Interaction between pregnancy-induced bioactive peptides and the placental proteases.

Studies have shown that placental proteases metabolize vasoactive peptides, possibly derived from the fetus, and protect the exchange of peptide hormones across the placenta in order to maintain feto-placental homeostasis. Changes in maternal serum protease activities were useful for monitoring pre-eclampsia and predicting the onset of labour. The study showed that possible role of oxytocinase in the maintenance of gestation and the possible involvement of angiotensinase in the attenuated pressor responses to angiotensin II during pregnancy, respectively. In addition, the ratio of peak systolic over least diastolic pressure (S/D) of uterine or umbilical artery assessed by the Doppler technique was closely correlated with the concentrations of maternal serum proteases in pre-eclampsia, which suggested that placental proteases might control utero-placental circulation via the regulation of concentrations of vasoactive peptides in uteroplacental circulation.