Two different isolated skeletal muscles of Japanese quail were used. The influence of branched chain amino acids on the fractional rate of protein synthesis (FSR) was evaluated using 14C-tyrosine. The addition of 0.5 mM valine, leucine or isoleucine to the incubation medium significantly decreased (P<0.05) the value of FSR in extensor metacarpalis radialis. In the ambiens muscle only the application of leucine increased the FSR significantly while valine and isoleucine were without any effect., J. Antalíková, J. Jankela, M. Baranovská., and Obsahuje bibliografii
C-type natriuretic peptides (CNP) play an inhibitory role in smooth muscle motility of the gastrointestinal tract, but the effect of CNP on delayed rectifier potassium currents is still unclear. This study was designed to investigate the effect of CNP on delayed rectifier potassium currents and its mechanism by using conventional whole-cell patch- clamp technique in guinea-pig gastric myocytes isolated by collagenase. CNP significantly inhibited delayed rectifier potassium currents [IK (V)] in dose-dependent manner, and CNP inhibited the peak current elicited by depolarized step pulse to 86.1±1.6 % (n=7, P<0.05), 78.4±2.6 % (n=10, P< 0.01) and 67.7±2.3 % (n=14, P<0.01), at concentrations of 0.01 μmol/l, 0.1 μmol/l and 1 μmol/l, respectively, at +60 mV. When the cells were preincubated with 0.1 μmol/l LY83583, a guanylate cyclase inhibitor, the 1 μmol/l CNP-induced inhibition of IK (V) was significantly impaired but when the cells were preincubated with 0.1 μmol/l zaprinast, a cGMP-sensitive phosphodiesterase inhibitor, the 0.01 μmol/l CNP-induced inhibition of IK (V) was significantly potentiated. 8-Br-cGMP, a membrane permeable cGMP analogue mimicked inhibitory effect of CNP on IK (V). CNP-induced inhibition of IK (V) was completely blocked by KT5823, an inhibitor of cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG). The results suggest that CNP inhibites the delayed rectifier potassium currents via cGMP-PKG signal pathway in the gastric antral circular myocytes of the guinea-pig., H. Y. Xu, X. Huang, M. Yang, J.-B. Sun, L.-H. Piao, Y. Zhang, L. Gao, W.-X. Xu., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
The study investigated the effects of different CaCl2 concentrations (2, 5, and 10 mM) on photosynthetic enzymatic activities, photosynthesis, and chlorophyll fluorescence of tung tree seedlings under drought conditions. Plants were sprayed with either CaCl2 or distilled water until run-off. Irrigation was then withheld to induce drought stress. The strength of drought stress was evaluated by relative leaf water content and soil water content, which was 27.3 and 9.5% on day 0 and day 12, respectively. Drought stress decreased activities of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, chlorophyll (a+b) content, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, electron transport rate, the maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry, and effective quantum yield of PSII in tung tree seedlings. The CaCl2 pretreatments alleviated the negative effect of drought stress to some degree on all the parameters mentioned above., Z. Li, X. F. Tan, K. Lu, Z. M. Liu, L. L. Wu., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The increase of radical forms of mitochondrial respiratory chain compounds (MRCC) is an indicator of an increased risk of the formation of oxygen radicals. Using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), we found an increase of signals corresponding to ubisemichinone radical (·QH) and ironsulfur proteins radical forms (·FeS) of these respiratory chain compounds during ischemia in the isolated perfused rat heart (·QH increased from 1.51 to 3.08, ·FeS1 from 1.14 to 2.65 arbitrary units). During the 5-min reperfusion, the signals returned to normoxic levels. In isolated mitochondria exposed to anoxia and reoxygenation the radical forms of ·QH and ·FeS2 changed in a similar manner as in the intact heart. A combination of in vivo captopril treatment and in vitro L-arginine administration significantly decreased the levels of MRCC radicals in the isolated myocardium (·QH from 2.61 to 1.72 and ·FeS1 from 1.82 to 0.46 under normoxia; ·QH from 4.35 to 2.66 and ·FeS1 from 1.93 to 1.35 during ischemia). This decrease in MRCC radical forms was associated with increased NO levels in the perfusate, determined as NO2-/ NO3-, as well as tissue NO levels determined using EPR as the dinitrosyl iron complex (DNIC). These results provide new information about the cardioprotective effects of ACE inhibitors and L-arginine., H. Vavřínková, M. Tutterová, P. Stopka, J. Divišová, L. Kazdová, Z. Drahota., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of COM (Cellular Organic Matter) produced by Microcystis aeruginosa on the process of water purification by destabilisation and subsequent aggregation of the impurity particles. The research was carried out with a raw water into which COM was added. The removal efficiency of the most significant components of COM, i.e. polysaccharides and proteins, was investigated. It was found that the removal efficiency of polysaccharides and proteins was dependent on the reaction conditions (pH, type of destabilisation reagent and its dosage). The removal efficiency of COM was relatively low. It was about 46% and 41% using ferric sulphate and aluminium sulphate aggregation, respectively. In comparison to the other organic components of COM, mainly polysaccharides, the proteins are removed with a higher efficiency. The GPC analyses of the residual COM showed that the proteins of higher molecular weight were aggregated with a higher efficiency. and Cílem práce je opis vlivu buněčných organických látek (COM) produkovaných sinicí Microcystis aeruginosa na proces úpravy vody pomocí destabilizace a následné agregace znečišťujících příměsí. Výzkum byl uskutečňován se syntetickou surovou vodou, do které byly přidány COM získané laboratorní kultivací M. aeruginosa. V průběhu laboratorních testů byla sledována především účinnost odstranění dvou základních složek COM, tj. polysacharidů a proteinů. Bylo zjištěno, že tato účinnost závisí především na reakčních podmínkách (typu a dávce destabilizačního činidla a pH). Účinnost odstranění COM byla poměrně nízká, maximální dosažená účinnost byla 46% při destabilizaci pomocí síranu železitého a 41% při použití síranu hlinitého. Bylo zjištěno, že s vyšší účinností jsou odstraňovány proteiny, obzvláště pak proteiny s vyšší molekulovou hmotností.
The study has been designed to characterize protein systems involved in the responses of rat hearts to chronic doxorubicin (DOX) treatment. We investigated the influence of DOX on cardiac function, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and heat stress proteins (HSPs). Doxorubicin was administered to rats by intraperitoneal injections over a period of 6 weeks. In control and DOX-treated hearts exposed to 20 min global ischemia and 40 min reperfusion the recovery of contractile function after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) was determined. The levels and phosphorylation state of proteins in tissue samples were analyzed using specific antibodies. We found an activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) in rat hearts exposed to DOX treatment and better recovery of contractile function after I/R. Analysis of HSPs showed that DOX induced up-regulation of the levels of HSP60 and down-regulation of HSP70 levels. The levels and/or specific phosphorylation of other studied proteins (p38-MAPK, HSP27, HSP90) were not in fluenced by DOX. The results point to the possible role of ERKs and some HSPs in mechanisms underlying the response of rat hearts to chronic DOX treatment., P. Šimončíková, T. Ravingerová, M. Barančík., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
To find the effects of CO2 enrichment on plant development and photosynthetic capacity of nodulated (line A62-1) and non-nodulated (line A62-2) isogenic lines of soybean (Glycine max Merr.), we examined the interactions among two CO2 treatments (36±3 Pa = AC and 70±5 Pa = EC), and two nitrogen concentrations [0 g(N) m-2(land area) = 0N; 30 g(N) m-2(land area) = 30N]. Nodules were found in both CO2 treatments in 0N of A62-1 where the number and dry mass of nodules increased from AC to EC. While the allocation of dry mass to root and shoot and the amount of N in each organ did not differ between the growth CO2 concentrations, there was larger N allocation to roots in 0N than in 30N for A62-2. The CO2-dependence of net photosynthetic rate
(PN) for A62-1 was unaffected by both CO2 and N treatments. In contrast, the CO2-dependence of PN was lower in 0N than in 30N for A62-2, but it was independent of CO2 treatment. PN per unit N content was unaffected by CO2 concentrations. The leaf area of both soybean lines grown in 30N increased in EC. But in 0N, only the nodulated A62-1 showed an increase in leaf area in EC. Nitrogen use efficiency of plants, NUE [(total dry mass of the plant)/(amount of N accumulated in the plant)] in 30N was unaffected by CO2 treatments. In 0N, NUE in EC was lower than in AC in A62-1, and was higher than that at AC in A62-2. Hence, the larger amount and/or rate of N fixation with the increase of the sink-size of symbiotic microorganisms supplied adequate N to the plant under EC. In EC, N deficiency caused the down-regulation of the soybean plant. and T. Nakamura ... [et al.].
Factors modulating cardiac susceptibility to ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) are permannetly attracting the attention of experimental cardiology research. We investigated, whether continuous 24 h/day light exposure of rats can modify cardiac response to I/R, NO-synthase (NOS) activity and the level of oxidative load represented by conjugated dienes (CD) concentration. Two groups of male adult Wistar rats were studied: controls exposed to normal light/dark cycle (12 h/day light, 12 h/day dark) and rats exposed to continuous light for 4 weeks. Perfused isolated hearts (Langendorff technique) were exposed to 25 min global ischemia and subsequent 30 min reperfusion. The recovery of functional parameters (coronary flow, left ventricular developed pressure, contractility and relaxation index) during reperfusion as well as the incidence, severity and duration of arrhythmias during first 10 min of reperfusion were determined. The hearts from rats exposed to continuous light showed more rapid recovery of functional parameters but higher incidence, duration and severity of reperfusion arrhythmias compared to controls. In the left ventricle, the NOS activity was attenuated, but the CD concentration was not significantly changed. We conclude that the exposure of rats to continuous light modified cardiac response to I/R. This effect could be at least partially mediated by attenuated NO production., R. Važan, P. Janega, S. Hojná, J. Zicha, F. Šimko, O. Pecháňová, J. Styk, L'. Paulis., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The aim of this work is to study the behaviour of a crack with its tip at the interface between two polymer materials. A numerical model of a cracked bi-material tension specimen is investigated and different stability criteria are tested. The stability criterion of a general stress concentrator usually needs a relation between the critical value of the generalized stress intensity factor (HIC) and critical value of the stress intensity factor KIC (fracture toughness). This relation is a function of the elastic mismatch of particular mterials; the fracture toughness of the main material and the critical distance d ahead of the stress concentrator, where the criterion is applied. Estimation of distance d is usually not straightforward and different authors use different approaches for its determination. Therefore the main aim of this study is the mutual comparison of published approaches for d estimaton and to quantify the influence of d choice on the critical load value. The results obtained can lead to a better residual lifetime prediction and safer design of layered structures. and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Water-withholding for 5 to 7 weeks and subsequent re-watering were made on potted plants of two epiphytic (E) and two terrestrial (T) fern species, which were collected from a seasonal tropical rainforest and had been grown in a screenhouse with 5 % irradiance for 4 months. During the water stress, the two E species completely closed stomata when frond relative water content (RWC) reached about 70 % with fairly constant maximum photochemistry efficiency (Fv/Fm), while the two T species kept partial stomata opening until RWC reached 45 % and reduction in Fv/Fm at the late stage. Also, chlorophyll content as indicated by a spectral reflectance index was gradually reduced in three species. Physiological recovery was completed after 3-d re-watering for the E species, which was more rapid than for the T species. The gas exchange measurements and regression analyses indicated higher photosynthetic water use efficiency in the E species than in the T species. and Q. Zhang ... [et al.].