Relaxin Treatment in an Ang-II-Based Transgenic Preeclamptic-Rat Model

PLoS One. 2016 Mar 10;11(3):e0150743. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150743. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Relaxin is a peptide related to pregnancy that induces nitric oxide-related and gelatinase-related effects, allowing vasodilation and pregnancy-related adjustments permitting parturition to occur. Relaxin controls the hemodynamic and renovascular adaptive changes that occur during pregnancy. Interest has evolved regarding relaxin and a therapeutic principle in preeclampsia and heart failure. Preeclampsia is a pregnancy disorder, featuring hypertension, proteinuria and placental anomalies. We investigated relaxin in an established transgenic rat model of preeclampsia, where the phenotype is induced by angiotensin (Ang)-II production in mid pregnancy. We gave recombinant relaxin to preeclamtic rats at day 9 of gestation. Hypertension and proteinuria was not ameliorated after relaxin administration. Intrauterine growth retardation of the fetus was unaltered by relaxin. Heart-rate responses and relaxin levels documented drug effects. In this Ang-II-based model of preeclampsia, we could not show a salubrious effect on preeclampsia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Angiotensins / genetics
  • Angiotensins / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Fetal Growth Retardation / drug therapy
  • Fetal Growth Retardation / genetics
  • Fetal Growth Retardation / metabolism
  • Pre-Eclampsia / drug therapy*
  • Pre-Eclampsia / genetics
  • Pre-Eclampsia / metabolism
  • Pregnancy
  • Rats
  • Rats, Transgenic
  • Relaxin / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Angiotensins
  • Relaxin

Grants and funding

The work was funded by grant in aid by Novartis. The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) supported R. Dechend (DE631/9-1), F. Herse (HE6249/1-2), and D.N. Müller. http://www.dfg.de/. The German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) supported D.N. Müller. http://dzhk.de/. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.