Abstract
The mechanisms involved in the cardiovasular changes during human pregnancy and the complicated aetiology of gestational hypertension are unclear. Reproductive hormones have known effects on the cardiovascular system in non-pregnant state and in animal systems but the effects in human pregnancy are uncertain. Oestrogen is suggested to have both functional and structural haemodynamic effects via a transient vasodilating effect and through increased aortic compliance in postmenopausal women [1]. Progesterone has been reported to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive subjects [2] and to induce vascular relaxation [3]. The polypeptide hormone relaxin predominantly produced by the corpus luteum of the ovary is best known for its connective tissue remodelling actions on the female reproductive system [4]. However, additional effects in other organs and systems are suggested. In several animals and tissues relaxin has been shown to cause powerful vasodilatation [5, 6].
Chapter PDF
References
Gilligan, D.M., Badar, D.M., Panza, J.A., Quyyumi, A.A. and Cannon, R.O. 3rd, Am. J. Cardiol., 75 (1995) 264.
Rylance, P.B., Brincat, M., Lafferty, K., De Trafford, J.C., Brincat, S., Parsons, V. and Studd, J.W., Br. Med. J., 290 (1985) 13.
Omar, H.A., Ramirez, R. and Gibson, M., J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 80 (1995) 370.
Sherwood,O.D. In Knobil, E. and Neill, J.D. (Eds.), The Physiology of Reproduction. 2•d ed., Raven Press, New York, USA, 1994, p. 861.
Bigazzi,M., Del Mese, A., Petrucci, F., Casali, R. and Novelli, G.P., Acta Endocrinol., 112 (1986) 296.
Danielson, L.A., Sherwood, O.D. and Conrad, K.P., J. Clin. Invest., 103 (1999) 525.
Contard, S., Chanudet, X., Coisne, D. Battistella, P., Marichal, J.F., Pitiot, M., de Gaudemaris, R. and Ribstein, J., Am. J. Hypertens., 6, (1993) 880.
Churchill, D., Perry, I.J. and Beevers. D.G., Lancet, 349 (1997) 7.
Strevens, H., Wide-Svensson, D. and Ingemarsson, I., Swedish Society of Medicine, Stockholm (1997)
Davey, D.G. and MacGillivray, I., Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol., 158 (1988) 892.
Steer, P.J. Br. J. Obstet. Gynaecol., 106, (1999) 753.
Margulies, M., Voto, L.S., Fescina, R. Lastra, L., L.pidus, A.M. and Schwarz, R., Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol., 156 (1987) 1105.
Bani, D., Failli, P. and Grazia Bello, M., Hypertension, 31 (1998) 1240.
Salha, O., Sharma, V., Dada, T., Nugent, D., Rutherford, A.J., Tomlinson, A.J., Philips, S., Allgar, V. and Walker, J.J., Hum. Reprod., 14 (1999) 2268.
Johnson, M.R., Abdalla, H., Allman, A.C., Wren, M.E., Kirkland, A. and Lightman, S,L., Fertil. Steril., 56 (1991) 59.
Jauniaux, E., Johnson, M.R., Jurkovic, D. Ramsay, B., Campbell, S. and Meuris, S., Obstet. Gynecol. 84 (1994) 338.
St-Louis, J. and Massicotte, G., Life Sci., 37 (1985) 1351.
Ramsay, B., De Beider, A., Campbell, S. Moncada, S. and Martin, J.F., Eur. J. Clin. Invest., 24 (1994) 76.
Churchill, D. and Beevers, D.G., Hypertension in Pregnancy, (1999) BMJ Books.
Bell, R.J., Permezel, M. and MacLennan, A., Obstet. Gynecol., 82 (1993) 328.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kristiansson, P., Wang, J.X. (2001). Reproductive hormones and blood pressure during pregnancy. In: Tregear, G.W., Ivell, R., Bathgate, R.A., Wade, J.D. (eds) Relaxin 2000. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2877-5_25
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2877-5_25
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5845-4
Online ISBN: 978-94-017-2877-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive