A new study by researchers at the University of Utah and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin has found preeclampsia may help protect against the development of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
According to researchers, while both preeclampsia and ROP are linked to premature birth, they wanted to study the potential effects of preeclampsia on the risk of developing ROP in the absence of premature birth. Using a mouse model, researchers reportedly reduced blood flow to the placenta in some of the pregnant rats to create a condition called uteroplacental insufficiency (UPI), which is present in maternal preeclampsia, while others underwent a sham procedure that did not cause UPI. Additionally, the pups were exposed to variable oxygen, simulating a premature infant at risk for ROP.
Investigators reportedly found the pups born to mother rats with UPI had less severe retinopathy and more normal retinal vascular development than pups born to control mother rats. Researchers believe this shows the pups strong enough to survive induced preeclampsia may be stressed enough to induce growth factors necessary to increase normal retinal blood vessel development and reduce ROP severity.
The study was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.
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Source: University of Utah