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Assessment of oxidative status markers and NO bioavailability in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

Abstract

The systemic oxidative status in hypertensives disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and its association with endothelial dysfunction is controversial. In the present study, we evaluated systemic plasma levels of oxidative stress markers (TBARS (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances) and carbonyl) and total antioxidant status (FRAP (ferric reducing ability of plasma (ferric reducing/antioxidant power) and reduction of MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide))), as well as assessed the impact these markers have on nitric oxide (NO) status in healthy pregnant (HP, n=38), gestational hypertensive (GH, n=33) and preeclamptic pregnant women (PE, n=28). We found similar values of TBARS among all groups, and reduced carbonyl levels in HDP between the PE and GH. Conversely, significant increases in plasma activity of antioxidant status were observed in the GH and PE groups compared to the HP group (using both MTT or FRAP method). Importantly, HDP present significantly lower nitrite levels compared to HP women. In Conclusion, our findings show a compensatory antioxidant mechanism against reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in HDP, which is not associated with nitrite levels restoration.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Fundação de Amparo, a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG-Brazil), the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP-Brazil) and IEP–SCBH–Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa da Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte. We also thank Dr JP Granger, full professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics of the University of Mississippi Medical Center (Jackson/MS, USA), for his assistance in the language editing of this manuscript.

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Correspondence to V C Sandrim.

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Gomes, H., Palei, A., Machado, J. et al. Assessment of oxidative status markers and NO bioavailability in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. J Hum Hypertens 27, 345–348 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2012.58

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