Category Archives: Uncategorized

Experimental preeclampsia development depends on vitamin D(3) status in female wistar rats

I. V. Poladych1*, I. O. Shymanskyi2, M. M. Veliky2, D. O. Govsieiev1

1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology No 1,
Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine;
2Department of Biochemistry of Vitamins and Coenzymes,
Palladin Institute of Biochemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv;
*e-mail: iren.poladich@gmail.com

Received: 08 May 2025; Revised: 08 August 2025;
Accepted: 12 September 2025; Available on-line: 17 September 2025

Deficiency of vitamin D3 during pregnancy is a widespread challenge associated with increased risk of complications, particularly preeclampsia (PE), a serious condition characterized by hypertension with proteinuria. This research aimed to study the experimental preeclampsia rates in pregnant rats depending on the vitamin D3 supply. Eight-week-old female Wistar rats were divided into three experimental groups: control; vitamin D3-deficient for 60 days before mating; vitamin D3-deficient with oral vitamin D3 supplement (1000 IU/kg b.w.t) two weeks before mating. Subgroups with and without PE induction were analyzed. PE was induced by administration of Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). The blood level of vitamin D3 was measu­red using a 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 ELISA kit. Proteinuria was assessed using semi-quantitative urine test strips “Prototest”. The highest blood pressure and proteinuria levels were recorded in animals with combined vitamin D3 deficiency and induced preeclampsia. Administration of vitamin D3 contributed to normalization of hemodynamic parameters and kidney function, indicating the importance of an adequate vitamin D3 status for pregnancy health and PE prevention.

Chemerin-adiponectin axis in hypothyroidism

M. K. Najim1*, A. F. Al-Shukri2

1Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, College of Health and Medical Technology,
Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, Kufa, Iraq;
Thi-Qar Health Directorate, Al-Rifae Teaching Hospital;
*e-mail: murtadha.najeem.chm@student.atu.edu.iq;
2Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, College of Health and Medical Technology,
Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, Kufa, Iraq;
e-mail: kin.ebt@atu.edu.iq

Received: 09 April 2025; Revised: 30 June 2025;
Accepted: 12 September 2025; Available on-line: 17 September 2025

Hypothyroidism disrupts energy and metabolism due to insufficient thyroid hormones production, leading to metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. Recent studies have demonstrated the impact of adipokines, chemerin and adiponectin on thyroid function. This review analyzes the involvement of these hormones in the metabolic and inflammatory complications of hypothyroidism, their effects and interactions through complex signaling pathways, as well as their possible contribution to the etiology and treatment of hypothyroidism, considering the importance of integrating biomarker data.

Mitogenesis, mitophagy and regulation of mitochondrial metabolism in health and disease

Charles G. Ward

Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, 80-208, Poland;
e-mail: Charles.ward@gumed.edu.pl

Received: 18 May 2025; Revised: 02 July 2025;
Accepted: 12 September 2025; Available on-line: 17 September 2025

The state of mitochondrial homeostasis, comprising the processes of mitochondrial biogenesis, selective removal of damaged or dysfunctional mitochondria, mitochondrial dynamics (fusion and fission), as well as signaling systems of mitochondrial metabolism regulation are analyzed in this review. Particular attention is paid to how the bioenergetic demands of tissues are modulated in viral SARS-CoV, hepatitis B, C infections and asthma.

Contents UBJ, 2025, Volume 97, Issue 3

Astaxanthin as an antioxidant: exploring its potential in prevention of mitochondrial dysfunction

A. A. Badri1*, N. N. Ayu Dewi2, I. A. I. Wahyuniari3

1Master Program in Biomedical Science, Anti-Aging Medicine,
Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Udayana, Denpasar, Indonesia;
2Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Udayana, Denpasar, Indonesia;
3Department of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Udayana, Denpasar, Indonesia;
*e-mail: ameliabadri940@gmail.com

Received: 03 February 2025; Revised: 21 May 2025;
Accepted: 11 June 2025; Available on-line: 07 July 2025

Astaxanthin is a natural carotenoid with a powerful antioxidant activity, high stability and the ability to cross both the blood-brain and the blood-retinal barriers. It demonstrates significant potential in mitigating diseases related to oxidative stress. Mitochondria are the organelles most susceptible to molecular damage caused by oxidative stress, transcriptional pathways regulated by Nrf2 and PGC-1 play the crucial role in maintaining mitochondrial function and biogenesis. In this review the molecular mechanism of astaxanthin influence on Nrf2 and PGC-1α pathways and cellular health are analysed.

How the brain makes sense of the world: May-Britt Moser and the 2014 Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine

T. V. Danylova1*, S. V. Komisarenko2

1Institute for Social and Political Psychology, National Academy
of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv;
*e-mail: danilova_tv@ukr.net;
2Palladin Institute of Biochemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv

Received: 21 April 2025; Revised: 27 May 2025;
Accepted: 11 June 2025; Available on-line: 07 July 2025

For hundreds of years, thinkers have tried to unravel the mystery of the brain and the ways the brain makes sense of the world. In recent decades, prominent neuroscientists have come close to solving this phenomenon and have provided crucial information about the role of the brain in complex behavior. One of them is May-Britt Moser, a Norwegian psychologist and neuroscientist known for her work on spatial orientation and spatial memory specifically and cognition more generally and a co-recipient of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. This paper aims to outline the main stages of her scientific activities.

Corrigendum: Interaction of 4 allotropic modifications of carbon nanoparticles with living tissues

Paryzhak S.Ya., Dumych T.I., Peshkova S.M.,
Bila E.E., Lutsyk A.D., Barras A.,
Boukherroub R., Szunerits S., Bilyy R.O.
Ukr Biochem J. 2019; 91(2): 41-50.
doi: https://doi.org/10.15407/ubj91.02.041
In the published article, there was an error in Figure 5 as published. Figure 5 included by mistake a wrong fluorescence image of mice used in this work. We believe this error resulted from the use of the same contour mask during figure­ preparation, inadvertently leading to a mix-up of images­.
The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way.
The updated Figure 5 is shown below.

Influence of heterometallic Ge(IV) – 3d-metals complexes on microbial rhamnosidase, galactosidase and protease activity

O. V. Gudzenko1*, L. D. Varbanets1, I. I. Seifullina2,
О. E. Martsynko2, O. A. Finik3, K. K. Tsymbaliuk2,3

1Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology,
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv;
2Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University, Ukraine;
3LLC “Inspectorat Ukraine”, Ukraine;
*e-mail: alena.gudzenko81@gmail.com

Received: 18 March 2025; Revised: 12 May 2025;
Accepted: 11 June 2025; Available on-line: 07 July 2025

In recent years, the attention of researchers has been attracted by coordination compounds of germanium with various bioligands, which may be used both as activator or inhibitor of enzymes. The aim of the work was to investigate the effect of new heterometallic Ge(IV) – 3d-metals complexes with 1-hydro­xyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid and 1,10-phenanthroline on the activity of purified α-L-rhamnosidases produced by Eupenicillium erubescens, Penicillium tardum, Penicillium restrictum, Cryptococcus albidus, α-galactosidase of P. restrictum and proteases with elastolytic and fibrinogenolytic activity of Bacillus sp. The studied compounds (0,1% concentration) activate α-L-rhamnosidase differently depending on its producer. Thus, the activity of α-L-rhamnosidase of E. erubescens was stimulated with [Co(phen)3]4[Ge6(μ-OH)4(μ-O)2(μ-hedp)6]·2СН3СООН·30H2O by 200%, of Penicillium tardum – with [Zn(phen)2(H2O)2]2[Zn(phen)(H2O)4]2[Ge6(μ-OH)4(μ-O)2(μ-hedp)6]·18H2O by 200%, of Penicillium restrictum – with [Ni(phen)3]4[Ge6(μ-OH)4(μ-O)2(μ-hedp)6]·2СН3СООН·26H2O by 67%, of Cryptococcus albidus – wih [Co(phen)3]4[Ge6(μ-OH)4(μ-O)2(μ-hedp)6]·2СН3СООН·30H2O by 40%. The α-galactosidase of Penicillium restrictum was not affected by the investigated compounds. Bacillus sp. IMV B-7883 elastase was activated with [Co(phen)3]4[Ge6(μ-OH)4(μ-O)2(μ-hedp)6]·2СН3СООН·30H2O by 70%, but was totally inhibited with [Fe(phen)3]4[Ge6(μ-OH)4(μ-O)2(μ-hedp)6]·20H2O. The compounds that showed the greatest 200% stimulating effect on the fibrinogenolytic activity of Bacillus sp. IMV B-7883 were [Fe(phen)3]4[Ge6(μ-OH)4(μ-O)2(μ-hedp)6]·20H2O and [Zn(phen)2(H2O)2]2[Zn(phen)(H2O)4]2[Ge6(μ-OH)4(μ-O)2(μ-hedp)6]·18H2O.

Isolation, characterization and antioxidant activity of fibrinogen-like protein-1 from serum and synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abdulsattar J. Abdullah, Zahraa M. A. Hamodat*

Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Mosul, Iraq;
*e-mail: zahraahamodat@uomosul.edu.iq

Received: 20 April 2025; Revised: 01 June 2025;
Accepted: 11 June 2025; Available on-line: 07 July 2025

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Fibrinogen-like protein-1 (FGL1) has been implicated in immune regulation, but its antioxidant role under inflammatory conditions remains underexplored. This study aimed to isolate and purify FGL1 from the serum of healthy controls and from the serum and synovial fluid from inflamed joints of RA patients, and to assess its antioxidant capacity. Purification included ammonium sulfate precipitation (65%), dialysis, and gel filtration chromatography (Sephadex G-75), SDS-PAGE and HPLC. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH radical scavenging and IC50 calculation. SDS-PAGE and HPLC analysis confirmed the successful isolation, identity and high purity of FGL1 from all samples, the protein molecular weight ranged from 68 to 70 kDa. The DPPH assay showed that FGL1 isolated from synovial fluid of RA patients had the highest antioxidant activity (IC50 = 2.124 ng/ml), followed by RA serum (2.172 ng/ml) and control serum (2.798 ng/ml). These results indicate the dual role of FGL1 protein in immune response and oxidative balance, making it a promising biomarker and potential therapeutic target in rheumatoid arthritis.

Pancreatic stone protein/regenerating protein as a biomarker of diabetic neuropathy

A. I. Albadr1*, I. I. Albadr2, A. Q. Abdulsada3

1Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine,
University of Basrah, Basrah, Iraq;
2Al-Aqsa Intifada Center, Basrah, Iraq;
3Basrah Health Directorate, Basrah, Iraq
*e-mail: abrar.emad@uobasrah.edu.iq

Received: 22 April 2025; Revised: 15 May 2025;
Accepted: 11 June 2025; Available on-line: 07 July 2025

Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is considered the most common complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). There is an unmet need for potential biomarkers that can be used to diagnose diabetic neuropathy and to halt its progression. Chronic low-grade inflammation plays a key role in the development of DN. It was shown that secretory lectin-binding pancreatic stone protein/ regenerating protein (PSP/reg) is raised in the blood during inflammatory and infectious conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the serum level of PSP/reg and DN in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A total of 250 participants with T2DM aged 40-70 years were divided into two groups: patients without DN and DN patients. The presence of T2DM and DN was confirmed clinically. The serum PSP/reg protein level was determined using ELISA. It was shown that serum PSP/reg level was significantly higher in DN patients compared with diabetic patients without DN and was positively correlated with glycated hemoglobin and blood glucose level. ROC analysis revealed that the optimal cut-off point of PSP/reg was 10.15 ng/ml to indicate DN with a sensitivity of 92%. These results indicate the potential role of serum PSP/reg level as a supplementary diabetic neuropathy marker which may be useful in identifying T2DM patients who are at a high risk of nerve damage.