Comparative study of antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in cord and maternal red blood cells.

The activities of the antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation were compared in the red blood cells from the blood of 50 mothers and the umbilical cord of 50 full-term healthy neonates. The antioxidant activities (except that of catalase) and the lipid peroxidation were found to be higher in the cord blood. These observations differed from the previous literature data: a parallel could be found only with the concept (connected with oxygen radicals) of the early closure of the ductus arteriosus.