title: Magnesium sulfate affords protection against oxidative damage during severe preeclampsia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MgSO4 is the drug of choice to prevent seizures in preeclamptic pregnant women, but its mechanism of action at the molecular level remains an enigma. In previous works, we found that treating preeclamptic women with MgSO4 reduces the lipid peroxidation of their red blood cell membranes to normal levels and leads to a significant reduction in the osmotic fragility of the red blood cells that is increased during preeclampsia. In addition, the increase in lipid peroxidation of red cell membranes induced by the Fenton reaction does not occur when MgSO4 is present.
  
  
  METHODS
  The antioxidant protection of MgSO4 was evaluated in UV-C-treated red blood cell ghosts and syncytiotrophoblast plasma membranes by measuring their level of lipid peroxidation. The interaction of MgSO4 with free radicals was assessed for its association with the galvinoxyl radical, the quenching of H2O2-induced chemiluminescence and its effect on sensitized peroxidation of linoleic acid.
  
  
  RESULTS
  a) MgSO4 protected red blood cell ghosts and the syncytiotrophoblast plasma membranes of normotensive pregnant women against lipid peroxidation induced by UV-C irradiation. b) MgSO4 does not seem to scavenge the galvinoxyl free radical. c) The quenching of the H2O2-enhanced luminol chemiluminescence is increased by the presence of MgSO4. d) The peroxidation of linoleic acid is significantly blocked by MgSO4.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MgSO4 may provide protection against oxidative damage of plasma membranes through interactions with alkyl radicals.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Bioenergética Celular, Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abad
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Fotoquímica, Centro de Química, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Fotoquímica, Centro de Química, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zoltan
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Bioenergética Celular, Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Proverbio
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Bioenergética Celular, Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piñero
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Bioenergética Celular, Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Proverbio
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Bioenergética Celular, Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas, Venezuela. Electronic address: rlmh98@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marín
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008278:Magnesium Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005609:Free Radicals; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D008278:Magnesium Sulfate
keywords: Antioxidant activity; Chemiluminescence; Magnesium sulfate; Preeclampsia