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Journal Article 2009; 30(Suppl 1): 17-21 PubMed PMID: 20027137 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Czech Republic, Diet, Humans, Meat:analysis, Selenium:administration & dosage, Swine,.   

: The aim of this paper is to review current knowledge of the significance of pork as a source of Se for human consumption, and to evaluate the selenium content in pork produced in the Czech Republic. Selenium has an important role in human health. Pork could possibly be an important source of Se for the human diet. The Se content in meat can be increased by a higher dietary intake of selenium in animal feed. The magnitude of this increase is higher when organic Se from Se-enriched yeast is ingested. Selenium intoxication in pigs occurs only when very high Se concentrations are used in their diet (more than 5 mg/kg of Se). Organic Se sources produce fewer clinical signs of high toxicity than inorganic sodium selenite. Organic Se does not have a negative effect on meat quality. Altogether, 135 pork samples from 9 different herds in the Czech Republic were collected and analyzed for Se content. The average selenium content found in pork in our study was 87.10 microg/kg. Because the average annual consumption of pork in the Czech Republic is 42.0 kg per person, the annual selenium intake from pork represents 18.2% of the minimum yearly requirement for humans. The results of our study show that pork contributes significantly to the selenium intake of the human population in the Czech Republic....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(Suppl 1): 13-16 PubMed PMID: 20027136 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Bacterial Toxins:toxicity, Cyanobacteria:metabolism, Fishes:immunology, Liver:drug effects, Microcystins:toxicity, Neurosecretory Systems:drug effects, Peptides, Cyclic:toxicity, Uracil:analogs & derivatives,.   

: Cyanotoxins are the metabolites of cyanobacteria, belonging to different chemical groups and of diverse mechanisms of toxicity. Generally, they are divided into hepatotoxins, neurotoxins and dermatotoxins/irritant toxins. There is a growing evidence, that besides the above mentioned toxicity, exposure to cyanotoxins may also induce other effects, among others the disruption of neuroendocrine and immune systems. The purpose of that paper is to sum up the current information obtained from the literature and from our own studies about the influence of cyanohepatotoxins on neuroendocrine and immune systems of fish. From the presented data it appears, that microcystins, nodularin and cylindrospermopsin, except for their hepatotoxic activity, are potent to exert such effects as HPI axis activation resulting in physiological and behavioural changes, disturbances in thyroid hormones release/metabolism, as well as impairment of immune responses in fish. However the studies in that area are still incomplete and many questions remain to be answered, especially what consequences for fish population health status it brings....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(Suppl 1): 2-12 PubMed PMID: 20027135 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Fishes:physiology, Oxidative Stress:drug effects, Pesticides:toxicity,.   

: The knowledge in oxidative stress in fish has a great importance for environmental and aquatic toxicology. Because oxidative stress is evoked by many chemicals including some pesticides, pro-oxidant factors' action in fish organism can be used to assess specific area pollution or world sea pollution. Hepatotoxic effect of DDT may be related with lipid peroxidation. Releasing of reactive oxygen species (ROS) after HCB exposure can be realized via two ways: via the uncoupling of the electron transport chain from monooxygenase activity and via metabolism of HCB major metabolite pentachlorophenol. Chlorothalonil disrupts mitochondrial metabolism due to the impairment of NADPH oxidase function. Activation of spleen macrophages and a decrease of catalase (CAT) activity have been observed after endosulfan exposure. Excessive release of superoxide radicals after etoxazole exposure can cause a decrease of CAT activity and increase phagocytic activity of splenocytes. Anticholinergic activity of organophosphates leads to the accumulation of ROS and resulting lipid peroxidation. Carbaryl induces changes in the content of glutathione and antioxidant enzymes activities. The antioxidant enzymes changes have been observed after actuation of pesticides deltamethrin and cypermethrin. Bipyridyl herbicides are able to form redox cycles and thereby cause oxidative stress. Low concentrations of simazine do not cause oxidative stress in carps during sub-chronic tests while sublethal concentrations of atrazin can induce oxidative stress in bluegill sunfish. Butachlor causes increased activity of superoxide dismutase -catalase system in the kidney. Rotenon can inhibit the electron transport in mitochondria and thereby increase ROS production. Dichloroaniline, the metabolite of diuron, has oxidative effects. Oxidative damage from fenpyroximate actuation is related to the disruption of mitochondrial redox respiratory chain. Low concentration of glyphosate can cause mild oxidative stress....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(4): 491-495 PubMed PMID: 20010507 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Autonomic Nervous System:physiology, Baroreflex:physiology, Blood Pressure:physiology, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1:physiopathology, Diabetic Neuropathies:physiopathology, Female, Humans, Hyperglycemia:physiopathology, Linear Models, Male,.   

OBJECTIVES: To date, the clinical usefulness of measuring baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) to detect impairment of the autonomic nervous system in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) type I has not been evaluated sufficiently (Mlcáková et al. 2008). The aim of the current study was the determination and statistical comparison of the mean values of BRS in our DM type I patients cohort and in a control group of healthy volunteers as well as the determination of BRS value dependency on the duration of diabetes and the level of glycemic control in DM I patients. We also aimed to determine the inter-individual and intra-individual variability of BRS in our patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined 100 patients with type I diabetes mellitus (37 women and 63 men, mean age 30 years, duration of the disease >or= 10 years) and 40 healthy, age- and sex-matched, subjects. Data from the patient cohort were subsequently analysed for duration of the diabetes and the level of glycemic control as assessed by glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). We used a simple proportional test to compare the occurrence of impaired BRS in the patient cohort and the control group, and a simple linear regression to assess associations between BRS and duration of the diabetes and the levels of glycemic control.

RESULTS: The mean BRS value in our group of diabetic patients and the control group were 10.15 ms/mmHg and 13.35 ms/mmHg, respectively. II. Statistically significant association between BRS impairment and the duration of the disease or level of glycemic control was not confirmed in our patient cohort. III. We observed an increased inter-individual variability and a relatively low intra-individual variability of BRS in patients with DM type I.

CONCLUSIONS: We found a statistically highly significant difference between the proportions of impaired BRS in the group of diabetics vs. control. However, BRS did not correlate with the duration of the disease or with the level of glycemic control significantly. Albeit not reaching statistical significance, trends could be observed, which we consider clinically interesting....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(4): 421-428 PubMed PMID: 20010506 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Antidepressive Agents:therapeutic use, Central Nervous System:cytology, Depressive Disorder:drug therapy, Humans, Killer Cells, Natural:drug effects, Neuroglia:drug effects, Signal Transduction:drug effects,.   

: CNS, endocrine and immune systems share the same molecules: neurotransmitters, cytokines and hormones to communicate within and among each other. Depression is associated with abnormalities in the noradrenergic, serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems and reductions in the level of their precursors and metabolic turnover. Most of these signalling molecules use trimeric G-proteins as a transduction system to transfer extracellular signal into cellular response. Altered levels or function of signalling proteins, especially alpha subunits of trimeric G-proteins, were found in post-mortem brain tissue and leukocytes of subject suffering from major depression. There is a considerable evidence that inflammatory response and immune system changes are the part of depression. Components of cellular immune system natural killer cells, important effectors of immune surveillance, are sensitive to stress response, and their functions are compromised in depressive subjects. Many lines of evidence also point to the loss of both neuronal and glial plasticity and neurotrophic factor support under chronic stress or in depression. There is an increasing knowledge of the role of astrocytic cells in neuroplastic processes and neurotransmitter metabolism. Alterations in the glial populations are observed in major depressive subjects. Antidepressant treatment is modulating glial signalization cascades, increasing production of neurotrophic molecules, supporting neuroplasticity processes, and also modulating functions of natural killers. At the level of membrane signalling, antidepressants show a direct influence upon G alpha subunit levels in both immune system and CNS. These findings support the view that antidepressants influence activity of natural killer and astrocytic populations, and this could be of importance in the depression etiopathogenesis and/or treatment....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(4): 470-476 PubMed PMID: 20010505 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Autonomic Nervous System:physiology, Cognition Disorders:metabolism, Coronary Artery Disease:mortality, Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic:metabolism, Female, Heart Failure:metabolism, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Oxidative Stress:physiology, Risk Factors, Ub.   

INTRODUCTION: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a medical illness characterized by disorders in inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative (IO&NS) pathways.

METHODS: This paper examines the role of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a mitochondrial nutrient which acts as an essential cofactor for the production of ATP in mitochondria and which displays significant antioxidant activities. Plasma CoQ10 has been assayed in 58 patients with ME/CFS and in 22 normal controls; the relationships between CoQ10 and the severity of ME/CFS as measured by means of the FibroFatigue (FF) scale were measured.

RESULTS: Plasma CoQ10 was significantly (p=0.00001) lower in ME/CFS patients than in normal controls. Up to 44.8% of patients with ME/CFS had values beneath the lowest plasma CoQ10 value detected in the normal controls, i.e. 490 microg/L. In ME/CFS, there were significant and inverse relationships between CoQ10 and the total score on the FF scale, fatigue and autonomic symptoms. Patients with very low CoQ10 (<390 microg/L) suffered significantly more from concentration and memory disturbances.

DISCUSSION: The results show that lowered levels of CoQ10 play a role in the pathophysiology of ME/CFS and that symptoms, such as fatigue, and autonomic and neurocognitive symptoms may be caused by CoQ10 depletion. Our results suggest that patients with ME/CFS would benefit from CoQ10 supplementation in order to normalize the low CoQ10 syndrome and the IO&NS disorders. The findings that lower CoQ10 is an independent predictor of chronic heart failure (CHF) and mortality due to CHF may explain previous reports that the mean age of ME/CFS patients dying from CHF is 25 years younger than the age of those dying from CHF in the general population. Since statins significantly decrease plasma CoQ10, ME/CFS should be regarded as a relative contraindication for treatment with statins without CoQ10 supplementation....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(4): 477-481 PubMed PMID: 20010504 Citation  Keywords:  Adenoma:metabolism, Adult, Aged, Apoptosis:physiology, Biomarkers, Tumor:metabolism, Cell Division:physiology, Female, Humans, Immunohistochemistry, Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins, Male, Microtubule-Associated Proteins:metabolism, Middle Aged, Pituitary .   

OBJECTIVES: The survivin is the protein involved in regulation of basic and cycle-specific functions of cells both in normal and cancer tissue. Recent studies present survivin as a factor having the leading role in the regulation of apoptosis and mitosis as well as a target of anticancer therapy. The employing of survivin in this therapy is based on its high expression level in most human cancers, as well as its association with the disease's progression. The aim of our study was to evaluate the expression and localization of survivin's gene product on the protein level in different types of pituitary tumors and normal pituitary. The coexpression of survivin and proliferating cell nuclear antigen - PCNA in pituitary was also examined.

DESIGN AND METHODS: The study was conducted on the postoperative pituitary tumors tissue taken during standard neurosurgical removal of tumor from 43 patients. The group of patients consists of 23 women and 20 men, aged from 27 to 71 years. As a control of the study three normal pituitary tissues obtained at the autopsy were used. Evaluation of survivin and PCNA expression was performed using immunohistochemical staining.

RESULTS: The study demonstrated the presence of survivin in all analyzed by us pituitary tumors. Survivin was present also in normal pituitary tissue. The protein was localized mainly in cell's nuclei, however the less intense immunostaining was observed also in the cytoplasm of pituitary tumors cells. Furthermore survivin was found in normal pituitary, but the positive immunostaining was limited to a single cells. The analysis of pituitary tumor cells proliferation index based on PCNA reactivity showed that survivin is coexpressed with PCNA, especially in invasive tumors.

CONCLUSIONS: The study documented the presence of survivin in different types of pituitary tumors as well as in normal pituitary. Additionally the coexpression of survivin and PCNA in tumor cells was shown. The expression of survivin in both normal and cancer pituitary cells suggests that it may play an important role in regulation of the gland's proliferation....

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Case Reports 2009; 30(4): 437-449 PubMed PMID: 20010503 Citation  Keywords:  Antioxidants:therapeutic use, Drug Therapy, Combination, Humans, Infant, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Melatonin:therapeutic use, Neuroblastoma:diagnostic imaging, Positron-Emission Tomography, Remission Induction, Retinoids:therapeutic use, Retroperi.   

OBJECTIVES: The combined use (MDB) of Somatostatin, Melatonin, Retinoids, Vitamins E, C, and D3, with Calcium, Chondroitin sulfate, and microdoses of Cyclophosphamide in a seven-month old baby affected by a voluminous retroperitoneal neuroblastoma measuring 4 x 8 cm produced a 50% objective response in six months, an almost total response in one year and a complete response at 14 months, with cure and absence of disease for over ten years.

RESULTS: This paper discusses the rationale and the molecular mechanisms of action of the treatment which has a differentiating, apoptotic and antiproliferative effect, preserving and enhancing both the trophism and functionality of organs and tissues, and the neuroimmunoendocrine and antiblastic homeostasis. This result is in agreement with the positive results already published on the use of the MDB in lymphoproliferative diseases, in stage III and IV lung cancer, in breast cancer and in cancers of the upper aerodigestive epithelia. Without the need for hospitalisation and with no toxicity, the MDB rapidly reduced and then eliminated the voluminous tumoral mass, allowing a normal quality of life and a perfectly normal psychophysical development.

CONCLUSIONS: We believe it is of use to report this case in order to invite greater interest in the oncological possibilities offered by the immunoneuroendocrine and biological-receptorial properties of the MDB treatment....

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