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Medical Science of Ukraine

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Vol. 22, No. 2, 2026

Medical Science of Ukraine

Medical Science of Ukraine

ISSN 2664-472X

EISSN 2664-4738 

Publisher: Bogomolets National Medical University



Retrieved from Vol. 22, No. 1, 2026

Morphological changes in the placenta under conditions of vitamin D3 deficiency in experimental preeclampsia in rats

Received 21.09.2025, Revised 16.02.2026, Accepted 18.03.2026 Published 30.03.2026

https://doi.org/10.32345/2664-4738.1.2026.11

Iryna Poladych, Serhii Savosko, Olexandr Grabovyi, Dmytro Govsieiev

Abstract

Aim: to assess the morphofunctional state of the placenta in rats under conditions of vitamin D₃ deficiency and experimental preeclampsia.
Materials and methods. The experiment was conducted on 36 female Wistar rats, divided into three main groups: a control group, a group with vitamin D deficiency, and a group with correction of vitamin D deficiency by cholecalciferol supplementation. Each group was further divided into subgroups: without additional intervention and with L-NAME-induced preeclampsia. On the 16th day of gestation, placentas were collected for histological, morphometric, and statistical analyses.
Results. Histological examination of placentas from the control group revealed a well-defined histoarchitecture with a distinct labyrinth zone. In rats with vitamin D3 deficiency, a reduction in the relative area of the syncytiotrophoblast (31.8% vs. 56.0% in control, p < 0.05) and cytotrophoblast, along with an increase in the maternal lacunae area (33.4% vs. 23.4%, p < 0.05), was observed. Under conditions of vitamin D3 deficiency combined with experimental preeclampsia, these changes were even more pronounced, with marked dilation and congestion of lacunae, local trophoblastic layer destruction, and heterogeneity of the labyrinth zone architecture. Correction of vitamin D₃ deficiency partially restored placental structure: the areas of cytotrophoblasts and maternal lacunae normalized, although the proportion of syncytiotrophoblasts remained significantly lower than in the control group.
Conclusions. Vitamin D3 deficiency disrupts the morphofunctional organization of the placenta, causing a reduction in cellular components in the fetal part and compensatory dilation of maternal lacunae. Vitamin D3 deficiency exacerbates the pathological changes induced by preeclampsia, confirming the synergistic negative effect of these factors. Cholecalciferol correction exerts a protective effect, partially restoring placental architecture, which indicates the therapeutic and preventive potential of vitamin D3 in gestational complications

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Keywords:

vitamin D3 deficiency, placenta, pregnancy, preeclampsia

Pages 95-101

Suggested citation

Poladych, I., Savosko, S., Grabovyi, O., & Govsieiev, D. (2026). Morphological changes in the placenta under conditions of vitamin D3 deficiency in experimental preeclampsia in rats. Medical Science of Ukraine, 22(1), 95-101. https://doi.org/10.32345/2664-4738.1.2026.11

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ISSN 2664-472X; e-ISSN 2664-4738

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