Sildenafil Treatment Ameliorates the Maternal Syndrome of Preeclampsia and Rescues Fetal Growth in the Dahl Salt-Sensitive Rat.

ABSTRACT: Preeclampsia, a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, is detrimental to both mother and fetus. There is currently no effective treatment, but sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor, has been proposed as a potential therapy to reduce blood pressure and improve uteroplacental perfusion in preeclamptic patients. We hypothesized that sildenafil would improve the maternal syndrome and fetal outcomes in the Dahl S rat model of superimposed preeclampsia. Dahl S rats were mated, and half received sildenafil (50 mg/kg per day, via food) from day 10 through day 20 of pregnancy. The untreated Dahl S rats had a significant rise in blood pressure and a 2-fold increase in urinary protein excretion from baseline to late pregnancy; however, sildenafil-treated Dahl S rats exhibited ≈40 mm Hg drops in bl

SUBMITTER: Gillis EE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4752413 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature