The effect of Aronia melanocarpa extract on the phospholipid composition of the rat myocardium during stress.

The research was performed on 80 male rats of the Wistar line. Animals of two age groups were used: adults (10-12 months) and old (22-25 months). The obtained data show that the development of immobilization stress in adult and aged rats are accompanied by the formation of a characteristic complex of changes in the phospholipid composition of the myocardium. Intraperitoneal injection of the chokeberry extract (Aronia melanocarpa) at a dose of 0.2 g/kg 60 minutes before the immobilization has limited stress modulation of myocardial phospholipid composition in aged animals. Thus, the extract of Aronia melanocarpa increases the myocardial resistance to the injury effect of stress.

Using e-learning tools in biochemistry teaching for undergraduate medical students in multicultural environment in Ukraine during COVID-19 crisis.

Through the special situation like the COVID-2019 lockdown, interactive techniques play a prime role in the study process. The strategy of lockdown ways of higher education was provided in Ukraine as well as in other countries since March 2020. Our investigation was performed at the Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry of Dnipro State Medical University during the first lockdown of COVID-19 from March to June 2020. The main aim of the research was the evaluation of the students' attitudes to studying Biochemistry using Google classrooms and Moodle. Four hundred and sixty-three students studying in English, French, and Ukrainian took part in the survey. Our results reveal that majority of the students found Google classrooms and Moodle as useful e-learning tools. However, questions dealing with the technical issues of using the Google classrooms on laptops and mobile phones and submitting the replies to the Google classrooms cause difficulties among the students.

Acute inhalation toxicity of aerosolized electrochemically generated solution of sodium hypochlorite.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine the inhalation toxicity of the electrochemically generated sodium hypochlorite solution after its single administration to laboratory animals in the form of a highly dispersed aerosol. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study has been conducted according to the OECD Test Guideline №403 'Acute Inhalation Toxicity.' Laboratory animals were exposed to inhalation of an aerosol containing 1.7 ± 0.13 mg/m3 of active chlorine. The hematological and biochemical parameters of the blood of experimental animals have been determined, as well as specific parameters: the activity of cathepsins B and L, catalase, and α1-antitrypsin. Histological study of the lungs of animals has been carried out. RESULTS: During inhalation and 14 days after it, no death of the animals was observed; the behavior, appearance, and weight gain did not differ from the control group. There were no significant deviations in hematological parameters, except the decrease in the level of platelets. The biochemical study showed slight changes in the activity of alkaline phosphatase and aspartate aminotransferase on the 1st day after inhalation; these parameters returned to normal within 14 days of observation. Specific biochemical parameters did not show the development of oxidative stress. No specific histological pathologies of lung tissue have been found. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, the studied electrochemically generated sodium hypochlorite solution under single inhalation exposure in aerosol form practically does not cause a toxic effect. The data obtained allow classifying such solution to the 4th (or even 5th - after additional studies) class of toxicity in accordance with Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.

Insulin receptor substrate 1 gene expression is strongly up-regulated by HSPB8 silencing in U87 glioma cells.

Objective. The aim of the present investigation was to study the expression of genes encoding IRS1 (insulin receptor substrate 1) and some other functionally active proteins in U87 glioma cells under silencing of polyfunctional chaperone HSPB8 for evaluation of the possible significance of this protein in intergenic interactions.Methods. Silencing of HSPB8 mRNA was introduced by HSPB8 specific siRNA. The expression level of HSPB8, IRS1, HK2, GLO1, HOMER3, MYL9, NAMPT, PER2, PERP, GADD45A, and DEK genes was studied in U87 glioma cells by quantitative polymerase chain reaction.Results. It was shown that silencing of HSPB8 mRNA by specific to HSPB8 siRNA led to a strong down-regulation of this mRNA and significant modification of the expression of IRS1 and many other genes in glioma cells: strong up-regulated of HOMER3, GLO1, and PERP and down-regulated of MYL9, NAMPT, PER2, GADD45A, and DEK gene expressions. At the same time, no significant changes were detected in the expression of HK2 gene in glioma cells treated by siRNA, specific to HSPB8. Moreover, the silencing of HSPB8 mRNA enhanced the glioma cells proliferation rate.Conclusions. Results of this investigation demonstrated that silencing of HSPB8 mRNA affected the expression of IRS1 gene as well as many other genes encoding tumor growth related proteins. It is possible that the dysregulation of most of the studied genes in glioma cells after silencing of HSPB8 is reflected by a complex of intergenic interactions and that this polyfunctional chaperone is an important factor for the stability of genome function and regulatory mechanisms contributing to the tumorigenesis control.