CpG DNA and Maternal Vascular Function

Preeclampsia affects nearly 10 million pregnancies worldwide every year, and is still a major cause of maternal death globally, particularly in developing countries. So why isn’t more known about the initiation of gestational hypertension? In their recent work published in AJP-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, Goulopoulou et al seek to change that. Listen as Associate Editor Nancy Kanagy interviews Stella Goulopoulou (University of North Texas Health Science Center) and leading expert Lawrence Reynolds (North Dakota State University) about the work by Goulopoulou and co-authors, which used an innovative mitochondrial DNA analog, ODN 2395, to induce activation of toll-like receptor 9 and stimulate maternal pregnancy hypertension in rats. Does placenta cell death released into the maternal circulation trigger the innate immune system to induce a systemic inflammatory response resulting in pregnancy-induced hypertension? Could CpG oligonucleotides from bacterial infections play a role in preeclampsia? Listen and find out.

Styliani Goulopoulou, Camilla F. Wenceslau, Cameron G. McCarthy, Takayuki Matsumoto, R. Clinton Webb Exposure to stimulatory CpG oligonucleotides during gestation induces maternal hypertension and excess vasoconstriction in pregnant rats Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published April 15, 2016. DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00834.2015.