The subclass of triglyceride -rich lipoproteins - remnant -like particles (RLP) seems to be strong and independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. We eva luated the role of RLP and other risk factors (RF) with sonographically measured intima - media thickness of carotid arteries (IMT CCA) in a cohort of Czech population including women defined according to the time after menopause. We investigated relation of IMT CCA to age, weight, central obesity, plasma lipids including remnant -like particles cholesterol (RLP -C) and triglycerides (RLP -TG) in 136 men and 160 women. Using multiple linear regression analysis, significant association between IMT CCA and RLP -C was found in women 1 -7 years after menopause. In the whole group of women, only age and fasting blood glucose were independently associated with IMT CCA. In men only age significantly correlated wit h IMT CCA. Significant decrease of all plasma lipids betwe en 1988 and 1996 in men was detected, while in women significant increase in triglycerides and no change in non -HDL cholesterol was observed. RLP -C was the strongest independent RF for atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women but its as sociation with IMT CC A was limited to several years after menopause. In conclusion, women changing reproductive status could be more sensitive to atherogenic impact of remnant lipoproteins., J. Piťha, J. Kovář, Z. Škodová, R. Cífková, P. Stávek, L. Červenka, T. Šejda, V. Lánská, R. Poledne., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The Morris water maze (MWM) is one of the most common tasks used to assess spatial learning and memory ability in rodents. Genetic strain and gender are two prominent variants that influence spatial performance. Although it was reported that ICR (Institute of Cancer Research) mice exhibited an unchanged baseline performance in the training phase of the MWM task, this outbred strain has been widely used in learning and memory studies, and little is known regarding the effects of sex on behavioral performance. In this study, we demonstrated that both male and female ICR mice could complete the MWM task. Furthermore, a significant sex difference was observed, with females having shorter escape latencies and longer durations in the target quadrant in both the acquisition and test phases. Our findings emphasize the necessity of careful examination of not only the strain effect on behavioral performance but also the sex effect., J.-F. Ge, ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
The growth capacity of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) obtained from the thoracic aorta of 8-week-old male and female spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) was compared. Explants from the intima- media complex were cultured in Dulbecco minimum essential medium supplemented with fetal calf serum (10 %). The migration of VSMC out of the explants started on day 2 in both sexes but on day 18 the number of explants with VSMC migration was 100 ±32 explants/flask in male VSMC and only 24 ±5 explants/flask in female ones. The doubling time at the early exponential phase of growth was shorter (13.5 ±0.5 h) and the p H]-thymidine Labelling Index was higher (34.0±2.3 %) in male VSMC than in those from females (19.9±0.6 h and 23.9±1.9 %, p<0.01, respectively). The difference in the doubling time became even more apparent in the late exponential phase of growth (male VSMC: 51.8±2.0 h, female VSMC: 91.5±5.8 h, p<0.001). Moreover, at the end of the exponential growth phase, the male VSMC reached significantly higher (pcO.OOl) maximum population density than VSMC from females. Our data provide evidence of different growth characteristics of cultured VSMC isolated from male and female SHR aortas.
The striped hyaena Hyaena hyaena (Linnaeus, 1758) is globally categorised as “Near Threatened” and is nearly extinct in the Caucasus. In Armenia, the last published record dates back to 1925 and the last trustworthy sighting was in the late 1940s. Here, a dead hyaena is described which was found in 2010 near the Nrnadzor village in the extreme south of Armenia. Its skull was investigated, age was estimated by several methods (cementum layers, tooth eruption, fusion of cranial sutures, pulp cavity closure and tooth wear) and sex was determined from the sagittal, occipital and nuchal crests and by genotyping of skin DNA. The specimen was found out to be a female aged ca. 17-18 months. As this is the age of disperal and females play a pivotal role in the social life of this carnivore, the possibilities for recolonization and establishment of hyaena population in the Meghri district of southern Armenia are discussed. This area holds sufficient prey base and suitable arid landscapes for survival of this species. The recent record of another individual’s fresh tracks on sand near Nrnadzor supports this hypothesis. Usability of different techniques of sex determination and age estimation in the striped hyaena is considered.
The novel environment of a metabolic cage can be stressful for rodents, but few studies have attempted to quantify this stress-response. Therefore, we determined the effects on mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR), of placing mice of both sexes in metabolism cages for 2 days. After surgical implantation of a carotid artery catheter mice recovered individually in standard cages for 5 days. Mice then spent 2 days in metabolism cages. MAP and HR were monitored in the standard cage on Day 5 and in metabolism cages on Days 6-7. MAP increased by 18±3 and 22±4 %, while HR increased by 27±4 and 27±6 %, in males and females, respectively, during the first hours after cage switch. MAP decreased to baseline in the fourth and eighth h following metabolism cage switch in males and females, respectively. However, HR remained significantly elevated in both sexes during the entire two-day period in metabolism cages. Females had lower MAP than males both pre- and post- metabolism cage switch, but there were no sex differences in HR. These results demonstrate sustained changes in cardiovascular function when mice are housed in metabolism cages, which could potentially affect renal function., C. C. Hoppe ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury