Simplified technique to produce toxemia in the rat: considerations on cause of toxemia.

Under ether anesthesia a silver clip was placed around the abdominal aorta of pregnant rats, thus reducing the uterine blood flow by 35-45%. This resulted in a toxemia-like syndrome comparable to the one previously produced in other animal species. Consideration is given to the hypothesis that, in a similar way, compression of the abdominal aorta by the pregnant uterus in humans produces uterine ischemia leading to toxemia.