Expression of neurokinin B in hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy

Abstract

Objective To investigate the relationship between the genesis of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy and neurokinin B (NKB).Methods The serum NKB levels of 229 women including non-pregnant women (n = 62),normal pregnant women (n = 80) and pregnant women with preeclampsia (n=37) or gestational hypertension (n= 50) were examined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.The umbilical blood levels of NKB and the NKB mRNA expression in the pregnant women were also tested by fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction technique.ANOVA and paired t-test were applied.Results (1)The maternal plasma NKB levels of normal pregnant women,patients with gestational hypertension or preeclampsia were significantly higher than that of non-pregnant women,respectively [(28.2±6.6)μg/L,(31.5±5.2)μg/L,(70.5±8.9)μg/L vs(3.2±1.8)μg/L,P＜ 0.01].In preeclampsia,gestational hypertension and normal pregnancy group,the NKB level in umbilical blood [(121.4±9.3)μg/L,(60.5±7.2)μg/L,(40.8±6.3)μg/L] were significantly higher than that of maternal plasma(P＜0.01).(2) The maternal plasma NKB level in gestational hypertension group was higher than that in normal pregnancy group,while the difference had no statistical significance (P＞0.05).The maternal plasma NKB level in preeclampsia group was higher than that in gestational hypertension group and normal pregnancy group (P＜0.01).Forty-eight hours after delivery,the maternal plasma NKB levels significantly decreased in the normal pregnant,gestational hypertension and preeclampsia group [ (14.1±4.2) μg/L,(16.4±3.8) μg/L,(25.4±5.2) μg/L],compared to the values before delivery (P＜0.01).(3) The expression of NKB mRNA in placenta of preeclampsia group was significantly higher than that of gestational hypertension group and normal pregnancy group [(3.8±0.6) × 10-3 vs(1.7±0.4) × 10-3 and (1.6±0.3) × 10-3,P＜0.01].No statistical difference was found in the expression of NKB mRNA in placenta between gestational hypertension group and normal pregnancy group (P＞0.05).Conclusions Elevated NKB level in placenta and maternal or umbilical blood might play an important role in the development of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy. Key words: Hypertension,pregnancy-induced; Neurokinin B; Fetal blood; Placenta