DOI: 10.21276/sjams.2016.4.10.34 Available online at http://saspublisher.com/sjams/ 3725 Scholars Journal of Applied Medical Sciences (SJAMS) ISSN 2320-6691 (Online) Sch. J. App. Med. Sci., 2016; 4(10C):3725-3728 ISSN 2347-954X (Print) ©Scholars Academic and Scientific Publisher (An International Publisher for Academic and Scientific Resources) www.saspublisher.com Assessment of serum uric acid and plasma ascorbic acid in Pregnancy induced hypertension Karabi Barman 1 , Diganta Das 2 , Ijen Bhattacharya 3 , Rahul Saxena 4 * 1 Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College, Barpeta, Assam India 2 Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College, Barpeta, Assam India 3 Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Rama Medical College, Hospital & Research, Hapur, U.P., India 4 Assistant Professor, Dept of Biochemistry, SAHS, Sharda University, Greater Noida *Corresponding author Dr. Rahul Saxena Email: rahul.saxena@sharda.ac.in Abstract: Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of various diseases including pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH). Previous studies have suggested that uric acid not only acts as an antioxidant but also act as an important factor in precipitation of disease process by inducing inflammation. However, there is no satisfactory explanation for its role in PIH. The objective of present study was to determine the level of serum urate and plasma ascorbate in PIH patients and to determine their role in disease process. Serum uric acid and plasma ascorbic acid levels were estimated by using standard methods in 40 patients of PIH and in 40 age matched healthy volunteers, served as control. The values were expressed as Mean ± SD and data from patients and controls were compared using students‘t’ test. Serum urate levels were significantly high (p<0.05) and plasma ascorbate levels were significantly low in patients as compared to control. These finding suggest that elevated serum urate level is associated with enhanced protective mechanism against oxidative stress and decreased ascorbate level is due to its free radical scavenging and urate radical repairing action in PIH. Therefore, ascorbate supplementation in drug/diet regime in these patients can prove to be protective. In addition, serum uric acid and ascorbic acid are efficient marker of oxidative stress status in PIH patients. Keywords: Pre-eclampsia, oxidative stress, uric acid, ascorbic acid, endothelial dysfunction INTRODUCTION:- Normally pregnancy is characterized by a heavy demand of metabolic energy, leading to an increased requirement for oxygen and an elevation in maternal basal metabolic rate (BMR) due to enhanced work with respect to maternal circulation, respiration, renal function and increased tissue mass. To meet this increased energy requirement during pregnancy, the human placenta is highly vascularized and sufficiently exposed to high maternal oxygen partial pressure. The consequent accelerated intake and utilization of oxygen and the increased activity of the mitochondrial electron transport chain leads to the generation of high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an accompanying elevated level of oxidative stress [1]. ROS mediated oxidative stress plays a significant role in the etio-pathogenesis of certain diseases including pre-eclampsia [2]. To combat with oxidant mediated injury, the most important biological antioxidants would appear to be vitamin C, uric Acid, vitamin E, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase etc. Vitamin C, an exogenous water soluble antioxidant functions as primary defense against free radicals in plasma and disappeared more quickly. It has a significant role in protecting plasma lipids against peroxidation (i.e. anti atherosclerotic effect) and positive correlation with HDL-cholestrerol [3]. Moreover, ascorbate concentration in blood has been found to be protective in normal pregnancy as well as growth of the foetus [4]. Uric Acid, an end product of purine metabolism and is thought to act as an endogenous antioxidant in vivo. It is an endogenous, preventive and chain breaking antioxidant which contributes about 65% of free radical scavenging action stabilizes ascorbate, protects DNA and erythrocytes from oxidative damage [5]. Bainbridge and Roberts reported that uric acid is able to promote inflammation, oxidative Original Research Article