Neutrophil function during pregnancy: is nitric oxide production correlated with superoxide production?
OBJECTIVE
Oxygen radical formation by neutrophils during pregnancy is not well studied.


METHODS
We studied neutrophil-derived superoxide anion (O) and nitric oxide (NO) values in 75 normal pregnant women, 12 postpartum women, and 10 non-pregnant women. O production was measured by the superoxide dismutase-inhibitable reduction of ferricytochrome c. NO production was measured by accumulation of the stable end product nitrite using a modified Griess reaction method.


RESULTS
O production of neutrophils stimulated by chemotactic peptide was significantly enhanced in the early second trimester of pregnancy. l-arginine analogue-inhibitable nitrite production was induced in neutrophils from pregnant women, but not from postpartum and non-pregnant subjects. In third-trimester subjects but not non-pregnant subjects, neutrophils pre-treated with l-arginine analogues enhanced O production compared with untreated neutrophils.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that O and NO production by neutrophils during pregnancy were modulated separately, whereas neutrophil-derived NO might function as a regulator of O.
Tsukimori
Kiyomi
K
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. tsuki@med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Fukushima
Kotaro
K
Komatsu
Hajime
H
Nakano
Hitoo
H
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011264:Pregnancy Trimesters / Q000378:metabolism; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism*
D013481:Superoxides; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine