Pre-eclampsia is a common and dangerous condition which occurs only in pregnancy (or immediately after birth) and can affect both mother and baby. Little is known about the cause of pre-eclampsia and there is currently no effective treatment except to deliver the baby early. In a previous grant from Action Research, these researchers discovered that normal pregnancy excites an intense inflammatory response in the mother and that pre-eclampsia arises when the response is excessive. In this new project, they will investigate the role of one key cellular messenger (nitric oxide) on the impact of the inflammatory response, to provide information which should help to develop better ways of diagnosing and treating the condition.