HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 68/3/1072    most recent biolreprod.102.009886v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal My Folders Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Cooke, C.-L. M. Articles by Davidge, S. T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Cooke, C.-L. M. Articles by Davidge, S. T. Agricola Articles by Cooke, C.-L. M. Articles by Davidge, S. T.

Pregnancy-Induced Alterations of Vascular Function in Mouse Mesenteric and Uterine Arteries¹

^a Perinatal Research Centre, Departments of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 252

Normal pregnancy involves dramatic changes to maternal vascular function, while abnormal vascular adaptations may contribute to pregnancy-associated diseases such as preeclampsia. Many genetic mouse models have recently emerged to study vascular pathologies of pregnancy. However, vascular adaptations to pregnancy in normal mice are not fully understood. Thus, we studied changes in vascular reactivity during normal mouse pregnancy. We hypothesized that pregnant mice will have enhanced endothelial-dependent vasodilation compared with nonpregnant mice, via an enhancement of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) prostaglandin H synthase (PGHS), and other endothelial-derived hyperpolarizing pathways. Late pregnant (Day 17–18) C57BL/6J mice (n = 10) were compared with nonpregnant mice (n = 7). Uterine and mesenteric arteries were mounted on a wire myograph system and assessed for endothelium-dependent (methacholine) and -independent (sodium nitroprusside; SNP) relaxation responses. Endothelial-dependent relaxation was enhanced in pregnant uterine and mesenteric arteries, which was blunted after the addition of inhibitors of the PGHS or NOS pathways. In nonpregnant mice, these pathways had no effect in modulating relaxation in uterine arteries, whereas vasodilation in mesenteric arteries was reduced only by NOS inhibition. Both uterine and mesenteric vessels had nonnitric oxide- and nonprostaglandin-mediated relaxation, but this relaxation was not enhanced during pregnancy. Endothelial-independent relaxation was also enhanced in pregnant uterine but not mesenteric arteries. Our data indicate that uterine and mesenteric arteries from pregnant mice have enhanced vasodilation. Understanding vascular adaptations to normal mouse pregnancy is crucial for interpreting changes that may occur in genetic mouse models.

¹ The research was supported by grants from the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, North West Territories, and Nunavut. C.M.C. is supported by a graduate studentship from CIHR and from the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR). S.T.D. receives salary support from CIHR and AHFMR.

² Correspondence: Sandra T. Davidge, Perinatal Research Centre, 232 HMRC, Departments of Ob/Gyn and Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2S2. FAX: 780 492 1308; e-mail: sandra.davidge{at}ualberta.ca

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Wedel Jones, M. Mandala, C. Barron, I. Bernstein, and G. Osol Mechanisms Underlying Maternal Venous Adaptation in Pregnancy Reproductive Sciences, June 1, 2009; 16(6): 596 - 604. [Abstract] [PDF]

				R. B. Gombos, V. Wolan, K. McDonald, and D. G. Hemmings Impaired vascular function in mice with an active cytomegalovirus infection Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, April 1, 2009; 296(4): H937 - H945. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. A. Hagedorn, C.-L. Cooke, J. R. Falck, B. F. Mitchell, and S. T. Davidge Regulation of Vascular Tone During Pregnancy: A Novel Role for the Pregnane X Receptor Hypertension, February 1, 2007; 49(2): 328 - 333. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. I. Gokina and T. Goecks Upregulation of endothelial cell Ca2+ signaling contributes to pregnancy-enhanced vasodilation of rat uteroplacental arteries Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, May 1, 2006; 290(5): H2124 - H2135. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. G. Hemmings, S. Veerareddy, P. N. Baker, and S. T. Davidge Increased Myogenic Responses in Uterine but not Mesenteric Arteries from Pregnant Offspring of Diet-Restricted Rat Dams Biol Reprod, April 1, 2005; 72(4): 997 - 1003. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. M. Anderson, F. Lopez, H.-Y. Zhang, K. Pavlish, and J. N. Benoit Reduced Uteroplacental Perfusion Alters Uterine Arcuate Artery Function in the Pregnant Sprague-Dawley Rat Biol Reprod, March 1, 2005; 72(3): 762 - 766. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]