The glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist liraglutide attenuates placental-ischemia induced hypertension.

The glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist liraglutide attenuates placental-ischemia induced hypertension. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2019 Nov 15;: Authors: Younes ST, Maeda KJ, Sasser JM, Ryan MJ Abstract Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy characterized by systemic perturbations of nitric oxide function, reflective of generalized endothelial dysfunction. Therapies that target the nitric oxide pathway have shown promise in both clinical and preclinical studies of preeclampsia. The glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists have been shown to increase nitric oxide and lower blood pressure in patients with diabetes, in part through activation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Therefore, we hypothesized that a direct acting glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist would improve stigmata of the preeclampsia syndrome. Utilizing the reduced uterine perfusion pressure rat model, we found that treatment with liraglutide significantly lowered blood pressure, improved renal function, and upregulated NOS3 protein expression in the mesenteric arterial bed. However, there were adverse effects on pup growth that were likely related to diminished food intake in the dams. Collectively, these data support the premise that the use of drugs that improve NOS abundance, including the glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists, is rational therapeutic approach to the treatment of preeclampsia, but suggest cautious and careful study of their safety pri...
Source: American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology - Category: Physiology Authors: Tags: Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol Source Type: research