(A) LPS was administered to rats via the tail vein on the fifth and tenth days of gestation. The BP trend in PH (n=6) and control rats (n=7) differed significantly, as determined by repeated-measures analysis. ^##P<0.01. In particular, BP increased significantly in PH rats beginning at GD 6 as compared with that in control rats. *P<0.05. (B) The 24-h protein urine levels did not significantly differ between PH and control rats, either on the first or last gestation day. NS, not significant. (C) No significant difference was found in the average pup weight for each pregnant rat between the PH group and control rats. (D) Oral butyrate or PBS was administration from GD 4 to GD 19. The BP trends in PBS-treated rats (n=6) and butyrate-treated (n=5) PH rats were significantly different, as determined by repeated-measures analysis. ^#P<0.05. BP values decreased significantly beginning at GD 9 between PH rats administered with butyrate or PBS. *P<0.05, **P<0.01. (E,F) The 24-h protein urine levels and the average pup weights of pregnant rats did not significantly differ between butyrate-and PBS-treated PH rats.