The influence of maternal smoking habits before pregnancy and antioxidative supplementation during pregnancy on oxidative stress status in a non-complicated pregnancy.

Background: As a physiological condition closely linked with increased susceptibility to oxidative stress, pregnancy can be further compromised by cigarette smoking. Inadequate nutrition and reduced intake of antioxidants can also disrupt the prooxidant/antioxidant relationship and contribute to oxidative stress. Increased oxidative stress during pregnancy may be involved in several complications of pregnancy, such as preterm labor, fetal growth restriction, preeclampsia and miscarriage.

Association of the atherogenic index of plasma and oxidative stress status with weight gain during non-complicated pregnancy.

Background: Pregnancy is a stressful condition linked with altered lipid profile, increased oxidative stress and increased inflammation processes. The purpose of the present study was to determine the associations between those alterations with increased weight gain during pregnancy.

Methods: The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) and oxidative stress status parameters were determinated in 50 healthy and 172 pregnant women with non-complicated pregnancy.

Changes in LDL and HDL subclasses in normal pregnancy and associations with birth weight, birth length and head circumference.

Pregnancy is associated with alterations in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subclasses, but the exact pattern of these variations remains controversial. This study investigates longitudinal changes of plasma LDL and HDL particles distributions during the course of normal pregnancy, as well as associations of maternal LDL and HDL subclasses distributions before delivery with parameters of newborn size. Blood samples were collected from 41 healthy pregnant women throughout entire pregnancy, before delivery and 7 weeks postpartum.

Longitudinal changes in PON1 activities, PON1 phenotype distribution and oxidative status throughout normal pregnancy.

The purpose of the present study was to determine changes in plasma paraoxonase-1 activity (an indicator of paraoxonase phenotype) throughout normal pregnancy and its relationship with maternal oxidative stress status. The frequencies of the paraoxonase-1 phenotype in the studied population were determined using a two-substrate (paraoxon/diazoxon) activity method. As a parameter of oxidative stress status we measured the redox balance.

Antioxidative defense enzymes in placenta protect placenta and fetus in inherited thrombophilia from hydrogen peroxide.

Our aim was to investigate the activities of antioxidative defense enzymes in the placenta, fetal blood and amnion fluid in inherited thrombophilia. Thrombophilia was associated with nearly threefold increase of activity (p < 0.001) of the placental catalase (81.

Changes in Doppler blood flow velocity in middle cerebral artery in response to airborne sound in low- and high-risk human fetuses.

Objective: To examine fetal auditory perception in low- and high-risk pregnancies in period from 27 to 31 weeks gestational age with the aim to establish diagnostic parameters in prenatal detection of the degree of hearing development in a fetus.

Methods: Method of prenatal hearing screening was applied on 80 women divided in two groups: Control group (C=22), consisted of pregnant women with low-risk pregnancies, and Experimental group (E=58), consisted of pregnant women with high-risk pregnancies (pregnancies with diagnosis of: preterm delivery, hypertension and/or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), diabetes). PHS was applied in period from 27 to 31 weeks gestational age.

[Longitudinal analysis of arterial Doppler parameters in growth retarded fetuses].

Doppler parameters enable noninvasive and direct detection of placental insufficiency and brain sparing effect, which occurs as an adaptive mechanism to chronic hypoxemia. It is of great interest if further changes of Doppler parameters, which occur after the detection of the first pathologic value, can anticipate a moment of fetal distress. We investigated growth-restricted fetuses with the brain sparing effect in the time interval between the detection of blood flow redistribution until the distress.