Benzodiazepines seem to be frequently abused in conjunction with opioids. Fluoxetine was reported to block morphine locomotor sensitization in rats. Sensitization has been implicated in some aspects of drug abuse. We have investigated the effect of alprazolam (0.25 mg/kg) and fluoxetine (5 mg/kg) on the development and expression of sensitization to the locomotor stimulant effect of morphine (10 mg/kg) in mice. Sensitization was produced by daily injections of morphine (10 mg/kg) for 10 days. There was a clear sensitization of locomotor activity produced by morphine in photocell activity cages but co-administration of alprazolam with morphine had no effect on the degree of sensitization. Alprazolam was also without effect on the expression of the sensitized response to morphine in mice sensitized with morphine alone. Fluoxetine partly reduced both the development and expression of morphine sensitization. In conclusion, the present experiments have not yielded evidence that alprazolam may influence the development or the expression of sensitization to morphine. However, they have corroborated and extended results indicating that fluoxetine can attenuate, to a certain level, the development and expression of morphine sensitization., M. Votava, M. Kršiak, V. Moravec., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The relationships between exercise and metabolites as well as between exercise and sarcoplasmic reticulum function were studied in gastrocnemius muscle of ovariectomized-trained rats. Prolonged moderate-intensity exercise, treadmill up-hill run for 90 min with a 10° incline, decreased the muscle glycogen content. Exercise until exhaustion further lowered the glycogen concentration to 13 % of the control, together with a significant decrease of ATP and glucose-6-phosphate concentrations. Also, Ag+-induced Ca2+release, measured in whole muscle homogenate, showed a 30 % reduction on exhaustion, while Ca2+ uptake was unaffected by this exercise. ATPase activities, of both homogenate and SR vesicles, and Ca2+ transport in the latter preparation were not altered on exhaustion. It could be concluded from these results that muscular fatigue in ovariectomized rats after aerobic exercise is caused by the change in energy supply and Ca2+ release from the SR, this latter possibly due to metabolites generated by the exercise., I. Gigli, L. E. Bussmann., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Toxic influence of high oxygen concentration on pulmonary function and structures has been known for many years. However, the influence of high oxygen concentration breathing on defensive respiratory reflexes is still not clear. In our previous experiments, we found an inhibitory effect of 100 % oxygen breathing on cough reflex intensity in healthy guinea pigs. The present study was designed to detect the effects of hyperoxia on cough reflex in guinea pigs with allergic airway inflammation. In the first phase of our experiment, the animals were sensitized with ovalbumin. Thirty-two sensitized animals were used in two separate experiments according to oxygen concentration breathing: 100 % or 50 % oxygen for 60 h continuously. In each experiment, one group of animals was exposed to hyperoxia, another to ambient air. The cough reflex was induced both by aerosol of citric acid before sensitization, then in sensitized animals at 24 h and 60 h of exposition to oxygen/air in awake animals, and by mechanical stimulation of airway mucosa in anesthetized animals just after the end of the experiment. In contrast to 50 % oxygen, 100 % oxygen breathing leads to significant decrease in chemically induced cough in guinea pigs with allergic inflammation. No significant changes were present in cough induced by mechanical stimulation of airways., M. Brozmanová, J. Hanáček, M. Tatár, A. Strapková, P. Szépe., and Obsahuje bibliografii
An increased risk of myocardial ischemic changes was demonstrated in patients suffering from panic disorder (PD). Using classical ECG methods, this risk cannot be evaluated in most patients. We measured the vectocardiogram (VCG) using Frank orthogonal leads and body surface maps (BSM) including 12-lead ECG. In our study of 11 PD patients (2 men, 9 women), without any seizures and pharmacological treatment and without cardiovascular symptoms, we found marked sinus tachycardia (heart rate 90.1±12.2 min-1) and a shorter R-R interval (678±93.6 ms) than in 27 controls (heart rate 73.6±7.7min-1, R-R 822.7±86.4 ms) (5 men, 22 women) (p<0.001). The VCG measured spatial QRS-STT angle was more opened (70.3±24.5°) than in the control group (49.5±19.5°) (p<0.05). The maximum (extremum) in depolarization (DIAM max 30, 40) and repolarization (RIAM max 35) of body surface isoarea and isointegral (RIIM max) maps was less positive (p<0.001) and the minimum (DIAM min 40) was less negative than in the controls (p<0.05) even in the period free of a panic attack. Our results showed the changes in the heart electric field parameters occurred in PD patients when compared to the control group., K. Pišvejcová, I. Paclt, J. Slavíček, O. Kittnar, A. Dohnalová, E. Kitzlerová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
We investigated how selected electromorphological parameters of myelinated axons influence the preservation of interspike intervals when the propagation of action potentials is corrupted by axonal intrinsic noise. Hereby we tried to determine how the intrinsic axonal noise influences the performance of axons serving as carriers for temporal coding. The strategy of this coding supposes that interspike intervals presented to higher order neurons would minimally be deprived of information included in interspike intervals at the axonal initial segment. Our experiments were conducted using a computer model of the myelinated axon constructed in a software environment GENESIS (GEneral NEural SImulation System). We varied the axonal diameter, myelin sheath thickness, axonal length, stimulation current and channel distribution to determine how these parameters influence the role of noise in spike propagation and hence in preserving the interspike intervals. Our results, expressed as the standard deviation of spike travel times, showed that by stimulating the axons with regular rectangular pulses the interspike intervals were preserved with a microsecond accuracy. Stimulating the axons with pulses imitating postsynaptic currents, greater changes of interspike intervals were found, but the influence of implemented noise on the jitter of interspike intervals was approximately the same., E. Kuriščák, S. Trojan, Z. Wünsch., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Escherichia coli (2x104 bacteria) of the non-pathogenic O86 strain or enteropathogenic O55 strain were administered into the pig amniotic cavity at 79 to 86 days of gestation for six or ten hours. Translocation of bacteria into fetal lungs was confirmed by cultivation as well as by light and electron microscopy. Infection caused an influx of macrophages that were immunostained in cryostat sections by monoclonal antibody recognizing calprotectin., I. Šplíchal, I. Trebichavský, A. Šplíchalová, L. Dítětová, M. Zahradníčková., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The article presents a manuscript collection of texts of evangelical provenance that has recently been purchased in a German second-hand bookshop. According to a chronogram, this manuscript is likely to come from 1840. The manuscript consists of fifteen relatively independent text sections thematically related to the denominational controversies before and after the battle of White Mountain. The paper examines possible printed or manuscript models of individual parts and as well as their reflection in both earlier and more recent bibliographic literature. and David Mach.
Cieľom štúdie je analyzovať a prezentovať integrovaný obraz o faktoroch, ktoré podmieňujú a ovplyvňujú finančné voľby jednotlivcov v súčasnosti. Autorka najskôr charakterizuje súčasné spoločenské prostredie, v ktorom obyčajní ľudia uskutočňujú svoje finančné rozhodnutia. Potom sa venuje limitovaným kapacitám osoby zvládať finančné rozhodnutia. Nakoniec uvádza problematiku finančných úloh, ktorým jednotlivci musia v súčasnosti čeliť. Dôraz pritom kladie na možnosti dizajnovania úloh finančného rozhodovania tak, aby viac zodpovedali kognitívnym a osobnostným kapacitám jednotlivcov a optimalizovali ich rozhodnutia. Na záver autorka konštatuje, že súčasná ekonomická veda pociťuje potrebu psychologického vhľadu do ekonomického diania. Potreba vypracovať ucelenú psychologickú teóriu ekonomického správania (vrátane finančného rozhodovania jednotlivcov) sa stáva vysoko aktuálnou., The goal of the study is to analyze and present the integrated picture of factors conditioning and influencing the financial choices of individuals in the present. At first, the author characterizes the present social milieu, in which the common people realize their financial decisions. Thereafter, she deals with the limited capacities of an individual to manage financial decisions. In the end, she presents the problems of financial tasks, which the individuals have to face today. The emphasis is given on the possibilities of designing the financial decision making tasks in the way more corresponding to cognitive and personality capacities of individuals and optimizing their decisions. In the conclusion, the author states that the contemporary economic science experiences the need of psychological insight into the economic affairs. The need of elaboration the comprehensive psychological theory of economic behavior (including individual financial decision making) becomes the front burner., Viera Bačová., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Stať analyzuje Freudovu méně známou práci Projekt vědecké psychologie a pokouší se ukázat, že v kontextu jeho psychoanalytických prací se jedná o zcela ojedinělý počin. Freudův Projekt je především snahou založit teorii lidské mysli, jež by měla empirickou oporu v neurofyziologii (psychofyzice), která v té době dominovala vědeckému výzkumu, a mohla vysvětlit elementární klinické poznatky. Stať představuje základní principy takto pojaté neurofyziologie mysli, rozlišuje tři funkčně odlišné typy neuronů, resp. neuronových sítí a soustřeďuje se na Freudovo chápání pojmu vědomí na úrovni neurofyziologického výkladu. Cílem je ukázat, že Freudův přístup k teorii vědomí anticipuje některé pozdější neurovědecké poznatky, připomíná hledání neurofyziologických korelátů vědomí, má některé charakteristiky emergentismu a někteří současní, zvláště neuropsychoanalyticky orientovaní autoři, nacházejí v tezích Projektu řadu styčných bodů se současným neurovědeckým výzkumem., The paper analyzes Freud's little-known manuscript Project for a Scientific Psychology and attempts to show that in the context of his psychoanalytic issues the Project is completely unique piece. Freud's aim here is to establish a theory of human mind, which would be empirically supported by neurophysiology (psychophysics) prevailing in the scientific research at that time and could explain the fundamental clinical knowledge. First the basic principles of his concept of neurophysiology of mind are introduced, three functionally distinct types of neurons and neuronal networks distinguished, and then Freud's understanding of the concept of consciousness at the level of neurophysiological interpretation is articulated. The aim is to show that Freud's approach to the theory of consciousness anticipates some of the later neuroscientific knowledge. It reminds us a quest for neurophysiological correlates of consciousness and has some characteristics of emergentism. Some contemporary, especially neuropsychoanalytically minded authors find in the theses of the Project number of points common to the current neuroscientific research., Michal Polák., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
There are conflicting results concerning the receptor subtype(s) involved in calcium-mediated endothelin signaling in the glial cells. In order to elucidate the role of endothelin A and B receptors in these processes, we have studied the effect of a complex spectrum of endothelin receptor ligands on intracellular calcium concentration changes in proliferating and differentiated C6 rat glioma cells. Cell differentiation was induced by dibutyryl-cAMP and assessed by the glial fibrillar acidic protein content. Intracellular calcium changes were measured in cell suspensions using fluorescent probe Fura-2. The specific endothelin B receptor agonists sarafotoxin S6c and IRL-1620 did not influence the intracellular calcium concentration. However, calcium changes induced by endothelin-1 and especially by endothelin-3 after the pretreatment of cells with one of these endothelin B receptor specific agonists were significantly enhanced even above the values attained by the highest effective endothelin concentrations alone. Such endothelin B-receptor ligand-induced sensitization of calcium signaling was not observed in differentiated C6 cells. Moreover, endothelin-induced calcium oscillations in differentiated C6 cells were less inhibited by BQ-123 and BQ-788 than in their proliferating counterparts. In conclusion, the specific activation of endothelin B receptor in C6 rat glioma cells does not affect intracellular calcium per se, but probably does so through interaction with the endothelin A receptor. The pattern and/or functional parameters of endothelin receptors in C6 rat glioma cells are modified by cell differentiation., R. Malík, K. Vlašicová, A. Šedo., and Obsahuje bibliografii