Abstract 581: Protective Effects Of Bilirubin Administration On Placental Ischemia-induced Hypertension

Preeclampsia is one of the most common complications of pregnancy in humans, and is a leading cause of premature birth and fetal perinatal morbidity and mortality. The hallmark of the disorder is the manifestation of new-onset hypertension-typically after the 20th week of gestation. While the underlying cause of the disorder remains obscure, it is widely held that failure of the maternal vasculature to adequately remodel and supply the developing placenta with adequate blood flow leads to placental insufficiency and resulting ischemia. In response placental derived factors, namely the anti-angiogenic protein sFlt-1 and reactive oxygen species- are released into the maternal circulation resulting in the symptomatic phase of the. We have recently demonstrated that induction of heme oxygenase in a rodent model of placental ischemia attenuates the associated hypertension by blocking both of these pathways, presumably through byproducts carbon monoxide and bilirubin. Here, we have investigated the in vivo effects of exogenous bilirubin administration on a rodent model of placental ischemia-induced hypertension, the reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) model. RUPP animals exhibited significant increases in MAP when compared to sham animals (109 ± 3 vs 120 ± 4 mmHg, p