ABSTRACT
Thirty nine out patients with pre-eclampsia from Abu-Ghraib hospital were involved in this study to test the effect of calcium antagonists [nifedipine and verapamil] in lowering blood pressure and its relation to serum lipid peroxidation and serum glutathione level. Oral administration of each drugs resulted in lowering blood pressure, a decrease in the level of lipid peroxidation [decrease in MDA] concentration, and in increase serum GSH level. These observation suggest that, calcium antagonists may be effective in acutely reducing elevated blood pressure in pre-eclamptic patients, and that lipid peroxidation may play a role in the etiology of pre-eclampsia. pre-eclampsia, is a clinical syndrome which complicates pregnancy afer the twentieth weeks of gestation, is characterized by hypertension. Proteinuria, and edema [Whigham, 1978]. The etiology of it remains obscure. It has been suggested that lipid peroxidation may be involved [Hubel et al., 1989; Uotila et. al., 1993]. The pathologic features of pre-eclampsia were general agreement exists is that the syndrome is characterized by a decrease in PGI[2]: TXA[2] ratio. The cause of the decline is unknown but may have a genetic component [Moncada and Vane, 1979]. In 1985, Walsh demonstrated that the placenta of pre-eclamptic women produce a greater generation of TXA[2] about three times as much TXA[2] as the normal placenta. This study contrasted with the production rates of PGL[2]. Because of the biological actions of these eicosasnoids, this imbalance could significantly contribute to the increased vaso-constriction, platelet aggregation, increased lipid peroxide generation and reduced utero -placental blood flow characterized of pre-eclampsia [Saleh et al., 1987; Hubel et al., 1989]. The antihypertensive effect of calcium antagonists should cause uterine vasodilatation [Guazzi et al., 1983] and may have a role in inhibition of TXA[2] [Mehta, 1985]. This investigation was designed to evaluate the efficacy of calcium antagonists in controlling hypertension and its relation to the increased to the increased level of lipid peroxidation during pre-eclampsia.