Our aim was to analyze the correlation of early postoperative cortisol levels in patients after transsphenoidal pituitary adenoma surgery compared to the standard dose ACTH test and Insulin tolerance test (ITT) several months later. We retrospectively reviewed data from 94 patients operated for pituitary adenoma in years 2009-2012. The comparison of day 7 (median) postoperative basal cortisol levels and 3.6 months (median) after pituitary adenoma surgery stimulation test - standard dose 250 μg 1-24ACTH test in 83 patients or ITT in 11 patients were performed. All 16 patients with early postoperative cortisol levels >500 nmol/l proved a sufficient response in the stimulation tests. At basal cortisol levels of 370-500 nmol/l the sufficient response was found in 96 % (27/28) of patients. In the postoperative basal cortisol levels 200-370 nmol/l we found a preserved corticotroph axis later on in 88 % (28/32) of cases. Patients with basal cortisol levels 100-200 nmol/l had a maintained corticotroph axis function in 8/11 cases - 73 %. All patients with an early postoperative basal cortisol level above 500 nmol/l proved in the stimulation tests a preserved corticotroph axis function. The interval 370-500 nmol/l showed a minimal risk of postoperative adrenal insufficiency., V. Hána Jr., J. Ježková, M. Kosák, M. Kršek, J. Marek, D. Netuka, M. Hil, V. Hána., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Ankylosing spondylarthritis (AS) is associated falsely increased lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD). New tool for discrimination of subjects at fracture risk is needed. Vertebral fracture (VF) prediction of routine methods for osteoporosis assessment, BMD and trabecular bone score (TBS), in patients with AS. Cross-sectional study of all AS patients regularly followed at the rheumatology outpatient clinics of two centers. All subjects undergone BMD measurement at lumbar spine (LS), total hip (TH) and femoral neck (FN) using Hologic® Horizon device. TBS at L1-4 in all subjects by TBS InSight® software were assessed. Vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) was performed using the lateral spine imaging IVA™ and graded using Genant semi-quantitative approach. 119 AS subjects (90 males/29 females), mean age 47.6 years were included in the study. In 20 patients 34 VFs were detected, from whom 7 patients had multiple fractures. Subjects with VF were older and had lower FN BMD, TBS in comparison to non-VF subjects. No differences in LS BMD, FN BMD or BASDAI between groups were observed. Among patients with VF only 3 had T-score less than -2.5 but 7 has TBS less than 1.23 which means highly degraded microarchitecture. AS patients with VF have lower TBS and FN BMD in comparison to non-VF subjects. In addition, TBS was able to detect 20 % more VFs than BMD. Therefore, TBS seems promising in VF discrimination among patients with AS., Zdenko Killinger, Martin Kužma, Soňa Tomková, Kristína Brázdilová, Peter Jackuliak, Juraj Payer., and Obsahuje bibliografii
n previous studies, one of the systolic time intervals - preejection period (PEP) - was used as an index of sympathetic activity reflecting the cardiac contractility. However, PEP could be also influenced by several other cardiovascular variables including preload, afterload and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). The aim of this study was to assess the behavior of the PEP together with other potentially confounding cardiovascular system characteristics in healthy humans during mental and orthostatic stress (head-up tilt test - HUT). Forty-nine healthy volunteers (28 females, 21 males, mean age 18.6 years (SD=1.8 years)) participated in the study. We recorded finger arterial blood pressure by volume-clamp method (Finome ter Pro, FMS, Netherlands), PEP, thoracic fluid content (TFC) - a measure of preload, and cardiac output (CO) by impedance cardiography (CardioScreen ®2000, Medis, Germany). Systemic vascular resistance (SVR) - a measure of afterload - was calculated as a ratio of mean arterial pressure and CO. We observed that during HUT, an expected decrease in TFC was accompanied by an increase of PEP, an increase of SVR and no significant change in DBP. During mental stress, we observed a decrease of PEP and an increase of TFC, SVR and DBP. Correlating a change in assessed measures (delta values) between mental stress and previous supinerest, we found that ΔPEP correlated negatively with ΔCO and positively with ΔSVR. In orthostasis, no significant correlation between ΔPEP and ΔDBP, ΔTFC, ΔCO, ΔMBP or ΔSVR was found. We conclude that despite an expected increase of sympathetic activity during both challenges, PEP behaved differently indicating an effect of other confounding factors. To interpret PEP values properly, we recommend simultaneously to measure other variables influencing this cardiovascular measure., J. Krohova, B. Czippelova, Z. Turianikova, Z. Lazarova, I. Tonhajzerova, M. Javorka., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The levels of four pregnanolone isomers and their polar conjugates and pregnenolone sulfate were measured in the plasma of 13 and 7 women at delivery with subarachnoidal and epidural analgesia, respectively, and in corresponding samples of umbilical plasma using a simple quadrupole GC/MS system with electron impact ionization (pregnenolone isomers), RIA following HPLC separation (pregnenolone) and specific RIA (pregnanolone sulfate). The concentration of epipregnanolone (3b-hydroxy-5b-pregnan-20-one) in both maternal and umbilical plasma was much lower than that of other pregnanolone isomers. The levels of 3b-hydroxy-pregnanolone isomers were significantly higher in the umbilical plasma than in the maternal, while the differences in 3a-hydroxy-isomers were insignificant. The differences in conjugates were insignificant with the exception of allopregnanolone, the levels of which were lower in umbilical plasma. In all the pregnanolone isomers, a significantly lower conjugated/unconjugated steroid ratio was found in the umbilical plasma than in the maternal plasma. In addition, time profiles of the steroids were measured around parturition and in the postpartum period in the maternal serum. Similarly, the levels of polar conjugates of all pregnanolone isomers were followed during parturition. Changes in concentrations of free steroids exhibited a similar pattern, with a fall primarily within the first hour after delivery. The decrease in conjugated steroids was shifted to the interval within the first hour and first day after delivery, and the changes were more pronounced. The time profiles of the conjugated/free steroid ratio exhibited a significant decrease within the first hour and the first day after delivery in all of the isomers investigated. A decrease was also observed in the ratio of 3a/3b- isomers and 5a/5b- isomers around parturition.The possible physiological consequences of the findings are indicated., J. Klak, M. Hill, A. Pařízek, H. Havlíková, M. Bičíková, R. Hampl T. Fait, J. Šulcová V. Pouzar, R. Kancheva, L. Stárka., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Pregnenolone sulfate (PS), an endogenously occurring neurosteroid, has been shown to modulate the activity of several neurotransmitter-gated channels, including the NMDA receptor (NMDAR). NMDARs are glutamate-gated ion channels involved in excitatory synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity, and excitotoxicity. In this study, we analyzed the effects of PS on calcium signaling in cultured hippocampal neurons and HEK293 cells expressing NMDAR. The ce lls were loaded with the Ca 2+ sensor Fura-2. In agreement with previous electrophysiological experiments, PS potentiated the increases in intracellular Ca 2+ induced by an exogenous application of glutamate; however, PS also increased intracellular Ca 2+ in the absence of exogenous NMDA agonist. The agonist-independent effect of PS was induced in all neurons studied and in HEK293 cells expressing GluN1/GluN2A-B receptors in a neurosteroid-specific manner. We conclude that PS is an endogenous NMDA agonist that activates the GluN1/GluN2A-B receptors., E. Adamusová ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
This review, which summarizes our findings concerning the long-term effects of pre-, peri- and postnatal factors affecting development, nociception and sensorimotor functions, focuses on three areas: 1) perinatal factors influencing nociception in adult rats were examined in rats with hippocampal lesions, after the administration of stress influencing and psychostimulant drugs (dexamethasone, indomethacine and methamphetamine); 2) the effect of pre- and early postnatal methamphetamine administration was shown to impair the development of sensorimotor functions tested in rat pups throughout the preweaning period; 3) the effect of extensive dorsal rhizotomy of the brachial plexus during the early postnatal period was studied with respect to neuropathic pain development and sensorimotor functions. The present study indicates that prenatal or neonatal stress, as well as various drugs, may disturb the development of the nociceptive system and cause long-term behavioral changes persisting to adulthood and that some types of neuropathic pain cannot be induced during the first two postnatal weeks at all. A mature nervous system is required for the development of the described pathological behaviors., R. Rokyta, A. Yamamotová, R. Šlamberová, M. Franěk, Š. Vaculín, L. Hrubá, B. Schutová, M. Pometlová., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
In modern societies, living organisms are exposed daily to multiform pollution from industrial chemical products. Some of these substances have been shown to affect the endocrine system, and have been termed endocrine disruptors (EDs). Bisphenol A (BPA), which can leach from plastics, and parabens, used in cosmetic products, are among the most well-studied. Prenatal development is a vulnerable phase of human life, and disruptions during this period may have lifelong consequences. Since EDs are known to cross the placental barrier and BPA may accumulate in the fetus, "BPA-free" products have been introduced to the market. However, such products often contain alternative bisphenols (e.g. BPS, BPF) that have not yet been extensively examined or regulated. Moreover, alternative bisphenols often occur together with BPA. The human organism is thus exposed to a mixture of EDs, some of which can have additive or synergic effects. Recent findings have also shown that paraben exposure can alter bisphenol pharmacokinetics. Taking into account the widespread occurrence of various EDs and the potential multiplicity of their effects, doses of EDs currently considered safe may not actually be as safe as they appear, especially during pregnancy., L. Kolatorova, M. Duskova, J. Vitku, L. Starka., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Since close relationship was shown between drug addiction and memory formation, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of interaction between prenatal methamphetamine (MA) exposure and MA treatment in adulthood on spatial and non-spatial memory and on the structure of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the hippocampus. Adult male rats prenatally exposed to MA (5 mg/kg) or saline were tested in adulthood. Non-spatial memory was examined in the Object Recognition Test (ORT) and spatial memory in the Object Location Test (OLT) and in the Memory Retention Test (MRT) conducted in the Morris Water Maze (MWM), respectively. Based on the type of the memory test animals were injected either acutely (ORT, OLT) or long-term (MWM) with MA (1 mg/kg). After each testing, animals were sacrificed and brains were removed. The hippocampus was then examined in Western Blot analysis for occurrence of different NMDA receptors’ subtypes. Our results demonstrated that prenatal MA exposure affects the development of the NMDA receptors in the hippocampus that might correspond with improvement of spatial memory tested in adulthood in the MWM. On the other hand, the effect of prenatal MA exposure on nonspatial memory examined in the ORT was the opposite. In addition, we showed that the effect of MA administration in adulthood on NMDA receptors is influenced by prenatal MA exposure, which seems to correlate with the spatial memory examined in the OLT., R. Šlamberová, M. Vrajová, B. Schutová, M. Mertlová, E. Macúchová, K. Nohejlová, L. Hrubá, J. Puskarčíková, V. bubeníková-Valešová, A. Yamamotová., and Obsahuje bibliografii