Pro/antioxidant status in young healthy women using oral contraceptives

•Oral contraceptives cause pro/antioxidant imbalance.•GGT is a marker of oxidative stress.•Catalase is the main antioxidant involved in the removal free radicals.•The detoxification being mediated through GSH is weakened.

The aim of the study was to analyze the effects of oral contraceptives (OCs) on pro/antioxidant status in the blood of healthy women aged 20–25 years.Individuals were divided into OCs users and OCs nonusers. Markers of oxidative stress in the blood such as Cu, Cu/Zn ratio, malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione oxidized (GSSG), and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) were determined. Antioxidants such as glutathione reduced (GSH), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were estimated.Higher Cu concentrations, Cu/Zn ratio and GGT activity in women taking OCs were noted. A significant increase in MDA concentrations in oral OCs users was observed. Heightened activity of CAT in plasma was observed in OCs users, whereas SOD activity remained unchanged in plasma and erythrocyte lysate. A decline of GSH and GSSG in whole blood and glutathiono-dependent enzymes (GPx in plasma, GR in plasma and GST in lysate) was shown.Use of OCs leads to a pro/antioxidant imbalance. The results in the present study confirmed that GGT is an early marker of oxidative stress. Catalase is the main antioxidant, involved in the removal of free radicals in OCs users.