Nineteen healthy young women, non-smokers and of normal weight, used a combined oral contraceptive, consisting of 20 micrograms ethinylestradiol and 150 micrograms desogestrel, for 9 cycles and were investigated before starting oral contraceptive use, and during the 3rd, 6th and 9th cycle. In all cases, the antioxidant erythrocyte enzyme activities, superoxide-dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-Px), were determined. Pyruvate-kinase (PK) activity was also considered as a predictable index of the age and constancy of the erythrocyte population. A steady, significant increase in GSH-Px and CAT enzyme activities was found. No significant variations were found in SOD and PK enzyme levels. These findings clearly suggest that the use of combined oral contraceptives leads to an increase in antioxidant defenses. The specific physiological and biochemical mechanisms of this response merit further investigation

Massafra, C., Buonocore, G., Berni, S., Gioia, D., Giuliani, A., Vezzosi, P. (1993). Antioxidant erythrocyte enzyme activities during oral contraception. CONTRACEPTION, 47(6), 590-596 [10.1016/0010-7824(93)90026-4].

Antioxidant erythrocyte enzyme activities during oral contraception

MASSAFRA, C.;BUONOCORE, G.;BERNI, S.;GIOIA, D.;
1993-01-01

Abstract

Nineteen healthy young women, non-smokers and of normal weight, used a combined oral contraceptive, consisting of 20 micrograms ethinylestradiol and 150 micrograms desogestrel, for 9 cycles and were investigated before starting oral contraceptive use, and during the 3rd, 6th and 9th cycle. In all cases, the antioxidant erythrocyte enzyme activities, superoxide-dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-Px), were determined. Pyruvate-kinase (PK) activity was also considered as a predictable index of the age and constancy of the erythrocyte population. A steady, significant increase in GSH-Px and CAT enzyme activities was found. No significant variations were found in SOD and PK enzyme levels. These findings clearly suggest that the use of combined oral contraceptives leads to an increase in antioxidant defenses. The specific physiological and biochemical mechanisms of this response merit further investigation
1993
Massafra, C., Buonocore, G., Berni, S., Gioia, D., Giuliani, A., Vezzosi, P. (1993). Antioxidant erythrocyte enzyme activities during oral contraception. CONTRACEPTION, 47(6), 590-596 [10.1016/0010-7824(93)90026-4].
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11365/28841
 Attenzione

Attenzione! I dati visualizzati non sono stati sottoposti a validazione da parte dell'ateneo