Key result
Overexpression of sFlt-1 in a mouse model of preeclampsia did not lead to long-term differences in blood pressure (P=0.067) or vascular reactivity at 6-8 months postpartum.
Why the study?
Does sFlt-1 overexpression during pregnancy alter long-term postpartum blood pressure and vascular function in mice?
Does sFlt-1 overexpression during pregnancy alter long-term postpartum blood pressure and vascular function in mice?
p-value: p=0.067
sFlt-1 overexpression during pregnancy does not cause long-term postpartum hypertension or vascular dysfunction in mice, suggesting the association between preeclampsia and cardiovascular disease may be due to shared preexisting risk factors.
Does not support sFlt-1 as cause of persistent postpartum hypertension in mice; leaves open shared preexisting risks for preeclampsia-CVD link in humans.
Our aim was to evaluate the long-term effects of preeclampsia on vascular function in a mouse model induced by sFlt-1 overexpression. CD-1 mice at day 8 of gestation were injected via the tail vein with adenovirus carrying sFlt1 (AdsFlt1), adenovirus carrying the murine IgG2alpha Fc fragment as the adenovirus control (AdmFc), or saline. Vascular function in the mothers was investigated 6-8 mo after delivery by recording blood pressure (BP) by telemetry (AdsFlt1 n = 8, AdmFc n = 6, saline n = 4) and exploring carotid artery reactivity in a wire myograph (AdsFlt1 n = 6, AdmFc n = 8, saline n = 4). sFlt-1 blood levels at 6-8 mo postpartum had returned to low levels and were comparable between the three groups (P = 0.808). There was no statistically significant difference in BP (P = 0.067) or vascular reactivity between the three groups of postpartum mice (phenylephrine P = 0.079, thromboxane P = 0.979, serotonin P = 0.659, acetylcholine P = 0.795, sodium nitroprusside P = 0.728, isoproterenol P = 0.370). Our results indicate that in a mouse model overexpression of sFlt-1 does not lead to increased in BP and altered vascular function in the absence of the pregnancy and has no long-term effect on BP and vascular function in the postpartum mothers. Our findings favor the hypothesis that increased cardiovascular diseases in women with history of preeclampsia are likely the result of preexisting risk factors common to preeclampsia and cardiovascular diseases.
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Bytautiene et al. (2009) studied Preeclampsia (n=18). sFlt-1 overexpression (AdsFlt1) vs. Adenovirus control (AdmFc) or saline was evaluated on Blood pressure (p=0.067). Overexpression of sFlt-1 in a mouse model of preeclampsia did not lead to long-term differences in blood pressure (P=0.067) or vascular reactivity at 6-8 months postpartum.
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