Mouse models of preeclampsia with preexisting comorbidities

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific condition and a leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. It is thought to occur due to abnormal placental development or dysfunction, because the only known cure is delivery of the placenta. Several clinical risk factors are associated with an increased incidence of preeclampsia including chronic hypertension, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, kidney disease, and obesity. How these comorbidities intersect with preeclamptic etiology, however, is not well understood. This may be due to the limited number of animal models as well as the paucity of studies investigating the impact of these comorbidities. This review examines the current mouse models of chronic hypertension, pregestational diabetes, and obesity that subsequently develop preeclampsia-like symptoms and discusses how closely these models recapitulate the human condition. Finally, we propose an avenue to expand the development of mouse models of preeclampsia superimposed on chronic comorbidities to provide a strong foundation needed for preclinical testing.

Automated summary

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific condition that causes maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality and is believed to be related to abnormal placental development or dysfunction. Common comorbidities such as chronic hypertension, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, kidney disease, and obesity are associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia, but the exact mechanisms are not well understood. This review examines mouse models of chronic hypertension, pregestational diabetes, and obesity that develop preeclampsia-like symptoms and discusses their relevance to the human condition. The authors propose the development of mouse models that incorporate chronic comorbidities to improve preclinical testing.