[Study of animal model of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy in pregnant rats stimulated by homocysteine and monosodium glutamate].

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether homocysteine (Hcy) and monosodium glutamate (MSG) could lead to animal model of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy and its mechanism.

METHODS

Female adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: pregnant control group (PN), pregnant Hcy group (PH), pregnant glutamic acid group (PG) and pregnant Hcy and glutamic acid group (PHG). The rats of each group were injected with Hcy 200 mg/kg or physiological saline every day intraperitoneally and with MSG or 0.9% saline every other day via Hcy injection from the 10th day to the 20th day of pregnancy. The blood pressure, urine protein, function of liver and kidney, weight of placenta, length and weight of fetus were all measured. The histological change of the pallium and the change of behavior of pregnant rats were also observed.

RESULTS

(1) The blood pressure in PH [(107 +/- 8) mm Hg, 1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa], and PHG group [(109 +/- 10) mm Hg] after the treatment increased significantly compared with those in other groups from the 12 th day after pregnancy (P < 0.01). (2) The level of urine protein [(1.42 +/- 0.53) g/L, (1.53 +/- 0.24) g/L] in PH and PHG groups after the treatment was significantly higher than the other groups (P < 0.01). (3) Obvious changes of the function of liver and kidney [alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (57 +/- 15) U/L, (69 +/- 24) U/L, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (265 +/- 61) U/L, (293 +/- 118) U/L, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (9.5 +/- 0.8) mmol/L, (9.5 +/- 1.6) mmol/L, creatinine (Cr) (54 +/- 10) micromol/L, (54 +/- 10) micromol/L], were found in PHG group and PH group (P < 0.01). (4) The weight of placenta [(0.49 +/- 0.28) g, (0.45 +/- 0.03) g], length and weight of fetus [(3.6 +/- 1.5) cm, (3.5 +/- 1.5) cm] in PH group and PHG group were significantly lower than that in PN group and PG group (P < 0.01). Obvious histological changes in pallium and kidney were found in PH group and PHG group. Changes of behavior were found in PHG group.

CONCLUSION

Hcy and MSG could induce the symptoms of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy in pregnant rats, especially pre-eclampsia, possibly through injuring vascular endothelial cell and nerve cell of the cerebral cortex.