Fig. 1: Total antioxidant activity increases in term preeclamptic placentae and superoxide dismutase function is reduced in pre-term preeclamptic placentae.

a Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) level was affected by preeclampsia (p = 0.0295), gestation (p = 0.0186) and interaction factor (p = 0.0074), with levels decreased in pre-term preeclamptic placentae compared to pre-term controls (p = 0.0014, fold change 0.244). b Total antioxidant activity was affected by preeclampsia (p = 0.0024) and gestation (p < 0.0001), with activity increased in term preeclamptic placentae compared to term controls (p = 0.0171, fold change 1.130). c Soluble superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) mRNA expression was affected by gestation (p = 0.0130), and the interaction of preeclampsia/gestation (p = 0.0329). d Total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity over all cellular compartments was affected by gestation (p < 0.0001). e Mitochondrial superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) mRNA expression was affected by preeclampsia (p = 0.0310) and gestation (p = 0.0001). f SOD activity in enriched mitochondrial fractions was affected by preeclampsia (p = 0.0305) and gestation (p = 0.0100), and was reduced in pre-term preeclamptic placentae compared to pre-term controls (p = 0.0277, fold change 0.794). g Catalase activity was affected by gestation (p = 0.0010). h Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity was affected by gestation (p < 0.0001) and increased in term preeclamptic placentae compared to term controls (p = 0.0357, fold change 1.244). i Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) was affected by preeclampsia (p = 0.0164), gestation (p < 0.0001), and interaction factor (p = 0.0095), and was increased in pre-term preeclamptic placentae (p = 0.0077, fold change 1.599). j mRNA expression of ADAM metallopeptidase domain 10 (ADAM10) was not different between groups. βAbeta actin. Representative western blot images. N = 5–20; *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001