Targeting mitochondrial oxidative stress to protect against preterm birth and fetal brain injury via Nrf2 induction

Preterm birth (PTB), recognized as delivery before 37 weeks of gestation, is a multifactorial syndrome characterizing as the main cause of neonatal mortality. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been identified as proinflammatory factors to cause placental inflammation, thereby resulting in several pregnancy outcomes. To date, limited knowledge regarding the underlying mechanisms of ROS-induced PTB has been reported. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of oxidative stress in PTB and the protective effects of mitochondria-targeted antioxidant MitoTEMPO (MT) on preterm labor and offspring mice.