Oxidative stress biomarkers and their relationship with cytokine concentrations in overweight/obese pregnant women and their neonates

Abstract

Background: Oxidative damage present in obese/overweight mothers may lead to further oxidative stress conditions or inflammation in maternal and cord blood samples. Thirty-four pregnant women/newborn pairs were included in this study to assess the presence of oxidative stress biomarkers and their relationship with serum cytokine concentrations. Oxidative stress biomarkers and antioxidant enzymes were compared between the mother/offspring pairs. The presence of 27 cytokines was measured in maternal and cord blood samples. Analyses were initially performed between all mothers and newborns and later between normal weight and mothers with overweight and obesity, and diabetic/non-diabetic women.

Results: Significant differences were found in biomarker concentrations between mothers and newborns. Additionally, superoxide-dismutase activity was higher in pre-pregnancy overweight mothers compared to those with normal weight. Activity for this enzyme was higher in neonates born from mothers with normal pregestational weight compared with their mothers. Nitrites in overweight/obese mothers were statistically lower than in their offspring. Maternal free fatty acids, nitrites, carbonylated proteins, malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase predicted maternal serum concentrations of IL-4, IL-13, IP-10 and MIP-1β. Arginase activity in maternal plasma was related to decreased concentrations of IL-4 and IL-1β in cord arterial blood. Increased maternal malondialdehyde plasma was associated with higher levels of IL-6 and IL-7 in the offspring.

Conclusions: Oxidative stress biomarkers differ between mothers and offspring and can predict maternal and newborn cytokine concentrations, indicating a potential role for oxidative stress in foetal metabolic and immunologic programming. Moreover, maternal obesity and diabetes may affect maternal microenvironments, and oxidative stress related to these can have an impact on the placenta and foetal growth.

Keywords: Arginase; Cytokines; Diabetes; Free fatty acids; Nitrites; Obesity; Offspring; Oxidative stress; Pregnancy; Vitamin supplementation.

Fig. 1

Analysis of variance. Mean differences in maternal age, kg gained during pregnancy, newborn’s gestational age, and newborn weight between overweight/obese mothers and normal-weight mothers

Fig. 2

Oxidative stress biomarkers in mother/offspring pairs. Means and standard deviations (n = 34). Differences evaluated by paired-samples t Student test. SOD = Superoxide dismutase, GSH-Px = Glutathione peroxidase, MDA = malondialdehyde, LOOH = Lipid-hydroperoxides, FFA = Free fatty acid, CP = Carbonylated proteins. SOD, GSH-Px and ARG values reflect enzymatic activity in erythrocytes (nmol/mg of protein or U/mL)

Fig. 3

Mean differences of oxidative stress biomarkers in the mother/offspring groups and in mothers vs. neonates, according to BMI, diabetes status, and the use of multivitamins and anti-inflammatory drugs. (n = 34 mother/offspring pairs). SOD = Superoxide dismutase (U/mL), CP = Carbonylated proteins (nmol DNPH/mg of protein), Nitrites (nmol/mg protein/min), Arg = Arginase activity (nmol/mg proteins/min), MDA = Malondialdehyde (nmol of carbocyanine/mg of dry weight), NDPH = dinitrophenylhydrazine. a Pre-pregnancy BMI. b BMI at the end of pregnancy. c Multi-vitamin consumption during pregnancy. d Use of anti-inflammatories during pregnancy. e Diabetes during pregnancy. f Hyperglycaemia during pregnancy