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ISSN 2522-9028 (Print)
ISSN 2522-9036 (Online)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/fz

Fiziologichnyi Zhurnal

(English title: Physiological Journal)

is a scientific journal issued by the

Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Editor-in-chief: V.F. Sagach

The journal was founded in 1955 as
1955 – 1977 "Fiziolohichnyi zhurnal" (ISSN 0015 – 3311)
1978 – 1993 "Fiziologicheskii zhurnal" (ISSN 0201 – 8489)
1994 – 2016 "Fiziolohichnyi zhurnal" (ISSN 0201 – 8489)
2017 – "Fiziolohichnyi zhurnal" (ISSN 2522-9028)

Fiziol. Zh. 2026; 72(2): 40-48

REDOX BALANCE IN UTERINE TISSUE AND BLOOD PLASMA OF RATS DURING ENDOTOXEMIA AND THE ACTION OF EXOGENOUS GLUTATHIONE

V.R. Strutynskyi1, Y.P. Korkach2, L.A. Mys3, R.I. Yanchiy4

  1. Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/fz72.02.040


Abstract

Lipopolysaccharide, as endotoxin, causes systemic inflam- mation and oxidative stress, alters metabolism and gene expression, disrupts the function of many organs, including the uterus, and depresses the reproductive capacity of animals. By maintaining redox homeostasis, glutathione reduces the pathogenic effects of endotoxin. However, lipopolysaccha- ride inhibits endogenous glutathione synthesis, which can potentially increase damage. Our work aimed to determine the impact of exogenous glutathione on markers of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide synthases (NOS) activity, and hydrogen sulfide content in uterine tissues and blood plasma of rats with lipopolysaccharide-induced endotoxemia. Lipopolysaccharide was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 3 mg/kg one day before removing the animals from the experiment. Glutathione was injected intraperitoneally at a dose of 52 mg/kg twice: one hour before lipopolysaccharide administration and one day later. It has been shown that during endotoxemia, markers of oxidative stress (the rate of forma- tion of superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical, the content of hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, and diene conjugates) significantly increased in uterine tissues and blood plasma. An increase in the activity of inducible NO synthase was also observed, which creates the prerequisites for the formation of highly toxic peroxynitrite. At the same time, a decrease in the content and activity of such metabolic regulators important for the normal function of organs and systems, such as H 2 S and constitutive NOS, was observed. The administration of glutathione to animals prevented these pathogenic changes, reducing markers of oxidative stress and the synthesis of nitric oxide by inducible NOS, and increasing the protective activity of constitutive NO synthase. At the same time, the content of H 2 S in the blood plasma of animals with endotoxemia upon administration of this antioxidant increased almost threefold, exceeding its concentration in control animals. Thus, glutathi- one supports redox homeostasis and optimises the organism's protective and regulatory systems (in particular, nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide) and adaptive capabilities in conditions of endotoxemia, and is an important protective factor in condi- tions of systemic inflammation.

Keywords: myometrium; smooth muscle; rats; inflammation; oxidative stress; oxytocin receptor; KIR channel; plasma membrane; expression; NO; glutathione; hydrogen sulfide

Full text: (PDF, in Ukrainian)

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