Key result
Transverse aortic constriction increased stroke work significantly more in pregnant rats compared to sham (34.1 vs 17.5 mmHg/mL, p<0.001), indicating that increased afterload is less tolerated during pregnancy.
Why the study?
Does transverse aortic constriction affect cardiac structure, function, and gene expression differently in pregnant versus non-pregnant rats?
Does transverse aortic constriction affect cardiac structure, function, and gene expression differently in pregnant versus non-pregnant rats?
Absolute Event Rate: 34.1% vs 17.5%
p-value: p=<0.001
In a rat model, pregnancy does not protect against the negative effects of increased afterload induced by transverse aortic constriction, and may actually make it less tolerated.
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May indicate poorer afterload tolerance in pregnancy; hypothesis-generating for peripartum cardiomyopathy risk in humans.
Songstad et al. (2014) studied Increased cardiac afterload during pregnancy (n=42). Transverse aortic constriction vs. Sham surgery was evaluated on Stroke work in pregnant rats (mmHg/mL) (p=<0.001). Transverse aortic constriction increased stroke work significantly more in pregnant rats compared to sham (34.1 vs 17.5 mmHg/mL, p<0.001), indicating that increased afterload is less tolerated during pregnancy.
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