title: Altered endothelial nitric oxide synthesis in preterm and small for gestational age infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preterm infants are often exposed to neuronal and endothelial damage. The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation between endothelial dysfunction and neuronal injury in preterm infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared serum nitric oxide (NO), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) concentrations in 33 moderate preterm (MP) and 47 late preterm (LP) infants using standard ELISA. Each group was classified as appropriate for gestational age (AGA) or small for gestational age (SGA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to the AGA infants, the SGA infants had higher NO on day 1 (MP: mean, 72.3 ng/mL, range, 50.9-99.5 ng/mL vs 52.2 ng/mL, range, 28.1-68.2 ng/mL, P < 0.05; LP: mean, 58.4 ng/mL, range, 25.7-66.4 ng/mL vs 43.7 ng/mL, range, 21.2-60.6 ng/mL, P < 0.05), lower eNOS concentration on day 3 in the MP group (mean, 5.8 IU/mL, range, 1.2-7.9 IU/mL vs 8.9 IU/mL, range, 4.2-14.6 IU/mL, P < 0.05), and on day 1 in the LP group (mean, 5.5 IU/mL, range, 1.5-8.1 IU/mL vs 7.7 IU/mL, range, 4.4-13.8 IU/mL, P < 0.05). The NO/eNOS ratio was higher in SGA infants compared with the AGA subgroups (MP: mean, 13.8, range, 9.9-20.2 vs mean, 9.9, range, 4.7-13.1, P < 0.05; LP: mean, 12.2, range, 9.2-19.9 vs mean, 9.9, range, 5.4-14.4, P < 0.05). AGA infants had lower NSE concentration compared with the SGA infants on day 1 in the LP group (mean, 27.4 ng/mL, range, 20-43 ng/mL vs mean, 40.89 ng/mL, range, 34-51 ng/mL, P < 0.05). A positive correlation was found between NO/eNOS ratio and NSE concentration (r = 0.75, P < 0.05 and r = 0.64, P < 0.05 on days 1 and 3, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High NO concentration in the context of low eNOS activity suggests a possible role of NO in the development of neuronal injury in SGA infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Azerbaijan Medical University, Baku, Azerbaijan.
authors.forename: Saadat Arif
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Huseynova
authors.forename: Nushaba Farkhad
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Panakhova
authors.forename: Pusta Ali
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Orujova
authors.forename: Safikhan Shamil
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Hasanov
authors.forename: Mehman Rustam
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Guliyev
authors.forename: Vafa Ilyas
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Yagubova
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood*; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood*; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000097:blood*; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase
keywords: endothelial function; growth restriction; neuronal injury; nitric oxide; preterm