Cardiovascular disease, while rare in women of reproductive age, is the main cause of mortality in menopause. The purpose of our study was to determine the association of natural menopause with cardiovascular risk factors, including their clustering into metabolic syndrome (MS). A random 5 % representative population sample of women aged 45-54 years was examined. In 575 women, we were able to determine their natural reproductive aging status. Multiple regression analysis was used to calculate the association between age, menopausal status, and risk factors under study. After adjustment for age, there was an increase in the odds ratio of developing MS, as defined by NCEP (OR=2.0; 95 % CI [1.1; 3.7]), and an increase in plasma lipid ratios (total cholesterol/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C, apolipoprotein-B/ apolipoprotein-A1; p<0.05 for all) in postmenopausal women. Age, but not menopausal status, was associated with some single components of MS; only waist circumference significantly increased after menopause, independently of age. Clustering of risk factors in MS and lipid ratios (combined factors) was strongly associated with menopause whereas worsening of single components of MS was strongly associated with age. In conclusion, based on our results, the menopause may pose a risk to women through clustering of cardiovascular risk factors beyond simple aging., M. Lejsková ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Recently, the genetic cause of several syndromic forms of glycemia dysregulation has been described. One of them, MEHMO syndrome, is a rare X-linked syndrome recently linked to the EIF2S3 gene mutations. MEHMO is characterized by Mental retardation, Epilepsy, Hypogonadism/hypogenitalism, Microcephaly, and Obesity. Moreover, patients with MEHMO had also diabetes and endocrine phenotype, but detailed information is missing. We aimed to provide more details on the endocrine phenotype in two previously reported male probands with MEHMO carrying a frame-shift mutation (I465fs) in the EIF2S3 gene. Both probands had a neonatal hypoglycemia, early onset insulindependent diabetes, and hypopituitarism due to dysregulation and gradual decline of peptide hormone secretion. Based on the clinical course in our two probands and also in previously published patients, neonatal hypoglycemia followed by earlyonset diabetes and hypopituitarism may be a consistent part of the MEHMO phenotype., J. Staník, M. Škopková, D. Staníková, K. Brennerová, L. Barák, L. Tichá, J. Hornová, I. Klimeš, D. Gasperiková., and Seznam literatury
To test the hypothesis that neonatal GLP-1 exposure may program myosin heavy chain (MyHC) composition in adult skeletal muscle, two-day-old rats were transfected intramuscularly with vacant vector plasmid (VP), or recombinant plasmid expressing secretory GLP-1 at the doses of 60 μg (LG) and 120 μg (HG), respectively. Expression of GLP-1 mRNA was detected in muscles of both LG and HG rats 7 days after transfection, with more abundant GLP-1 transcript seen in LG rats. In accordance with the GLP-1 expression, LG rats demonstrated more significant responses to neonatal GLP-1 exposure. Small yet significant growth retardation was observed in LG rats, which is accompanied with significantly reduced serum insulin concentration at 8 weeks of age compared to VP rats. The responses of skeletal muscle were dependent on muscle type. Significant increase of PGC-1α and GLUT4 mRNA expression was detected in soleus of LG rats, whereas a MyHC type switch from ⅡB to Ⅰ was seen in gastrocnemius. These results indicate that neonatal exposure of healthy pups to ectopic GLP-1 causes growth retardation with decreased serum insulin as well as muscle type-dependent modifications in MyHC type composition and metabolic gene expression in adult rats., L. Wang ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Although there are abundant data on ischemic postconditioning (IPoC) in the adult myocardium, this phenomenon has not yet been investigated in neonatal hearts. To examine possible protective effects of IPoC, rat hearts isolated on days 1, 4, 7 and 10 of po stnatal life were perfused according to Langendorff. Developed force (DF) of contraction was measured by an isometric force transducer. Hearts were exposed to 40 or 60 min of global ischemia followed by reperfusion up to the maximum recovery of DF. IPoC wa s induced by three cycles of 10, 30 or 60 s periods of global ischemia/reperfusion. To further determine the extent of ischemic injury, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release was measured in the coronary effluent. Tolerance to ischemia did not change from day 1 to day 4 but decreased to days 7 and 10. None of the postconditioning protocols tested led to significant protection on the day 10. Prolonging the period of sustained ischemia to 60 min on day 10 did not lead to better protection. The 3x30 s protocol wa s then evaluated on days 1, 4 and 7 without any significant effects. There were no significant differences in LDH release between postconditioned and control groups. It can be concluded that neonatal hearts cannot be protected by ischemic postconditioning during first 10 days of postnatal life. and J. Doul, Z. Charvátová, I. Ošťádalová, M. Kohutiar, H. Maxová, B. Ošťádal.
The endothelin (ET) and prorenin/renin/prorenin receptor (PRR) systems have opposing physiological effects on collecting duct (CD) salt and water reabsorption. It is unknown if the CD ET and renin/PRR systems interact, hence we examined the effects of deleting CD renin or nephron PRR on CD ET system components. PRR knockout (KO) mice were polyuric and had markedly increased urinary ET-1 and inner medullary CD (IMCD) ET-1 mRNA. PRR KO mice had greatly increased IMCD ETA receptor mRNA and protein, while ETB mRNA and protein were decreased. Water loaded wild-type mice with similar polyuria as PRR KO mice had modestly increased urinary ET-1 excretion and inner medullary ET-1 mRNA, while inner medullary ETA and ETB mRNA or protein expression were unaffected. In contrast to PRR KO, CD prorenin/renin KO did not alter ET system components. Taken together, these results suggest that the nephron PRR is involved in regulating CD ET system expression, but this effect may be independent of CD-derived renin., N. Ramkumar, D. Stuart, N. Abraham, D. E. Kohan., and Seznam literatury
We used a model of tibial lengthening in rabbits to study the postoperative pain pattern during limb-lengthening and morphological changes in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG), including alteration of substance P (SP) expression. Four groups of animals (naïve; OG: osteotomized only group; SDG/FDG: slow/fast distraction groups, with 1 mm/3 mm lengthening a day, respectively) were used. Signs of increasing postoperative pain were detected until the 10th postoperative day in OG/SDG/FDG, then they decreased in OG but remained higher in SDG/FDG until the distraction finished, suggesting that the pain response is based mainly on surgical trauma until the 10th day, while the lengthening extended its duration and increased its intensity. The only morphological change observed in the DRGs was the presence of large vacuoles in some large neurons of OG/SDG/FDG. Cell size analysis of the S1 DRGs showed no cell loss in any of the three groups; a significant increase in the number of SP-positive large DRG cells in the OG; and a significant decrease in the number of SP-immunoreactive small DRG neurons in the SDG/FDG. Faster and larger distraction resulted in more severe signs of pain sensation, and further reduced the number of SP-positive small cells, compared to slow distraction., K. Pap, Á. Berta, G. Szöke, M. Dunay, T. Németh, K. Hornok, L. Marosföi, M. Réthelyi, M. Kozsurek, Z. Puskár., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The present study investigated the effects of nesfatin-1 on gastric distension (GD)-responsive neurons via an interaction with corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor signaling in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH), and the potential regulation of these effects by hippocampal projections to VMH. Extracellular single-unit discharges were recorded in VHM following administration of nesfatin-1. The projection of nerve fibers and expression of nesfatin-1 were assessed by retrograde tracing and fluoro-immunohistochemical staining, respectively. Results showed that there were GD-responsive neurons in VMH; Nesfatin-1 administration and electrical stimulation of hippocampal CA1 sub-region altered the firing rate of these neurons. These changes could be partially blocked by pretreatment with the non-selective CRF antagonist astressin-B or an antibody to NUCB2/nesfatin-1. Electrolytic lesion of CA1 hippocampus reduced the effects of nesfatin-1 on VMH GD-responsive neuronal activity. These studies suggest that nesfatin-1 plays an important role in GD-responsive neuronal activity through interactions with CRF signaling pathways in VMH. The hippocampus may participate in the modulation of nesfatin-1-mediated effects in VMH., H. Feng, Q. Wang, F. Guo, X. Han, M. Pang, X. Sun, Y. Gong, L. Xu., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In previous studies, it has been shown that recombinant human neuregulin-1(rhNRG-1) is capable of improving the survival rate in animal models of doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiomyopathy; however, the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon remains unknown. In this study, the role of rhNRG-1 in attenuating doxorubicin-induce apoptosis is confirmed. Neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) were subjected to various treatments, in order to both induce apoptosis and determine the effects of rhNRG-1 on the process. Activation of apoptosis was determined by observing increases in the protein levels of classic apoptosis markers (including cleaved caspase-3, cytochrome c, Bcl-2, BAX and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining). The activation of Akt was detected by means of western blot analysis. The study results showed that doxorubicin increased the number of TUNEL positive cells, as well as the protein levels of cleaved caspase-3 and cytochrome c, and reduced the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax. However, all of these effects were markedly antagonized by pretreament with rhNRG-1. It was then further demonstrated that the effects of rhNRG-1 could be blocked by the phosphoinositole-3-kinase inhibitor LY294002, indicating the involvement of the Akt process in mediating the process. RhNRG-1 is a potent inhibitor of doxorubicin-induced apoptosis, which acts through the PI3K-Akt pathway. RhNRG-1 is a novel therapeutic drug which may be effective in preventing further damage from occurring in DOX-induced damaged myocardium., T. An, ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Depression is a complex disorder related to chronic inflammatory processes, chronic stress changes and a hippocampal response. There is a increasing knowledge about the role of glial cells in nutrient supply to neurons, maintenance of synaptic contacts and tissue homeostasis within the CNS. Glial cells, viewed in the past as passive elements with a limited influence on neuronal function, are becoming recognized as active partners of neurons and are starting to be discussed as a possible therapeutic target. Their role in the pathogenesis of depressive disorders is also being reconsidered. Attention is devoted to studies of the different types of antidepressants and their effects on transmembrane signaling, including levels of α subunits of G proteins in C6 glioma cells in vitro as a model of postsynaptic changes in vivo. These models indicate similarities in antidepressant effects on G proteins of brain cells and effector cells of natural immunity, natural killers and granulocytes. Thus, an antidepressant response can exhibit certain common characteristics in functionally different systems which also participate in disease pathogenesis. There are, however, differences in the astrocyte G-protein responses to antidepressant treatment, indicating that antidepressants differ in their effect on glial signalization. Today mainstream approach to neurobiological basis of depressive disorders and other mood illnesses is linked to abnormalities in transmembrane signal transduction via G-protein coupled receptors. Intracellular signalization cascade modulation results in the activation of transcription factors with subsequent increased production of a wide array of products including growth factors and to changes in cellular activity and reactivity., M. Páv, H. Kovářů, A. Fišerová, E. Havrdová, V. Lisá., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Neurogenic pulmonary edema (NPE), which is induced by acute spinal cord compression (SCC) unde r the mild (1.5 %) isoflurane anesthesia, is highly dependent on baroreflex-mediated bradycardia because a deeper (3 %) isoflurane anesthesia or atropine pretreatment comple tely abolished bradycardia occurrence and NPE development in rats subjected to SCC. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether hypertension- associated impairment of baroreflex sensitivity might exert some protection against NPE developmen t in hypertensive animals. We therefore studied SCC-induced NPE development in two forms of experimental hypertension - spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and salt hypertensive Dahl rats, which were reported to have reduced baroreflex sensitivity. SCC elicited NPE in both hypertensive models irrespective of their baroreflex sensitivity. It is evident that a moderate impairment of baroreflex sensitivity, which was demonstrated in salt hypertensive Dahl rats, does not exert sufficient protective effects against NPE development., J. Šedý, J. Kuneš, J. Zicha., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy