Portal-systemic shunting is an important circulatory abnormality in patients with liver cirrhosis. Glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) that is normally subject to first pass elimination, may exhibit higher bioavailability in these patients. This study compares the pharmacodynamic effects of GTN after peroral and sublingual administration for noninvasive assessment of shunting. Six control subjects and 15 patients with cirrhosis were studied after oral and sublingual application of 0.5 mg of GTN. Liver cirrhosis was complicated by portal hypertension in 7 of the patients and 4 patients had surgically implanted portocaval anastomosis. Digital plethysmography, which is highly sensitive and is essentially noninvasive in nature, was used to assess and compare the pharmacodynamic effects of GTN. The following values of the ratio of areas under the pharmacodynamic effects/time curve were obtained: 0.08±0.06 in healthy subjects, 0.52±0.21 in patients with uncomplicated cirrhosis, 0.99±0.34 in patients with portal hypertension and 1.24±0.43 in patients with portal-systemic shunts. We conclude that increased bioavailability of GTN reflects portal-systemic shunting and might be used providing that the pharmacodynamic data reflect both pharmacokinetic variability and the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic interrelations., O. Slanař, J. Aubrecht, F. Perlík., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Spatial tasks in rodents are commonly used to study general mechanisms of cognition. We review two groups of novel spatial tasks for rodents and discuss how they can extend our understanding of mechanisms of spatial cognition. The first group represents spatial tasks in which the subject does not locomote. Locomotion influences neural activity in brain structures important for spatial cognition. The tasks belonging to the first group make it possible to study cognitive processes without the interfering impact of locomotion. The second group represents tasks in which the subject approaches or avoids a moving object. Despite this topic is intensively studied in various animal species, little attention has been paid to it in rodents. Both groups of the tasks are powerful tools for addressing novel questions about rodent cognition., D. Klement, K. Blahna, T. Nekovářová., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous disease states. However, direct measurement of in vivo ROS in humans has remained elusive due to limited access to appropriate tissue beds and the inherently short half-lives and high reactivity of ROS. Herein, we describe a novel technique by which to measure in vivo ROS in human skeletal muscle. Microdialysis probes were inserted into the vastus lateralis of eight healthy volunteers. Amplex Ultrared, a highly specific fluorogenic substrate for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and horseradish peroxidase (HRP), were perfused through microdialysis probes, and outflowing dialysate was collected and fluorescence was measured. Extracellular H2O2 that crossed the microdialysis membrane was measured via fluorescence of the dialysate. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) was then added to the inflowing perfusion media to convert any superoxide crossing the microdialysis membrane to H2O2 within the microdialysis probe. Fluorescence significantly increased (P=0.005) upon SOD addition. These data demonstrate the feasibility of measuring both in vivo H2O2 and superoxide in the extracellular environment of human skeletal muscle, providing a technique with a potential application to a wide range of circulatory and metabolic studies of oxidative stress., J. D. La Favor, E. J. Anderson, R. C. Hickner., and Obsahuje bibliografii
We conducted an experimental study to evaluate the presence of coordinated left ventricular mechanical myocardial activity (LVMA) in two types of experimentally induced cardiac arrest: ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless electrical activity (PEA). Twenty anesthetized domestic pigs were randomized 1:1 either to induction of VF or PEA. They were left in nonresuscitated cardiac arrest until the cessation of LVMA and microcirculation. Surface ECG, presence of LVMA by transthoracic echocardiography and sublingual microcirculation were recorded. One minute after induction of cardiac arrest, LVMA was identified in all experimental animals. In the PEA group, rate of LVMA was of 106±12/min. In the VF group, we identified two patterns of LVMA. Six animals exhibited contractions of high frequency (VFhigh group), four of low frequency (VFlow group) (334±12 vs. 125±32/min, p<0.001). A time from cardiac arrest induction to asystole (19.2±7.2 vs. 7.3±2.2 vs. 8.3±5.5 min, p=0.003), cessation of LVMA (11.3±5.6 vs. 4.4±0.4 vs. 7.4±2.9 min, p=0.027) and cessation of microcirculation (25.3±12.6 vs. 13.4±2.4 vs. 23.2±8.7 min, p=0.050) was significantly longer in VFlow group than in VFhigh and PEA group, respectively. Thus, LVMA is present in both VF and PEA type of induced cardiac arrest and moreover, VF may exhibit various patterns of LVMA., R. Skulec, D. Astapenko, R. Cerna Parizkova, B. Furst, M. Bilska, T. Parizek, T. Hovanec, N. Pinterova, J. Knor, J. Dudakova, A. Truhlar, V. Radochova, Z. Zadak, V. Cerny., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). In CVD progression an aberrant redox regulation was observed. In this regulation levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in cellular signaling, where Nrf2 is the key regulator of redox homeostasis. Keap1-Nrf2-ARE system regulates a great set of detoxificant and antioxidant enzymes in cells after ROS and electrophiles exposure. In this review we focus on radical-generating systems in cardiovascular system as well as on Nrf2 as a target against oxidative stress and a key player of redox regulation in cardiovascular diseases. We also summarize the current knowledge about the role of Nrf2 in pathophysiology of several CVD (hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, cardiomyopathies) as well as in cardioprotection against myocardial ischemia/ reperfusion injury., M. Barančík, L. Grešová, M. Barteková, I. Dovinová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. In addition to the genetic, epigenetic and immunological components, various other factors, e.g. unhealthy dietary habits, play a role in the MS pathogenesis. Dietary intervention is a highly appealing approach, as it presents a simple and relatively low risk method to potentially improve outcomes in patients with brain disorders in order to achieve remission and improvement of clinical status, well-being and life expectancy of patients with MS. The importance of saturated fat intake restriction for the clinical status improvement of MS patients was pointed for the first time in 1950s. Recently, decreased risk of first clinical diagnosis of CNS demyelination associated with higher intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids particularly originating from fish was reported. Only few clinical trials have been performed to address the question of the role of dietary intervention, such is e.g. low saturated fat diet in MS treatment. This review summarizes current knowledge about the effect of different dietary approaches (diets low in saturated fat and dietary supplements such as fish oil, lipoic acid, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, seeds oils, high fiber diet, vitamin D, etc.) on neurological signs, patient’s well-being, physical and inflammatory status. So far the results are not conclusive, therefore much more research is needed to confirm and to understand the effectiveness of these dietary interventions in the long term and well defined studies., A. Penesová, Z. Dean, B. Kollár, A. Havranová, R. Imrich, M. Vlček, Ž. Rádiková., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Obsahuje přívazek: Spolky na vzájemné pomáhání / sepsal F. S. Kodym (Vyňato z Hospodářských Novin 1860) ; V Praze a ve Vídni : Kober & Markgraf, 1860 ; 49 stran, Obsahuje přívazek: K theorii statistiky průmyslu / sepsal Josef Erben (Řeč úvodní, učiněná dne 12. listopadu 1862 při počátku čtení o statistice průmyslu na témž ústavě) ; V Praze : Nákladem kněhkupectví: I. L. Kober, 1863 ; 15 stran, Obsahuje přívazek: Centrální trhovna na potravu ve Vídní, c. k. hlavním a sídelním městě říšském ; Ce Vídni : Ve skladu správy trhovny na potravu, 1865 ; 15 stran, and Obsahuje přívazek: Central-Markthalle der k. k. Reichshaupt- und Residenzstadt Wien ; Wien : Verlag der Hallen-Verwaltung, 1865 ; 15 stran
Associations between different infectious agents and obesity have been reported in humans for over thirty years. In many cases, as in nosocomial infections, this relationship reflects the greater susceptibility of obese individuals to infection due to impaired immunity. In such cases, the infection is not related to obesity as a causal factor but represents a complication of obesity. In contrast, several infections have been suggested as potential causal factors in human obesity. However, evidence of a causal linkage to human obesity has only been provided for adenovirus 36 (Adv36). This virus activates lipogenic and proinflammatory pathways in adipose tissue, improves insulin sensitivity, lipid profile and hepatic steatosis. The E4orf1 gene of Adv36 exerts insulin senzitizing effects, but is devoid of its pro-inflammatory modalities. The development of a vaccine to prevent Adv36- induced obesity or the use of E4orf1 as a ligand for novel antidiabetic drugs could open new horizons in the prophylaxis and treatment of obesity and diabetes. More experimental and clinical studies are needed to elucidate the mutual relations between infection and obesity, identify additional infectious agents causing human obesity, as well as define the conditions that predispose obese individuals to specific infections., V. Hainer, H. Zamrazilová, M. Kunešová, B. Bendlová, I. Aldhoon-Hainerová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The functional antagonism between obestatin and ghrelin in the testis is under investigation. We investigated the ability of obestatin to counteract the inhibitory effect of ghrelin on basal and stimulated testosterone (T) secretion in vitro. Testicular strips from adult rats were incubated with 10 ng/ml and 100 ng /ml of obestatin alone, ghrelin alone and obestatin + ghrelin. Obestatin modulation of stimulated T secretion was evaluated by incubation of testicular samples with 10 ng/ml and 100 ng/ml obestatin, ghrelin and obestatin + ghrelin in the absence and presen ce of 10 IU of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). T concentrations in the hCG treated groups were significantly (P<0.0001) higher than those in the control groups. Obestatin caused a significant increase in basal T secretion in a dose-dependent manner; however, obestatin at the both 10 ng /ml and 100 ng/ml significantly (P<0.0001) in creased hCG-stimulated T secretion. In contrast, ghrelin in a dose-dependent manner significantly (P<0.001) decreased both basal and hCG-induced T secretion by testicular slices. Obestatin opposed the inhibitory effect of ghrelin on T secretion under both basal and hCG-stimulated conditions at all doses tested. In conclusions, administration of obestatin was able to antagonize the inhibitory effect of ghrelin on testosterone secretion in vitro ., T. Afsar, S. Jahan, S. Razak, A. Almajwal, M. Abulmeaty, H. Wazir, A. Majeed., and Obsahuje bibliografii