The Development of Antioxidant Enzymatic Defense in the Perinatal Rat Lung: Activities of Superoxide Dismutase, Glutathione Peroxidase, and Catalase

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Abstract
This report describes the development of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase activities in fetal (days 16–22) and neonatal (day 2 postpartum) lungs of normal rats. Each of the enzymes showed an individual pattern of development in the perinatal period. Glutathione peroxidase activity increased by 135% (p < 0.001) during the last 3 days before birth, catalase activity by 105% (p < 0.01) during the first 2 postnatal days, and the activity of superoxide dismutase by 52% (p < 0.05) from gestational day 19 to 2 days after birth. Contamination by superoxide dismutase from blood in the lung samples accounted for less than 2% of the activity. In contrast, not less than 10–30% of glutathione peroxidase and catalase originated from the blood; and corrections were made for this source of error in each sample.