Preeclampsia, a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, complicates up to 10 % of all pregnancies and increases the risk for perinatal stroke in offspring. The mechanism of this increase is unknown, but may involve vascular dysfunction. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of experimental preeclampsia (ePE) on cerebrovascular function in offspring to eludciate a possible mechanism for this association. Dams were fed a high cholesterol diet beginning on day 7 of gestation to induce experimental preeclampsia. Middle cerebral arteries (MCA) and the Vein of Galen (VoG) were isolated from pups from ePE dams and compared to pups from normal pregnant (NP) dams at postnatal days 16, 23, and 30 and studied pressurized in an arteriograph chamber. Markers of inflammation and oxidative stress were measured in serum. Our results suggest altered structure and function in both MCA and VoG of ePE pups. We also found evidence of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress in ePE pups. These findings provide a potential link between preeclampsia and the occurrence or severity of perinatal stroke.

先兆子痫是一种妊娠期高血压疾病，使高达 10% 的妊娠复杂化，并增加了后代围产期中风的风险。这种增加的机制尚不清楚，但可能涉及血管功能障碍。本研究的目的是评估实验性先兆子痫 (ePE) 对后代脑血管功能的影响，以阐明这种关联的可能机制。从妊娠第 7 天开始，母鼠被喂食高胆固醇饮食，以诱发​​实验性先兆子痫。大脑中动脉 (MCA) 和盖伦静脉 (VoG) 从 ePE 水坝的幼崽中分离出来，并在出生后第 16、23 和 30 天与正常怀孕 (NP) 水坝的幼崽进行比较，并在动脉造影室中进行加压研究。在血清中测量炎症和氧化应激的标志物。我们的结果表明 ePE 幼崽的 MCA 和 VoG 的结构和功能发生了改变。我们还在 ePE 幼崽中发现了全身炎症和氧化应激的证据。这些发现提供了先兆子痫与围产期卒中发生或严重程度之间的潜在联系。