Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Placental superoxide is increased in pre-eclampsia.

J M Sikkema1, B B van Rijn, A Franx

  • 1Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Neonatology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, The Netherlands. J.M.Sikkema@AZU.NL

Placenta
|April 5, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Oxidative stress is increased in pre-eclampsia (PE) placental tissue, with evidence of decreased copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn SOD) activity. This study provides direct evidence supporting the role of placental oxidative stress in PE pathophysiology.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Home-telemonitoring of fetal and maternal condition in complicated pregnancies: Results from a real-world cohort to understand unplanned hospital visits and re-admissions.

European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology·2026
Same author

Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Fetal Medicine: A Pilot Feasibility Study.

Prenatal diagnosis·2025
Same author

Cardiovascular outcomes and aortic growth in pregnant women with Turner syndrome: data from the ESC EORP Registry Of Pregnancy And Cardiac disease (ROPAC) III.

European journal of preventive cardiology·2025
Same author

Uncovering gaps in workforce well-being: a national look at survey practice in Dutch university medical centres - an exploratory quantitative study.

BMJ open·2025
Same author

Factors contributing to long-term vaginal pessary use: A mixed-methods study.

International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics·2025
Same author

The role of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in maternal medicine.

Best practice & research. Clinical obstetrics & gynaecology·2025

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Pathophysiology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Pre-eclampsia (PE) pathophysiology may involve placental cytotoxic factors causing maternal endothelial dysfunction.
  • Increased oxidative stress is a suspected contributor, but direct evidence has been limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To directly measure superoxide levels in placental tissue from normal and pre-eclamptic pregnancies.
  • To investigate the activity of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn SOD) in pre-eclamptic placentae.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized electron paramagnetic spin trap resonance (EPR), a direct free radical detection method.
  • Compared placental superoxide levels in 13 normal pregnancies versus 10 pre-eclamptic pregnancies.
  • Assessed the impact of Cu-Zn SOD inhibition on superoxide levels in both groups.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Superoxide levels were significantly elevated in placental tissue from women with PE.
  • The relative increase in superoxide levels after Cu-Zn SOD inhibition was smaller in PE placentae.
  • This suggests a decreased basal activity of Cu-Zn SOD in pre-eclamptic placentae.

Conclusions:

  • Directly demonstrates increased oxidative stress in placental tissue associated with pre-eclampsia.
  • Provides evidence for reduced basal Cu-Zn SOD activity contributing to elevated superoxide levels in PE.
  • Supports the hypothesis implicating placental oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia.