Status of Plasma Malondialdeyde and Certain Antioxidant Enzymes During Normal Pregnancy in North Indian Population (Punjab)

Background: Free radicals and peroxides are involved in physiological phenomena such as synthesis of prostaglandin and thromboxanes and are thought to participate in pregnancy. Free radicals are also responsible for the pathogenesis of various diseases like atherosclerosis, inflammatory diseases and malignancies etc.
Objective: The objective of the present work was to investigate the alterations in oxidative stress markers by measuring malondialdehyde and certain antioxidant enzymes like xanthine oxidase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in different trimesters.
Design of study: The level of malondialdehyde and antioxidant initiating enzyme xanthine oxidase and antioxidant scavenging enzymes like superoxide dismutase, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase was estimated in 200 healthy non pregnant and pregnant females ranging in age from 25 to 35 years.
Results: The level of malondialdehyde, xanthine oxidase and superoxide dismutase was significantly increased while the levels of glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase were significantly decreased significantly in plasma of pregnant females with respect to non-pregnant females.
Conclusion: Our observations are suggesting that normal pregnant women's in the north Indian populations (Punjab) might be associated with an increase in oxidative stress.