Distinct gut microbial signature and altered short chain fatty acid metabolism at disease onset in a rat preclinical model of superimposed preeclampsia.

Chronic hypertension is an increasingly prevalent condition that constitutes a risk factor for superimposed preeclampsia during pregnancy. In this study, we assessed the gut microbiome in a rat model of superimposed preeclampsia to characterize the microbial signature associated with defective placentation processes identified at the preclinical disease stage. The blood pressure profile, renal function parameters and fetal phenotype were evaluated in pregnant Stroke-prone Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHRSP) and their normotensive controls.