Pulmonary antioxidant enzyme maturation in the fetal and neonatal rat. II. The influence of maternal iron supplements upon fetal lung catalase activity

Abstract

It was observed that the lung catalase activity of premature (day 21 of gestation; term=22 days) rat pups is affected by maternal iron intake. Pups from control dams receiving Purina Lab Chow and water ad libitum have only 50% of the lung catalase activity of pups from dams who received 1 mg/kg parenteral iron dextran daily from day 7 to day 20 of gestation. Other oxygen-protective enzymes, copper-zinc and manganese superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, were unaffected by maternal iron supplements. © 1984 International Pediatric Research Foundation, Inc.