The structure of the human microsporidium found by Yachnis and colleagues in two AIDS patients (Am. J. Clin. Pathol. 106: 535-43, 1996) (hereafter referred to as HMY) was investigated by light and transmission electron microscopy and compared with Thelohania apodemi Doby, Jeannes et Raoult, 1963, a microsporidian of small rodents. The fine structure of the HMY was found to be similar to that of Trachipleistophora hominis Hollister, Canning, Weidner, Field, Kench et Marriott, 1996. Characteristic is the presence of a thick layer of electron dense material on the outer lace of the meront plasmalemma, which is maintained during the whole life cycle and which later persists as an electron dense coat on the sporophorous vesicle (SPOV). However, HMY is distinguished from T. hominis during sporogony, as two types of SPOV and spores are formed in HMY. One type of SPOV contains thick-wallcd spores (usually 8 or more in number) with anisofilar polar filaments of 7 + 2 pattem, while the other type contains only two thin-walled spores with a smaller number (3-5) of isofilar polar filament coils. The HMY differs from T. apodemi which also forms SPOV with 8 spores inside, but the spores of which are larger in size and have 9 + 2 polar filament pattern.
Interleukin-8 plays a critical role in inflammatory processes. Hence generation of molecules with anti-IL-8 activity is likely to be important for successful feeding and for survival of the ticks. Anti-IL-8 activity was studied in saliva of three ixodid tick species - Dermacentor reticulatus (Fabricius, 1794), Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Neumann, 1901, and Amblyomma variegatum (Fabricius, 1794). The greatest activity was shown in saliva prepared from D. reticulatus. The activity was attributed to tick salivary gland molecules that bind to IL-8, preventing binding of the chemokine to its specific receptor, rather than to occupation of the IL-8 cell receptor by the tick molecules. The distribution of anti-IL-8 activity in fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) fractions of salivary gland extracts (SGE) derived from adult female D. reticulatus, R. appendiculatus and A. variegatum was compared directly by both ELISA and receptor-binding inhibition assays. The correspondence in results with fractions of SGE from ELISA is consistent with detection of tick molecules that inhibit IL-8 binding to its receptor. As IL-8 is an important chemoattractant and activator of neutrophils, the presence of an anti-IL-8 activity in tick saliva indicates that neutrophils play an important role in the host response to parasitism by ticks.
The present paper investigates the statistical behaviour of the solar flares through cycle 21 (1976-1986). The total number of solar flares and the number of flares of various importance are given. The year of maximum of all events was 1980 with 10132 flares. The subflares háve had their maximum values in 1979 (9278 events)
and in 1980 (9273 events) while, the other flares reached the maximum two - three years later. The asymmetry A for subflares and importance 1 flares favour the Southern hemisphere (A= -2.8 and -0.9) but thal of importance >2, the northem hemisphere (A=
+3.6). The maximum number of flares with importance >2 (Fmax) in solar cycle 21 took place two years later than the maximum number of solar spots (Rmax) but Fmax in cycle 20 appeared one year before Rmax and for cycle 19 in the same year of Rmax.
Modifikáciou chemicko-fyzikálnych vlastností umelých materiálov určených na výrobu cievnych protéz a na podporu regenerácie cievnej steny je možné cielene regulovať adhéziu buniek, ich rast a správnu diferenciáciu. Použitím biodegradovateľných materiálov s antiadhezívnymi vlastnosťami na báze kopolyméru poly(mliečnej kyseliny) s poly(etylén oxidom) sme sa snažili vyhnúť nekontrolovanej adsorpcii proteínov zo séra, alebo z kultivačného média na umelý materiál a neriadenej adhézii buniek. Súčasne to umožňuje predchádzať možným imunitným reakciám, které môžu nastať pri použití cizorodého séra pri kultivácii buniek. Naviazaním vhodných špecifických ligandov pro integrínové receptory- oligopeptidu GRGDSG- na tieto antiadhezívne povrchy sme dosiahli kontrolovanú adhéziu hladkých svalových buniek, sprostredkovanú integrínovými receptormi. Vhodným výberom ligandov-oligoproteínov, ich koncentráciou a konformačným usporiadaním je možné ďalej regulovať adhéziu, rast a proliferáciu určitých typov buniek (hladké svaly, endoteliálne bunky a pod.) potrebných na vytvorenie funkčnej cievnej steny., Elena Filová, Lucie Bačáková, Věra Lisá, Dana Kubies, Luďka Machová, Vladimír Proks, František Rypáček., and Obsahuje seznam literatury