Short-term weight-reducing regimens were shown to influence fatty acid composition of serum lipids unfavorably. Adding long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC PUFA) to a low-calorie diet (LCD) could avoid these changes. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a short-term in-patient weight-reducing regimen including LCD with yogurt enriched by low doses of n-3 PUFA (n-3 LCD). The enriched yogurt contained 790 mg of fish oil, predominantly eicosapentaenoic (20:5n-3; EPA) and docosahexaenoic (22:6n-3; DHA). Forty obese women were randomly assigned to the group consuming LCD and joghurt either with or without n-3 enrichment. Following the 3-week diet in the n-3 LCD group a significantly higher increase in the proportion of n-3 LC PUFA (sum of n-3 FA, EPA and DHA) in serum lipids was confirmed. In phospholipids (PL) a significant difference in the sum of n-6 fatty acids was found, a decrease in the n-3 LCD group and an increase in LCD group. Significantly higher increase in the PL palmitate (16:0) was shown in the LCD group. The results suggest that low doses of n-3 fatty acid enrichment can help to avoid unfavorable changes in fatty acid composition in serum lipids after a short-term weight-reducing regimen., P. Hlavatý, M. Kunešová, M. Gojová, E. Tvrzická, M. Vecka, P. Roubal, M. Hill, K. Hlavatá, P. Kalousková, V. Hainer, A. Žák, J. Drbohlav., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important role in the pathogenesis of heart failure (HF). Our aim was to determine the activities of circulating MMP-2 and MMP-9 in patients with HF in respect of gender, comorbidities and treatment (n=51). We did not reveal any differences in circulating pro-MMP-2 and pro-MMP-9 activities between the patients with HF and without it. However, there was a decrease in activity of pro-MMP-2 in treated hypertensive participants versus healthy ones. In contrast, we observed increased pro-MMP-2 activity in hypertensive participants with coexistent HF versus hypertensive participants without HF. In addition, a decrease in pro-MMP-2 activity was shown in women suffering from HF versus men suffering from HF. In conclusion, potential inhibitory effect of antihypertensive treatment on pro-MMP-2 activity was found. Coexistent HF with hypertension probably reduces the inhibitory effect of antihypertensive treatment on pro-MMP-2 activity. Our data also suggest the role of potential cardioprotective factors influencing the activity of pro-MMP-2 in women., E. Giannakos, E. Vardali, M. Bartekova, M. Fogarassyova, M. Barancik, J. Radosinska., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Acute phase proteins and markers of proteosynthetic activity reflect the clinical activity in Crohn´s disease (CD). The impact of anti-tumor necrosis factor antibody (anti-TNF) therapy on serum levels of acute phase proteins and proteosynthetic markers was studied. Fourteen patients with active CD were treated with 5 mg per kg of anti-TNF in intravenous infusion. Clinical activity (assessed by Crohn´s disease activity index - CDAI), α-1-acid glycoprotein, haptoglobin, cholinesterase and prealbumin were assessed before and in months 1 and 5 after treatment. A sustained decrease in CDAI was observed. This was accompanied by a significant decrease in α-1-acid glycoprotein and haptoglobin in month 1 (p=0.005 and p=0.01, respectively) while in month 5 the levels of both acute phase proteins rose significantly (p=0.003 for α-1-acid glycoprotein and p=0.02 for haptoglobin). Cholinesterase and prealbumin significantly increased in month 1 after the treatment (p=0.02 and p=0.0006, respectively), the increase was sustained in cholinesterase while prealbumin levels diminished in month 5. We conclude that the clinical improvement after anti-TNF therapy for CD is accompanied by changes of acute phase proteins and proteosynthetic markers. The assessment of these laboratory markers may be useful in the management of CD patients treated with anti-TNF., V. Kupčová, L. Turecký, Z. Detková, M. Príkazská, A. Keleov., and Obsahuje bibliografii
We experimentally produced moderate water stress that reduced leaf, stem, root and fruit biomass of peppers, and severe nitrogen (N) limitations that almost stopped their development. Root/shoot ratios (R/S) were higher in N-limited plants. Low water availability (and also low N availability) produced lower stomatal conductance (g,). Specific leaf mass was higher and chlorophyll (Chl) concentration was lower under low N-availability. The same experimental conditions produced smaller differences among treatments in beans (with N-fixing symbionts). Water stress increased its relative importance as shown by the induced increase in root/shoot ratio. N stress was less important as shown by the absence of effects on Chl concentrations and g^. Both peppers and beans responded to limited availability of nitrogen and water by allocating to structures involved in uptake (roots), by longer organ duration, and by increasing the efficiency of N and water use.
During a 5-20 d growth at moderate salinity (7 dS m‘i) in rice seedlings of salt sensitive cultivars Ratna and Jaya a larger decrease in chlorophyll (Chl) a and b contents was observed than in tolerant cvs. CSR-1 and CSR-3. At higher salinity (14 dS m'i) about 40 % declines in both whole chain electron transport and photosystem (PS) 2 activities were observed in the tolerant cvs. and about 62 to 67 % declines in the sensitive ones. No apparent change in PSI activity was observed due to salinization in the both sets of cultivars. Higher rate of Hill reaction was observed in chloroplasts ffom salt stressed seedlings of tolerant cultivars whereas inhibition in this activity was found in the sensitive ones. Chloroplasts isolated from stressed seedlings of sensitive cultivars showed about 31 % reduction in fluorescence emission at 685 nm as well as a major decrease in absorption with shifts in peaks in the visible region of spectrum. Thus salt sensitivity in rice is associated with decreased contents of Chls and carotenoids, PS2 and Hill reaction activities, and fluorescence emission.
In the hypocotyls of Rhizophora mucronata Lamk. and R. apiculata Bl. during viviparous germination the concentrations of chlorophyll (Chl) and total sugars, and net photosynthetic rate (P^) were increased quadratically, while linear relationship existed between starch content and the developmental phase. R. apicuiata hypocotyls had a higher value of as well as higher Chl, sugar and starch contents than hypocotyls of R. mucronata.
When exposed to Y-radiation (12, 8 and 3.5 kGy), the growth of beán seedlings {Phaseolus vulgaris L.) was stopped and after some hours or days the plants began to wilt in a dose-dependent manner, starting from the leaf rim. The rate of the dark respiration {R) of leaves increased and that of net photosynthesis {P^ was strongly reduced. The regulation of stomata opening and closure was lost and the stomatal conductance (g^) of the y-ray exposed plants was strongly reduced. The reduced was only partly due to either the partial or almost Ml stomata closure. Chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence measurements with a two-wavelength fluorometer and a PAM fluorometer showed an increasingly reduced variable fluorescence Fy, lower values of Rfj, of ground fluorescence Fq, and of the fluorescence ratios Fy/F,n and Fy/F^. This indicated a damage to the photosynthetic apparatus. The increasing loss of photosynthetic pigments in the 350 krad exposed plants was also detected via an increase in the fluorescence ratio F690/F730. The performance of the light driven xanthophyll cycle (violaxanthin/zeaxanthin transformation) proceeded in the y-ray treated plants only at reduced rates. The y-ray damage of plants can best be detected by measurements of stomatal conductance, and various Chl fluorescence ratios such as Rf(j, Fy/Fj, and Fy/F^,.
Chloroplasts are commonly the site of the earliest abiotic injury visible in plant ultrastructure. In this study, six inbred lines of maize (Zea mays L.) were used to analyze changes in the ultrastructure of chloroplasts and related physiological parameters under conditions of drought stress simulated by 20% polyethylene glycol 6000 (-0.6 MPa) for two days. Chloroplasts of three maize lines proved to be more sensitive. They showed changes in the ultrastructure in response to drought, including damage of thylakoid membranes, an increase in the number and size of plastoglobuli, swelling of thylakoid membranes both stromal and granal, disorganization of the thylakoid membrane system, an obvious increase in the intrathylakoid space, and a decrease in the
length-to-width ratio and area of chloroplasts. In addition, the contents of malondialdehyde increased markedly in the sensitive lines. Contrary to the sensitive lines, stable structures and shapes of chloroplasts were observed in the drought-resistant lines; it could be considered as an advantage contributing to drought tolerance in the plants. In addition, the drought index of leaf fresh mass (LMDI) in the drought-sensitive lines was ≤ 0.5, which was also associated with a lower content of leaf chlorophyll. In contrast, drought tolerance coincided with lesser growth reduction, and higher LMDI and leaf chlorophyll content., R. X. Shao, L. F. Xin, H. F. Zheng, L. L. Li, W. L. Ran, J. Mao, Q. H. Yang., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Changes in extracellular space (ECS) diffusion parameters, DC potentials and extracellular potassium concentration were studied during single and repeated cortical spreading depressions (SD) in 13-15 (P13-15), 21 (P21) and 90-day-old (adult) Wistar rats. The real-time iontophoretic method using tetramethylammonium (TMA+)-selective microelectrodes was employed to measure three ECS parameters in the somatosensory cortex: the ECS volume fraction α (α = ECS volume/total tissue volume), ECS tortuosity λ (increase in diffusion path length) and the nonspecific TMA+ uptake k’. SD was elicited by needle prick. SD was significantly longer at P13-15 than at P21 and in adults. During SD, α in all age groups decreased from 0.21-0.23 to 0.05-0.09; λ increased from 1.55-1.65 to 1.95-2.07. Ten minutes after SD, α (in adults) and λ (all age groups) increased compared to controls. This increase persisted even 1 hour after SD. When SD was repeated at 1 hour intervals, both α and λ showed a gradual cumulative increase with SD repetition. Our study also shows that cortical SD is, as early as P13, accompanied by severe ECS shrinkage and increased diffusion path length (tortuosity) with values similar to adults, followed by a long-lasting increase in ECS volume and tortuosity when compared to pre-SD values., T. Mazel, F. Richter, L. Vargová, E. Syková., and Obsahuje bibliografii