Figure 6.

There is dysregulation of the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and between nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in prior pregnancy animals compared to virgin animals. Plasma concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) and urinary excretion rates of ET-1 and NO metabolites (NOx) in 6 month old virgin female Dahl S rats and rats following 2 pregnancies. Levels of the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α were greater (A) (prior pregnancy: 1.46 pg/mL ± 0.30; virgin: 0.77 pg/mL ± 0.32) while levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 were less (B) (prior pregnancy: 8.81 pg/mL ± 1.36; virgin: 11.93 ± 1.03) following pregnancy compared to age-matched littermates. (C) Urinary ET-1 was increased after prior pregnancy compared to virgin animals (prior pregnancy: 9.22 pg/day ± 2.99; virgin: 3.93 pg/day ± 1.23). (D) Urinary NOx (nitric oxide metabolite) excretion was significantly decreased in Dahl S rats after prior pregnancy (prior pregnancy: 5.22 mmol/day ± 1.64; virgin: 13.02 mmol/day ± 5.02). * p<0.05 vs virgin. n=4–7/group