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Updated: May 5, 2026

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Disproportionate decrease in alpha- compared with beta-adrenergic sensitivity in the dorsal hand vein in pregnancy

Ruth Landau1, Victor Dishy, Alastair J J Wood

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.

Circulation
|August 28, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Pregnancy reduces venous sensitivity to alpha1-adrenergic vasoconstriction and beta2-adrenergic vasodilation. This altered adrenergic response contributes to the characteristic vasodilation observed during pregnancy.

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Area of Science:

  • Physiology
  • Pharmacology
  • Obstetrics

Background:

  • Altered vascular responses to adrenergic agonists are crucial for blood pressure and placental blood flow regulation during pregnancy.
  • Alpha1-adrenergic vasoconstriction and beta2-adrenergic vasodilation oppose each other in determining vascular tone.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To simultaneously evaluate alpha-adrenergic vasoconstriction and beta-adrenergic vasodilation in dorsal hand veins during and after pregnancy.
  • To understand the role of adrenergic sensitivity in pregnancy-related vascular changes.

Main Methods:

  • Studied 20 healthy pregnant women (32-37 weeks gestation) and again 12 weeks postpartum.
  • Measured vascular response to phenylephrine (PE) and isoproterenol (ISO) in dorsal hand veins using the linear variable differential transformer technique.
  • Determined dose-response relationships for PE-induced constriction and ISO-induced vasodilation.

Main Results:

  • Alpha-adrenergic sensitivity (PE CD50) was 7-fold lower during pregnancy (2.7 µg/min) compared to postpartum (0.4 µg/min) (P<0.01).
  • Beta-adrenergic vasodilation was attenuated in pregnancy, with a higher ISO ED50 (20 ng/min vs. 8 ng/min) and lower maximal response (81% vs. 105%) (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively).

Conclusions:

  • Normal pregnancy exhibits decreased venous sensitivity to both alpha1-adrenoceptor-mediated vasoconstriction and beta2-adrenoceptor-mediated vasodilation.
  • The greater reduction in alpha1-adrenergic response compared to beta2-adrenergic response may explain the vasodilated state typical of human pregnancy.