Severe burn injuries cause functional impairment in distant internal organs. Although this mechanism is not clear, it is possible that free radical toxicity plays an important role. Research in animals and clinical studies have shown that there is a close relationship between a lipid peroxidative reaction and secondary pathological changes following thermal injury. It has been demonstrated that antioxidant treatment prevents oxidative tissue damage associated with thermal trauma. This study was designed to determine the possible protective effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) treatment against oxidative damage in the kidney and lung induced by thermal injury. Rats were decapitated either 1, 3 or 7 days after burn injury. CAPE was administered intraperitoneally immediately after thermal injury. Kidney and lung tissues were taken for the determination of malondialdehyde (MDA) level, myeloperoxidase (MPO), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and xanthine oxidase (XO) activities. Severe skin thermal injury caused a significant decrease in SOD and CAT activities, as well as significant increases in MDA level, XO and MPO activities in tissues during the postburn period. Treatment of rats with CAPE (10 mol/kg) significantly elevated the decreased SOD and CAT activities, while it decreased MDA levels and MPO as well as XO activity.
Calcium-induced chloride currents were studied in Xenopus oocytes using the two-electrode voltage clamp technique. Fluctuations of chloride currents measured under a voltage clamp were elicited by injection of calcium into the cytoplasm. Contrary to infrequent injections of small amounts of calcium which evoked smooth transient responses, these fluctuating chloride currents are due to overloading of intracellular calcium stores which then release calcium repeatedly. Chloride current fluctuations in calcium-overloaded oocytes can be reversibly suppressed by caffeine. This effect is concentration dependent and an amplitude decrease of fluctuations is already apparent at 2 mmoi/1 caffeine. The analysis of power spectra density of fluctuations have displayed the pronounced effect of caffeine. These results suggest that at least a part of the endoplasmic reticulum in Xenopus oocytes is a calcium-releasable calcium store which can be activated at the resting inositol trisphosphate concentration.
Cairaella henrii gen. n., sp. n. (Proteocephalidea: Proteocephalinae) is described from the intestine of Norops trachyderma (Cope) (Polychrotidae) from San Pablo de Kantesiya in Ecuador. The new genus differs from the 12 other known genera of the Proteocephalinae (and all other proteocephalidean genera) by the presence of a dense network of osmoregulatory canals situated in the cortex and by the morphology of the scolex which is flattened dorsoventrally, with elongated deeply embedded suckers possessing a well-developed circular musculature situated in the anterolateral region, and by eggs with a three-layered embryophore possessing small outgrowths on its external surface. Ophiotaenia nicoleae sp. n. is described from the intestine of Thecadactylus rapicauda (Houttuyn) (Gekkonidae) from San Pablo de Kantesiya in Ecuador. This new species is characterised by the testes arranged in two fields, numbering 142-204, the cirrus-sac length representing 21-33% of proglottis width, the genital pore situated in the middle of the proglottis or slightly anteriorly, and the ovary width representing 68-88% of proglottis width. It differs from 20 of 27 Ophiotaenia species parasitic in New World reptiles by the presence of an apical organ and from the remaining species by one to several other morphological characters, such as the number of testes, diameter and shape of the scolex, position of ventral and dorsal osmoregulatory canals, or the presence of a vaginal sphincter. Both taxa represent the first record of proteocephalidean tapeworms in polychrotid and gekkonid lizards, respectively.
A syntaxonomical synthesis of calcicolous forests dominated by Fagus sylvatica (Cephalanthero-Fagenion suballiance) in the Czech Republic was carried out using the Braun-Blanquet approach. Relevés included in the analyses were selected following formalized approach by using an expert-delimited group of 38 calcicolous and/or xerothermophilous species. Only one association Cephalanthero-Fagetum was distinguished, which usually occurs on limestone, calcareous sandstone and calcareous sandy marlite; however, can be found also on base-rich siliceous bedrock (e.g. basalt, phonolite). Based on TWINSPAN analysis, three subassociations were recognized within the Cephalanthero-Fagetum: (i) Cephalanthero-Fagetum seslerietosum caeruleae on shallow rocky soils with frequent dominance of Sesleria caerulea and presence of petrophytes, (ii) Cephalanthero-Fagetum typicum on dry, shallow soils with a significant presence of light-demanding, thermophilous, and calcicolous species, and (iii) Cephalanthero-Fagetum actaeetosum spicatae on deeper, sufficiently moist soils with an abundance of mesophilous, nitrophilous and acidophilous species. The name Cephalanthero-Fagetum actaeetosum spicatae is a new nomenclatural combination. The relationships between Cephalanthero-Fagetum and similar forest vegetation types containing xerothermophilous and/or calcicolous species in the Czech Republic are discussed. The main gradients in species composition of Cephalanthero-Fagetum subassociations were revealed by gradient analysis. The Ellenberg indicator values, altitude, slope, and ‘southness’ were used to interpret these gradients. Using unconstrained ordination analysis (DCA) the syntaxonomical interpretation indicated three relatively distinct groups. Moreover, further DCA analysis revealed the well-defined position of Cephalanthero-Fagetum within Czech beech forests. The results of the above delimitation of Cephalanthero-Fagetum were compared with the results based on Cocktail-defined species groups improved by similarity-based assignment of relevés (using frequency-positive fidelity index). When the Cocktail-based formulas for beech forests were applied to the relevés selected by our 38-species diagnostic group, the correspondence between these two approaches was only 36%. However, at the lower subassociation level, the highest correspondence occurred for Cephalanthero-Fagetum seslerietosum (84%). The reason for this high correspondence is that the species composition includes many specialists (i.e. good diagnostic species) and it occurs at the end of an ecological gradient. To sum up, it is possible to define vegetation units accurately using strict formulas, as opposed to the less rigorous ‘soft’ traditional approach. However, both approaches fail when defining central units.
Cíl: Cílem práce bylo shromáždit dostupná klinická, radiologická a patologická data o kalcifikujícím pseudotumoru nervové osy (CAPNON). Soubor: Soubor je tvořen kazuistikou a současně přehledem všech pacientů publikovaných v anglické literatuře, vyhledaných v databázi PubMed pomocí klíčových slov: calcifying pseudoneoplasm, calcifying pseudotumour, brain stone, cerebral calculi a fibro‑osseous lesion. Zahrnuty jsou taktéž všechny citace případů v nalezených publikacích. Výsledky: Včetně naší pacientky jsme v literatuře nalezli celkem 72 pacientů. Intrakraniálně bylo lokalizováno 62 % těchto lézí, v páteřním kanále 31 % a v kranio‑cervikálním přechodu zbylých 7 %. Průměrný věk výskytu je 45,6 (rozmezí 2–83) let. U intrakraniální lokalizace byla tato léze nalezena supratentoriálně v 74 % a infratentoriálně v 26 %. Z nejčastějším projevů intrakraniálních CAPNON jsme nalezli epilepsii v 33,3 %, bolesti hlavy v 24 %, nebo některý z příznaků zadní jámy v 16,7 %. U pacientů s epilepsii byl CAPNON nalezen v temporálním laloku v 50 %. U CAPNON nalezených v páteřním kanále byla dominantním projevem bolest v 82 %, následovaná poruchou chůze v 27 %. V kranio‑cervikálním přechodu byla dominantním příznakem bolest v 80 %. Závěr: CAPNON je velmi vzácnou, benigní, pomalu rostoucí lézí centrální nervové soustavy. Ve většině případů ji nalezneme intrakraniálně s lehkou převahou u mužského pohlaví. Původ této léze není zcela jasný. Diagnóza CAPNON by měla být zvažována setkáme‑li se s nálezem solidně kalcifikované léze při vyšetření CT mozku a hypodenzní léze v T1 a T2 obraze při vyšetření MR. Léčebnou modalitou je radikální odstranění této léze. Incidentální léze musí být monitorovány, jelikož mohou růst a stát se symptomatickými. Klíčová slova: kalcifikující pseudotumor – mozkový kámen – fibro-oseozní léze Autoři deklarují, že v souvislosti s předmětem studie nemají žádné komerční zájmy. Redakční rada potvrzuje, že rukopis práce splnil ICMJE kritéria pro publikace zasílané do biomedicínských časopisů., Aim: The aim of this study was to summarize clinical, radiological and pathological data on calcifying pseudoneoplasm of the neural axis (CAPNON). Methods: A case report of a female patient with CAPNON is presented. In addition, all CAPNON patient case histories published in English language are included. Articles were identified via PubMed searches using the following key words: calcifying pseudoneoplasm, calcifying pseudotumour, brain stone, cerebral calculi and fibro‑osseous lesion. All cases referenced within the identified publications are also included in this review. Results: Seventy two cases were identified, including our case report. Of these, 62% were intracranial, 31% spinal and 7% were located in the cranio‑cervical junction (CCJ). The mean age of the CAPNON patients was 45.6 (range 2–83) years. 74% of intracranial CAPNON were supratentorial and 26% were infratentorial. Symptoms of intracranial CAPNON included epilepsy in 33.3%, headaches in 24% and posterior fossa symptoms in 16.7%. The majority of patients with epileptic seizures had lesions in the temporal lobe (50%). Pain was the dominant symptom in 82% and gait disorder in 27% of spinal CAPNON cases. Pain was the dominant symptom (80%) in CCJ CAPNON. Conclusion: CAPNON is a rare, benign, slowly‑growing lesion of the central nervous system. In the majority of cases, location is intracranial and there is a slightly higher prevalence in men. The origin of CAPNON remains unclear. CAPNON should be considered whenever a CT scan reveals a calcified lesion combined with hypointensity on T1 and T2-weighted MRI. Radical removal is the treatment of choice. Incidental lesions must be monitored, as they may grow and become symptomatic., and T. Krejčí, P. Buzrla, Z. Večeřa, L. Křen, S. Potičný, O. Krejčí, T. Paleček, R. Lipina
We investigated the detrimental effects of diabetes on myocardium of pregestational streptozo-tocin (STZ)-diabetic mother rats and their neonates via evaluations of oxidative redox, inflammatory and apoptotic pathways, also aiming to characterize whether calcitriol and/or pomegranate peel extract confer myocardial protection in hyperglycaemic dams and their foetuses via modulation of the Raf/MEK/ERK cascade. Sixty Sprague-Dawley female rats were randomized into five groups (N = 12): control, diabetic, diabetic treated with calcitriol and/or pomegranate peel extract (PPE), and mated with non-diabetic healthy males. After confirmation of pregnancy, treatments were kept until gestational day (E-18). Serum and cardiac tissues of mothers and foetuses were collected and processed for bio-chemical, histopathological, and molecular assess-ments., We observed that, compared to the control, diabetic mothers showed dramatically increased hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidaemia associated with decreased myocardial functions and disrupted maternal performance. Also, diabetic mothers and their neonates exhibited elevated levels of myocardial injury (troponin I, endothelin 1, creatine kinase-MB, lactate dehydrogenase), with increased pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 1, interleukin 1β, transforming growth factor β) and oxidative redox. Concurrently, the MAPK pathway was significantly down-regulated with increased myocardial apoptotic activity. Furthermore, mRNA expression of angio-genic and fibrotic markers was significantly increased. Paradoxically, calcitriol and/or pomegranate peel extract alleviated these diabetic myocardial insults and normalized the aforementioned assayed parameters. Our findings hypothesized that calcitriol and/or pomegranate peel extract exerted cardioameliorative impacts due to their unique anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, and thus may be a promising treatment that directly targets the secondary myocardial complications of diabetes in dams and their offspring., and Corresponding author: Ahmed Elmansi
Uni-quantal endplate currents (EPC) were recorded at mouse diaphragm neuromuscular synapse by extracellular microelectrode during motor nerve stimulation. The probability of release expressed as quantal content mo, and variability of synaptic latencies expressed as P90
were estimated in the presence of extracellular calcium ([Ca2+]o)
varying between 0.2 and 0.6 mM in the bathing solution. At 0.2 mM [Ca2+]o, mo was low (0.10) and many of long-latency EPCs were present during the late phase of the release (P90 = 2.44 ms). No change in mo was found when [Ca2+]o was 0.3 mM, but P90
decreased by 39 %. For latency shortening, saturating concentration of [Ca2+]o was 0.4 mM, when P90 was 1.49 ms and latencies did not further change at 0.5 and 0.6 mM [Ca2+]o. In the latter concentrations, however, an increase of mo was still observed. It can be concluded that the early phase of the secretion did not significantly change when [Ca2+]o was raised and that only the late phase of the release depends on extracellular
calcium up to 0.4 mM.
Exocytotic machinery in neuronal and endocrine tissues is sensitive to changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Endocrine cell models, that are most frequently used to study the mechanisms of regulated exocytosis, are pancreatic beta cells, adrenal chromaffin cells and pituitary cells. To reliably study the Ca2+ sensitivity in endocrine cells, accurate and fast determination of Ca2+ dependence in each tested cell is required. With slow photo-release it is possible to induce ramp-like increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) that leads to a robust exocytotic activity. Slow increases in the [Ca2+] i revealed exocytotic phases with different Ca2+ sensitivities that have been largely masked in step-like flash photo-release experiments. Strikingly, in the cells of the three described model endocrine tissues (beta, chromaffin and melanotroph cells), distinct Ca2+ sensitivity ‘classes’ of secretory vesicles have been observed: a highly Ca2+ -sensitive, a medium Ca2+ -sensitive and a low Ca2+ - sensitive kinetic phase of secretory vesicle exocytosis. We discuss that a physiological modulation of a cellular activity, e.g. by activating cAMP/PKA transduction pathway, can switch the secretory vesicles between Ca2+ sensitivity classes. This significantly alters late steps in the secretory release of hormones even without utilization of an additional Ca2+ sensor protein., J. Dolenšek, M. Skelin, M. S. Rupnik., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Experimental and epidemiological studies suggest that calcium intake is inversely related to weight gain. Calcium of dairy origin has been shown to be more effective in promoting weight loss. However, clinical studies yielded controversial results concerning the role of calcium intake in weight change. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether the addition of calcium can affect the outcome of 3-week weight management (WM) with a hypocaloric diet characterized by a decreased calcium intake. Overweight/obese women (n=67; BMI 32.2±4.1 kg/m2; age 49.1±12.1 years) underwent a 4-week comprehensive WM program. WM included a 7 MJ/day diet resulting in a stable weight during the first week and a 4.5 MJ/day diet with mean daily calcium intake 350 mg during the second to fourth week. Participants were divided into three age- and BMI-matched groups who received placebo or calcium (500 mg/day). Calcium was administered either as carbonate or calcium of dairy origin (Lactoval). There was no significant difference in weight loss in response to WM between the placebo-treated and calcium-treated groups. However, addition of calcium to the diet resulted in a lower hunger score in the Eating Inventory as well as a decrease in plasma resistin levels. Body composition measured by bioimpedance demonstrated that added calcium leads to preservation of fat-free mass. Nevertheless, a greater loss of fat-free mass in the placebo group might be partly due to a greater loss of water., K. Kabrnová-Hlavatá, V. Hainer, M. Gojová, P. Hlavatý, V. Kopský, J. Nedvídková, M. Kunešová, J. Pařízková, M. Wagenknecht, M. Hill, J. Drbohlav., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Previous data concerning the action of calcium (Ca) on gastric acid secretion (GAS) indicated that calcium ions increase GAS elicited by gastrin released through a vagal mechanism, and also by a direct effect on parietal cells. Our research showed that the stimulating effect of calcium on gastric acid secretion can be antagonized by verapamil administration, which reduces gastric acid secretion . In the present study we followed the effect induced by administration of calcium and Ca-chelating agents (disodium EDTA) on gastric acid secretion and on carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity. We selected two groups of healthy volunteers: Group I (n=21) received a single i.v. dose of CaCl2 (15 mg/kg b.w.), whereas Group II (n=22) received a single i.v. dose of disodium EDTA (5 mg/kg b.w.). We determined blood calcium before and after treatment, gastric acid secretion at 2 hours, erythrocyte CA II activity, and CA IV activity in membrane parietal cells, which were isolated from gastric mucosa obtained by endoscopic biopsy. Assessment of carbonic anhydrase activity was achieved by the stopped-flow method. In Group I calcium administration increased blood calcium, HCl output, CA II and CA IV activity as compared to initial values. In Group II, disodium EDTA reduced blood calcium, HCl output, CA II and CA IV activity as compared to initial values. The results demonstrated that increased blood calcium and GAS values after calcium administration correlated with the increase of erythrocyte CA II and parietal cell CA IV activity, while disodium EDTA induced a reversed process. Our results also show that cytosolic CA II and membrane CA IV values are sensitive to calcium changes and they directly depend on these levels. Our data suggest that intra- and extracellular pH changes induced by carbonic anhydrase might account for the modulation of the physiological and pathological secretory processes in the organism., I. Puscas, M. Coltau, M. Baican, G. Domuta, A. Hecht., and Obsahuje bibliografii