Experimental approach
Pregnant rats were administrated with 11β-HSD2 inhibitor carbenoxolone (CBX) subcutaneously or by placenta-targeted delivery system. The blood pressure, renal and placental morphology, placental blood flow and circulatory levels of fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1) and placental growth factor (PlGF) were subsequently examined. Cultured human trophoblasts were used to investigate the role of 11β-HSD2 in migration and invasion function and sFlt1 release in vitro .