Pregnancy weight gain limitation by a supervised nutritional program influences placental NF-κB/IKK complex expression and oxidative stress

Abstract

Objective: Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway and oxidative stress participate in endothelial dysfunction, which is one of the causes of preeclampsia. Among the human antioxidant mechanisms there are the enzymes catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Our aim was to measure NF-κB, its inhibitor (IKK) and oxidative stress in placenta and umbilical cord of pregnant women submitted to a supervised nutritional program. Methods: Two groups were conformed: A) 14 pregnant women with individualized nutritional counseling and B) 12 pregnant women without nutritional guidance. NF-κB and IKK were assessed by real time PCR (RT-PCR). Enzymatic activity of CAT, GPx, lipoperoxidation (LPO) and SOD were also evaluated. Results: Pregnant women that followed-up a supervised nutritional program had lower level of systolic (p=0.03) and diastolic pressure (p=0.043) although they were heavier than a control group (p=0.048). Among all women, the Spearman correlation was positive between weight gain and placental NF-κB expression (1, p≤0.01). In placenta, women with nutritional advice had lower enzymatic activity of GPx (p≤0.038) and showed a tendency of IKK to be higher than in women without a nutritional supervised program. Conclusion: A supervised nutritional program in pregnancy offers a proven option to control weight gain, hypertension, NF-κB/IKK complex expression and oxidative stress reactions in placenta.