ABSTRACT
Nuclear factor kappa B [NF-kappa B] pathway and oxidative stress participate in endothelial dysfunction, which is one of the causes of pre-eclampsia. Among the human antioxidant mechanisms, there are the enzymes catalase [CAT], glutathione peroxidase [GPx] and superoxide dismutase [SOD]. Our aim was to measure NF-kappa B, its inhibitor [IKK] and oxidative stress in placenta and umbilical cord of pregnant women submitted to a supervised nutritional program. Two groups were conformed: A] 14 pregnant women with individualized nutritional counseling, and B] 12 pregnant women without nutritional guidance. NF-kappa B and IKK were assessed by real time PCR [RT-PCR]. Enzymatic activity of CAT, GPx, lipoperoxidation [LPO] and SOD were also evaluated. Pregnant women that followed a supervised nutritional program had lower levels of systolic [p=0.03] and diastolic pressure [p=0.043] although they were heavier than the control group [p=0.048]. Among all the women, the Spearman correlation was positive between weight gain and placental NF-kappa B expression [1, p