Flavonoids, a group of phenolic compounds found naturally in fruit, vegetables, nuts, flowers, seeds and bark are an integral part of the human diet. They have been reported to exhibit a wide range of biological effects, including anti-ischemic, antiplatelet, antineoplastic, antiinflammatory, antiallergic, antilipoperoxidant or gastroprotective actions. Furthermore, flavonoids are potent antioxidants, free radical scavengers and metal chelators, and inhibit lipid peroxidation. Oxidative modification of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) is believed to play a crucial role in atherogenesis. Epidemiological studies have shown that the consumption of fruits and vegetables, and regular red wine consumption is related with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases., G. Mojžišová, M. Kuchta., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Autor příspěvku poukazuje na významný teoretický přínos D. Kastovského, jedné z nej výraznějších současných světových osobností v oblasti synchronní a diachronní slovotvorby. Jeho dílo je neobyčejné rozsáhlé, takže se příspěvek zaměřuje jen na základní myšlenky, které charakterizují dílo tohoto velikána a které byly podrobně rozpracované v desítkách jeho studií.
Hlavní body: 1. Hodnocení obvyklých stravovacích návyků pacienta nebo hodnocení příjmu konkrétních potravin a nápojů pomůže objasnit, zda strava přispívá k riziku vzniku litiázy, nebo nikoli. 2. Dietologické vyšetření by měl provádět zkušený dietolog; lékaři, kteří se nespecializují na tuto problematiku, by se měli vyvarovat častých chyb, kterých se obvykle dopouští lékaři bez kvalifikace v dietologii. 3. 24hod sběr moči a rozbor složení litiázy nejsou ekvivalentní alternativou dietologickému hodnocení, neboť látky (ze stravy) obsažené v moči nebo ledvinných kamenech podléhají po konzumaci mnohačetným metabolickým procesům. 4. Dietetická doporučení by měla být stanovena konkrétně pro předpokládaný dietetický rizikový faktor. 5. V případě, že se strava nepodílí na vzniku litiázy nebo pacient již dodržuje dietetická doporučení zaměřená na kontrolu konkrétních rizikových faktorů, pravděpodobně pak jakákoli další změna stravovacích návyků nepovede ke snížení rizika vzniku litiázy. 6. Poskytnutí dietetických doporučení, která nesouvisejí s rizikem vzniku litiázy, může (a.) pacienta zahltit zbytečnými informacemi, (b.) zmást priority jednotlivých doporučení a/nebo (c.) poskytnout pacientovi plané naděje s ohledem na úspěch nutriční terapie., Highlights: 1. Assessment of a patient’s habitual dietary pattern or intake of specific foods and beverages is important in identifying whether diet is contributory to his/her stone formation risk. 2. Dietary assessment is a skill practiced by dietitians; non-dietitians who assess their patients’ diets should be aware of and avoid common pitfalls to obtaining accurate information. 3. The 24-hour urine analysis and the stone composition report are not surrogates for dietary assessment as food-derived compounds that may appear in urine or renal calculi are subject to multiple metabolic processes after ingestion and during circulation. 4. A dietary recommendation should be applied directly to the alleged dietary contributor to stone risk. 5. If diet is not contributing stone formation, or if a patient is already eating according to a dietary recommendation aimed at controlling a specific stone risk factor, then no amount of recommending dietary change will elicit improvement in his/her stone risk. 6. Providing dietary recommendations that are not linked to stone risk factors may (a.) overwhelm the patient with multiple, unnecessary recommendations, (b.) mislead him/her about which recommendation(s) have priority, and/or (c.) provide false hope about the potential for success of nutrition therapy., and Penniston K. L.
Tauopatie jsou neurodegenerativní onemocnění, která se vyznačují hromaděním abnormně modifikovaných forem proteinu zvaného tau především v kůře frontálních, temporálních a parietálních laloků, v bazálních gangliích a v mezencefalu. Molekulárně biologicky a biochemicky dobře definovaná skupina chorob má však dosti heterogenní klinické obrazy a je podstatou několika různých neurodegenerativních onemocnění tvořících frontotemporální lobární degenerace. Společným klinickým znakem těchto entit je ve větší či menší míře vyjádřený syndrom frontotemporální demence. Klinické jednotky, jež se řadí mezi klasické frontotemporální demence, však nejsou vždy podmíněny jen tauopatiemi, mnohdy je jejich etiopatogenetická podstata jiná. Účelem tohoto stručného přehledu je utřídění současné úrovně poznání vztahů mezi skupinou tauopatií a frontotemporálních lobárních degenerací. Článek obsahuje i návrh praktického postupu k upřesnění klinické diagnózy jednotlivých nozologických jednotek v rámci tauopatií., Tauopathies are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by accumulation of abnormally modified forms of the tau-protein, predominantly in frontal, temporal and parietal cortical regions, basal ganglia and in the midbrain. Tauopathies are well defined from the molecular biological and biochemical point of view; clinical symptoms may be, however, heterogeneous. Common signs of frontotemporal lobar degenerations include a more or less prominent syndrome of frontotemporal dementia. On the other hand, the clinical picture of frontotemporal dementia may not be caused by a tauopathy only; in many cases the underlying etiopathogenic cause is different. The aim of our review is to classify the relationship between tauopathies and frontotemporal lobar degenerations. This review contains a proposal of a practical approach to refining clinical diagnosis of the different tauopathies. Key words: neurodegeneration – tauopathy – frontotemporal lobar degeneration –progressive supranuclear palsy – progressive aphasia – corticobasal syndrome The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE “uniform requirements” for biomedical papers., and R. Rusina, R. Matěj, E. Růžička, J. Roth
Diferenciální operátory, jako gradient, divergence, rotace, Laplaceův operátor a další, jsou nejen důležitými pojmy matematické analýzy či diferenciální geometrie, ale především fyziky. Dokonce lze říci, že právě při formulaci fyzikálních teorií vznikaly. V tomto příspěvku ukazujeme, že k pochopení významu a uplatnění diferenciálních operátorů ve fyzice není nutné nejprve důkladně studovat matematickou teorii, ale že je možné použít vcelku korektního elementárního matematického výkladu. Vděčným příkladem, jehož prostřednictvím lze takový výklad provést, je mechanika kapalin, jako konkrétní ukázku použijeme úvahy o rozložení tlaku v kapalině a dva důležite zákony zachování v mechanice kapalin: rovnici kontinuity a Bernoulliovu rovnici., Differential operators such as gradient, divergence, rotation, Laplace operator etc. are important concepts not only for mathematical analysis or differential geometry, but primarily for physics. We show that for understanding of the meaning and applications of them one can use an elementary but still math ematically correct explanation. These operators can be used in mechanics of fluids to find solutions to questions such as the
distribution of pressure or two important conservation laws in fluid mechanics - continuity equation and Bernoulli equation., Jana Musilová, Pavla Musilová., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Numerous association studies have been involved in studying the angiotensinogen (AGT) variants, AG T plasma levels and relations to cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease. To investigate a role of AGT G(-6)A and M235T genetic variants for chronic heart failure (CHF) and advanced atherosclerosis (AA), a total of 240 patients with CHF and 200 patients with AA of the Czech origin were evaluated for the study. The study shows the role of polymorphism AGT G(-6)A in genetic background among advanced atherosclerosis patients and chronic heart failure patients (Pg=0.001). This difference was also observed in comparison of AA patients with subgroup of CHF with dilated cardiomyopathy (Pg=0.02; Pa=0.009), and ischemic heart disease (Pg=0.007). The greatest difference between triple-vessel disease and chronic heart failure groups was observed in freque ncy of GT haplotype (P<0.001) and GGMT associated genotype (P <0.001). Retrospectively, we found the same trend when the subgroups of CHF were compared to AA group (AA vs. IHD with CHF P<0.001; AA vs. DCM P<0.001). These results suggest AGT genetic variants as a risk factor for chronic heart failure compared to advanced atherosclerosis disease without heart failure, with a strong difference between IHD patients and chronic heart failure patients with ischemic heart disease, especially in haplotypes and associated genotypes., M. Pávková Goldbergová ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Under normal conditions, antioxidants at the corneal surface are balanced with the production of reactive oxygen species without any toxic effects. Danger from oxidative stress appears when natural antioxidants are overwhelmed leading to antioxidant/prooxidant imbalance. The aim of the present study was to examine the activities of enzymes contributing to the antioxidant/prooxidant balance in normal corneal epithelium of various mammals. The enzyme activities of antioxidant superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, as well as prooxidant xanthine oxidoreductase/xanthine oxidase were examined using biochemical methods. Results show that superoxide dismutase activity is high in rabbits and guinea pigs, whereas in pigs the activity is low and in cows it is nearly absent. In contrast, glutathione peroxidase activity is high in cows, pigs and rabbits, whereas in guinea pigs the activity is low. As far as prooxidant enzymes are concerned, elevated xanthine oxidoreductase/xanthine oxidase activities were found in rabbits, lower activities in guinea pigs, very low activity in cows and no activity in pigs. In conclusion, the above results demonstrate inter-species variations in activities of enzymes participating in antioxidant/prooxidant balance in the corneal epithelium. It is suggested that the levels of antioxidant and prooxidant enzymes studied in the corneal epithelium might be associated with the diurnal or nocturnal activity of animals. UV rays decompose hydrogen peroxide to damaging hydroxyl radicals and perhaps for this reason large animals with diurnal activity (cow, pig) require more effective peroxide removal (high glutathione peroxidase activity) together with the suppression of peroxide production (low superoxide dismutase activity, low xanthine oxidoreductase activity)., J. Kovačeva, J. Pláteník, M. Vejražka, S. Štípek, T. Ardan, Č. Čejka, A. Midelfart, J. Čejková., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
The general population is potentially exposed to many chemicals that can affect the endocrine system. These substances are called endocrine disruptors (EDs), and among them bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most widely used and well studied. Nonetheless, there are still no data on simultaneous measurements of various EDs along with steroids directly in the seminal fluid, where deleterious effects of EDs on spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis are assumed. We determined levels of BPA and 3 estrogens using LC-MS/MS in the plasma and seminal plasma of 174 men with different degrees of infertility. These men were divided according their spermiogram values into 4 groups: (1) healthy men, and (2) slightly, (3) moderate, and (4) severely infertile men. Estradiol levels differed across the groups and body fluids. Slightly infertile men have significantly higher BPA plasma and seminal plasma levels in comparison with healthy men (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). Furthermore, seminal BPA, but not plasma BPA, was negatively associated with sperm concentration and total sperm count (-0.27; p<0.001 and -0.24; p<0.01, respectively). These findings point to the importance of seminal plasma in BPA research. Overall, a disruption of estrogen metabolism was observed together with a weak but significant impact of BPA on sperm count and concentration., J. Vitku, L. Sosvorova, T. Chlupacova, R. Hampl, M. Hill, V. Sobotka, J. Heracek, M. Bicikova, L. Starka., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The present study examined the hypothesis that the extension of noxious effect of methamphetamine (MA) on maternal behavior and postnatal development on the pups may differ in dependence with time of application. Female rats were injected with MA (5 mg/kg) or saline during first (embryonic day (ED) 1-11) or second (ED 12-22) half of gestation. Our results demonstrated that MA exposure on ED 12-22 led to decreased birth weight and weight gained during lactation period relative to rats treated on ED 1-11. Both sexes treated prenatally with MA on ED 1-11 opened eyes earlier compared to animals treated on ED 12-22. As a matter of sensorimotor development application of MA on ED 1-11 impaired the righting reflex, while MA exposure on ED 12-22 impaired the performance of beam balance test in male rats. There were no differences in maternal behavior. Therefore, it seems that MA exposure in the first half of the gestation impaired the early sensorimotor development that is under control of the brain stem, while the MA exposure in the second half of gestation affected the beam balance performance that is dependent on the function of the cerebellum., M. Malinová-Ševčíková, I. Hrebíčková, E. Macúchová, E. Nová, M. Pometlová, R. Šlamberová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Type I diabetes mellitus (DM1) is a complex disease with adverse effects on organs and tissues despite compensation by insulin treatment. The goal of our study was to study how kidney diseases change 31P MR parameters of muscle metabolism in DM1 patients with respect to gender. 51 DM1 patients (19 m/14 f without and 13 m/5 f with nephropathy) and 26 (14 m/12 f) healthy volunteers were examined using 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 3T tomograph at rest, and during and after a calf muscle exercise. The exercise consisted of a six-minute plantar flexion using a pedal ergometer followed by a six-minute recovery. It is reflected by reduced relative β-ATP and increased Pi and phosphodiester signals to phosphocreatine (PCr) at rest and prolongation of the PCr recovery time after the exercise. Measurement on healthy volunteers indicated differences between males and females in pH at the rest and after the exercise only. These differences between patients groups were not significant. We have proven that nephropathy affects the metabolism in diabetic patients and our results confirm significant difference between patients with and without nephropathy. Gender differences in pH were observed only between male and female healthy volunteers., P. Sedivy, M. Dezortova, M. Drobny, Z. Vlasakova, V. Herynek, M. Hajek., and Obsahuje bibliografii