An oxidant/antioxidant imbalance is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We hypothesized that antioxidant capacity reflected by erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, and serum levels of the lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA), may be related to the severity of obstructive lung impairment in patients with COPD. Erythrocyte GPx, SOD and CAT activities, and serum levels of MDA were measured in 79 consecutive patients with stable COPD. Pulmonary functional tests were assessed by bodyplethysmography. Moderate COPD (FEV1 50-80 %) was present in 23, and severe COPD (FEV1 < 50 %) in 56 patients. Erythrocyte GPx activity was significantly lower, and serum MDA levels were significantly higher in patients with severe COPD compared to patients with moderate COPD (GPx: 43.1±1.5 vs. 47.7±2.9 U/gHb, p<0.05, MDA: 2.4±0.1 vs. 2.1±0.1 nmol/ml, p<0.05). Linear regression analysis revealed a significant direct relationship between FEV1 and erythrocyte GPx activity (r = 0.234, p<0.05), and a significant inverse relationship between FEV1 and serum MDA levels (r = -0.239, p<0.05). However, no differences were observed in the erythrocyte SOD and CAT activities between the two groups of patients with different severity of COPD. Findings of the present study suggest that antioxidant capacity reflected by erythrocyte GPx activity and serum levels of the lipid peroxidation product MDA are linked to the severity of COPD., Z. Kluchová, D. Petrášová, P. Joppa, Z. Dorková, R. Tkáčová., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
We investigated the association between metamphetamine dependence and TaqI A polymorphism of the dopamine receptor D2 gene (DRD2), I/D polymorphism in angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and M235T polymorphism of the angiotensinogen gene (AGT) in 93 unrelated metamphetamine-dependent subjects and 131 controls. Our results did not prove any association of TaqI A polymorphism of the DRD2 gene, I/D polymorphism of ACE gene, and M235T polymorphism of AGT gene with the metamphetamine dependence in Caucasians of Czech origin. However, a significant difference in allele I frequency between male and female control groups for the I/D ACE polymorphism (p<0.03) was found., O. Šerý, V. Vojtová, P. Zvolský., and Obsahuje bibliografii
We tested whether seal location at iliac crest (IC) or upper abdomen (UA), before and during lower body negative pressure (LBNP), would affect thoracic electrical impedance, hepatic blood flow, and central cardiovascular responses to LBNP. After 30 min of supine rest, LBNP at -40 mmHg was applied for 15 min, either at IC or UA, in 14 healthy males. Plasma density and indocyanine green concentrations assessed plasma volume changes and hepatic perfusion. With both sealing types, LBNP-induced effects remained unchanged for mean arterial pressure (-3.0±1.1 mm Hg), cardiac output (-1.0 l min-1), and plasma volume (-11 %). Heart rate was greater during UA (80.6±3.3 bpm) than IC (76.0±2.5 bpm) (p<0.01) and thoracic impedance increased more using UA (3.2±0.2 Ω) than IC (1.8±0.2 Ω) (p<0.0001). Furthermore, during supine rest, UA was accompanied by lower thoracic impedance (26.9±1.1 vs 29.0±0.8 Ω , p<0.001) and hepatic perfusion (1.6 vs 1.8 l.min-1, p<0.05) compared to IC. The data suggest that the reduction in central blood volume in response to LBNP depends on location of the applied seal. The sealing in itself altered blood volume distribution and hepatic perfusion in supine resting humans. Finally, application of LBNP with the seal at the upper abdomen induced a markedly larger reduction in central blood volume and greater increases in heart rate than when the seal was located at the iliac crest., N. Goswami ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
The aim of this study was to follow up whether the modification of pro-antioxidant status by oral thiol administration such as N- acetylcysteine and α-lipoic acid affects the hematological response. Twenty-eight healthy men participated in two independent experiments. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of four groups: controls (CNAC and CALA ), N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and α-lipoic acid (ALA). 1200 mg of N-acetylcysteine, 600 mg of α-lipoic acid or placebo were administered for 8 days in two doses. NAC or ALA administration significantly elevated plasma total antioxidant stat us (TAS) and reduced protein carbonylation (PC) and lipid peroxidation (TBARS) by more than 30 %. The reduced glutathione (GSH) and hematological parameters changed only in response to NAC administration. NAC significantly elevated the level of GSH (+33 %), EPO (+26 %), Hb (+9 %) and Hct (+9 %) compared with CNAC. The mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and the mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) also increased by more than 12 % after NAC. The numerous negative or positive correlations between the measures of TAS, PC, TBARS and hematological parameters were found, which suggest the NAC-induced interaction between pro-antioxidant and hematological values. Our study has shown that both N-acetylcysteine and α-lipoic acid intake reveal an antioxidant action, but only N-acetylcysteine improves the haematological response., A. Zembron-Lacny ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Sudden death is a possible occurrence for newborns younger than 1 year with severe aortic coarctation (CoA) before surgical correction. In our previous study, we showed a significant increase of QTc-D and JTc-D in newborns with isolated severe aortic coarctation, electrocardiog raphic parameters that clinical and experimental studies have suggested could reflect the physiological variability of regional and ventricular repolarization and could provide a substrate for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of surgical repair of CoA on QTc-d, JTc-d in severe aortic coarctation newborns with no associated congenital cardiac malformations. The study included 30 newborns (18M; 70±12 h old) affected by severe congenit al aortic coarct ation, without associated cardiac malformation s. All newborns underwent to classic extended end-to-end repair. Echocardiographic and electrocardiographic measurements were performed in each patient 24 h before and 24 h afte r the interventional procedure and at the end of the follow-up period, 1 month after the surgical correction. All patients at baseline, 24 h and one month after CoA surgical repair did not significantly differ in terms of heart rate, weight, height, and echocardiographic parameters. There were no statistically significant differences in QTc-D (111.7±47.4 vs 111.9±63.8 ms vs 108.5±55.4 ms; P =0.4) and JTc-D (98.1±41.3 vs 111.4±47.5 vs 105.1±33.4 ms; P =0.3) before, 24 h and 1 month after CoA surgical correction. In conclusions, our study did not show a statistically signif icant decrease in QTc-D and JTc- D, suggesting the hypothesis that the acute left ventricular afterload reduction, related to successful CoA surgical correction, may not reduce the ventricular electrical instability in the short- term follow-up., G. Nigro ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Two different isolated skeletal muscles of Japanese quail were used. The influence of branched chain amino acids on the fractional rate of protein synthesis (FSR) was evaluated using 14C-tyrosine. The addition of 0.5 mM valine, leucine or isoleucine to the incubation medium significantly decreased (P<0.05) the value of FSR in extensor metacarpalis radialis. In the ambiens muscle only the application of leucine increased the FSR significantly while valine and isoleucine were without any effect., J. Antalíková, J. Jankela, M. Baranovská., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Increased and prolonged postprandial lipemia has been identified as a risk factor of cardiovascular disease. However, there is no consensus on how to test postprandial lipemia, especia lly with respect to the composition of an experimental meal. To address this question of how glucose, when added to a fat load, affects the selected parameters of postprandial lipemia, we carried out a study in 30 healthy male volunteers. Men consumed an experimental meal containing either 75 g of fat + 25 g of glucose (F+G meal) or 75 g of fat (F meal) in a control experiment. Blood was taken before the meal and at selected time points within the following 8 h. Glucose, when added to a fat load, induced an increase of glycemia and insulinemia and, surprisingly, a 20 % reduction in the response of both total and active glucagon -like peptide -1 (GLP -1) concentration. The addition of glucose did not affect the magnitude of postprandial triglyceridemia and TRL -C and TRL -TG concentrations but stimulated a faster response of chylomicrons to the test meal, evaluated by changes in apolipoprotein B -48 concentrations. The addition of glucose induced the physiological response of insulin and the lower response of GLP -1 to the test meal during the early postprandial phase, but had no effect on changes of TRL -cholesterol and TRL -TG within 8 h after the meal., K. Zemánková, J. Mrázková, J. Piťha, J. Kovář., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Experiments were conducted to study the effect of goldthioglucose (GTG) upon the processes associated with lipid peroxidation. The glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity (G6PD; E.C.1.1.1.49) in red blood cells (RBC) and the amount of malonaldehyde precursors (MDA) per gram of brain, liver and kidney were determined. Adult mice received i.p. injections for three consecutive days of either saline (controls) or GTG dissolved in saline, in a dose of 0.10 mg.g-1 or 0.15 mg.g-1 b.w. In mice receiving higher dose of GTG the G6PD activity was significantly increased (349.38± 17.46 mU.10-9 RBC compared to 258.2± 14.46 mU.10-9 RBC in control animals). The content of MDA precursors rose significantly from 4.8± 0.81 m mol.g-1 of the liver in controls to 8.12± 1.41 m mol.g -1 and 7.88± 0.51 m mol.g-1 and from 18.71± 1.01 m mol.g-1 of the kidneys in controls to 24.25± 1.25 m mol.g-1 and 24.88± 1.7 m mol.g-1 respectively. The GTG-induced higher levels of MDA precursors and increased G6PD activity in RBC corresponds to the rise in lipid peroxidation and its participation in producing the lesions after experimental and therapeutic use of gold-containing substances seems possible., D. Košťová, E. Michnová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The aim of this study was to an alyze the effect of indapamide and its combination with ACE inhi bitor (captopril) and antioxidant (ProvinolsTM) on both myocardial hypert rophy and fibrosis. Wistar rats were treated with L-NAME (40 mg/kg/day, L); L-NAME plus indapamide (1 mg/kg/day), or captopril (10 mg/kg/day), or ProvinolsTM (40 mg/kg/day), or combination of indapamide with captopril, and indapamide with Provinols TM for 7 weeks. Blood pressure (BP), LV hypertrophy an d fibrosis were determined. The content of collagens type I and III was evaluated morphometrically after picrosirius red staining. L-NAME treatment led to increased BP, LV hypertroph y, total fibrosis and relative content of collagens without th e change in collagen type I/III ratio. Indapamide and captopri l decreased BP, LV hypertrophy and the collagen ratio without affecting total fibrosis, while ProvinolsTM reduced BP, the collagen ratio and fibrosis without affecting LV hypertrophy. The combinations decreased all the parameters. Decrease of LV hypertrophy was achieved by drugs with the best reducing effect on BP, fibrosis reduction was reached by the antioxidant treatment with only partial effect on BP. Thus, the combination of an tihypertensive and antioxidant treatment may represent a powerful tool in preventing myocardial remodeling induced by hypertension., L. Hlavačková ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy