Clinical reports suggest close interactions between stressors, particularly those of long duration, and liver diseases, such as hepatic inflammation, that is proposed to occur via reactive oxygen species. In the present study we have used 21-day social isolation of male Wistar rats as a model of chronic stress to investigate protein expression/activity of liver antioxidant enzymes: superoxide dismutases (SODs), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GLR), and protein expression of their upstream regulators: glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB). We have also characterized these parameters in either naive or chronically stressed animals that were challenged by 30-min acute immobilization. We found that chronic isolation caused decrease in serum corticosterone (CORT) and blood glucose (GLU), increase in NFkB signaling, and disproportion between CuZnSOD, peroxidases (CAT, GPx) and GLR, thus promoting H2O2 accumulation and prooxidative state in liver. The overall results suggested that chronic stress exaggerated responsiveness to subsequent stressor at the level of CORT and GLU, and potentiated GLR response, but compromised the restoration of oxido-reductive balance due to irreversible alterations in MnSOD and GPx., J. Djordjevic ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Stress serves as a risk factor in the etiology of hypertension. The present study was designed to decipher the effect and mechanism of chronic stress on the progression of pressure overload-induced cardiac dysfunction. We used abdominal aortic constriction (AAC) to induce pressure overload with or without chronic restraint stress to establish the animal models. Echocardiographic analysis showed pressure overload-induced cardiac dysfunction was worsened by chronic stress. Compared with the AAC rats, there is a significant increase in cardiac hypertrophy, injury, apoptosis and fibrosis of the AAC + stress rats. Furthermore, we found the secretion of norepinephrine (NE) increased after the AAC operation, while the level of NE was higher in the AAC + stress group. Cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts isolated from neonatal rats were cultured and separately treated with 1, 10, 100 μM NE. The higher concentration NE induced more cardiomyocytes hypertrophy and apoptosis, cardiac fibroblasts proliferation and collagen expression. These results revealed that high level of NE-induced cardiomyocytes hypertrophy and apoptosis, cardiac fibroblasts proliferation and collagen expression further contributes to the effect of chronic stress on acceleration of pressure overloadinduced cardiac dysfunction., W. Liu, X. Wang, Z. Mei, J. Gong, X. Gao, Y. Zhao, J. Ma, F. Xie, L. Qian., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The circadian system controls the timing of behavioral and physiological functions in most organisms studied. The review addresses the question of when and how the molecular clockwork underlying circadian oscillations within the central circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus (SCN) and the peripheral circadian clocks develops during ontogenesis. The current model of the molecular clockwork is summarized. The central SCN clock is viewed as a complex structure composed of a web of mutually synchronized individual oscillators. The importance of development of both the intracellular molecular clockwork as well as intercellular coupling for development of the formal properties of the circadian SCN clock is also highlighted. Recently, data has accumulated to demonstrate that synchronized molecular oscillations in the central and peripheral clocks develop gradually during ontogenesis and development extends into postnatal period. Synchronized molecular oscillations develop earlier in the SCN than in the peripheral clocks. A hypothesis is suggested that the immature clocks might be first driven by external entraining cues, and therefore, serve as “slave” oscillators. During ontogenesis, the clocks may gradually develop a complete set of molecular interlocked oscillations, i.e., the molecular clockwork, and become self-sustained clocks., A. Sumová, Z. Bendová, M. Sládek, R. El-Hennamy, K. Matějů, L. Polidarová, S. Sosniyenko, H. Illnerová., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Increases in resting energy expenditure (REE) likely contribute to weight loss in various chronic diseases. In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), relationships between the ventilatory impairment and increased REE, and between disturbances in adipokines and weight loss were previously described. Therefore, we investigated serum levels and adipose tissue expression of leptin and adiponectin, and their relationships to REE in patients with COPD. In 44 patients with stable COPD (38 male; age 62.3±7.2 years), REE was assessed using indirect calorimetry. Subcutaneous adipose tissue samples were analyzed using realtime PCR. From underweight [n=9; body mass index (BMI) <20.0 kg.m−2 ], to normal weight-overweight (n=24, BMI=20.0- 29.9 kg.m−2 ) and obese patients (n=11; BMI≥30 kg.m−2 ), REE adjusted for body weight decreased (32.9±6.1 vs. 26.2±5.8 vs. 23.9±6.6 kcal.kg−1 .24 h−1 , p=0.006), serum levels and adipose tissue expression of leptin increased (p<0.001 for both), and serum and adipose tissue adiponectin decreased (p<0.001; p=0.004, respectively). REE was inversely related to serum and adipose tissue leptin (R=−0.547, p<0.001; R=−0.458, p=0.002), and directly to serum adiponectin (R=0.316, p=0.039). Underweight patients had increased REE compared to normal weight-overweight patients, in association with reductions in serum and adipose tissue leptin, and increased serum adiponectin, suggesting a role of adipokines in energy imbalance in COPD-related cachexia, M. Brúsik ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Selective serotonine reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are believed to be less dangerous in the treatment of depressive disorder in comparison with tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) due to their relative lack of cardiotoxicity. Thus, we investigated the effect of citalopram (SSRI) on membrane electrophysiology in rat cardiomyocytes in tissue culture. The results were compared with those from amitriptyline (TCA). The whole-cell configuration patch-clamp technique was used. Both citalopram and amitriptyline exhibited the concentration-dependent inhibition of the L-type calcium channel current (ICa). Citalopram in concentrations of 3 mM and 10 mM inhibited peak calcium current by 2.7 % and 8 %, respectively. We demonstrated the same potency of citalopram and amitriptyline to inhibit ICa. These observations led us to conclude that citalopram and amitriptyline are drugs, which exhibit a similar potency for causing concentration-dependent inhibition of ICa., J. Hamplová-Peichlová, J. Krůšek, I. Paclt, J. Slavíček, V. Lisá, F. Vyskočil., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Erythromycin has a well-known dual effect on the contractility of the gastrointestinal system and recently has also been shown to inhibit contractions of the rat myometrium. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of clarithromycin on oxytocin, prostaglandin F2a (PGF2a) and KCl-induced contractions of human myometrium in vitro. Myometrial strips were obtained from pregnant women undergoing elective Cesarean section and the strips were suspended in a jacketed organ bath filled with Krebs solution at 37 oC (pH 7.4) and continuously aired with 95 % oxygen and 5 % carbon dioxide. Isometric contractions were measured using a force displacement transducer. Oxytocin, PGF2a, KCl and clarithromycin were applied to the tissue bath and the amplitude and frequency of contractions were evaluated at 20-min intervals. Freidmann analysis of variance, Kruskal Wallis and Wilcoxon Rank tests were used for statistical analysis of the data. Clarithromycin dose dependently inhibited the amplitude of contractions independent of the stimulus. Pre-treatment with apamin prevented clarithromycin-induced effects on amplitude and frequency of contractions. We conclude that the macrolide antibiotic clarithromycin may have a direct inhibitory effect on contractions of human myometrium., H. Celik, A. Ayar., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The abnormal proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Adipocytes produce several bioactive paracrine substances that can affect the growth and migration of VSMCs. Our study focuses on the direct effect of the bioactive substances in conditioned media (CM) that was obtained by incubation with primary adipocyte-derived cell lines, including cell lines derived from both preadipocytes and from more mature cells, on the proliferation rate of human aortic smooth muscle cells (HAoSMCs). We used a Luminex assay to measure the adipokine content of the CM and showed that there was a higher concentration of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in renal preadipocyte-CM compared with the HAoSMC control (p<0.5). The addition of both renal preadipocyte- and epicardial adipocyte-CM resulted in the elevated production of vascular endothelial growth factor compared with the control HASoSMC CM (p<0.001). The adiponectin content in renal adipocyte-CM was increased compared to all the remaining adipocyte-CM (p<0.01). Moreover, the results showed a higher proliferation rate of HAoSMCs after co-culture with epicardial adipocyte-CM compared to the HAoSMC control (p<0.05). These results suggest that bioactive substances produced by adipocytes have a stimulatory effect on the proliferation of VSMCs., J. Ždychová, S. Čejsková, I. Králová Lesná, A. Králová, J. Malušková, L. Janoušek, L. Kazdová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The processing of species-specific communication signals in the auditory system represents an important aspect of animal behavior and is crucial for its social interactions, reproduction, and survival. In this article the neuronal mechanisms underlying the processing of communication signals in the higher centers of the auditory system - inferior colliculus (IC), medial geniculate body (MGB) and auditory cortex (AC) - are reviewed, with particular attention to the guinea pig. The selectivity of neuronal responses for individual calls in these auditory centers in the guinea pig is usually low - most neurons respond to calls as well as to artificial sounds; the coding of complex sounds in the central auditory nuclei is apparently based on the representation of temporal and spectral features of acoustical stimuli in neural networks. Neuronal response patterns in the IC reliably match the sound envelope for calls characterized by one or more short impulses, but do not exactly fit the envelope for long calls. Also, the main spectral peaks are represented by neuronal firing rates in the IC. In comparison to the IC, response patterns in the MGB and AC demonstrate a less precise representation of the sound envelope, especially in the case of longer calls. The spectral representation is worse in the case of low-frequency calls, but not in the case of broad-band ca lls. The emotional content of the call may influence neuronal responses in the auditory pathway, which can be demonstrated by stimulation with time-reversed calls or by measurements performed under different levels of anesthesia. The investigation of the principles of the neural coding of species-specific vocalizations offers some keys for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying human speech perception., D. Šuta, J. Popelář, J. Syka., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
We recently reported that in vitro Cognac polyphenolic compounds (CPC) induce NO-dependent vasorelaxant effects and stimulate cardiac function. In the present study, we aim to investigate the effect of CPC on both nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide anions (O2-) production in cultured human endothelial cells. In addition, its effect on the bradykinin (BK)-induced NO production was also tested. The role and sources of O2- in the concomitant effect of BK plus CPC were pharmacologically determined. NO and O2- signals were measured using electron paramagnetic resonance technique using specific spin trappings. Both, CPC and BK induced an in crease in NO production in human endothelial cells. The combination of both further enhanced NO release. The capacity of CPC plus BK to increase NO signal was blunted by the NO synthase inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, and was enhanced in the presence either of superoxide dismutase or catalase. Moreover, CPC plus BK response was greater after inhibition of either NADPH oxidase by apocynin or xanthine oxidase by allopurinol but it was not affected by rotenone. CPC did not affect O2- level either alone or after its increase upon lipopolysaccharide treatment. Finally, the capacity of BK alone to increase NO was enhanced either by apocynin or allopurinol. Altogether, these data demonstrate that CPC is able to directly increase NO production without affecting O2- and enhances the BK-induced NO production in human endothelial cells. The data highlight the ability of BK to stimulate not only NADPH oxidase- but also xanthine oxidase-inhibitor sensitive mechanisms that reduce its efficiency in increasing NO either alone or in the presence of CPC. These results bring pharmacological evidence for vascular protection by CPC via its potentiating effect of BK response in terms of endothelial NO release., A. Sall Diallo, M. Sarr, H. A. Mostefai, N. Carusio, M. Pricci, R. Andriantsitohaina., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy