The Significance of Endothelin in Platelet-Activating Factor–Induced Fetal Growth Restriction

The significance of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in platelet-activating factor (PAF)-induced fetal growth restriction (FGR) was evaluated in timed-pregnant rats receiving intravenous carbamyl-PAF (c-PAF; 0.5, 1.0, or 2.5 µg/kg per h) or vehicle, with or without ET-1 receptor A (ET_A) antagonist (10 or 20 mg/kg per d) for 7 days beginning on gestation day 14. Tissues were collected on day 21. Carbamyl-PAF reduced fetal weights dose dependently. Placental weights were significantly reduced but not dose dependently. ET_A antagonism prevented FGR at the 0.5, but not the 1.0 and 2.5 µg/kg per h c-PAF doses. Correspondingly, placental, but not uterine, preproET-1 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression (determined by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction) was increased at 0.5 µg/kg per h but not at higher c-PAF doses. In summary, c-PAF infusion results in fetal and placental growth restriction in the rat. At low doses of c-PAF, ET-1 is central to the pathophysiology of PAF-induced FGR. At higher c-PAF doses, FGR is induced by mechanisms other than ET-1 action.