[Therapeutic effect of puerarin on rats with pre-eclampsia]

To study the effect of puerarin on the nitrogen monoxide (NO) concentration in rats with pre-eclampsia.

Thirty SD rats were selected and divided into three groups: normal pregnancy group, pre-eclampsia model group and puerarin group (10 rats in each group). We used endotoxin to set up the pre-eclampsia model rats on gestation 14th day and puerarin to treat these rats. The 24 hour urine protein on gestation 8th, 15th, 19th days were determined, as well as the heart rate, blood pressure on gestation 10th, 15th, 19th days. Nitrate reductase method was used to determine the plasma NO concentration of each group on gestation 21st day.

(1) There was significant difference in urine protein concentration between the puerarin [(73 +/- 20) microg], pre-eclampsia [(464 +/- 57) microg], and normal pregnancy [(140 +/- 12) microg], groups (which is equal to the value of urine protein of pregnancy 19th day subtracting that of pregnancy 8th day, P < 0.01). (2) There was significant difference in blood pressure (which is equal to the value of blood pressure of pregnancy 19th day subtracting that of pregnancy 10th day) between the three groups (P < 0.01). (3) There was no significant difference in changes of heart rate between the three groups (which is equal to the value of heart rate of pregnancy 19th day subtracting that of pregnancy 10th day, P > 0.05). (4) There was significant difference in NO concentration (NO concentration at gestation 19th day subtracting that of 8th day) between the three groups (P < 0.01), and the value of normal pregnancy group was (158 +/- 31) mmol/L, pre-eclampsia model group (49 +/- 36) mmol/L, puerarin group (162 +/- 14) mmol/L.

Puerarin can elevate the level of NO concentration and decrease the blood pressure and urine protein, but not the heart rate in pre-eclampsia model rats, which suggests that puerarin may be used to treat pre-eclampsia.