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Assessment of Maternal Vascular Remodeling During Pregnancy in the Mouse Uterus
Published on: December 5, 2015
Abnormal microvascular reactivity with hypercholesterolaemia in pregnancy
Aida Hanum Ghulam Rasool1, Aisyah Syairah Abdul Rahman, Nor Aliza Abd Ghaffar
1Pharmacology Vascular Laboratory, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia Health Campus, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
The Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences : MJMS
|December 3, 2011
Summary
Pregnant women with high cholesterol show delayed microvascular reactivity. Post-occlusive reactive hyperaemia (PORH) indicates impaired blood flow recovery, suggesting potential risks during pregnancy.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Metabolic Disorders
Background:
- Post-occlusive skin reactive hyperaemia (PORH) is a validated method for assessing microvascular endothelial function.
- Hypercholesterolemia during pregnancy can impact maternal and fetal health.
- Understanding microvascular responses in this population is crucial for risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare microvascular reactivity using PORH between pregnant women with hypercholesterolemia and normocholesterolemic controls.
- To investigate the impact of elevated cholesterol on skin perfusion recovery after ischemia.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 17 hypercholesterolemic and 20 normocholesterolemic pregnant women in their early third trimester.
- Laser Doppler fluximetry (LDF) measured skin perfusion.
- PORH was induced by 3-minute upper arm occlusion at 200 mmHg.
Main Results:
- Hypercholesterolemic pregnant women had significantly higher serum total cholesterol (7.25 mmol/L vs. 5.54 mmol/L).
- No significant differences were observed in baseline perfusion, peak perfusion (PORH(peak)), or maximal perfusion change (PORH(max)).
- The time to achieve peak perfusion (Tp) was significantly prolonged in the hypercholesterolemic group (14.9s vs. 13.1s).
Conclusions:
- Pregnant women with hypercholesterolemia exhibit altered microvascular reactivity.
- An increased time to peak perfusion (Tp) suggests impaired endothelial function and delayed hyperemic response in this group.
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