الفهرس 
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Abstract
Preeclampsia, is a disease of pregnancy characterized by new onset of hypertension and proteinuria during the last trimester of pregnancy. Multiple pathways linking arginine vasopressin (AVP) to development of preeclampsia have been proposed. Thus targeting it may help in the management of preeclampsia. Therefore the aim of this study was to determine whether the selective blockade of vasopressin V2 receptors by lixivaptan or restricted dietary salt are able to modulate the blood pressure and the expression of vasopressin level in a rat model of preeclampsia as indicated by plasma copeptin measurement.
This study was carried out on sixty healthy female Western albino rats, aged from 8-12 weeks weighing from 200-250 gram rats which were randomly divided into 2 main groups;
group I (Healthy control): which was divided into 2 subgroups
group Ia: 12 normal non-pregnant rats.
group Ib: 12 normal pregnant rats that received 2 ml of normal saline by IV injection in the tail vein.
group II (endotoxin-treated): 36 pregnant rats that received endotoxin in a dose of 1 µg/ kg, dissolved in 2 ml of sterile water, very slowly over an hour, intravenously in the tail vein on the 14th day of gestation, to induce preeclampsia. Then they were subdivided into 3 subgroups:
group IIa (Endotoxin only): 12 rats will receive endotoxin infusion only.
group IIb (Endotoxin + vasopressin receptor blockade): 12 rats were treated by lixivaptan orally in a dose of 0.07mg/100g/day starting from day 14 to day 21of gestation.
group IIc (Endotoxin+ salt restriction): 12 rats received a low salt diet starting from day 14 to day 21 of gestation.
The following parameters were measured: systolic blood pressure was measured on the 19th day of gestation (by a non-invasive technique, using the Power lab apparatus 8/35, data acquisition system having a computerized analysis program, AD instruments USA), urinary protein content, plasma copeptin level (biomarker of vasopressin hormone), liver enzymes, urea, creatinine, uric acid, electrolytes(sodium, potassium, chloride and ionized calcium), and platelets count.
The following results were found : low dose endotoxin administration to pregnant rats significantly elevated the systolic blood pressure. In addition, it caused a significantly higher proteinuria than in healthy pregnant rats. Moreover endotoxin doesn’t have a significant effect on blood urea, creatinine, liver enzyme, electrolyte and uric acid. Therefore, endotoxin administration in such dose was able to induce preeclampsia in pregnant rats.
Treatment of preeclampsia either by V2 receptor blocker (Lixivaptan) or low salt regimen caused a nonsignificant decrease in systolic blood pressure and proteinuria of preeclamptic rats.