Effect of vitamin D in a rat model of pregnancy induced hypertension

Preeclampsia is an important cause of maternal mortality, particularly in the developing world. There is a long-standing belief that maternal nutrition and preeclampsia are related. Recently, vitamin D deficiency was claimed to be a risk factor for developing preeclampsia.Preeclampsia is an important cause of maternal mortality, particularly in the developing world. There is a long-standing belief that maternal nutrition and preeclampsia are related. Recently, vitamin D deficiency was claimed to be a risk factor for developing preeclampsia. Aim: This study was designed to examine the effect of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy using a rat model of pregnancy induced hypertension, with a trial to explore possible involved mechanism (s). Design: L-Nitroargininemethylester (L-NAME; 50 mg/kg body weight/day) orally from day 14-19, was used to induce hypertension during pregnancy.24 pregnant Wistar rats were assigned to control , pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) and PIH treated with vitamin D3(50 IU/Kg i.p) daily from day 1 to day 19 of pregnancy. Protein in urine was estimated, blood pressure was recorded and pregnant rats were dissected at day 20 of gestation. Plasma was collected for estimation of malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor–alpha (TNF-alpha) and angiotensin II (Ang II). Finally, histopathological studies of the placenta and kidney were done. Results: Animals from the PIH group demonstrated higher MAP which was associated with proteinuria; higher plasma MDA, higher plasma TNF–alpha and higher Ang II levels as compared to control (p<0.001). In contrast, vitamin D3 supplementation significantly (p<0.001) lowered MAP, proteinuria, plasma MDA , TNF-alpha and Ang II levels in dams as compared to PIH group. This was associated with marked improvement in results of histopathological studies of the placenta and kidney in the same group. Conclusion: In the current study, vitamin D supplementation to PIH showed beneficial effects in terms of reducing: blood pressure, proteinuria, inflammation and oxidative stress, along with the negative effect on angiotensin II levels. Effective preventive or therapeutic strategies for preeclampsia do not exist to date. Therefore, Vitamin D supplementation could benefit these women greatly by interacting with multiple pathways. Whatever, more studies are required to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying this multifaceted effectsof vitamin D.