In vivo rat model of preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is characterized by the clinical triad of new hypertension, proteinuria, and edema after 20 wk of gestation. Recent evidence suggests that disturbances in angiogenic factors (such as vascular endothelial growth factor and placental growth factor) signaling and endothelial health may play a major role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Exogenous administration of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1; a circulating anti-angiogenic protein) results in a preeclampsia-like phenotype in rats. This chapter describes the methods we use in our laboratory to create the sFlt-1 induced-rat model of preeclampsia.