title: Oxidative stress-mediated aging during the fetal and perinatal periods.
abstract: Oxidative stress is worldwide recognized as a fundamental component of the aging, a process that begins before birth. There is a critical balance between free radical generation and antioxidant defenses. Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the ability of antioxidant system to detoxify them. Oxidative stress can occur early in pregnancy and continue in the postnatal period; this damage is implicated in the pathophysiology of pregnancy-related disorders, including recurrent pregnancy loss, preeclampsia and preterm premature rupture of membranes. Moreover, diseases of the neonatal period such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity, necrotizing enterocolitis, and periventricular leukomalacia are related to free radical damage. The specific contribution of oxidative stress to the pathogenesis and progression of these neonatal diseases is only partially understood. This review summarizes what is known about the role of oxidative stress in pregnancy and in the pathogenesis of common disorders of the newborn, as a component of the early aging process.
authors.affiliation: Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marseglia
authors.affiliation: Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Angelo
authors.affiliation: Unit of Pediatric Genetics and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manti
authors.affiliation: Unit of Pediatric Genetics and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arrigo
authors.affiliation: Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Ignazio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Barberi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 40729, USA.
authors.forename: Russel J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Reiter
authors.affiliation: Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Eloisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gitto
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D058725:Peripartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D026361:Reactive Nitrogen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D026361:Reactive Nitrogen Species; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species