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Changes in the nitric oxide‐soluble guanylate cyclase system and natriuretic peptide receptor system in placentas of pregnant D ahl salt‐sensitive rats
Author(s) -
Takushima Sachiyo,
Nishi Yoshihiro,
oshita Akiko,
Mifune Hiroharu,
Hirata Rumiko,
Tanaka Eiichiro,
Doi Ryosuke,
Hori Daizo,
Kamura Toshiharu,
Ushijima Kimio
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.597
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1447-0756
pISSN - 1341-8076
DOI - 10.1111/jog.12602
Subject(s) - medicine , endocrinology , cyclic guanosine monophosphate , nitric oxide , natriuretic peptide , receptor , atrial natriuretic peptide , vasodilation , placenta , nitric oxide synthase , gucy1b3 , fetus , guanylate cyclase 2c , biology , guanylate cyclase , pregnancy , heart failure , genetics
Aim Diminished vasodilator activity during pregnancy, which augments vascular responses to vasoconstrictors, is one reason for the onset of pre‐eclampsia and superimposed pre‐eclampsia. It is known that D ahl salt‐sensitive ( D ahl‐ S ) rats develop salt‐sensitive hypertension like A frican‐ A mericans. The present study attempted to assess the changes and the interactions of the NOS‐NO‐sGC‐cGMP and NP‐NPR‐cGMP systems in the hypertensive placenta using D ahl‐ S rats as an animal model of superimposed pre‐eclampsia. Material and Methods Pregnant Dahl‐ S rats were fed a high‐salt diet to induce the development of hypertension and fetal growth restriction. Using these rats, we investigated the regulation of these two vasodilatation systems, including the kinetics of cyclic guanosine monophosphate ( cGMP ), soluble guanylate cyclase ( sGC ), endothelial nitric oxide synthase ( NOS ), cytokine‐inducible NOS , natriuretic peptides ( NP ) (atrial NP , brain NP and C‐type NP ), and NP receptors ( NPR ) ( NPR‐A , NPR‐B , NPR‐C ). Results Dahl‐S rats fed a high‐salt diet exhibited hypertension, fetal growth restriction and thickening of the walls in decidual vessels. The placental cGMP level in the rats fed the high‐salt diet was significantly decreased compared with that in controls. The expression levels of endothelial NOS and cytokine‐inducible NOS mRNA increased significantly, while that of sGC α2‐sunbnit declined significantly. Messenger RNA levels of NPR ‐ C , a clearance‐type receptor of NP , declined significantly, whereas those of NP and their functional receptors NPR ‐ A and NPR ‐ B were unchanged. Conclusions As D ahl‐ S rats with excess salt‐loading during pregnancy exhibited pathological changes similar to those observed in female humans with pre‐eclampsia/superimposed pre‐eclampsia, this rat could be useful as an animal model of superimposed pre‐eclampsia. In the placentas of hypertensive D ahl‐ S rats, vasodilatation seemed to be disturbed by the deregulation of both the NO‐sGC‐cGMP and NP‐NPR‐cGMP systems.