Cardiovascular Research in Pregnancy: The Role of Animal Models

Because of ethical constraints upon research during human pregnancy, animal species have been used to model both the physiological adaptation to pregnancy and the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. This review examines these applications in animals such as rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, and sheep. However, the main thrust of this review is to look at studies in the baboon and explore the contribution of this large Old World primate in furthering our understanding of human pregnancy.