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Comparison of angiotensin-converting enzyme, malonaldehyde, zinc, and copper levels in preeclampsia

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Abstract

Preeclampsia is a syndrome of unknown etiopathogenesis. Recent studies carried out on preeclampsia have focused on the increase in free radicals in the feto-placental unit with poor perfusion. It is believed that the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has a role in the poor perfusion of the placenta. It is uncertain whether there is a pre-existing impairment in RAS in pre-eclamptic pregnant women or not. In the present study, we measured angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), malonaldehyde (MDA), zinc, and copper levels in the placental tissue of 16 pre-eclamptic pregnant women and compared them with those in 20 healthy pregnant women.

Whereas ACE activity and MDA were found to be high in the placentas of pre-eclamptic patients, zinc and copper levels were low and there was a negative correlation between ACE activity and zinc concentration. These findings suggest that high ACE activity might play a role in the increase in tissue hypoxia and consequent lipid peroxidation through vasoconstriction; zinc deficiency in the placental tissue might cause insufficiency of superoxide dismutase, an antioxidant enzyme. Furthermore, deficiency in placental zinc also plays a role in the biosynthesis of connective tissue, maintaining its integrity, which might have an impact on the structure of the spiral arteries

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Karaelmas University, Zonguldak, Turkey

    Serefden Acikgoz, Gorkem Mungan & Murat Can

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Harran University, Urfa, Turkey

    Muge Harma & Mehmet Harma

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ufuk University, Ankara, Turkey

    Selda Demirtas

Authors
  1. Serefden Acikgoz
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  2. Muge Harma
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  3. Mehmet Harma
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  4. Gorkem Mungan
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  5. Murat Can
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  6. Selda Demirtas
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Acikgoz, S., Harma, M., Harma, M. et al. Comparison of angiotensin-converting enzyme, malonaldehyde, zinc, and copper levels in preeclampsia. Biol Trace Elem Res 113, 1–8 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1385/BTER:113:1:1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/BTER:113:1:1

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