Vascular responses of aortic, renal, and uterine arteries in suramin-induced preeclampsia-like syndrome in rats

Abstract

Background/aim: Suramin is a potent angiogenesis inhibitor in rodents and attenuates placental development in rat pregnancy. Weaimed to produce preeclampsia-like syndrome by suramin administration in rats and to investigate the functional responses in aortic,renal, and uterine arteries.Materials and methods: Pregnant and nonpregnant wistar rats received suramin (100 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) or equal volume of salineon days 10 and 11. Blood pressures of rats were observed daily. On the day 20, rats were executed. Protein levels in urine were measuredand fetuses, placentas, and kidneys were weighted and evaluated. Thoracic aorta, renal, and uterine arteries were removed for functionalstudies.Results: Increased blood pressures and proteinuria were detected in suramin-given pregnant rats. Pathological examination of kidneysshowed an acute tubular injury after suramin injection. Numbers and weights of fetuses and placentas were reduced in suramin-givenpregnant rats. In functional studies, endothelial dysfunction occurred in uterine and renal arteries but not in the aorta. In this study, weshowed that preeclampsia-like syndrome occurred in suramin-given rats.Conclusion: Our findings, which show that endothelial dysfunction occurred in uterine and renal arteries but not in the aorta, areconsistent with the human findings of microvascular changes in preeclampsia.