Preeclampsia pravastatin early VS late treatment: Effects on oxidative stress and vascular reactivity.

Early diagnosis and efficient treatment of preeclampsia remains a medical challenge and etiological factors converge in a deficient placentation that triggers oxidative stress. There is evidence that statins show antioxidant effects that can improve endothelial function without adverse perinatal effects. We aimed to compare early vs. late pravastatin treatment on the oxidative stress and cardiovascular features of an experimental model of preeclampsia. Female Wistar rats were randomly divided into preeclampsia phenotype rats (PEP) developed by sub renal aortic coarctation (SRAC) and healthy pregnant rats (C). Each group received pravastatin (5 mg/Kg) p.o. either for one week before and during the first week or during the last two weeks of gestation. Blood pressure was determined using the plethysmographic method. Phenylephrine (Phe)-induced contractility was evaluated in isolated thoracic and abdominal aortic rings with or without endothelium. Blood samples were obtained to determine anion superoxide concentration as indicator of NADPH activity. Two-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests were used to define statistical significance. Early or late pravastatin treatment decreased hypertension of PEP animals but did not change BP of the healthy pregnant group. Thoracic and abdominal aorta from PEP rats showed increased contractility that was reverted by pravastatin early treatment in endothelium intact rings. Pravastatin did not significantly change contractility neither in the thoracic nor in the abdominal aorta segments from healthy pregnant control rats (C), and decrease anion superoxide concentration by NADPH activity. We conclude pravastatin can improve both blood pressure and endothelium-dependent Phe-induced contractility in an experimental model of preeclampsia by reducing oxidative stress.

Beneficial effects of phycobiliproteins from Spirulina maxima in a preeclampsia model.

AIMS: Considering phycobiliproteins of Spirulina maxima has shown a wide margin of security in pregnant and non-pregnant animals as well as antioxidant properties, present study aimed to investigate if the cardiovascular and metabolic effects of an experimental model of preeclampsia can be prevented by the administration of this compound. MAIN METHODS: Subrenal aortic coarctation (SRAC) practiced to female Wistar rats of 8 weeks of age. Animals were divided randomly to conform non-pregnant and pregnant groups and pregnant with SRAC showed fetoplacental ischemia and were considered preeclamptic (PE). Groups were treated with saline solution (control group) or phycobiliproteins solution (100 mg/kg/day ig) for the last 7, 14 or 20 days of pregnancy. KEY FINDINGS: PE animals showed increased systolic blood pressure, weight gain, glucose and GTT as well as vascular contractility. Also, PE animals showed decreased SOD, GPx activities while MDA was increased. Phycobiliproteins oral treatment for 3 weeks significantly decreased systolic blood pressure and reestablished glucose, weight gain and vascular contractility as well as enzyme activities of PE rats to those of normal pregnant animals. SIGNIFICANCE: Our results show that phycobiliproteins can prevent the damage produced by fetoplacental ischemia and provides evidence of free radical species contribution to the physiopathology of the disease. Also, we conclude phycobiliproteins can be an alternative to reduce preeclampsia manifestations, however, more studies are recommended.