DUŠIKOV OKSID – VAŽNA SIGNALNA MOLEKULA U NORMALNOJ I PATOLOŠKOJ TRUDNOĆI

GORANKA HUDIČEK-MARTINČIĆ, MARIJA KUŠAN-JUKIĆ, AIDA SALIHAGIĆ-KADIĆ

Brojna istraživanja upućuju na različite uloge dušikova oksida (NO) u važnim procesima kardiovaskularnog, živčanog, probavnog, urogenitalnog te imunosnog sustava. U ovom preglednom radu prikazani su rezultati istraživanja provedenih na životinjskim modelima odnosno rezultati kliničkih istraživanja o djelovanju NO-a i njegovih metabolita tijekom trudnoće i porođaja. Za vrijeme trudnoće NO je jedan od važnih čimbenika u relaksaciji mišića maternice te sudjeluje i u kontroli protoka krvi kroz maternicu i posteljicu. Promjene u stvaranju NO-a na kraju trudnoće također bi mogle biti važne u otpočinjanju porođaja i sazrijevanju vrata maternice. Naši preliminarni rezultati, kao i rezultati drugih istraživača, upućuju na to da je stvaranje NO-a u posteljici povećano u nekim patološkim stanjima, kao što su zastoj u rastu fetusa, preeklampsija, prijevremeni porođaj. U ovom radu također su prikazani terapijski učinci donora NO-a ili inhibitora sinteze NO-a u patološkim trudnoćama.

Summary. The numerous studies on the multifunctional nature of the nitric oxide (NO) have suggested the wide variety of functions mediated by this molecule in vital processes in cardiovascular, nervous, gastrointestinal, urogenital system and during immunological reactions. In this review we present the results of experiments carried out on animal models, as well as the results of clinical studies considering the role of NO and its metabolites during pregnancy and delivery. During pregnancy NO is one of the most important relaxing factors of myometrium, and also no less important in the control of blood flow in uterus and placenta. Changes in NO production at the end of pregnancy could be important for the beginning of delivery and cervical maturation. Also it seems, and our preliminary results as well as results of other investigators suggest, that higher levels of NO are produced during some pathological conditions in pregnant women, e.g. IUGR, preeclampsia, preterm delivery. The implica- tions of NO donors or inhibitors of NO synthesis used in therapy of previously mentioned conditions will be also discussed.