RESUMEN
AIMS: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a common obstetric disease associated with oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, and angiogenic imbalance, whereas zinc (Zn) presents anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. This study is to investigate whether zinc gluconate (ZG) supplementation may ameliorate the early signs, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and pathogenic processes of PE in an animal model. MAIN METHODS: Forty pregnant Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: blank control (treated with normal saline, NS), Zn control (treated with ZG and followed by NS), PE model (treated with NS and followed by nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, L-NAME), and PE intervention (treated with ZG and followed by L-NAME). ZG (5 mg/kg/day) or NS was administered by gavage from day 0 to 19 of gestation, and L-NAME (80 mg/kg/day) or NS was subcutaneously injected from day 4 to 19 of gestation. The blood pressure, urinary protein, and pregnancy outcomes were recorded. Oxidative stress, inflammation, and angiogenic homeostasis were evaluated. KEY FINDINGS: PE rats exhibited oxidative stress (reduced SOD, CAT, and GSH, and increased MDA and 3-NT), inflammation (increased IL-6 and TNF-α), and angiogenic imbalance (reduced VEGF and PlGF, and increased sFlt-1). After intervention with ZG, the blood pressure and urinary protein levels were reverted, and the pregnancy outcomes were improved. The oxidative stress, inflammation, and angiogenic imbalance were effectively restored in accompany by increased Zn and MT levels. SIGNIFICANCE: ZG can ameliorate the early signs and pathological processes of PE in the animal model, indicating the value of zinc supplementation during pregnancy for PE prevention.