Nitrative stress and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activation in healthy and gestational diabetic pregnancies

Abstract

Aims/hypothesis: Increased oxidative-nitrosative stress, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activation and subsequent cellular damage play important roles in the complications of both diabetes mellitus and pregnancy. Our aim was to investigate nitrative stress and PARP activity levels during normal and gestational diabetic (GDM) pregnancy in both maternal and fetal tissues. Methods: Blood samples were collected during pregnancy (weeks 16-29 and 36-40), and placental and umbilical cord tissues were harvested after delivery from healthy volunteers and GDM patients subjected to a carbohydrate-restricted diet or insulin treatment. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on leucocytes and tissue sections using anti-nitrotyrosine (NT), anti-poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) and anti-apoptosis inducing factor antibodies. Results: In healthy pregnancies the intensity of NT and PAR staining of leucocytes correlated positively with gestational week (R 2∈=∈0.43, p∈