Exercise before and during pregnancy does not lower blood pressure in an sFlt-1 infusion model of preeclampsia in the rat (1084.9)

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pervasive, pregnancy-specific syndrome defined by new onset hypertension and proteinuria. Additionally, PE is often associated with increased soluble VEGF Receptor-1 (sFlt-1), decreasing the bioavailability of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) creating angiogenic imbalance leading endothelial dysfunction and hypertension. We recently reported exercise training attenuates placental ischemia-induced hypertension and restores angiogenic balance but the mechanism remains unclear. Thus, we hypothesized exercise training before and during (EBD) pregnancy would increase plasma free VEGF and lower blood pressure in an sFlt-1 infusion model of PE. EBD rats voluntarily exercised for six weeks before and during pregnancy on an activity wheel. Age-matched sedentary (Sed) controls were housed without wheel access. After breeding, the dams regained access to the activity wheels. Osmotic minipumps infused sFlt-1 (500ng/hr) or vehicle from gestational day 14 to day 19 when blood pressures a...