[Activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and its isoenzyme activities in newborn children and adult women and men].

During fetal development, antioxidant defense mechanisms have generally been considered to be less active than those of mature newborn infants or of the adults. It has been suggested that this might reflect a lower requirement for cellular antioxidant activity because of the relatively protective intrauterine environment and the lower perfusing oxygen tension in the fetus. Inadequate antioxidant protection has been postulated as a prime factor in pathologic states such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia and retinopathy in preterm infants. To obtain a profile of changes of superoxide dismutase and it's isoenzymes (the main enzyme of antioxidant defence) in human blood during late fetal development, we studied blood samples from prematurely, on term and postmaturely born infants, and adults. Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase and Cu, Zn-SOD in plasma blood changed significantly with maturation, by term Cu, Zn-SOD activity reached a level higher than in adults. High SOD activity, perhaps, is one of biochemical specific "preparation for birth" occurs in developing fetus to help assure it's successful adaptation to comparatively O2-rich world at birth.