The effect of prostaglandin E1 on the pressor response to angiotensin II in second trimester human pregnancy and in the non-pregnant subject.

The effect of a simultaneous infusion of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on the pressor response to angiotensin II (AII) has been studied in 8 pregnant and six non-pregnant subjects to date. PGE1 15 ng kg−1 min−1 had no effect on basal blood pressures in the pregnant patients, but increased heart rate by 9.1 ± 1.6 bpm (P<0.001). Six of these eight wanen had scanewhat diminished pressor responses to AII (4, 8 and 16 ng kg−1 min−1) during PGE1 infusion; this difference reached statistical significance at the lowest dose of AII (P<0.05). PGE1 10 ng kg−1 min−1 slightly increased basal diastolic pressure in the non-pregnant subjects (P<0.05) and increased heart rate by a similar amount (8.4 ± 1.8 bpm, P<0.01). Again, the overall pressor response to AII was sanewhat diminished in the majority of these subjects. The pregnant patients exhibiting the greatest initial pressor response to AII were those in whom the greatest decrease in response was seen; this correlation achieved statistical significance at 8 and 16 ng kg−1...