Urine but not plasma nitric oxide metabolites are decreased in women with preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE

Nitric oxide is a potent vasorelaxant produced by endothelial cells. We tested the hypothesis that urinary and perhaps plasma nitric oxide metabolites would be reduced in women with preeclampsia.

STUDY DESIGN

Plasma and urine from 14 women meeting strict clinical criteria for the diagnosis of preeclampsia and 20 normal nulliparous women were assayed for the stable metabolites of nitric oxide, nitrate and nitrite.

RESULT

There was no significant difference of plasma concentrations of nitrate and nitrite between women with preeclampsia and women with normal pregnancies (32.7 +/- 3.1 vs 25.8 +/- 2.4 micromol/L). Plasma creatinine levels were elevated in women with preeclampsia (0.85 +/- 0.09 vs 0.66 +/- 0.02 mg/dl, p<0.01), indicating a reduced glomerular filtration rate. Urine concentrations of nitrate and nitrite normalized by creatinine excretion were significantly lower in women with preeclampsia compared with normal pregnant women (0.37 +/- 0.06 vs 0.69 +/- 0.11 micromol of nitrite per milligram creatinine, p. <0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study using concomitant measurement of plasma and urine nitrate and nitrite suggests a reduced production of nitric oxide in women with preeclampsia compared with normal pregnant women.