Accumulation of adipose tissue in lower body lowers risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. The molecular basis of this protective effect of gluteofemoral depot is not clear. The aim of this study was to compare the profile of expression of inflammation-related genes in su bcutaneous gluteal (sGAT) and abdominal (sAAT) adipose tissue at baseline and in response to multiphase weight-reducing dietary intervention (DI). 14 premenopausal healthy obese women underwent a 6 months’ DI consisting of 1 month very-low-calorie-diet (VLCD), subsequent 2 months’ low-calori e-diet and 3 months’ weight maintenance diet (WM). Paired samples of sGAT and sAAT were obtained before and at the end of VLCD and WM periods. mRNA expression of 17 genes (macrophage markers, cytokines) was measured using RT-qPCR on chip-platform. At baseline, there were no differences in gene expression of macrophage markers and cytokines between sGAT and sAAT. The dynamic changes induced by DI were similar in both depots for all genes except for three cytokines (IL6, IL10, CCL2) that differed in their response during weight maintenance phase. The results show that, in obese women, there are no major differences between sGAT and sAAT in expression of inflammation-related genes at baseline conditions and in response to the weight-reducing DI., L. Mališová ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Serotonin receptors have been found in several reproductive organs as well as in the central nervous system. Serotonin-binding sites have been demonstrated in duck ovarian follicles and the testis, hamster ovaries, human granulosa cells and mouse placenta. Local production of serotonin by the rat ovary, oviduct, uterus and testis has also been reported. We analyzed the expression of three types of serotonin receptors: 5-HT1B, 5-HT2C and 5-HT1D by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in mouse unfertilized oocytes and preimplantation embryos from zygotes to the blastocyst stage in vivo. Transcripts for 5-HT1B and 5-HT2C serotonin receptors were detected neither in unfertilized oocytes nor at any stages of in vivo developing preimplantation embryos. Serotonin 5-HT1D receptor mRNA was present in unfertilized oocytes, zygotes, 2-cell embryos, compacted morulae and in vivo produced expanded blatocysts. The expression of the mRNA 5-HT1D serotonin receptor was also detected in blastocysts cultured in vitro. When added to the culture medium, specific serotonin 5-HT1D agonist sumatriptan (1 μM) significantly inhibited the development of mouse embryos cultured in vitro. Demonstration of the expression of 5-HT1D serotonin receptor in mouse oocytes and preimplantation embryos supports the idea of a functional serotonin (5-HT1D) receptor in early mammalian development., J. Veselá, P. Rehák, J. Mihalik, S. Czikková, J. Pokorný, J. Koppel., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Apolipoprotein E (apoE) is a polymorphic protein which occurs in three common isoforms and more than 25 rare variants. Some of the rare apoE variants have been implicated in a dominant mode of inheritance of familial dysbetalipoproteinemia (FD). We have identified three unrelated apoE 2*(Arg136®Cys) carriers with FD. This finding supports the notion that although apoE 2*(Arg136®Cys) mutation is perhaps not sufficient to cause FD itself, the presence of other genetic and/or environmental factors can lead to the phenotypic expression of the disease in the carriers., M. Vrablík, A. Hořínek, R. Češka, T. Štulc, T. Kvasnička., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The aim of the present study wa s to compare the immediate and delayed locomotor response to high-dose nicotine (NIC) administration in rats. The vertic al and horizontal activity of behavior in adult male rats exposed to 1 mg/kg NIC or saline (SAL) were tested in a Laboras apparatus for one hour after drug application. Animals were then returned to their cages and housed for another seven days. After this period all animals were placed in Laboras again and their behavioral pattern was retested for another period of one hour (delayed response). Horizontal activity: immediately af ter nicotine administ ration animal were less mobile (first 2-minutes interval), when compared with controls. The immobilization effect of nicotine disappeared within 4 minutes and during whole first 10-minutes interval time spent by locomotion did not differ from controls. Locomotion activity of animals treated with nicotine increased robustly in following 10 minutes and remained significan tly higher in 2nd, 3rd and 5th 10-minutes interval. Vertical activity: Rearing frequency was significantly lowered by NIC administration in first two minutes of the experiment and the same was found when the duration of rearing was analyzed. Lower rearing intensity of NIC treated animals disappeared in 4 minutes and was finally higher during whole test session as compared with controls. When duration of rearing was analyzed it was significantly longer in NIC treated animals. In majority of observed behavioral aspects there were no differences between NIC treated rats and controls seven days after NIC or SAL treatment. Our results reflect effect of NIC and we conclude that NIC significantly influences behavior of experimental animals., K. Jandová, D. Marešová, J. Pokorný., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a novel metabolic regulator produced primarily by the liver that exerts potent antidiabetic and lipid-lowering effects in animal models of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. This hormone contributes to body weight regulation and is strongly involved in the response to nutritional deprivation and ketogenic state in mice. The principal sites of metabolic actions of FGF21 are adipose tissue, liver and pancreas. Experimental studies have shown marked improvements in diabetes compensation and dyslipidemia after FGF21 administration in diabetic mice and primates. Positive metabolic actions of FGF21 without the presence of apparent side effects make this factor a hot candidate to treat type 2 diabetes and accompanying metabolic diseases. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge about the metabolic effects of FGF21 including some preliminary data on changes of its levels in humans with a special emphasis on its therapeutic potential in type 2 diabetes mellitus., I. Dostálová, D. Haluzíková, M. Haluzík., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Myofibril-bound creatine kinase EC 2.7.3.2 (CK), a key enzyme of muscle energy metabolism, has been selected for studies of conformational changes that underlie the cellular control of enzyme activity. For fluorescence spectroscopy measurements, the CK molecule was double-labeled with IAF (5-iodoacetamidofluorescein) and ErITC (erythrosin 5'-isothiocyanate). Measurement of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from fluorescein to erythrosin was used to obtain information about the donor-acceptor pair distance. Frequency-domain lifetime measurements evaluate the donor-acceptor distance in the native CK molecule as 7.8 nm. The Förster radius equals 5.3 nm with the resolution range from 0.2 to 1.0 nm. Erythrosin-fluorescein labeling (EFL) was tested for artificial conformational changes of the CK molecule with high-salt concentration treatment. The transition distance, defined by His-97 and Cys-283 and derived from a 3D model equals 0.766 nm for the open (inactive) form and 0.277 nm for the closed (reactive) form of the CK molecule. In this way, the resolution range of the used spectroscopy method is significant, concerning the difference of 0.489 nm. Nevertheless, the CK enzyme activity, assessed by the hexokinase-coupled assay, was diminished down to 1 % of the activity of the native enzyme. EFL is suitable for description of conformational behavior implied from the regulation of creatine kinase. However, the observed inhibition restricts EFL to studies of conformational changes during natural catalytic activity., M. Gregor, M. Kubala, E. Amler, J. Mejsnar., and Obsahuje bibliografii
It has been shown that nitric oxide (NO) increases aggression in male mice, whereas it decreases aggression in lactating female mice and prairie voles. It is also known that aggression can be exhibited at different levels in rodent species, strain or subtypes. The aims of this study were to investigate the proportion of aggressiveness in Wistar rats, the effect of intraperitoneally administered nonspecific nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor L-NAME (NG-nitro L-arginine methyl ester) on maternal aggression towards female intruders, and whether these effects are due to NO production or not. Rats were given saline intraperitoneally on the postpartum Day 2 and aggression levels were recorded. The same rats were given 60 mg/kg L-NAME or D-NAME (NG-nitro D-arginine methyl ester) on the postpartum Day 3 and their effects on aggression levels were compared to saline. While L-NAME administration did not cause any differences in the total number of aggressive behavior, aggression duration and aggression intensity, it reduced the proportion of animals showing aggressive behavior. In addition, the latency of the first aggression was significantly increased by L-NAME. In the D-NAME group, however, no significant change was found. Our results have shown that L-NAME reduces maternal aggression towards female intruders in Wistar rats through inhibition of NO production. These results suggest that the role of NO in offensive and defensive maternal aggression shares neural mechanisms., S. Ankarali, H. C. Ankarali, C. Marangoz., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Inconsistent information from different modalities can be delusive for perception. This phenomenon can be observed with simultaneously presented inconsistent numbers of brief flashes and short tones. The conflict of bimodal information is reflected in double flash or fission, and flash fusion illusions, respectively. The temporal resolution of the vision system plays a fundamental role in the development of these illusions. As the parallel, dorsal and ventral pathways have different temporal resolution we presume that these pathways play different roles in the illusions. We used pathway-optimized stimuli to induce the illusions on separately driven visual streams. Our results show that both pathways support the double flash illusion, while the presence of the fusion illusion depends on the activated pathway. The dorsal pathway, which has better temporal resolution, does not support fusion, while the ventral pathway which has worse temporal resolution shows fusion strongly., P. Kaposvári, A. Bognár, P. Csibri, G. Utassy, Gy. Sáry., and Obsahuje bibliografii
It has become increasingly apparent in recent years that there are important differences of many cardiovascular disorders including ventricular tachycardias in men and women. Nevertheless, so far just few studies have addressed possible gender differences in electrophysiological characteristics of idiopathic ventricular tachycardia from right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT-VT), other than epidemiological ones. This study explored possible gender differences in electrophysiological characteristics and catheter ablation outcome in RVOT-VT patients. Ninety-three patients (mean age 38.7±15.5 years, 30 males) with idiopathic RVOT-VT were enrolled and analyzed in our study. Male patients had longer QRS width (99.9±19.4 ms vs. 88.4±20.7 ms, p=0.02). Female patients had lower right ventricular mean voltage (3.0±0.7 mV vs. 3.7±0.9 mV, p=0.03), and more low voltage zone over the right ventricular outflow tract free wall (27.0 % vs. 6.7 %, p=0.02). Eighty-one patients passed catheter ablation (23 males). The acute success rate, repeated catheter ablation rate and VT recurrence rate were similar in both genders. The present study provides evidence of the gender differences in electrophysiological findings in patients with idiopathic RVOT-VT. Studies on gender-specific differences in arrhythmia could lead to a better understanding of its mechanism(s) and provide valuable information for the development of optimal treatment strategies., S.-G. Yang, M. Mlček, O. Kittnar., and Obsahuje bibliografii
GIP (glucose dependent insulinotr ophic polypeptide), originally identified as an incretin peptide synthesized in the gut, has recently been identified, along with its receptors (GIPR), in the brain. Our objective was to investigate the role of GIP in hypothalamic gene expression of biomarkers linked to regulating energy balance and feeding behavi or related neurocircuitry. Rats with lateral cerebroventricular cannulas were administered 10 μg GIP or 10 μl artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) daily for 4 days, after which whole hypothalami were collected. Real time Taqman™ RT-PCR was used to quantitatively compare the mRNA expression levels of a set of genes in the hypothalamus. Administration of GIP resulted in up-regulation of hypothalamic mRNA levels of AVP (46.9±4.5 %), CART (25.9±2.7 %), CREB1 (38.5±4.5 %), GABRD (67.1±11 %), JAK2 (22.1±3.6 %), MAPK1 (33.8±7.8 %), NPY (25.3±5.3 %), OXT (49.1±5.1 %), STAT3 (21.6±3.8 %), and TH (33.9±8.5 %). In a second experiment the same set of genes was evaluated in GIPR -/- and GIPR +/? mice to determine the effect of lack of GIP stimulation on gene expression. In GIPR -/- mice expressions of the following genes were down-regulated: AVP (27. 1±7.5 %), CART (28.3±3.7 %), OXT (25.2±5.8 %), PTGES (23.9±4.5 %), and STAT3 (8.8±2.3 %). These results suggest that AVP, CART, OXT and STAT3 may be involved in energy balance-related hypothalamic circuits affected by GIP., S. Ambati ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy