Impaired Endothelium-Dependent Vasodilation and Increased Levels of Soluble Fms-like Tyrosine Kinase-1 Induced by Reduced Uterine Perfusion Pressure in Pregnant Rats: Evidence of Protective Effects with Sodium Nitrite Treatment in Preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy and is associated with increases in soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) and reductions in nitric oxide (NO) levels. Placental ischemia and hypoxia are hypothesized as initial pathophysiological events of PE. Nitrite (NO metabolite) may be recycled back to NO in ischemic and hypoxic tissues.

Isoflurane increases the activity of the vascular matrix metalloproteinase-2 in non-pregnant rats and increases the nitric oxide metabolites in pregnancy.

Surgeries that require general anesthesia occur in 1.5-2% of gestations. Isoflurane is frequently used because of its lower possibility of affecting fetal growth.

Pregnancy hypertension-associated endothelial dysfunction is attenuated by isoflurane anesthesia: Evidence of protective effect related to increases in nitric oxide.

Aims: Pregnancy hypertension-induced endothelial dysfunction associated with impairment of nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and hemodynamic derangements is a challenging for urgent procedures requiring maternal anesthesia. The volatile anesthetic isoflurane has demonstrated NO-associated protective effects. However, this isoflurane-induced effect is still unclear in pregnancy hypertension.

Sodium Nitrite Attenuates Reduced Activity of Vascular Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 and Vascular Hyper-Reactivity and Increased Systolic Blood Pressure Induced by the Placental Ischemia Model of Preeclampsia in Anesthetized Rats.

Preeclampsia is a maternal hypertension disorder associated with vascular dysfunction and fetal and placental growth restrictions. Placental ischemia is suggested as the primary trigger of preeclampsia-associated impairments of both endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) and the vascular activity of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2). Reduced uteroplacental perfusion pressure (RUPP) is a placental ischemia model of preeclampsia.

Sevoflurane and isoflurane anesthesia induce redox imbalance, but only sevoflurane impairs vascular contraction.

Volatile anesthetics may cause vascular dysfunction; however, underlying effects are unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether sevoflurane and isoflurane affect vascular function, nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, and biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation. Wistar rats were divided into three experimental groups: Not anesthetized (control group) or submitted to anesthesia with isoflurane (Iso group) or sevoflurane (Sevo group).