This loss of an important pressure-balancing mechanism could help explain why blood vessels remain abnormally constricted in preeclampsia, driving dangerous increases in blood pressure.
The team also tested HBD2, a naturally occurring immune-system molecule that helps the body fight infection.”
Although the molecule – known as a peptide – did not restore the faulty calcium sparks, it was still able to relax blood vessels by activating a different part of the same pathway.
The finding raises the possibility of future treatments that bypass the damaged mechanism altogether and directly encourage blood vessels to relax.
Researchers say such approaches could eventually help control maternal blood pressure, prolong pregnancy and reduce the need for early delivery.
Study lead author Dr Stephanie Worton from The University of Manchester, who is an Honorary Consultant in Obstetrics at the Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre at SMH, part of MFT said: “Preeclampsia remains one of the most serious complications of pregnancy and the only definitive cure is delivery of the baby and placenta.
“Our study reveals, for the first time, a major defect in the way tiny maternal blood vessels regulate their own relaxation.
Dr Worton, who is also a researcher in the Integrative Cardiovascular Medicine Theme at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre: Manchester, continued: “We found that a critical calcium signalling pathway is profoundly impaired, but also showed that blood vessels can still be relaxed through alternative mechanisms.
“These discoveries provide promising new targets for therapies aimed at controlling blood pressure and improving outcomes for mothers and babies.
“Further studies are now needed to explore whether drugs targeting these newly identified pathways could safely be developed for use during pregnancy.”
The research was made possible by collaboration between the Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, the cardiovascular sciences research group and the MAViS (Manchester Antenatal Vascular Service) clinic, which provides specialist care for more than 300 women per year, whose pregnancies are complicated by preterm pre-eclampsia.
Professor Jenny Myers from The University of Manchester, a study author and Consultant Obstetrician at the Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre at SMH, said: “This research demonstrates the power of collaborative research across MFT and The University of Manchester. This research, and access to human samples from women with a rare disease, is only made possible by the contribution of our research practitioners, research and specialist midwives working alongside our scientists within the university, to advance our understanding and improve care.”
“The University of Manchester is a public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester City Centre on Oxford Road.”
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