This paper highlights some of the key technologies of using two innovative molecular imaging modalites, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nonlinear optical microscopy, for imaging intravenously injected ultra small paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles cross linked with antibodies (CLUSPIO) in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosi s (ALS) experimental model in vivo or ex vivo , respectively. Intensive efforts have been made in investigating the causes of abnormalities in lipid metabolism, monitored in some neurodegenerat ive disorders systems. It has been shown that an abnormal accumulation of some common lipids in motor nerve cells may play a critical role in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The presented experiments were performed on brain specimens from the transgenic rat model expressing multiple copies of mutated (G93A) human SOD-1 gene, after CD4+ lymphocytes were magnetically labeled with i.v.i. CLUSPIO antibodies. In vivo MRI revealed marked signal intens ity enhancements in specific pathological regions of the ALS rat brain as compared to the wild type. Surface-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (SECARS) microscopy indicated cellular interactions based on lipids association to anti-CD4 CLUSPIO., L. Machtoub, D. Bataveljić, P. R. Andjus., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Neurodegenerativní onemocnění, mezi něž patří např. Alzheimerova a Parkinsonova nemoc, se kvůli své neustále se zvyšující prevalenci a nedostupnosti efektivní léčby staly jedním z nejpalčivějších problémů moderní medicíny. Ačkoli existují látky s potenciálním terapeutickým účinkem, hematoencefalická bariéra vytváří účinnou překážku pro transport léků do centrálního nervového systému. Naději pro vyřešení tohoto problému přinesl nástup nanotechnologií umožňujících přípravu částic s přesně navrženými vlastnostmi pro překročení hematoencefalické bariéry. Širokému využití nanočástic pro transport léků brání nedostatečné zmapování jejich biologických vlastností a bezpečnostních rizik. Pokrok v této oblasti společně s rostoucím porozuměním patogenezi neurodegenerativních onemocnění by v budoucnu mohl vést k nalezení jejich efektivní léčby., Due to the continually rising prevalence and lack of effective therapy, neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, are among the most serious problems of modern medicine. Even though promising compounds with potential therapeutic effect have been developed, blood-brain barrier impedes their transport to the central nervous system. Nanotechnologies produce particles with properties that enable them to cross the blood-brain barrier and thus provide hope in solving this problem. Wide utilization of nanoparticles for transportation of drugs is prevented by our limited knowledge of their biological properties and their safety profile. Further developments in this field together with increasing understanding of the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration may lead to development of effective therapy in the future. Key words: blood-brain barrier – dendrimers – liposomes – nanotubes – carbon – nanoparticles – neurodegenerative diseases 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 M. Filipová, R. Rusina, K. Holada
We have determined the genotypes of two common polymorphisms in the lipoprotein lipase (S447X) and hepatic lipase (-480C/T) genes in a cohort of 285 representative selected Czech probands (131 male and 154 female), examined in 1988 and reinvestigated in 1996. The genotype distributions of both polymorphisms were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and did not differ between male and female subjects. The rare allele frequency of the lipoprotein lipase polymorphism did not differ significantly from the other European populations. Compared to the German populations, the frequency of the hepatic lipase -480T allele was significantly higher in the Czech group (20 % vs. 36 %, p<0.0001). There were no significant associations between the lipoprotein lipase gene variants and lipid parameters measured either in 1988, or in 1996 or with changes of lipid parameters over the 8-year period. The carriers of the T-480 allele of the hepatic lipase polymorphism were found to have higher HDL cholesterol levels (p=0.02). However, this difference was confined to female subjects only. The male carriers of the -480T allele had higher concentrations of total cholesterol (p=0.03) as compared to CC-480 subjects. Both associations were observed in 1996 only. In the Slavic Czech population, a common polymorphism in the hepatic lipase gene (-480C/T), but not in the lipoprotein lipase gene (S447X), is a significant determinant of plasma HDL cholesterol in females and plasma total cholesterol in males and indicates the importance of gender-associated effects in the genetic determinations of plasma lipids., J.A. Hubáček, D.M. Waterworth, J. Piťha, S.E. Humphries, P.J. Talmud, R. Poledne., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Metóda založená na meraní odrazivosti röntgenového žiarenia pri dopade pod malými uhlami na povrch skúmanej vzorky sa stala dôležitým nástrojom v biofyzikálnom výskume. Uplatňuje sa pri skúmaní vlastností tenkých organických vrstiev lipidov, proteínov a iných biopolymérov, surfaktantov atď. V článku je podaný krátky výklad fyzikálnej podstaty tejto metódy a jej aplikácie pri štúdiu štruktúrnych parametrov dvojzložkových membránových modelových systémov líšiacich sa v zložení lipidov a vo fázovom stave., In recent decades, X-ray reflectometry, an experimental technique based on measuring the reflected X-ray intensity from surfaces upon illumination under small angles, became an important tool in biophysical research. It is often used for the investigation and study of properties of thin organic lipid layers, proteins and other biopolymers, surfactants, etc. In the presented article, we introduce the teoretical foundations of this physical method and its applications. In particular, we discuss our recent experimental study of structural parameters of double-compound membrane model systems, which differ in lipid composition and phase state., Eva Nováková., and Obsahuje bibliografii
V práci sme študovali termodynamické vlastnosti lipidových dvojvrstiev veĺkých unilamelárnych vezikúl zložených z binárnych zmesí fosfatidylcholínov s rôznymi dĺžkami uhĺovodíkových reťazcov. Na štúdium bola použitá metóda merania rýchlosti a absorbcie ultrazvuku pri fixnej frekvencii (7,2 MHz). Fázové prechody dvojvrstiev zložených u čistých fosfolipidov sa vyznačovali výrazným maximom inkrementu absorbcie ultrazvuku, [αλ], kým v prípade binárnych zmesí boli pozorované dve maximá. Na základe analýzy získaných experimentálnych dát sa domnievame, že dve maximá inkrementu absorbcie [αλ] fázového prechodu binárnych lipidových zmesí môžu odrážať existenciu dvoch separovaných fáz, spôsobených neideálnou miešateĺnosťou molekúl oboch komponent. Existencia dvoch absorpčnych píkov môže odrážať aj efekty formovania klastrov v lipidovej dvojvrstve počas procesu fázového prechodu. Na základe vypočítaných hodnôt veĺkostí kooperatívnych jednotiek môžeme usudzovať o veĺkosti laterálnej fázovej separácie jednotlivých komponent binárnych lipidových zmesí. Z tvaru teplotných závislostí [αλ] pre binárne lipicové zmesi je možné predpokladať, že ich fázový prechod je daný lineárnou kombináciou fázových prechodov (absorbčných píkov) jednotlivých lipidových komponent., Peter Rybár, Tibor Hianik., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
The data derived from rat models and the preliminary results of human studies provide strong indices of involvement of common ZBTB16 variants in a range of cardiovascular and metabolic traits. This cross-sectional study in the Caucasian cohort of 1517 Czech adults aimed to verify the hypothesis that ZBTB16 gene variation directly affects obesity and serum lipid levels. Genotyping of nine polymorphisms of the ZBTB16 gene (rs11214863, rs593731, rs763857, rs2846027, rs681200, rs686989, rs661223, rs675044, rs567057) was performed. A multivariate bidirectional regression with the reduction of dimensionality (O2PLS model) revealed relationships between basal lipid levels and anthropometric parameters and some minor ZBTB16 alleles. In men, the predictors - age and presence of minor ZBTB16 alleles of rs686989, rs661223, rs675044, rs567057 - were associated with significantly higher body mass index, waist to hip ratio, body adiposity index, waist and abdominal circumferences, higher total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol and explained 20 % of variability of these variables. In women, the predictors - age and presence of the rs686989 minor T allele - were also associated with increased anthropometric parameters and total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol but the obtained O2PLS model explained only 7.8 % of the variability of the explained variables. Our study confirmed that the selected gene variants of the transcription factor ZBTB16 influence the obesity-related parameters and lipid levels. This effect was more pronounced in men., B. Bendlová, M. Vaňková, M. Hill, G. Vacínová, P. Lukášová, D. Vejražková, L. Šedová, O. Šeda, J. Včelák., and Obsahuje bibliografii