Toll-Like Receptor 3 Activation During Pregnancy Elicits Preeclampsia-Like Symptoms in Rats

Preeclampsia (PE), a pregnancy-specific hypertensive syndrome, is one of the leading causes of premature births as well as fetal and maternal death. There is strong evidence that maternal immune system activation, of which Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a major role, contributes to the development of PE. Viral infections, sensed by TLR3, are associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. We tested the hypothesis that TLR3 activation during pregnancy would cause hypertension, endothelial dysfunction, proteinuria, and intrauterine growth restriction in normal pregnant rats.