A Supervised Nutritional Program in Pregnancies and NF-κB Expression in Placenta

Obesity during pregnancy is associated with exaggerated metabolic adaptation, endothelial dysfunction and an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preeclampsia, a major cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality characterized by increased blood pressure, proteinuria and edema, which affects approximately 3% to 7% of all pregnant women. Other risk factors, besides obesity, that increase the likelihood of developing preeclampsia include chronic hypertension, and diabetes mellitus.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) [superoxide anions (•O2-), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH)],5 interact with proteins, nucleic acids and lipids and in a process called lipid peroxidation (LPO), can cause severe cell and tissue damage. There is current evidence that ROS are common activators of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), a factor that initiates a systemic inflammatory process by promoting the synthesis of cytokines, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and expression of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1).

To maintain balance of the oxidative state, the human body possesses intracellular antioxidant enzyme systems, including superoxide dismutase (SOD, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT), which is located mainly in peroxisomes and cytoplasm of the cell.

The epidemiology of preeclampsia, which is more common among poor women, had previously suggested that nutrients may be involved in the disorder, unfortunately, the nutritional data obtained from women with the syndrome has been poorly defined.

The objective of this paper was to provide an overview of the biological plausibility and potential mechanisms underlying associations among maternal nutrition, oxidative stress in placenta and the risk of preeclampsia.