampsia

• Published in: American journal of obstetrics and gynecology Vol. 186; no. 3; pp. 544 - 550
• Main Authors: Takiuti, Nilton H., Kahhale, Soubhi, Zugaib, Marcelo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Mosby, Inc 01.03.2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adrenal Glands - pathology; animal model; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure; Body Weight; Chronic Disease; Disease Models, Animal; Diseases of mother, fetus and pregnancy; Female; Fetal Weight; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Medical sciences; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Organ Size; Pre-Eclampsia - etiology; preeclampsia; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Pregnancy. Fetus. Placenta; rat; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Reference Values; Stress; Stress, Physiological - complications; Stress, Physiological - pathology; Stress, Physiological - physiopathology; Time Factors; Tropical medicine; vascular reactivity; Vasomotor System - physiopathology; South America; Brazil; America; vascular reactivity; preeclampsia; rat; animal model; Stress; pregnancy; Animal model; Pregnancy disorders; Rat; Acute; Rodentia; Pregnancy toxemia; Vertebrata; Chronic; Mammalia; Etiology; Animal; Preeclampsia; Female
• ISSN: 0002-9378; 1097-6868
• DOI: 10.1067/mob.2002.121102

OBJECTIVE: Our study evaluated the effects of chronic and/or acute stress on pregnant and nonpregnant female rats. STUDY DESIGN: The rats were exposed to the sonic stimulus associated with overpopulation between days 7 and 14 of pregnancy. The rats were immobilized 2 days before the vascular reactivity experiments. RESULTS: In 14-day pregnant rats, chronic stress led to lower weight, increased adrenal weight, lower endothelium-derived relaxing factor release, and lower fetal weight. In 20-day pregnant rats, chronic stress caused decreased weight gain, higher blood pressure, increased vasomotility and proteinuria, lower endothelium-derived relaxing factor release, and lower fetal weight. In the 20-day pregnant group, the higher adrenal weight resulted in higher blood pressure, lower vascular relaxation, and lower average fetal weight. A greater number of fetuses had higher adrenal weight, higher blood pressure, and lower vascular relaxation. CONCLUSION: The alterations found in the rats were similar to those that occur in human preeclampsia. Therefore, we propose a new animal model for human preeclampsia. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;186:544-50.)