Plasticity of the Maternal Vasculature During Pregnancy

Abstract

Maternal cardiovascular changes during pregnancy include an expansion of plasma volume, increased cardiac output, decreased peripheral resistance, and increased uteroplacental blood flow. These adaptations facilitate the progressive increase in uteroplacental perfusion that is required for normal fetal growth and development, prevent the development of hypertension, and provide a reserve of blood in anticipation of the significant blood loss associated with parturition. Each woman’s genotype and phenotype determine her ability to adapt in response to molecular signals that emanate from the fetoplacental unit. Here, we provide an overview of the major hemodynamic and cardiac changes and then consider regional changes in the splanchnic, renal, cerebral, and uterine circulations in terms of endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cell plasticity. Although consideration of gestational disease is beyond the scope of this review, aberrant signaling and/or maternal responsiveness contribute to the etiology of several common gestational diseases such as preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, and gestational diabetes.

Grape Seed Extract Polyphenols Improve Resistance Artery Function in Pregnant eNOS–/– Mice

“…As well as highlighting differences between conduit and resistance arteries in terms of effects of GSEP to enhance endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation, our data also illustrated that supplementation with GSEP significantly increased U46619-induced constriction in uterine arteries. As already reported for other vasoconstricting agents ( D’Angelo and Osol, 1993 ), the higher sensitivity of uterine compared with mesenteric arteries for U46619 in eNOS –/– mice (data not shown), reflects regional differences of the maternal vasculature to adapt to pregnancy ( D’Angelo and Osol, 1993 ; Osol et al, 2019 ). Unlike in the uterine arteries, we observed the opposite trend in mesenteric arteries of eNOS –/– mice treated with GSEP, which may underlie the SBP-lowering effect mediated by the extract in the systemic vasculature of the hypertensive strain.…”

“…Mammalian pregnancy requires physiological vascular adaptations to accommodate for the progressive increase in blood volume, while preventing the development of maternal hypertension (Osol et al, 2019). The endogenous vasodilator NO increases blood flow and regulates vascular smooth muscle tone (Moncada and Higgs, 2006) in the uterine and systemic circulation by balancing the release of both endogenous vasodilators and vasoconstrictors (Tanbe and Khalil, 2010).…”

The way a nose could affect pregnancy: severe and recurrent epistaxis

“…Hormonal changes during pregnancy affects nasal physiology; oestrogens cause vascular congestion, mucosal oedema and recurrent rhinitis (rhinitis of pregnancy) [11-13] in 20% of pregnant women. Estrogens could also have indirect effects on vascular wall by regulating NO signaling pathway (i.e.…”

A pravasztatin hatása tetrahidrobiopterin-érzékeny és -rezisztens praeeclampsiás placenták NO-szintáz-aktivitására

“…A pravasztatin enyhe NOS-aktivitás-növelő hatása előnyös lehet, mert az aktivitás ilyen mértékű emelésével a fiziológiás tartományba kerül a NOS-aktivitás. Az emelkedett NO-termelés csökkentheti a vérnyomást, enyhítheti a praeeclampsiában is megfigyelt vascularis resisztenciát [29,30]. Megfigyelésünk egy esetre korlátozódik, így további vizsgálatokra lesz szükség ahhoz, hogy az esetleges terápiás hasznot megállapíthassuk.…”