Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2004, 202(2)

Nitric Oxide, Lipid Peroxides, and Uric Acid Levels in Pre-Eclampsia and Eclampsia

HATICE PASAOGLU, GÜLSEN BULDUK,¹ ELMAS ÖGÜS,¹ AYSEL PASAOGLU² and GÖGSEN ÖNALAN³

Department of Biochemistry, Gazi University, Medical Faculty, Ankara Turkey, ¹Department of Biochemistry, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey, ²Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gazi University Mediko Sosyal Center, Ankara, Turkey and ³Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

The aim was to study the role of nitric oxide (NO), lipid peroxides (LPX), and uric acid in pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Plasma levels of NO metabolites (nitrite+nitrate), malonyldialdehyde (MDA), and uric acid and erythrocyte MDA levels were compared between normal pregnant, pre-eclamptic, and eclamptic pregnant women in third trimester. Student's t-test was used for statistical evaluation. Plasma NO metabolites levels were higher in eclamptic group (35.7±16.5 μmol/liter, p<0.05) but not in pre-eclamptic group (22.1±10.8 μmol/liter) than control group (18.8±6.9 μmol/liter). Plasma MDA and uric acid concentrations were higher in preeclamptic (4.4±1.7 nmol/ ml, p<0.05; 0.45±0.11 mmol/liter, p<0.05, respectively) and eclamptic (5.8±1.9 nmol/ ml, p<0.05; 0.47±0.12 mmol/liter, p<0.05) groups compared with control group (3.0±1.3 nmol/ml; 0.35±0.06 mmol/liter). Erythrocytes MDA concentrations were higher only in eclamptic group (174.4±62 nmol/gHb, p<0.05) than control group (139.2±49.5 nmol/gHb). These results suggest that NO, LPX, and uric acid are important factors in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, and that NO production and LPX are directly related to the severity of disease.

keywords —— Pre-eclampsia; eclampsia; nitric oxide; lipid peroxidation; uric acid

© 2004 Tohoku University Medical Press

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Address for reprints: Prof. Dr. Hatice Paaoglu, Gazi University, Medical Faculty, Department of Bio-chemistry, Beevler, Ankara, Turkey.

e-mail: pasaogluh@yahoo.com
The work was performed in Gazi University, Medical Faculty, Department of Biochemistry.