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Antioxidant profiles in full term and preterm neonates
1Department of Pediatrics, St Paul's Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Insights
Neonatal antioxidant levels differ significantly between full-term and premature infants, with intrauterine growth retardation and prematurity impacting free radical damage. This data offers reference for high-risk neonates.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal physiology
- Biochemistry
- Oxidative stress
Background:
- Free radical damage is a key factor in neonatal diseases linked to oxygen toxicity.
- Understanding antioxidant status is crucial for neonatal health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare antioxidant levels in full-term and premature infants post-birth.
- To establish reference data for antioxidant levels in healthy neonates.
Main Methods:
- Seven key antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione, NADPH ratio, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, vitamins A and E) were measured.
- Four infant groups were studied: full-term appropriate-for-gestational-age (FT-AGA), full-term small-for-gestational-age (FT-SGA), larger preterm (LPT), and smaller preterm (SPT).
Main Results:
- FT-SGA infants showed lower glutathione, NADPH ratio, and vitamin A, but higher catalase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and vitamin E than FT-AGA infants.
- Preterm infants (LPT and SPT) exhibited lower levels of catalase, glutathione, NADPH ratio, and vitamin A compared to FT-AGA infants.
- SPT infants had lower glutathione and NADPH ratio levels than LPT infants.
Conclusions:
- Intrauterine growth retardation and prematurity are associated with antioxidant imbalances and increased free radical damage.
- The study provides valuable reference data for assessing antioxidant deficiencies in high-risk neonates.
Background:
Free radical damage has been recognized to be a common pathogenic mechanism of many neonatal diseases associated with oxygen toxicity.
Methods:
A set of antioxidant measurements were used to investigate differences in levels between full term and premature infants after birth. Four groups of full term and preterm infants were enrolled, including full term appropriate-for-age (FT-AGA), full term small-for-age (FT-SGA), larger preterm (LPT) and smaller preterm infants (SPT). After birth, seven antioxidants, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) represented by the NADPH ratio (NADPH, the reduced form of NADP)/(NADPNADPH), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), and vitamins A and E were measured.
Results:
FT-SGA infants had significantly lower levels of GSH, NADPH ratio and vitamin A than the FT-AGA infants but higher CAT, G6PD and vitamin E levels. LPT infants had lower levels of CAT, GSH, NADPH ratio and vitamin A but higher G6PD activity than the FT-AGA infants. SPT infants showed the same pattern of differences in various antioxidants as those of the LPT infants when compared to FT-AGA infants. Vitamin E levels did not statistically differ between SPT and LPT infants. SPT infants had significantly lower levels of GSH and NADPH ratio than the LPT infants.
Conclusions:
Intrauterine growth retardation and prematurity may influence antioxidant imbalance and free radical damage. In addition, such data for healthy full term and preterm infants may be used as reference data when evaluating antioxidant deficiency in high-risk neonates.
