Circulating levels of adrenomedullin (ADM)--a vasodilator peptide with long-lasting effects--increase in the course of pregnancy. Neither the site nor the concomitant rate of ADM synthesis in pregnancy is known. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the rise in plasma levels of ADM during pregnancy is paralleled by increased gene expression and protein levels in the vascular bed.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Research Institute Growth and Development (GROW), University Hospital Maastricht-AZM, PO Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands.