Deficiency of plasma PGI2-like regenerating activity in neonatal plasma. Reversal by vitamin E in vitro.
Blood from full-term newborns was compared to adult blood for its ability to regenerate prostaglandin I2 (PGI2)-like activity from vascular tissue. The neonate possesses a markedly decreased ability to regenerate PGI2 (0.10 4/- 0.07 ng/mg vascular tissue) when compared to the adult (0.42 +/- 0.12). This decreased activity was not due to the presence of an inhibitor in neonatal blood. The impaired ability of neonatal blood to regenerate PGI2-like activity was related to its markedly decreased antioxidant potential and was corrected (0.34 +/- 0.08 ng/mg vascular tissue) by the addition of Vitamin E in vitro. Plasma PGI2-like regenerating activity had normalized by 3 to 5 months of age (0.41 +/- 0.11 ng/mg).
D000328:Adult; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013928:Thromboxane A2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
D011453:Prostaglandins; D014810:Vitamin E; D013928:Thromboxane A2; D011464:Epoprostenol