Chromosome numbers were determined for 97 samples of 95 sedge taxa (Carex) from the following countries: Austria (6 records), Bulgaria (1), the Canary Islands (Spain, 1), Cape Verde (1), the Czech Republic (51), Hungary (1), Italy (2), Norway (8), Russia (15), Slovakia (1), Sweden (1) and 9 North American plants cultivated in Czech botanical gardens. Chromosome numbers for Carex argunensis, C. callitrichos, C. campylorhina, C. flavocuspis subsp. krascheninnikovii, C. paniculata subsp. hansenii, C. pallida, C. quadriflora and C. xiphium are reported here for the first time. The first reports are presented for the European portion of the distribution area of Carex obtusata and for the Central European portion of the distributional areas of C. chordorrhiza, C. otrubae, C. rhizina and C. strigosa. New counts for the Czech Republic fill the gaps in the karyological data for this genus in relation to the Flora project in the Czech Republic.
Acute dilation brought about by the dietary flavonoid quercetin in coronary arterioles has been described earlier, but no information is available on its chronic effects. Male Wistar rats (body weight about 190 g) were divided to two groups: the quercetin-treated group (n=22) had quercetin supplementation of approximately 30 mg/kg/day, whereas the control group (n=20) had none. After eight weeks of treatment, intramural coronary arterioles with identical passive diameters (178±14 μm and 171±9 μm) were prepared and their biomechanics and pharmacological reactivities were tested using pressure arteriography ex vivo. The spontaneous tone of quercetin-treated arteries was higher (16.5±1.9 % vs. 12.9±0.9 %), which resulted in a reduced lumen size (144±9 μm vs. 167±12 μm), thicker vascular wall (22.6±1.8 μm vs. 17.4±1.6 μm) and decreased tangential wall stress (16.8±1.1 kPa vs. 20.5±1.6 kPa) in supplemented animals (in spontaneous tone at 50 mm Hg, p<0.01 in all these comparisons). Elevated basal NO release resulted in increased endothelial dilation in quercetin-treated animals, especially at higher intraluminal pressures (10.8±2.5 % vs. 5.7±1.3 % at 70 mm Hg, p<0.01). We found remodeling of the geometry of coronary arterioles to ensure higher dilatory reserve and nitrogen monoxide production, as well as lowered elastic stress of the vessel wall., A. Monori-Kiss, F. Kiss, J. M. Restifo, E. Monos, G. L. Nadasy., and Obsahuje bibliografii
This study aimed to investigate the anti-fibrotic effects of ghrelin in isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial fibrosis and the underlying mechanism. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to control, ISO, and ISO + ghrelin groups. ISO (2 mg/kg per day, subcutaneous) or vehicle was administered once daily for 7 days, then ghrelin (100 µg/kg per day, subcutaneous) was administered once daily for the next 3 weeks. Ghrelin treatment greatly improved the cardiac function of ISO-treated rats. Ghrelin also decreased plasma brain natriuretic peptide level and ratios of heart weight to body weight and left ventricular weight to body weight. Ghrelin significantly reduced myocardial collagen area and hydroxyproline content, accompanied by decreased mRNA levels of collagen type I and III. Furthermore, ghrelin increased plasma level of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) and GDF15 mRNA and protein levels in heart tissues, which were significantly decreased with ISO alone. The phosphorylation of Akt at Ser473 and GSK-3β at Ser9 was decreased with ISO, and ghrelin significantly reversed the downregulation of p-Akt and p-GSK-3β. Mediated by GDF15, ghrelin could attenuate ISO-induced myocardial fibrosis via Akt-GSK-3β signaling.
Chronic stress is a crucial public issue that occurs when a person
is repetitively stimulated by various stressors. Previous
researches have reported that chronic stress induces
spermatogenesis dysfunction in the reproductive system, but its
molecular mechanisms remain unclear. The nectin protein family,
including nectin-1 to nectin-4, is Ca2+-independent
immunoglobulin-like cell adhesion molecules, that are widely
expressed in the hippocampus, testicular tissue, epithelial cells
and other sites. Nectin-3 contributes to the sperm development
at the late stage, and the abnormal expression of nectin-3
impairs spermatogenesis. Some recent studies have
demonstrated that stress induces a decrease in nectin-3
expression in the hippocampus via corticotropin-releasing
hormone (CRH) to corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1
(CRHR1) pathway. Here, we tested whether chronic stress also
caused a reduction in nectin-3 expression in the testis. We
established a chronic social defeat stress paradigm, which
provides naturalistic and complex chronic stress in male C57BL/6
mice. After 25 days of chronic social defeat stress, the mice
showed weight loss, thymic atrophy and some other typical
symptoms of chronic stress (e.g. anxiety-like behavior and social
avoidance behavior). We found gonad atrophy, testicular
histological structure changes and semen quality reductions in
the stressed mice. The stressed male mice significantly spent
more time to impregnate the female mice than the control male
mice. Moreover, nectin-3 protein levels in stressed mice were
significantly decreased in the testes compared with those in
control mice. In addition, we found that the CRHR1 expression
level was increased in the testes of stressed mice. Therefore, we
demonstrated a decreased level of nectin-3 expression and
an increase in CRHR1 expression in the testis after exposure to
chronic stress, which may provide a potential therapeutic target
for the spermatogenesis dysfunction induced by chronic stress.
Perikarditida je běžné onemocnění, které je způsobeno nejrůznějšími příčinami. Chronická perikarditida je definována jako přítomnost perikardiálního výpotku déle než 3 nebo 6 měsíců. V kazuistice je uveden případ familiárního výskytu chronické exsudativní perikarditidy u mladé ženy, její matky a její sestry spolu s rozborem diagnostických a léčebných možností. Podle dostupné literatury se jedná o druhý popis této formy familiárního výskytu., Eliška Sovová, Dan Marek, A. Bulava, and Lit. 21
Chronická lymfocytární leukemie (CLL) je nízce maligní lymfoproliferativní onemocnění postihující starší populaci. Jde o nejčastější leukemii v západním světě, kde tvoří téměř 30 % všech leukemií. Patogenezi CLL stále přesně neznáme, i když v poslední době byla v této oblasti učiněna řada pokroků. Jsou studovány i nové prognostické faktory, které by pomohly určit rizikové skupiny pacientů vyžadující časné a intenzivní zahájení terapie. Dosud je nicméně léčba indikována podle klinického stadia nemoci. Léčba CLL se v posledních letech intenzivně vyvíjí. I když zlatým standardem terapie je stále chemoimunoterapie, která je schopna navodit až několikaletou kompletní remisi onemocnění, objevují se nové léky, které jsou účinné jak v léčbě první linie, tak u nemocných s relapsem nemoci či s rezistentním onemocněním. Jde například o nové monoklonální protilátky, inhibitory BCR signalizace nebo Bcl2 inhibitory., Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is a low-malignant lymphoproliferative disease affecting the elderly population. It is the most frequent leukaemia in the Western world where it accounts for nearly 30 % of all leukaemias. The pathogenesis of CLL is still precisely unknown, even though much progress has recently been made in this field. Novel prognostic factors are being studied that could determine risk groups of patients requiring early and intensive therapy initiation. Up to now, however, treatment has been indicated according to the stage of the disease. In recent years, CLL treatment has been evolving rapidly. Although chemoimmunotherapy, which is capable of inducing up to several years of complete disease remission, remains the gold standard of treatment, novel drugs have emerged that are effective both in first-line treatment and in patients with disease relapse or with refractory disease. These include novel monoclonal antibodies, BCR signalling inhibitors, or Bcl-2 inhibitors., Markéta Hadrabová, and Literatura
Chronická lymfocytární leukemie (CLL) je nízce maligní lymfoproliferativní onemocnění postihující starší populaci. Jde o nejčastější leukemii v západním světě, kde tvoří téměř 30 % všech leukemií. Patogenezi CLL stále neznáme, je studována role antigenní stimulace, narušené apoptózy a vlivu mikroprostředí. Jsou analyzovány nové prognostické faktory, které by pomohly určit rizikové skupiny pacientů vyžadující časné a intenzivní zahájení terapie. Léčba CLL se v posledních letech intenzivně vyvíjí. Zatímco ještě před několika lety byl zlatým standardem léčby CLL chlorambucil, v současnosti se stěžejní léčbou první linie staly kombinované režimy obsahující monoklonální protilátku a chemoterapii, které jsou schopny navodit až několikaletou kompletní remisi onemocnění. Jedinou potenciálně kurativní metodou CLL však stále zůstává alogenní transplantace krvetvorných buněk., Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a low-grade lymphoma, typically found in eldery people. CLL is the most common leukemia in the Western World, it makes up almost 30% of all leukemias. Pathogenesis of CLL is still unknown, however, an antigen stimulation, apoptotic defects and the role of microenvironment are often discussed. At present, new prognostic factors are being analyzed in order to define a risk subgroup of patients that would benefit from early and intensive start of therapy. Treatment of CLL has made a great progress in the last decade. While a few years ago chlorambucil was a golden standard in the CLL therapy, currently, the combination of a chemotherapy backbone with the monoclonal antibody has opened up new horizons for CLL therapy. Patients treated with chemoimmunotherapy can achieve years of complete remission of CLL. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation still represents the only curative approach., Anna Panovská, Michael Doubek, and Literatura
Asociace mezi chronickou lymfocytární tyreoiditidou (CLT) a tyreoidálními karcinomy není stále objasněná. Přestože se v histologických vzorcích obě onemocnění vyskytují často současně, není dosud jasné, zdali lze považovat CLT za rizikový faktor vzniku tyreoidální malignity. Tento souhrnný článek se zaměřuje na známé epidemiologické a molekulárně genetické souvislosti mezi oběma onemocněními. Většina studií poukazuje na signifikantní asociaci tyreoidálních karcinomů s pozitivními protilátkami proti tyreoglobulinu a s histologickým nálezem CLT. Obě onemocnění sdílejí i některé rizikové faktory (častější výskyt u žen, v oblastech s dostatečným zásobením jodem a u pacientů po aktinoterapii v oblasti krku) a molekulárně-genetické souvislosti. V karcinomech v terénu CLT se např. častěji nachází RET/PTC přeskupení, ale tuto mutaci lze prokázat často i v benigních lézích, jako je CLT. CLT se ukazuje jako pozitivní prognostický faktor u pacientů s diferencovanými tyreoidálními karcinomy. Je asociována s méně invazivními formami tumorů, nižším výskytem infiltrovaných lymfatických uzlin a nižším rizikem rekurence onemocnění., Association between autoimmune thyroiditis (CLT) and thyroid cancer remains not clear. Although both diseases often occur simultaneously in histological samples, it is not yet clear whether CLT can be regarded as a risk factor for thyroid malignancy. This review focus on the known epidemiological and molecular genetics links between both diseases. Most studies have shown a significant association between thyroid cancer and positive antibodies to thyroglobulin and histological evidence of CLT, as well. Both disorders share some risk factors (greater incidence in women, in areas with adequate supply of iodine and in patients after radiotherapy of the neck) and molecular genetics linkage. For example: RET/PTC rearrangements could be more often found in carcinomas associated with CLT, but this mutation could be found in benign lesions such as CLT, as well. CLT seems to be a positive prognostic factor in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer. It is associated with less invasive forms of tumor, lower occurrence of infiltrated lymphatic nodes and a lower risk of recurrence., and Jan Krátký, Jan Jiskra