Low serum selenium in pregnancy is associated with reduced T3 and increased risk of GDM.

Thyroid disorders are the most common endocrine disorders affecting women commencing pregnancy. Thyroid hormone metabolism is strongly influenced by selenium status; however, the relationship between serum selenium concentrations and thyroid hormones in euthyroid pregnant women is unknown. This study investigated the relationship between maternal selenium and thyroid hormone status during pregnancy by utilizing data from a retrospective, cross-sectional study (Maternal Outcomes and Nutrition Tool or MONT study) with cohorts from two tertiary care hospitals in South East Queensland, Australia.

Effect of micronutrient supplements on low-risk pregnancies in high-income countries: a systematic quantitative literature review.

Objective: To assess the quantity and focus of recent empirical research regarding the effect of micronutrient supplementation on live birth outcomes in low-risk pregnancies from high-income countries.

Design: A systematic quantitative literature review.

Setting: Low-risk pregnancies in World Bank-classified high-income countries, 2019.

Essential Mineral Intake During Pregnancy and Its Association With Maternal Health and Birth Outcomes in South East Queensland, Australia.

Micronutrient supplements are often recommended during pregnancy, yet their role and necessity remain poorly understood in the Australian population. This study aimed to determine the essential mineral intake of a population of pregnant women in South East Queensland and investigate the effects of supplements on their micronutrient status and birth outcomes. Women completing the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test at two South East Queensland hospitals between 180 and 210 days gestation provided fasting blood samples and dietary data using the Maternal Outcomes and Nutrition Tool (n = 127).

Maternal selenium deficiency during pregnancy in mice increases thyroid hormone concentrations, alters placental function and reduces fetal growth.

Key Points: Inappropriate intake of key micronutrients in pregnancy is known to alter maternal endocrine status, impair placental development and induce fetal growth restriction. Selenium is an essential micronutrient required for the function of approximately 25 important proteins. However, the specific effects of selenium deficiency during pregnancy on maternal, placental and fetal outcomes are poorly understood.

Design, development, and evaluation of the Maternal Outcomes and Nutrition Tool (MONT).

Suboptimal nutrition has been largely associated with poorer perinatal outcomes. However, an inability to compare data between biologically and geographically diverse cohorts has complicated determination of the role of diet in such conditions. The aim of this paper is to describe the design, development, and evaluation of the Maternal Outcomes and Nutrition Tool (MONT), a novel cross-cultural digital dietary data collection tool.

Ozone therapy for the treatment of chronic wounds: A systematic review.

Chronic wounds present a significant burden to the health care system and the patient. Ozone therapy has been proposed as a treatment for chronic wounds, potentially acting by eliciting mild oxidative stress or disinfection. The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the potential benefits and harms of ozone therapy as an advanced care intervention for chronic wounds.

Selective inhibition of endogenous antioxidants with Auranofin causes mitochondrial oxidative stress which can be countered by selenium supplementation.

Auranofin is a thiol-reactive gold (I)-containing compound with potential asa chemotherapeutic. Auranofin has the capacity to selectively inhibit endogenous antioxidant enzymes thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), resulting in oxidative stress and the initiation of a pro-apoptotic cascade. The effect of Auranofin exposure on TrxR and GPx, and the potential for cellular protection through selenium supplementation was examined in the non-cancerous human cell line Swan-71.

Review: Effects of maternal micronutrient supplementation on placental function.

Pregnancy is a physiological challenge that may require additional nutritional support. Suboptimal micronutrient intakes and micronutrient deficiencies during pregnancy are a global problem, often leading to poor maternal and child outcomes. Micronutrient supplementation is commonly recommended during pregnancy to support and enhance maternal metabolism.

Overexpression of Endogenous Anti-Oxidants with Selenium Supplementation Protects Trophoblast Cells from Reactive Oxygen Species-Induced Apoptosis in a Bcl-2-Dependent Manner.

The human placenta provides life support for the developing foetus, and a healthy placenta is a prerequisite to a healthy start to life. Placental tissue is subject to oxidative stress which can lead to pathological conditions of pregnancy such as preeclampsia, preterm labour and intrauterine growth restriction. Up-regulation of endogenous anti-oxidants may alleviate placental oxidative stress and provide a therapy for these complications of pregnancy.

Learning-oriented assessment increases performance and written skills in a second year metabolic biochemistry course.

Assessment plays a critical role in learning and teaching and its power to enhance engagement and student outcomes is still underestimated in tertiary education. The current project considers the impact of a staged redesign of an assessment strategy that emphasized relevance of learning, formative assessment, student engagement, and feedback on student performance, failure rates and overall engagement in the course. Significant improvements in final grades (p < 0.

Multiple micronutrient supplementation and birth outcomes: The potential importance of selenium.

A healthy diet and lifestyle is a pre requisite to a healthy pregnancy, however this is often not the case. Many pregnant women are overweight or clinically obese and this has been shown to increase their risk of major complications of pregnancy such a preeclampsia, intrauterine growth retardation, preterm birth and gestational diabetes. An adequate and balanced diet is important, as is the balance between macronutrients such as carbohydrates, fats and protein and the vitamins and essential trace elements needed to support metabolism.

Genetic polymorphisms that affect selenium status and response to selenium supplementation in United Kingdom pregnant women.

Background: Low selenium status in pregnancy has been associated with a number of adverse conditions. In nonpregnant populations, the selenium status or response to supplementation has been associated with polymorphisms in dimethylglycine dehydrogenase (DMGDH), selenoprotein P (SEPP1) and the glutathione peroxidases [cytosolic glutathione peroxidase (GPx1) and phospholipid glutathione peroxidase (GPx4)].

Objective: We hypothesized that, in pregnant women, these candidate polymorphisms would be associated with selenium status in early pregnancy, its longitudinal change, and the interindividual response to selenium supplementation at 60 μg/d.

No effect of modest selenium supplementation on insulin resistance in UK pregnant women, as assessed by plasma adiponectin concentration.

Concern has been expressed recently that Se may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, but this has not been tested in a randomised-controlled trial (RCT) in pregnant women. We took advantage of having stored plasma samples from the Se in Pregnancy Intervention (SPRINT) RCT of Se supplementation in pregnancy to test the effect of Se supplementation on a marker of insulin resistance in UK pregnant women. Because our blood samples were not fasted, we measured plasma adiponectin concentration, a recognised marker of insulin resistance that gives valid measurements in non-fasted samples, as diurnal variability is minor and there is no noticeable effect of food intake.

The association between third trimester multivitamin/mineral supplements and gestational length in uncomplicated pregnancies.

Background: Widespread use of maternal micronutrient supplements have been correlated to gestational length and outcome in women predisposed to pre-eclampsia and preterm birth. However, research is yet to be conducted examining the influence of micronutrient supplements on outcomes at term in uncomplicated pregnancies.

Aim: To analyse the relationship between third trimester micronutrient supplementation and gestation length at birth, demographics and maternal birthing outcomes in well women at term in a South East Queensland representative population.

Selenium supplementation induces mitochondrial biogenesis in trophoblasts.

Introduction: Placental oxidative stress has been implicated in pregnancy complications and previous work has shown that selenium can protect trophoblast mitochondria from oxidative stress. This report examines mitochondrial function and content in trophoblasts supplemented with selenium.

Methods: Swan-71, JEG-3 and BeWo cells and placental tissue were incubated with sodium selenite or selenomethionine.

Selenium status in U.K. pregnant women and its relationship with hypertensive conditions of pregnancy.

Dietary intake/status of the trace mineral Se may affect the risk of developing hypertensive conditions of pregnancy, i.e. pre-eclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension (PE/PIH).

First trimester multivitamin/mineral use is associated with reduced risk of pre-eclampsia among overweight and obese women.

The use of pregnancy-specific multivitamin supplements is widely recommended to support maternal homeostasis during pregnancy. Our objective was to investigate whether multivitamin use during pregnancy is associated with a reduced risk of pre-eclampsia. The effect of multivitamin use on incidence of pre-eclampsia in lean and overweight/obese women was analysed using data collected between 2006 and 2011 as part of the Environments for Healthy Living Project, Griffith University, Australia.

Selenium supplementation protects trophoblast cells from mitochondrial oxidative stress.

Introduction: Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, a placental disorder affecting approximately 7% of pregnancies. Trophoblast cells are susceptible to oxidative stress which causes increased cell death and placental turnover. In this study, inhibitors of the mitochondrial respiratory chain were utilised to induce oxidative stress and the effect that selenium supplementation had on trophoblast viability was investigated.

Selenium supplementation protects trophoblast cells from oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is a key feature in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia and antioxidants have been proposed as a potential therapy in the treatment of this important complication of pregnancy. In this report selenium supplementation was used to up-regulate the antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase and the protective effect that this had on cellular metabolism during oxidative stress was examined. Bewo and Jeg-3 trophoblast cells were supplemented with organic and inorganic forms of selenium and 3 forms of peroxide in a range of doses were utilised to generate oxidative stress.

Selenium and preeclampsia: A global perspective.

Preeclampsia is a complex multisystem disorder of pregnancy where oxidative stress plays an important aetiological role. The role of selenium in the synthesis of endogenous antioxidants is well documented, and a significant reduction in selenium has been reported in preeclamptic women. The objective of this study was to map global selenium status and preeclampsia incidence.

Antioxidant gene expression in preeclamptic placentae: a preliminary investigation.

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. This study measured the relative mRNA expression of antioxidant proteins glutathione peroxidase 1 and 4, glutathione reductase, thioredoxin 1 and 2, thioredoxin reductase 1, thioredoxin peroxidase 3 and superoxide dismutase 1 and 2 in preeclamptic and non-preeclamptic placentae. Quantitative real-time PCR was conducted on placental mRNA isolated from preeclamptic and control patients.

Chronic hypoxia in vivo reduces placental oxidative stress.

Decreased placental oxygenation and increased oxidative stress are implicated in the development of preeclampsia. Oxidative stress arises from imbalance between pro-versus anti-oxidants and can lead to biological oxidation and apoptosis. Because pregnant women living at high altitude (3100 m, HA) have lowered arterial PO2 and an increased incidence of preeclampsia, we hypothesized that HA placentas would have decreased anti-oxidant enzyme activity, increased oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and nitration) and greater trophoblast apoptosis than low-altitude (LA) placentas.

Chronic nitric oxide synthase inhibition in pregnant rats does not result in placental oxidative stress.

Objective: This investigation examined the physiological and biochemical changes in pregnant rats following treatment with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, L nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME).

Methods: Pregnant and non-pregnant animals were administered L-NAME, and blood pressure and proteinuria were monitored. On day 21 of pregnancy, the animals were euthanized, and fetal and placental weight and number were recorded.