title: Effect of vitamin E and C supplements on lipid peroxidation and GSH-dependent antioxidant enzyme status in the blood of women consuming oral contraceptives.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral contraceptives (OCs) may affect oxidative stress status. We aimed to assess whether supplementation with vitamins E and C reduced this OC effect.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred twenty healthy female individuals were divided into three groups: A, control; B, untreated OCU (OC users); and C, treated OCU (OC users with vitamin E and C supplementation). In all cases, plasma glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) level were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant increases were found in the plasma MDA level, and activities of GPx and GR in plasma were decreased in Group B compared to the control group. Supplementation with vitamin C and E significantly increased the activity of GPx and GR activity, and reduced plasma MDA levels in Group C (p<.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that low-dose OCs, by enhancing the stress oxidative and lipid peroxidation, may represent a potential cardiovascular risk factor, and the use of vitamins E and C may be beneficial in ameliorating this side effect of OCs.
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Biology Group, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zal
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mostafavi-Pour
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amini
authors.forename: Afrooz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heidari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood*; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology; D014815:Vitamins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D014815:Vitamins; D014810:Vitamin E; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D001205:Ascorbic Acid