Plasma from preeclamptic women increases human endothelial cell prostacyclin production without changes in cellular enzyme activity or mass.

Objective: We investigated differences in prostacyclin production by endothelial cells exposed to plasma from either preeclamptic women or normal pregnant women.

Study Design: A case-control study of matched preeclamptic and normal pregnancies was used to compare prostacyclin synthesis by human umbilical vein endothelial cells incubated with pregnancy plasma for 24 hours. Prostacyclin concentrations in conditioned media were measured by radioimmunoassay of its stable metabolite (6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha).