It is known that psychostimulants including methamphetamine (MA) have neurotoxic effect, especially, if they are targeting CNS during its critical periods of development. The present study was aimed on evaluation of cognitive changes following scheduled prenatal MA exposure in combination with long-term exposure in adulthood of male rats. Two periods of gestation were targeted: 1st half - the embryonic day (ED) 1-11 and 2nd half - ED 12-22. Rat mothers received subcutaneously a daily injection of MA (5 mg/kg) or saline (SAL, 1 ml/kg) throughout scheduled periods. Male offspring were tested for cognitive changes in the Morris Water Maze (MWM) in adulthood. Each day of the experiment animals received an injection of MA (1 mg/kg) or SAL (1 ml/kg) during 12 days. Our results demonstrated that in the group of animals exposed to the drug during ED 1-11, neither prenatal MA exposure, nor adult MA treatment changed the performance in the MWM test. Only the velocity was increased in group with long-term MA treatment (SAL/MA and MA/MA). In the group of animals exposed to the drug during ED 12-22, rats exposed to MA prenatally and also in adulthood (MA/MA) swam faster but learned the position of the platform slower in the Place Navigation Test than animals exposed to SAL in adulthood (MA/SAL). In the Probe Test, MA/SAL had decreased velocity and swam shorter distance than MA/MA or SAL/SAL rats suggesting increased floating of these animals. In the Memory Retention Test, SAL/MA rats swam shorter distance than SAL/SAL or MA/MA animals suggesting changes in used strategies in memory recall. As conclusion, our results suggest differences in the effect of combination of prenatal and adult exposure to MA. These effects further depend on the stage of CNS development and schedule of MA exposure affecting intrauterine development in male rats., I. Hrebíčková, M. Malinová-Ševčíková, E. Macúchová, K. Nohejlová, R. Šlamberová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In this text, the author concentrates on an analysis of the concept of tolerance, which plays an important role in moral and political thought. The semantic framework that he uses in his analysis is moral expressivism. This is one of the influential and intensively discussed theories of contemporary metaethics. The author starts from the assumption that if we are to take tolerance seriously, we must consistently distinguish it from other moral attitudes (approval, indifference, excuse). Only a precise understanding of the concept of tolerance will make it possible for us to better identify tolerance or, as the case may be, appreciate it. Tolerance is understood here as a practical attitude, specifically as a second-order attitude. To tolerate X means to suppress your negative attitude towards X. This approach has surprising consequences. It reveals, in fact, that conservative moral thinking gives us a wider space for the application of tolerance than liberal moral thinking. At the same time, it problematizes the classical tenet of political philosophy that tolerance is a quintessentially liberal virtue. and V tomto textu se autor soustřeďuje na analýzu pojmu tolerance, který hraje významnou roli v morálním a politickém myšlení. Sémantickým aparátem jeho analýzy je morální expresivismus. To je jedna z vlivných a intenzivně diskutovaných teorií současné metaetiky. Autor vychází z předpokladu, že jestliže máme brát toleranci vážně, musíme ji důsledně odlišovat od jiných morálních postojů (schvalování, indiference, omluvení). Teprve precizní porozumění pojmu tolerance nám umožňuje, abychom dokázali toleranci lépe identifikovat a případně také ocenit. Toleranci chápe jako praktický postoj, konkrétně jako postoj druhého řádu. Tolerovat X znamená potlačovat svůj negativní postoj k X. Tento přístup má překvapivé důsledky. Odhaluje totiž, že konzervativní morální myšlení nám poskytuje širší prostor pro uplatnění tolerance než liberální morální myšlení. A zároveň problematizuje klasickou poučku politické filosofie, že tolerance je typicky liberální ctnost.
Aquaporins (AQPs) are water channel proteins responsible for water homeostasis and important for proper functioning of all body systems, including reproductive structures. This study was designed to determine their localization and quantitative changes in the pig ovary during different stages of the estrous cycle and early pregnancy. The expression of AQP 1, 5 and 9 proteins was determined by immunocytochemistry and Western blot analyses. AQP1 was found in the plasma membranes of capillary endothelium, AQP5 - in the plasma membranes of granulosa cells of developing follicles and flattened follicle cells of the primordial follicles, and AQP9 - in granulosa cells of the developing follicles. In the cyclic pigs, the expression of AQP1 and 5 proteins was the highest on Days 18-20, but did not change significantly between Days 2-4, 10-12 and 14-16 of the cycle. In pregnant pigs (Days 14-16 and 30-32), the expression of AQP1 and 5 did not change and was similar to that observed during Days 10-12 and 14-16. In turn, AQP9 expression did not change between all studied periods. In conclusion, studied AQP are localized in different cells populations, the endothelial and granulosa cells, and AQP1 and 5 seem to be crucial for follicular development in pigs., A. Skowronska, P. Mlotkowska, M. Eliszewski, S. Nielsen, M. T. Skowronski., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Our present work showed that the expression of genes encoding PTOX (terminal oxidase of chlororespiration) and PGR5 (one essential component of cyclic electron transfer) were stimulated by red and blue light, but the stimulation under red light was soon reversed by subsequent far-red light. The expression levels of PTOX and PGR5 under simulated light quality conditions in line with maize-soybean relay strip intercropping (SRI) were obviously lower than those under simulated soybean monocropping (SM), since the lower red:far-red ratio under SRI. Measurements on photosynthetic and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters suggested a decline of assimilatory power supply and a lower nonphotochemical quenching under SRI as compared to SM. In this case, weaker PGR-dependent cyclic electron transfer and chlororespiration under SRI, suggested by lower expression levels of PGR5 and PTOX, could be considered as means of reducing excitation energy dissipation to allocate more power toward CO2 assimilation., X. Sun, X. F. Chen, J. B. Du, W. Y. Yang., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) transcriptionally regulates expression of several target genes in protecting tissues against hypoxia. With hypoxic stress, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a signal protein produced by cells and further contributes to improvement of vascular functions and restoring the oxygen supply to tissues. In this current study, we first hypothesized that the protein levels of HIF-1α and VEGF are reduced in skeletal muscles of plateau animals [China Qinghai- Tibetan plateau pikas (ochotona curzoniae)] in response to hypoxia as compared with control animals [normal lowland Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats]. We further hypothesized that HIF-1α plays a role in regulating expression of VEGF in skeletal muscle. Note that HIF-1α and VEGF were determined by using two-site immunoenzymatic assay (ELISA) methods. Our results demonstrated that hypoxic stress induced by exposure of lower O2 (6 h) significantly increased the levels of HIF-1α and VEGF in the oxidative and glycolytic muscles of SD rats and pikas (P<0.05 vs. normoxic conditions). Notably, the increases in HIF-1α and VEGF were significantly less in pikas (P<0.05, vs. SD controls) than in SD rats. In addition, a linear relationship was observed between amplified HIF-1α and VEGF in oxidative muscle (r=0.76 and P<0.01) and glycolytic muscle (r=0.72 and P<0.01) and inhibiting HIF-1α significantly decreased expression of VEGF induced by hypoxic stress in skeletal muscles (P<0.05). Overall, our findings suggest that (1) responsiveness of HIF-1α and VEGF in skeletal muscles to hypoxic stress is blunted in plateau animals, and (2) HIF-1α has a regulatory effect on VEGF under hypoxic environment., H.-C. Xie, J.-P. He, J.-F. Zhu, J.-G. Li., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Gastrointestinal form is the second stage of acute radiation syndrome (ARS) with a threshold dose of 8 Gy in man. It represents an absolutely lethal clinical-pathological unit, necro-hemorrhagic enteritis and proctocolitis, with unknown causal therapy. Elk-1 is a protein acting as a transcription factor activating specified genes. The purpose of our study was to examine the expression of phospho-Elk-1 in irradiated jejunum and transversal colon of rats with radiation-induced enterocolitis and to assess the importance of this transcriptional factor as a biodosimetric marker of radiation-induced enteropathy. The laboratory rats were randomly divided into 21 groups, 10 animals per group, and irradiated with whole body γ-irradiation of 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 Gy. Samples of jejunum and transversal colon were taken 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours later, immunohisto-chemically stained, and the phospho-Elk-1 expression was examined using computer image analysis. A group of 10 sham-irradiated animals was used as control. Significantly increased expression of phospho-Elk-1 in rat jejunum has been found in all time intervals after irradiation by sublethal doses of 1 and 5 Gy, whereas after the irradiation by lethal doses, the expression of phospho-Elk-1 in rat jejunum varied considerably. Significantly increased expression of phospho-Elk-1 in transversal colon has also been found in the first days after irradiation by sublethal doses of 1 and 5 Gy. After irradiation by lethal doses, tere was no uniform pattern of the changes in the expression of phospho-Elk-1 in rat transversal colon. The detection of phospho-Elk-1 might be considered as a suitable and very sensitive biodosimetric marker of radiation-induced injury of small and large intestine. According to our knowledge, this is the first study on the phospho-Elk-1 expression in irradiated jejunum and transversal colon in the rat., D. Driák, J. Österreicher, Z. Řeháková, Z. Vilasová, J. Vávrová., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Serotonin receptors have been found in several reproductive organs as well as in the central nervous system. Serotonin-binding sites have been demonstrated in duck ovarian follicles and the testis, hamster ovaries, human granulosa cells and mouse placenta. Local production of serotonin by the rat ovary, oviduct, uterus and testis has also been reported. We analyzed the expression of three types of serotonin receptors: 5-HT1B, 5-HT2C and 5-HT1D by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in mouse unfertilized oocytes and preimplantation embryos from zygotes to the blastocyst stage in vivo. Transcripts for 5-HT1B and 5-HT2C serotonin receptors were detected neither in unfertilized oocytes nor at any stages of in vivo developing preimplantation embryos. Serotonin 5-HT1D receptor mRNA was present in unfertilized oocytes, zygotes, 2-cell embryos, compacted morulae and in vivo produced expanded blatocysts. The expression of the mRNA 5-HT1D serotonin receptor was also detected in blastocysts cultured in vitro. When added to the culture medium, specific serotonin 5-HT1D agonist sumatriptan (1 μM) significantly inhibited the development of mouse embryos cultured in vitro. Demonstration of the expression of 5-HT1D serotonin receptor in mouse oocytes and preimplantation embryos supports the idea of a functional serotonin (5-HT1D) receptor in early mammalian development., J. Veselá, P. Rehák, J. Mihalik, S. Czikková, J. Pokorný, J. Koppel., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In order to investigate the effect of large isoform of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBPCO) activase (RuBPCO-A) on photosynthesis, cDNA of the enzyme (rca) was transferred to rice cultivars (Oryza sativa f. japonica cv. Nipponbare) under the control of RuBPCO small subunit gene promoter (rbcS) via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Transgenic rice plants were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern and Western blot analyses. Net photosynthetic rate (PN ) values of the T1 transgenic lines 34 (T34) and 40 (T40) were 45.26 and 46.32 % higher than that of the control plants, respectively. At the same time, their carboxylation efficiency and RuBPCO initial activity, quantum yield of electron transport in photosystem 2 (ΦPS2), and steady state photochemical fluorescence quenching (qP) increased. In addition, heading time of the transgenic rice was advanced. Thus increasing the amount of large isoform of RuBPCO-A in the transgenic rice might have a stimulatory effect on both photosynthesis and plant growth. and H. R. Wu ... [et al.].
Violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE) is localised in the thylakoid lumen of chloroplasts and catalyses de-epoxidation of violaxanthin into antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin. Tobacco vde gene was inserted into a binary vector pCAMBIA1301 with the hygromycin resistant gene for selection in antisense and overexpressed ways. Two constructs with antisense and overexpressed vde gene were introduced in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) using Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404, PCR and Southern blot analyses demonstrated that the exogenous gene was integrated into genome of tobacco plants. VDE activity assay and HPLC analysis of pigments showed that the vde gene was expressed in the overexpressed transformants, whereas suppressed in the antisense ones. The chlorophyll fluorescence measurements proved that the contents of VDE in transgenic plants have a significant function in non-photochemical quenching. and Ying Deng ... [et al.].
Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analyses were applied in order to identify genetic factors that are relevant to the expression of a β-isoform Rubisco activase gene in maize, namely ZmRCAβ, in this study. During two years, a maize recombinant inbred line population was measured for ZmRCAβ expression levels at the grain filling stage. Based on a genetic map containing 916 molecular markers, we detected five eQTLs, namely qRCA2.1 on chromosome 2, and qRCA4.1, qRCA4.2, qRCA4.3, and qRCA4.4 on chromosome 4. These eQTLs explained the phenotypic variation ranging from 6.14% to 7.50% with the logarithm of the odd values ranging from 3.11 to 4.96. Based on the position of the eQTLs and ZmRCAβ on the chromosome, qRCA4.2 was inferred as a cis-eQTL and the remaining as a trans-eQTL, suggesting that a combination of both cis- and trans-acting elements might control ZmRCAβ expression. qRCA4.2, qRCA4.3, and qRCA4.4 were repeatedly detected during two years., Q. Sun, Y. Zhang, B. Chen, B. Jia, Z. L. Zhang, M. Cui, X. Kan, H. B. Shi, D. X. Deng, Z. T. Yin., and Obsahuje bibliografii