[Significance of the PGI2 producing enzyme system in the pathogenesis of pregnancy-induced hypertension].

Characterization of the PGI2 producing enzyme system (P.E.S.) in pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) was carried out by comparing its conversion from arachidonic acid (A.A.) or PGH2 to PGI2 using enzyme preparations from endothelial cells of the umbilical vein in normal pregnancy (N) and mild (M) and severe (S) types of PIH. 1) The conversion rate from A.A. to PGI2 in N was significantly (p less than 0.05) higher than in M and S. 2) The conversion rate from PGH2 to PGI2 in N was higher than in M and that in M was higher than in S. 3) The apparent Vmax values (nM/mg protein) (mean +/- S.E.M.) for P.E.S. in N (0.88 +/- 0.21) were significantly (p less than 0.05) lower than in M (2.76 +/- 0.71) and S (1.63 +/- 0.18). The apparent Km values (microM) (mean +/- S.E.M.) for P.E.S. in N (0.76 +/- 0.25) were significantly (p less than 0.05) higher than in M (0.29 +/- 0.07) and significantly (p less than 0.05) lower than in S (3.26 +/- 0.78). 4) The apparent Vmax values for PGI2 synthetase (P.S.) in N (0.44 +/- 0.09) and M (0.61 +/- 0.10) were significantly (p less than 0.05) higher than in S (0.11 +/- 0.06). The apparent Km values for P.S. in N, M and S were 0.12 +/- 0.07, 0.13 +/- 0.06 and 0.16 +/- 0.04, respectively. The present study showed that the symptoms in M may be kept from becoming aggravated by the production of large amounts of PGI2, due mainly to activation of cyclooxygenase, whereas progressive disorder of the regulation of blood pressure in S may be caused by low production of PGI2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)