Exercise training can attenuate preeclampsia-like features in an animal model

Objective Exercise training benefits have been widely investigated and used as alternative treatment for different pathological conditions. Since preeclampsia is a severe pregnancy-associated disease for which no treatment is available, our aim was to investigate the protective role of exercise training on pregnancy outcome using a mouse model of the disease. Methods We used transgenic female mice overexpressing human angiotensinogen, which develop preeclampsia when mated with human renin-overexpressing males. Females were placed in exercise cages 4 weeks prior to mating, and remained in these throughout gestation. Blood pressure was measured by telemetry, and proteinuria was quantified by ELISA. Placentas were assessed by histology and immuno-histochemistry, whereas vascular endothelial growth factor was measured by real-time PCR and immunoblot. Endothelial function was assessed in isolated mesenteric arteries. Results Conversely to sedentary transgenic females (131.20 +/- 4.08 mmHg), trained dam's mean arterial pressure was no longer different from normal mice at the end of gestation (117.5 +/- 10.6 vs. 112.3 +/- 5.5 mmHg). Proteinuria observed in transgenic dams (3.364 +/- 1.62 mu g/mg) was absent in trained mice (0.894 +/- 0.43 mu g/mg). Placental disease and cardiac hypertrophy were also normalized, whereas vascular reactivity was significantly ameliorated. Furthermore, placental vascular endothelial growth factor was normalized in trained transgenic mice. Conclusions To our knowledge, we are the first to clearly demonstrate that exercise training both before and during gestation can reduce preeclampsia features in a mouse model. Consequently, women at risk for this disease could benefit from exercise training to protect themselves and their future fetuses. J Hypertens 28: 2446-2453 (C) 2010 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.