Methamphetamine (MA), as massively abused psychoactive stimulant, has been associated with many neurological diseases. It has various potent and neurotoxic properties. There are many mechanisms of action that contribute to its neurotoxic and degenerative effects, including excessive neurotransmitter (NEU) release, blockage of NEU uptake transporters, degeneration of NEU receptors, process of oxidative stress etc. MA intoxication is caused by blood-brain barrier disruption resulted from MA-induced oxidation stress. In our laboratory we constantly work on animal research of MA. Our current interest is to investigate processes of MA-induced alteration in neurotransmission, especially during development of laboratory rat. This review will describe current understanding in role of NEUs, which are affected by MA-induced neurotoxicity caused by altering the action of NEUs in the central nervous system (CNS). It also briefly brings information about NEUs development in critical periods of development.
We propose a modified and updated protocol to obtain mitotic chromosomes from the regenerated tissue of Pelophylax tadpole tail tips. Chromosomal preparations from regenerated tissue results in high-quality and clean slides suitable for further staining and study. Tadpoles remain alive, undergo minimum suffering, and can be grown to adulthood for further investigation. The method could be used for other groups of Anura and modified for other species with the ability to regenerate their tissues.
Microorganisms and eukaryotic human cells coexist in synergistic relationships in nearly every niche of the human body. The female genital tract consisting of the vagina, uterus with its cervix and endometrium, uterine tubes and ovaries – harbors its own typical microbiota, which accounts for 9 % of the total bacterial population in females. To this organ system, we also assigned the microbiome of the placenta, which has not been studied much until now. Among the spectrum of microbial species, the female genital tract is mainly dominated by Lactobacillus species, which are considered to be one of the simplest yet most important microbial communities. However, this relationship between macro- and micro-organisms seems to have a number of physiological functions, e.g., the vaginal and cervical microbiota have unique impact on reproductive health. The aim of this review was to provide current view on female genital tract microbiota and its role in reproductive health. We describe in detail the association of vaginal or tubal epithelium with microbiota or the role of microbiota in normal placental function.
Midazolam is a short acting sedative with small number of adverse effects. Administered orally, it is currently the most common form of conscious sedation in children. The objective of this paper is to describe effect of midazolam administered to children during dental treatment on their vital signs, and to monitor changes in children’s behavior. We described values of vital signs and behavior in 418 sedations conducted in 272 children between 1-12 years of age. To achieve the following results, we used data from 272 all first-time sedations. After administration of midazolam arterial blood pressure and blood oxygen saturation decreased by values which were not clinically significant. The heart rate increased, with values staying within the limits of physiological range. The speed of onset of midazolam’s clinical effects depends on age and dose. The lower age and dose correlated with the higher behavior score. The effectiveness of midazolam treatment is 97.8 %. Unwillingness of child to receive midazolam is predictor for disruptive behavior during sedation. 1.8 % of all sedation cases showed paradoxical reactions. The administration of midazolam in dose of 0.5 mg per 1 kg of child’s body weight is safe and could be recommended for dental treatment in pediatric dentistry., Jana Vasakova, Jana Duskova, Jitka Lunackova, Klara Drapalova, Lucie Zuzankova, Luboslav Starka, Michaela Duskova, Zdenek Broukal., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Gastropathy is one of the most common diseases of the human gastrointestinal tract. Apart from its consequences in the stomach, it is also manifested in other parts of the digestive tract, particularly in the duodenum. The aim of this pilot study was to verify on animal model the empirically observed alleviation of gastropathy symptoms in patients who underwent a drinking treatment of Vincentka natural mineral water during their spa treatment. Sixteen male Wistar rats were included in the study. The animals were randomly divided into two groups: experimental group (E; n=8) and control group (C; n=8). The experimental protocol consisted of three phases: (1) handling phase (7 days); (2) mineral water (E)/tap water (C) administration (7 days); (3) acute gastritis induction (1 day). Twenty-four hours after the induction of acute gastritis, the animals were sacrificed. The collected tissues (stomach and duodenum) and blood were examined by standard histological microscopy, and by immunohistochemical and biochemical methods. Histopathological analysis revealed significantly reduced damage to the gastric mucosa in the experimental group. Significantly different values of blood plasma antioxidant capacity, oxidative stress parameters and blood plasma biochemical parameters were also found. Based on these results, we conclude that the mineral water Vincentka has a positive impact on development and symptoms of acute gastric ulcers.
The study aimed to recognize whether the activity of a semi-aquatic invasive carnivore – the American mink Neovison vison – is related to the distribution of waterbird colonies. For this reason, we monitored mink occurrence in lake reedbeds and the fate of artificial nests imitating those of the great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus. The location of artificial nests in the grebe colony increased the probability of their survival compared to those placed outside the grebe colony. During the study, mink activity increased over time. In general, it was lower in colonies than outside of them, suggesting that the presence of natural nests does not increase the probability of mink occurrence in lake reedbeds. However, mink activity was negatively correlated with the distance from the lake shoreline and differed spatially according to the presence or absence of natural grebe nests. In grebe colonies, the probability of mink occurrence at greater distances from the lake shoreline was higher than outside, which can be explained by optimizing swimming effort while searching for prey. In conclusion, mink activity in colonies was lower than in areas with no waterbird nests, and nest location in a colony decreased predation risk by mink.
The main goal of our prospective randomized study was
comparing compare the effectiveness of ventilation control
method „Automatic proportional minute ventilation (APMV)
“versus manually set pressure control ventilation modes in
relationship to lung mechanics and gas exchange. 80 patients
undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were
randomized into 2 groups. 40 patients in the first group No. 1
(APMV group) were ventilated with pressure control (PCV) or
pressure support ventilation (PSV) mode with APMV control. The
other 40 patients (control group No.2) were ventilated with
synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation (SIMV-p) or
pressure control modes (PCV) without APMV. Ventilation control
with APMV was able to maintain minute ventilation more
precisely in comparison with manual control (p<0.01), similarly
deviations of ETCO2 were significantly lower (p<0.01). The
number of manual corrections of ventilation settings was
significantly lower when APMV was used (p<0.01). The
differences in lung mechanics and hemodynamics were not
statistically significant. Ventilation using APMV is more precise in
maintaining minute ventilation and gas exchange compared with
manual settings. It required less staff intervention, while
respiratory system mechanics and hemodynamics are
comparable. APMV showed as effective and safe method
applicable on top of all pressure control ventilation modes.
The increased proliferation and migration of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) is a key process in the formation of airway remodeling in asthma. In this study, we focused on the expression of mircoRNA-18a (miR-18a) in airway remodeling in bronchial asthma and its related mechanisms. ASMCs are induced by platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) for in vitro airway remodeling. The expression of miR-18a in sputum of asthmatic patients and healthy volunteers was detected by qRT-PCR. The expression of miR-18a was over-expressed or interfered with in PDGF-BB-treated ASMCs. Cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration were detected by MTT, flow cytometry and Transwell, respectively, the expression of contractile phenotype marker proteins (SM-22α, α-SM-actin, calponin) and key molecules of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway (PI3K, p-PI3K, AKT and p-AKT) in ASMCs were detected by Western blot. The expression of miR-18a was down-regulated in the sputum and PDGF-BB-treated ASMCs of asthma patients. PDGF-BB could promote the proliferation and migration of ASMCs and inhibit their apoptosis, it could also promote the phenotypic transformation of ASMCs and activate the PI3K/AKT pathway. MiR-18a could inhibit the proliferation, migration ability and phenotypic transformation of ASMCs induced by PDGF-BB to a certain extent and alleviate the effect of PDGF-BB in supressing apoptosis, while miR-18a could inhibit the activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway. MiR-18a inhibits PDGF-BB-induced proliferation, migration and phenotypic conversion of ASMCs by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway, thus attenuating airway remodeling in asthma.
Circulating miRNAs have been proposed as the effective diagnostic biomarkers for muscular fibrosis-associated diseases. However, circulating biomarkers for early diagnosis of contracture muscles are limited in gluteal muscle contracture (GMC) patients. Here we sought to explore the abnormally expressed miRNAs in plasma and contraction bands of GMC patients. The results showed miR-29a-3p expression in plasma and contraction bands tissue was significantly reduced in GMC patients compared with normal control. Cell viability and levels of proliferation-associated protein cyclin D1 and cyclindependent-kinase 2 (CDK2) were powerfully inhibited by miR-29a mimics and enhanced by miR-29a inhibitor compared with negative control. Furthermore, miR-29a mimics effectively impeded, while miR-29a inhibitor enhanced the expression of collagen I and collagen III, followed by the secretion of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), TGF-β3 and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in primary human contraction bands (CB) fibroblasts. The miR-29a-3p negatively regulated the expression of TGF-β1 through binding to the 3′ UTR region of SERPINH1 (encoding heat shock protein HSP47), but had no effect on Smad2 activity. The miR-29a-3p was inversely correlated with HSP47 in contraction bands tissue from GMC patients. Collectively, miR-29a was notably depressed and regulated cell viability and fibrosis by directly targeting HSP47 in GMC, which suggest that circulating miR-29a might be a potential biomarker for early diagnosis and provides a novel therapeutic target for GMC.
Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) represents the acute manifestation of coronary artery disease. In recent years, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been extensively studied in AMI. This study focused on the role of miR-431-5p in AMI and its effect on cardiomyocyte apoptosis after AMI. The expression of miR-431-5p was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). By interfering with miR-431-5p in hypoxiareoxygenation (H/R)-induced HL-1 cardiomyocytes, the effect of miR-431-5p on cardiomyocyte apoptosis after AMI was examined. The interaction between miR-431-5p and selenoprotein T (SELT) mRNA was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Cell apoptosis was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and flow cytometry. Cell viability was examined by 3-(4,5)- dimethylthiahiazo(-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) assay. The results of qRT-PCR showed that the expression of miR-431-5p in AMI myocardial tissues and H/R-induced HL-1 cardiomyocytes was significantly increased. After interfering with miR-431-5p, the expression of SELT in HL-1 cells was up-regulated, cell apoptosis was decreased, cell viability was increased, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was decreased. The dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed the targeting relationship between miR-431-5p and SELT1 3’ untranslated region (UTR). In H/R-induced HL-1 cells, the simultaneous silencing of SELT and miR-431-5p resulted in a decrease of Bcl-2 expression, an increase of Bax expression, and an increase of cleaved-caspase 3 expression compared with silencing miR-431-5p alone. Also, cell viability was decreased, while LDH activity was increased by the simultaneous silencing of SELT and miR-431-5p. Interfering miR-431-5p protected cardiomyocytes from AMI injury via restoring the expression of SELT, providing new ideas for the treatment of AMI.