Red blood cell glutathione peroxidase activity in female nulligravid and pregnant rats

BACKGROUND The alterations of the glutathione peroxidase enzyme complex system occur in physiological conditions such as aging and oxidative stress consequent to strenuous exercise. METHODS Authors optimize the spectrophotometric method to measure glutathione peroxidase activity in rat red blood cell membranes. RESULTS The optimization, when applied to age paired rats, both nulligravid and pregnant, shows that pregnancy induces, at seventeen d of pregnancy, an increase of both reactive oxygen substance concentration in red blood cells and membrane glutathione peroxidase activity. CONCLUSION The glutathione peroxidase increase in erythrocyte membranes is induced by systemic oxidative stress long lasting rat pregnancy.