Influence of hypoxia and hypoxia/hypercapnia upon brain and blood peroxidative and glutathione status in normal weight and growth-restricted newborn piglets

Summary Glutathione (reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG)), lipid peroxidation products (TBAR) and in vitro production of reactive oxygen species (ROS, by means of stimulated lipid peroxidation, H 2 O 2 formation and amplified chemiluminescence (CL) in 9000 xg brain supernatants) were studied in the cerebellum (C) and temporoparietal area (TP) of the brain of normal weight (NW) and spontaneously intra-uterine growth-restricted newborn piglets (IUGR) after 1 hour hypoxia (fractional inspired oxygen concentration (FiO 2 ) 8%), and in combination with 10% CO 2 , followed by 3 hours recovery (FiO 2 30%). The strong GSH depletion accompanied by an increased concentration of GSSG and TBAR, more distinct in IUGR, is the most important result in the brain after hypoxia and reoxygenation. Hypercapnia-related acidosis seems to protect the brain of IUGR from hypoxia/reoxygenation induced injury by reducing GSH depletion as well as GSSG and TBAR increases. But stimulated lipid peroxidation and H 2 O 2 formation in 9000 ×g supernatants of C and TP were found to be higher in acidosis and hypercapnia. Decreased or unchanged amplified CL, demonstrating lower in vitro production of ROS, cannot explain the GSH depletion after hypoxia and reoxygenation. The scarce changes in erythrocyte GSH and GSSG as well as plasma TBAR concentrations did not reflect the findings in the brain. Nevertheless, the changes in the brain support the hypothesis that oxidative stress plays a role in neuronal damage after hypoxic stress, but the brain of IUGR did not reveal a special response to moderate hypoxia.