Placental Parameters in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat and Control Strain Wlstar-Kyoto Rat

Abstract

At 15 days of gestation, placentas of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) have significantly lower wet and dry weights and less DNA/placenta than placentas of control Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). At 18 and 20 days gestation, all parameters are essentially equal. These data indicate that maternal hypertension in the SHR has a deleterious effect in early gestation when maternal pressures are high. However, near term, when maternal blood pressures drop, the SHR placenta appears to “catch up” with the WKY placenta and any effects of maternal hypertension on the placenta are no longer evident.

Key Words:

• Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat
• Placental Growth
• DNA
• RNA
• Protein