Neurogenic pulmonary oedema: a rare cause of maternal collapse.

Acute pulmonary oedema is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in pregnant and postpartum women. We present an unusual case of near-fatal acute pulmonary oedema in a pregnant woman, which was attributed to the acute onset of neurogenic pulmonary oedema secondary to epileptic seizure activity. The patient required supportive management in the intensive care setting for a short period and subsequently made complete recovery with regular neurological follow-up arranged for the management of her epilepsy.

Maternal nutrient restriction reduces carotid artery constriction without increasing nitric oxide synthesis in the late gestation rat fetus.

Chronic reduction in substrate delivery to the fetus may induce redistribution of fetal cardiac output to maintain nutrient delivery to vital organs, including the brain. Reduced vasoconstriction, in conjunction with increased local synthesis of nitric oxide may contribute to "brain sparing." The authors hypothesized that maternal undernutrition would reduce vasoconstrictor responses in fetal carotid arteries due to increased nitric oxide.

Increased myogenic responses in uterine but not mesenteric arteries from pregnant offspring of diet-restricted rat dams.

Results of epidemiological and animal studies suggest a link between poor in utero growth and cardiovascular disease in adult offspring. Few studies, however, have examined the effects of maternal undernutrition on the vasculature of pregnant female offspring, and to our knowledge, no studies have examined myogenic responses, which are essential to vascular tone development, in these animal models. Thus, myogenic responses were assessed in radial uterine arteries of pregnant female offspring to determine if diet restriction during pregnancy could contribute to transgenerational effects.

Myogenic reactivity is enhanced in rat radial uterine arteries in a model of maternal undernutrition.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine if maternal undernutrition during pregnancy altered myogenic tone in small radial uterine arteries.

Study Design: Myogenic tone of radial uterine arteries was studied from late pregnant rats (day 20) that were fed either ad libitum or globally restricted diet (moderately severe dietary restriction) throughout pregnancy.

Results: Myogenic tone was enhanced in the radial uterine arteries from the diet-restricted compared with the ad libitum group.

Gender differences in myogenic tone in superoxide dismutase knockout mouse: animal model of oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress mediated by prooxidants has been implicated in the pathogenesis of vascular disorders. However, the effect of prooxidants on myogenic regulation of vascular function and the differential influence of gender is not known. SOD, an intracellular enzyme, restricts excess prooxidant levels and may limit vascular dysfunction.

Vascular adaptations to pregnancy in mice: effects on myogenic tone.

The mechanisms underlying vascular adaptations in pregnancy remain to be fully elucidated. One of the contributory mechanisms for reduced vascular tone may be a reduction of myogenic tone. Myogenic tone was assessed as the difference between internal diameter in the presence and absence of external calcium at different intramural pressure steps (60-100 mmHg).