The effects of hydroxychloroquine on endothelial dysfunction

Hydroxychloroquine is an anti-malarial drug which, due to its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, is widely used for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. In a model of systemic lupus erythematosus hydroxychloroquine has been shown to exert protective endothelial effects. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether hydroxychloroquine was endothelial protective in an in vitro model of TNF-alpha and preeclamptic serum induced dysfunction. We showed that hydroxychloroquine significantly reduced the production of TINF-alpha and preeclamptic serum induced endothelin-1 (ET-1). Hydroxychloroquine also significantly mitigated TNF-alpha induced impairment of angiogenesis. These findings support the further assessment of hydroxychloroquine as an adjuvant therapy in preeclampsia. (C) 2016 International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.