A world-first study has found that low-dose aspirin may treat flu-induced blood vessel inflammation, improving blood flow to the placenta during pregnancy.
Animal studies examined whether this treatment for preeclampsia could be applied to flu infections – and the results, according to the research team, were very promising.
Lead researcher and RMIT Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Dr. Stella Liong, explained that flu infections during pregnancy can resemble preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication that causes inflammation to the aorta and blood vessels.
Low-dose aspirin is commonly taken to prevent preeclampsia, as it stops the body from creating chemicals that cause inflammation.
The research, led by RMIT University in collaboration with Trinity College Dublin’s Professor John O’Leary and University of South Australia’s Professor Doug Brooks, found that fetuses and placentas from mice with influenza A were smaller than those from uninfected mice. Markers of low oxygen to the blood and poor blood vessel development were also evident in the fetuses.
However, mice treated daily with low-dose aspirin had less inflammation and improved fetal development and offspring survival.
While the research was still awaiting human clinical trials, Liong said low-dose aspirin was already recognized as safe to take during pregnancy. However, the research team recommended that pregnant people seek medical advice before taking new medications.
Brooks emphasized that influenza A infections during pregnancy are a significant concern as every pregnancy overlaps with part of a flu season.
“There are long-term implications for both the mother and the fetus, and aspirin might provide a simple solution for preventing this influenza-associated pathology,” Brooks said.
Why Flu Infection is Dangerous During Pregnancy
O’Leary highlighted the research findings’ significant implications for pregnancy and seasonal influenza virus infections in pregnant people.
“This study shines a light, for the first time, on the role of vascular inflammation associated with influenza virus and the potential dramatic effect of the disease-modifying drug aspirin, in low dosage, in pregnant women with co-morbid influenza,” O’Leary said.
While there weren’t many studies on the impacts of flu infections during pregnancy, project lead and RMIT Professor Stavros Selemidis said it was clear that pregnancy changed how the body responded to the virus.
Liong and Selemidis’ earlier breakthrough research found that the flu virus during pregnancy could trigger a damaging hyperactive immune response, causing the virus to spread around the body from the lungs through the blood vessels.
“We used to think the flu virus just stayed in the lungs, but during pregnancy, it escapes from the lungs to the rest of the body,” Selemidis said.
“This infection could set you up for cardiovascular disease later in life, but also set up cardiovascular disease in the offspring later in life.”
While vaccination is still considered the best way to prevent flu infection during pregnancy, Selemidis pointed out that vaccination rates are generally low in the pregnant population.
“Low vaccination rates aside, the flu shot may not generate the perfect immune response, especially if someone is pregnant or has an underlying medical condition,” he said.
“That’s why it’s useful to have a potential backup in low-dose aspirin to help prevent vascular dysfunction during pregnancy and improve fetal development.”
