International Journal of Medical Sciences And Clinical Research
13
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijmscr
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue02 2025
PAGE NO.
13-15
10.37547/ijmscr/Volume05Issue02-03
Associations between oxidative stress and antioxidant
protection system in affective-respiratory paroxysm
Babajanova Umida Tajimuratovna
“Alfraganus University” Non-State Higher Education Institution, Uzbekistan
Received:
04 December 2024;
Accepted:
06 January 2025;
Published:
08 February 2025
Abstract:
Affective-respiratory paroxysm (ARP) is an episodic loss of consciousness that occurs in children, and its
mechanism is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the state of oxidative stress and
antioxidant defense system in children with ARP. The results show that the ARP group had higher levels of
malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), while the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and
GPx) was decreased. This indicates that the imbalance between oxidative stress and the antioxidant defense
system may play an important role in the development of ARP. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the
effectiveness of antioxidant therapy in future studies.
Keywords:
Affective-respiratory paroxysm, oxidative stress, antioxidant defense system, malondialdehyde (MDA),
reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), pediatric neurology,
biomarkers.
Introduction:
Affective-respiratory paroxysm (ARP) is a
temporary but serious physiological condition that can
occur in children. It has been noted that this condition
is often associated with stress, age-related immaturity
of the nervous system, and biological factors (Halliwell
& Gutteridge, 2019). In ARP, the child temporarily stops
breathing, which can lead to hypoxia and increased
oxidative stress. This process may also affect the
nervous and immune systems, according to existing
hypotheses (Ghezzi, 2020).
Research shows that oxidative stress plays an
important role in various neurological disorders, and
this process may also be significant in ARP. Oxidative
stress leads to damage to cell membranes, proteins,
and DNA due to excessive increase in reactive oxygen
species (ROS) at the cellular level (Tain, Hsu, & Chan,
2022). At the same time, the antioxidant defense
system works to reduce this damage. If this system is
not sufficiently effective, the cells can be damaged, and
the symptoms of the disease may worsen.
The changes in this system in conditions associated
with ARP have not been fully studied yet. The research
conducted so far has mainly focused on the
neurological and psychosomatic aspects of ARP, and
there is not enough information about its biochemical
mechanisms. Therefore, it is necessary to study the
relationship between oxidative stress and the
antioxidant defense system in ARP in more depth.
The aim of this study
was to analyze the relationship
between oxidative stress and the antioxidant defense
system in children with Affective-Respiratory Paroxysm
(ARP). The hypothesis is that in ARP, the antioxidant
defense system may be decreased, while oxidative
stress may be increased. If this hypothesis is confirmed,
it may help develop new therapeutic approaches for
the treatment and prevention of ARP in the future.
METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study. The study included 40
children aged 3-7 years with a diagnosis of Affective-
Respiratory Paroxysm (ARP) and 40 healthy children as
a control group. All participants were examined by a
pediatric neurologist, and the ARP diagnosis was
confirmed based on international diagnostic criteria
(Kane, Roberts, & Thompson, 2021).
Venous blood samples were collected from the
participants. The blood samples were centrifuged to
separate the plasma, which was then stored at -80°C.
As biomarkers of oxidative stress, the concentrations of
International Journal of Medical Sciences And Clinical Research
14
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International Journal of Medical Sciences And Clinical Research (ISSN: 2771-2265)
malondialdehyde (MDA) and the levels of reactive
oxygen species (ROS) were analyzed. Additionally, the
activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and
glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were measured to assess
the state of the antioxidant defense system (Tain, Hsu,
& Chan, 2022).
All data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 software. The
normality of continuous variables was checked using
the Shapiro-Wilk test. The differences between groups
were evaluated using Student's t-test or the Mann-
Whitney test. Correlation analysis was performed using
Pearson or Spearman coefficients. Results were
considered statistically significant at p < 0.05.
Research Findings
. The mean age of the children
participating in the study was 5.2 ± 1.1 years. In terms
of gender distribution, the ARP group had 22 boys
(55%) and 18 girls (45%), while the control group had
21 boys (52.5%) and 19 girls (47.5%). There was no
significant difference in age and gender between the
groups (p > 0.05).
It was found that the level of malondialdehyde (MDA)
was significantly higher in the ARP group compared to
the control group (4.62 ± 0.85 nmol/mL vs. 2.89 ± 0.67
nmol/mL, p < 0.001). Additionally, the levels of reactive
oxygen species (ROS) were also increased in the ARP
group (2.31 ± 0.54 µmol/L vs. 1.74 ± 0.41 µmol/L, p <
0.01). These results confirm that the level of oxidative
stress is higher in children with ARP.
The activity of antioxidant enzymes was significantly
lower in the ARP group. For example, the activity of
superoxide dismutase (SOD) was 3.78 ± 0.62 U/mL in
the control group, while it was 2.94 ± 0.55 U/mL in the
ARP group (p < 0.01). Additionally, the activity of
glutathione peroxidase (GPx) was also decreased in the
ARP group (48.6 ± 7.7 U/L vs. 61.2 ± 8.3 U/L, p < 0.001).
This indicates that the antioxidant defense system is
impaired in ARP.
The correlation analysis results showed an inverse
relationship between MDA levels and SOD activity (r =
-0.57, p < 0.001). There was also a negative correlation
between ROS and GPx (r = -0.49, p < 0.01). These
findings confirm that the increase in oxidative stress is
associated with the weakening of the antioxidant
defense system (Table 1.).
Table 1.
Indicators of Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Defense System
Indicator
ARP Group (n=40) Control Group (n=40) p-Value
MDA (nmol/mL)
4.62 ± 0.85
2.89 ± 0.67
<0.001
ROS (µmol/L)
2.31 ± 0.54
1.74 ± 0.41
<0.01
SOD (U/mL)
2.94 ± 0.55
3.78 ± 0.62
<0.01
GPx (U/L)
48.6 ± 7.7
61.2 ± 8.3
<0.001
Note: MDA - malondialdehyde, ROS - reactive oxygen species, SOD - superoxide dismutase,
GPx - glutathione peroxidase.
The results obtained indicate that in conditions
associated with Affective-Respiratory Paroxysm (ARP),
there is an increase in oxidative stress and a decrease
in the antioxidant defense mechanisms. This condition
can increase the risk of neurological damage, especially
during ARP episodes. The significance of these findings
is that they can help in early detection of conditions
associated with ARP and evaluate the possibilities of
antioxidant therapy.
DISCUSSION
The results of this study show that children with
Affective-Respiratory Paroxysm (ARP) have significantly
higher levels of oxidative stress markers and a
decreased antioxidant defense system. These findings
are important in understanding the pathophysiological
mechanisms of ARP.
First, it was found that the levels of malondialdehyde
(MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were much
higher in the ARP group compared to the control group.
This indicates an increase in oxidative stress, which can
damage cell membranes, proteins, and DNA (Halliwell
& Gutteridge, 2019). These results are consistent with
previous studies, where oxidative stress has been
shown to play an important role in neurological
diseases (Ghezzi, 2020).
Second, the indicators of the antioxidant defense
system, namely the activities of superoxide dismutase
(SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), were
decreased in the ARP group. This indicates a weakening
of the antioxidant defense system, which reduces the
International Journal of Medical Sciences And Clinical Research
15
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijmscr
International Journal of Medical Sciences And Clinical Research (ISSN: 2771-2265)
ability of cells to protect themselves from oxidative
damage (Tain, Hsu, & Chan, 2022). Previous studies
have also shown that decreased activity of antioxidant
enzymes can lead to an increase in oxidative stress in
neurological diseases (Kane, Roberts, & Thompson,
2021).
The correlation analysis results also showed an inverse
relationship between MDA and SOD. This can be
interpreted that as the level of oxidative stress
increases, the antioxidant defense system weakens,
and this process can lead to further exacerbation of
ARP. The negative correlation between ROS and GPx
also confirms this hypothesis.
These findings may be important for developing new
therapeutic approaches to treat and prevent ARP. For
example, enhancing the antioxidant defense system in
children through antioxidant supplements or dietary
changes may be beneficial. Future studies evaluating
the efficacy of antioxidant therapy in conditions
associated with ARP would be appropriate.
CONCLUSION
The obtained results are of great importance in
understanding the biochemical mechanisms of ARP. In
this condition, the imbalance between oxidative stress
and the antioxidant defense system may be one of the
main factors influencing the development of ARP. This
suggests the possibility of using antioxidant therapy in
the future to treat and prevent ARP.
Several directions are recommended for future
research. Firstly, it would be appropriate to study the
effects of antioxidant supplements in conditions
associated with ARP. Secondly, long-term studies are
needed to determine the impact of oxidative stress on
the dynamics of ARP. Additionally, investigating genetic
factors may also help provide a broader understanding
of the mechanism of ARP.
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Halliwell, B., & Gutteridge, J. M. C. (2019). Free radicals
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Kane, M., Roberts, L., & Thompson, J. (2021). Catalase
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