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Oxidative Stress Parameters as Markers of the different Trimesters in Normal Pregnancy
OGHAGBON, S.E.; AGU, K.C.; OMOROWA, F.E.; OKOLIE, N.P.; OKWUMABUA, M. & OMO-ERHABOR, J.A.
Abstract
Pregnancy has been associated with changes in physiologic and metabolic
functions accompanied by a high metabolic demand and elevated requirements for tissue
oxygen with eventual increase in oxidative pressure on the antioxidant defence system of the
body. Thus, it was based on this premise that some markers of pro-oxidant- antioxidant status of
pregnancy compared with non-pregnant state were assessed including, marker of lipid
peroxidation (malondialdehyde, MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and
glutathione peroxidise (GPx). A total of 41 apparently healthy female volunteers were used for
this study made up of 36 pregnant females at different trimester of pregnancy, categorised into
three (3) groups of 12 each per trimester, and whose ages ranged between 19 years and 40 years.
Standard biochemical assays were employed in the assessment of these markers. The level of
lipid peroxidation (MDA) increased progressively for the pregnant subjects (p<0.05) at the third
trimester (18.2mmole/ml) compared to the non-pregnant controls (2.3mmole/ml); an increase in
SOD activity was also observed (p<0.05) at the third trimester (8.9U/ml) compared to the
control (6.3U/ml) contrary to some other researches; while decrease in CAT (9.2U/ml) and GPx
(7.8U/ml) activities at the third trimester compared to the non-pregnant control (p<0.05)
(307.5U/ml and 9.4U/ml, respectively) were also observed. There was an observed increase in
the body mass index, BMI, from first trimester, 26.4kg/m2 and second trimester, 38.4 kg/m2 to
the third trimester, 42.7 kg/m2, compared to the control, 33.7 kg/m2 supporting the claims that
pathologic conditions associated with pregnancy become more prominent with increase in BMI.
Thus, these biochemical markers of oxidative stress, viz., superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase
(CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and malondialdehyde (MDA) can serve as markers to
assess the stages of pregnancy and also can be used to differentiate pathologic and nonpathologic
pregnant conditions.© JASEM
Keywords
Antioxidants; Pregnancy; Pro-oxidants; Trimesters; Free radicals; Body mass index
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