NLRP3 inhibition improves maternal hypertension, inflammation, and vascular dysfunction in response to placental ischemia

In this study, we examined the effect of NLRP3 inhibition on PE pathophysiology in the reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) model rat using MCC950 (20 mg/kg/day) or esomeprazole (3.5 mg/kg/day). We hypothesized that increased NLRP3 in response to placental ischemia impairs anti-inflammatory IL-33 signaling to induce T-helper17 cell (TH17) and cytolytic NK cell (cNK) activation, which is known to mediate oxidative stress and vascular dysfunction leading to maternal HTN and intrauterine growth restriction. RUPP rats had significantly higher placental NLRP3 expression, maternal blood pressure, fetal reabsorption rate, vascular resistance, oxidative stress, cNKs and TH17s, and decreased IL-33 compared to normal pregnant (NP) rats. NLRP3 inhibition, with either treatment, significantly reduced placental NLRP3 expression, maternal blood pressure, fetal reabsorption rates, vascular resistance, oxidative stress, cNK and TH17 populations in RUPP rats. Based on our findings, NLRP3 inhibition reduces PE pathophysiology and esomeprazole may be a potential therapeutic for PE treatment.PMID:36847598 | DOI:10.1152/ajpregu.00192.2022
Source: American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology - Category: Physiology Authors: Source Type: research