The Effect of a Secondary Stressor on the Morphology and Membrane Structure of an Already Challenged Maternal and Foetal Red Blood Cell Population.

The red blood cell (RBC) membrane is unique and crucial for maintaining structural-functional relationships. Maternal smoking induces significant changes in the morphological, rheological, and functional parameters of both maternal and foetal RBCs, mainly due to the continuous generation of the free radicals. The major aim of this study was to follow the consequences of a secondary stressor, like fungal infection, on the already compromised RBC populations.

Molecular Background of Toxic-Substances-Induced Morphological Alterations in the Umbilical Cord Vessels and Fetal Red Blood Cells.

The relationship between smoking and human health has been investigated mostly in adults, despite the fact that the chemicals originating from sustained maternal smoking disrupt the carefully orchestrated regulatory cascades in the developing fetus. In this study, we followed molecular alterations in the umbilical cord (UC) vessels and fetal red blood cells (RBCs), which faithfully reflect the in vivo status of the fetus. We showed evidence for the decreased level of DNA-PKcs-positive nuclei in samples with smoking origin, which is associated with the impaired DNA repair system.

Erratum to "Maternal Smoking Highly Affects the Function, Membrane Integrity, and Rheological Properties in Fetal Red Blood Cells".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2019/1509798.].

Mature Twin Neonates Exhibit Oxidative Stress via Nitric Oxide Synthase Dysfunctionality: A Prognostic Stress Marker in the Red Blood Cells and Umbilical Cord Vessels.

Intrauterine hypoxic condition increases the generation of reactive oxygen species and fetal oxidative stress. Multiple pregnancy always bears an additional oxidative stress condition with severe complications, such as prematurity, structural abnormalities, delayed development and low birthweight. The umbilical cord (UC) vessels, along with circulating fetal red blood cells (RBCs), highly determine the oxygenation status of fetus and regulate the feto-placental circulation.

Sustained maternal smoking-associated changes in the physico-chemical properties of fetal RBC membranes might serve as early markers for vascular comorbidities.

Maternal smoking-induced congenital heart and microvascular defects are closely associated with the impaired functioning of the in-utero feto-placental circulation system. Current groundbreaking facts revealed intimate crosstalk between circulating red blood cells (RBCs) and the vascular endothelium. Thus, RBCs have become the protagonists under varied pathological and adverse pro-oxidative cellular stress conditions.

Maternal Smoking Highly Affects the Function, Membrane Integrity, and Rheological Properties in Fetal Red Blood Cells.

An understanding of the basic pathophysiological mechanisms of neonatal diseases necessitates detailed knowledge about the wide range of complications in the circulating fetal RBCs. Recent publications on adult red blood cells (RBCs) provide evidence that RBCs carry an active nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) enzyme and contribute to vascular functioning and integrity via their active nitric oxide synthesis. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of maternal smoking on the phenotypical appearance and functionality of fetal RBCs, based on morphological and molecular studies.

Failure in the compensatory mechanism in red blood cells due to sustained smoking during pregnancy.

Decrease in the bioavailability of vasoactive nitric oxide (NO), derived from the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3), underlines vascular endothelial damage. Our expanding knowledge on mature red blood cells (RBCs) makes it supposable that RBCs might contribute to vascular function and integrity via their active NO synthetizing system (RBC-NOS3). This "rescue" mechanism of RBCs could be especially important during pregnancy with smoking habit, when smoking acts as an additional stressor and causes active change in the redox status.

Elevated levels of macromolecular damage are correlated with increased nitric oxide synthase expression in erythrocytes isolated from twin neonates.

Pregnancy is a state associated with an enhanced metabolism and demand for O2 , which may lead to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hence to oxidative stress. An elevated ROS level may result in delayed development and a low birth weight. The aim of this study was to reveal the consequences of multiple pregnancies on the redox status of neonatal human red blood cells (RBCs) and evaluate the role of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) - expressing RBCs in the generation of oxidative stress.

Major distinctions in the antioxidant responses in liver and kidney of Cd(2+)-treated common carp (Cyprinus carpio).

This study is related to the accumulation of Cd(2+), its effects on oxidative stress biomarkers and its role in macromolecule damage in liver and kidney of common carp. We present evidence of an increased ratio of reduced to oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) in both organs after 10 mg/L Cd(2+) exposure, with different underlying biological mechanisms and consequences. In the liver, the expressions and/or activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase increased to cope with the Cd(2+)-generated toxic effects during the first 48 h of treatment.