Background: The aim was to study the role of lipid peroxides, nitric oxide and anti-oxidants in pre-eclampsia and essential hypertension.
Material/Methods: The study was done in 28 patients with pre-eclampsia and 30 patients of essential hypertension. The plasma concentrations of lipid peroxides as a measure of pro-oxidant status, nitric oxide and RBC content of anti-oxidants were measured in these patients and compared with controls.
Results: It was observed that in patients with pre-eclampsia the plasma concentrations of nitric oxide and lipid peroxides were elevated with a decrease in those of anti-oxidants such as catalase and superoxide dismutase and a concomitant increase in that of glutathione peroxidase. On the other hand, in patients with essential hypertension, the concentrations of nitric oxide and superoxide dismutase were found to be low where as that of lipid peroxides were high. When the lipid peroxides/nitric oxide (LP/NO) ratio was calculated a far more significant rise in the concentrations of lipid peroxides compared to NO levels was noted especially in patients with pre-eclampsia and patients with uncontrolled essential hypertension.
Conclusions: These results suggest that oxidants and anti-oxidants are altered in human essential hypertension and pre-eclampsia and that they may play a significant role in their pathophysiology.

Keywords: anti-oxidants, Lipid Peroxides, Nitric Oxide, essential hypertension, Pre-Eclampsia