ATRIAL-NATRIURETIC-PEPTIDE CONCENTRATIONS IN UMBILICAL-CORD PLASMA FROM PREECLAMPTIC WOMEN

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) was measured in arterial and venous umbilical cord plasma at the time of delivery by cesarean section in pre-elcamptic (n = 7) and normal women (n = 6). In addition venous samples were obtained from pre-eclamptic (n = 7) and normal pregnant women (n = 7) near term. ANP plasma levels were higher in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia than in normal pregnant women (27.9 +/- 4.4 [mean +/- SEM] and 14.1 +/- 2.5 pmol l-1, respectively, P < 0.05). Immediately after delivery plasma ANP in pre-eclamptic mothers was 66.7 +/- 12.8 pmol l-1 compared to 13.9 +/- 2.2 pmol l-1 in normal mothers (P < 0.01). However, in the pre-eclamptic group the levels of ANP in arterial and venous umbilical cord plasma (19.5 +/- 4.2 and 16.7 +/- 4.3 pmol l-1, respectively) were significantly (P < 0.01) lower than ANP levels in arterial and venous cord plasma (39.6 +/- 1.0 and 31.1 +/- 4.2 pmol l-1, respectively) from normal mothers. It is concluded that the increased ANP plasma level in pre-eclamptic women originates from a maternal source. In addition, since the ANP level is lower in cord plasma than in maternal plasma in pre-eclampsia, fetoplacental volume homeostasis may also be changed in pre-eclampsia.