Selenium and Glutathione Peroxidase Activity in Maternal and Cord Plasma and Red Cells

Abstract

Summary cells of newborn infants (6).In order to define the normal range of selenium levels and to'e;aluate whether any correlation exi& Paired and plasma and in the human between selenium and GSH-Per activity, paired as well as samples from nonpregnant adult females, were assayed samples of maternal and cord erythrocytes and plasma, respecfor selenium and for glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Per) activity. tively, were assayed for selenium and for GSH-Per activity. Fetal selenium levels, both in red cells (0.39 f 0.08 pg/ml) and in plasma (0.13 f 0.03 pg/ml), were significantly lower than the respective levels in either pregnant ( P C 0.001) or nonpregnant ( P MATERIALS AND METHODS < 0.001) female adults. GSH-Per activity in fetal red cells (576 f 131 U/100 ml) and plasma (10.3 + 4.0 U/100 ml) were similarly Paired samples of maternal and cord blood were obtained, with significantly lower than the respective levels of activity in each maternal consent, at the time of delivery after full term gestation.group of adult samples ( p < 0.001). Erythrocyte selenium levels Blood samples were also taken from healthy house officers, nurses, were similar in nonpregnant (0.~2 0.05 pg,ml) and pregnant and laboratory technicians of both sexes. The blood specimens (0.52 f 0.07 p g / d ) adult females; but there was a significant were into he~arinized which had difference in erythrocyte GSH-Per activity between the nonpreg-been checked previously to ensure the absence any trace nant (832 2 165 U/100 ml) and the pregnant (990 + 207 U/100 amounts of in the ml) groups (0.02 < P < 0.03). The plasma levels of selenium in the Red were separated by centrifugation at 2500 vm nonpregnant females (0.21 + 0.03 pg/ml) were significantly higher in a Sowall RC5 refrigerated centrifuge at 20, and the plasma was than in the pregnant group (0.19 + 0.03 &ml) (0.01 < P < 0.02); removed and frozen for subsequent assay cf and of similarly, plasma enzyme activity in the nonpregnant group (19.5 GSH-PerThe buff^ 'Oat was and discarded, + 4.4 U/lOO was significantly higher than in the pregnant and the red cells were washed three times in cold isotonic saline group (14.0 3.2 U/lOO ml) (P < O.OO1). A close positive and then resuspended to an hematocrit of approximately 40%. A correlation was found between selenium levels and GSH-Per portion of the red cell suspension was removed for microhematoactivity, both in plasma and in red cells ( r = 0.86).mothers, crit and hemoglobin determinations, and 0.20-ml aliquots were values for enzyme activity and for selenium, both in plasma and in frozen for later determination of 'Ontent. erythrocytes, were almost invariably higher than the comparableThe glutathione peroxidase of the red was values in her own fetus.in either fresh saline suspensions, or in samples frozen for not more than 24 hr, using Whaun and Oski's modification (20) of the method of Paglia and Valentine (12). Enzyme activity was meaSpeculation sured at 2S0 in a Zeiss PM 6 spectrophotometer and was expressed Selenium has a biologic role as a component...

Maternal selenium status in Slovenia and its impact on the selenium concentration of umbilical cord serum and colostrum

“…Our ®nding, that women at delivery have decreased serum Se concentrations in comparison to age matched women is in accordance with other studies (Rudolph & Wong, 1978). The mean Se concentration of umbilical cord serum was 55% of that of the maternal serum (Table 1, Figure 1).…”

Blood selenium and glutathione peroxidases in miscarriage

“…We have shown previously 1,2 that the selenium concentrations in whole blood and plasma, as well as the activity of glutathione-Px in red cells and plasma, are signi®cantly lower in women at delivery, compared with non-pregnant women. Similar ®ndings have been published by others 3,4 . We have shown 2 an almost linear decline in these parameters from the ®rst trimester to parturition.…”

Superoxide Dismutase, Catalase and Glutathione Peroxidase Activities in Maternal and Cord Blood Erythrocytes

“…Λ good agreement on Superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities in pregnant women does not exist in previously published data (27)(28)(29)35), probably because the blood samples were not obtained at the same period of pregnancy. In the group of mothers we have studied, the blood samples were obtained at the beginning of labour, and the three enzymes were tested on the same sample.…”

“…Low activities of glutathione peroxidase in cord blood were previously reported by many authors (22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28) It is worth mentioning that no correlation was found between the levels of erythrocyte antioxidant enzymatic activities present in cord blood and the levels of bilirubin during the first days of life.…”

“…While erythrocyte Superoxide dismutase values were unchanged, our data indicate a significant increase of glutathione peroxidase and catalase in comparison with normal women. The high levels of glutathione peroxidase and catalase in pregnant women could be related to a hormonal effect and not to the increase in reticulocytes and younger cells (as suggested by Rudolph & Wong (27)), as the activities of these enzymes are not age-dependent (36,37).…”