Red blood cell glutathione peroxidase activity in female nulligravid and pregnant rats

BACKGROUND: The alterations of the glutathione peroxidase enzyme complex system occur in physiological conditions such as aging and oxidative stress consequent to strenuous exercise. METHODS: Authors optimize the spectrophotometric method to measure glutathione peroxidase activity in rat red blood cell membranes. RESULTS: The optimization, when applied to age paired rats, both nulligravid and pregnant, shows that pregnancy induces, at seventeen d of pregnancy, an increase of both reactive oxygen substance concentration in red blood cells and membrane glutathione peroxidase activity. CONCLUSION: The glutathione peroxidase increase in erythrocyte membranes is induced by systemic oxidative stress long lasting rat pregnancy.