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Journal Article 2011; 32(Suppl 2): 13-16 PubMed PMID: 22101875 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Alcoholic Beverages:statistics & numerical data, Animals, Beer:statistics & numerical data, Beverages, Coffee, Czech Republic:epidemiology, Diet Surveys, Energy Intake, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Milk, Sex Factors, Surveys.   

BACKGROUND: Food intake is a commonly monitored issue in many studies. In contrast, almost no information has been published on beverage intake in adults.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: To evaluate beverage intake, we studied a population of 1, 200 adults (656 males and 544 females, aged 18-54 years). The volumes and types of beverages were obtained from self-reported questionnaires.

RESULTS: The mean beverage intake was highly variable, with a minimum of 450 mL/day and a maximum of 5,330 mL/day. A mean of 1,575 mL/day was found in the entire population (2,300 mL in males and 840 mL in females). Different patterns in the consumption of beverage types were observed between the males and females. For both males and females, the most common beverage consumed was water followed by tea. The next preferable beverages were alcoholic beer, coffee, and non-alcoholic beer in males and coffee, milk, and alcoholic beer in females. The estimated caloric intake from beverages covers, in most individuals, 10-30% of the recommended daily caloric intake.

CONCLUSIONS: There is substantial variation among individuals, both in beverage intake and in caloric intake through beverages. The caloric intake from beverages reaches, in some individuals, one-third of the recommended daily caloric rate....

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Journal Article 2011; 32(Suppl 2): 3-8 PubMed PMID: 22101873 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Carps:genetics, Czech Republic, Diet, Dietary Fats, Unsaturated, Environment, Fatty Acids:genetics, Humans, Lipid Metabolism, Muscle, Skeletal:metabolism, alpha-Linolenic Acid:metabolism,.   

: There is evidence that n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (n-3 HUFA), especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are beneficial for human health, especially for the cardiovascular system. The sources of n-3 HUFA, including EPA and DHA, are scarce in diet consumed by the Czech population. Thus, it would be beneficial to generally increase fish consumption and also to increase the content of the beneficial fatty acids (FA) in locally produced fish and other products. Therefore the overall aim of this paper was to review factors influencing lipid content and composition in common carp, which is the major cultured fish in the Czech Republic, and to identify long term sustainable ways for increasing the beneficial fatty acids in the carp flesh. We conclude that there are several ways to improve the FA composition of common carp in the traditional pond production. High amount of natural food, good supplemental diet containing high level of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and suitable processing and cooking were identified as the most important ones....

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Journal Article 2011; 32(4): 469-474 PubMed PMID: 21876500 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Amphetamine-Related Disorders:genetics, Catechol O-Methyltransferase:genetics, Central Nervous System Stimulants:adverse effects, Czech Republic, Family Health, Female, Gene Frequency, Genetic Predisposition to Disease:genetics, Haploty.   

OBJECTIVES: About 25,000 serious methamphetamine abusers live in the Czech Republic among the total population of 10 million. Dependence on methamphetamine is markedly related to the brain neurotransmitter dopamine, metabolised by catechol-O-methyltransferase enzyme. The main aim of the study was to ascertain whether the Val158Met catechol-O-methyltransferase gene polymorphism is associated with methamphetamine dependence in this Central European country.

METHODS: One hundred and twenty-three subjects dependent on methamphetamine (women N=44), parents of sixty-seven dependent individuals, and four hundred healthy controls (women N=250) were involved into the study. We performed a population-based as well as family-based genetic association studies.

RESULTS: We did not find any significant association between the Val158Met catechol-O-methyltransferase gene polymorphism and methamphetamine dependence using the population-based or family-based design (p=0.41-0.66; Chi-Square Test or UNPHASED program, Version 3.1.4, respectively). We found a trend toward a statistically significant difference between the Val allele carriers and Met/Met homozygotes in the frequence of psychotic symptoms induced by methamphetamine (more frequent in Val carriers; p=0.062; Chi-Square Test).

CONCLUSION: Further research involving haplotype analysis and other dopamine-related genetic polymorphisms in large populations is needed. More attention should also be paid to possible role of the Val158Met catechol-O-methyl-transferase gene polymorphism in individual clinical subtypes of dependence on methamphetamine involving e.g. psychotic features or violence....

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Journal Article 2011; 32(3): 345-348 PubMed PMID: 21712791 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Blood Glucose:metabolism, Escherichia coli Infections:pathology, Fluid Therapy, Glycerol:blood, Hypovolemia:therapy, Isotonic Solutions:therapeutic use, Lactic Acid:blood, Microdialysis, Plasma Substitutes:therapeutic use, Pyruvic Acid:blood, Res.   

OBJECTIVE: Hypovolemia has occurs frequently in sepsis. Due to pathologically increased permeability of the capillaries, the fluid leaks to the interstitium. An adequate fluid therapy is the corner stone to achieve circulatory stabilization and sufficient tissue perfusion; on the other hand, according to the data from the literature a tissue swelling is associated with a risk of deteriorated function of the tissues. The study aimed to examine the effect of a positive fluid balance on muscular metabolism.

METHODS: The experimental study employed the model of sepsis in the domestical pig. Ten animals were randomly distributed into a control and a septic group. Sepsis was induced by intravenous administration of E. coli, followed by fluid resuscitation by crystaloids. Microdialysis samples were withdrawn at one-hour intervals for a period of 24 hours and values of lactate, pyruvate, glycerol, and glucose.

RESULTS: Pearson's method revealed positive correlations between the lactate/pyruvate ratio and cumulative fluid balance in the septic group (R=0.292, p<0.001) and negative correlations in the control group (R=-0.279, p<0.05). In both groups, however, there was a gradual significant decrease in glycerol values.

CONCLUSION: Fluid resuscitation results in positive fluid balance in both septic and control animals. This leads to circulatory stabilization of septic animals, but not a decrease in the anaerobic share of glycolysis. A positive fluid balance in control animals does not result in alteration of muscular aerobic glycolysis. Decreasing glycerol levels in both groups give evidence that a positive fluid balance does not exert a negative impact on cell metabolism....

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Journal Article 2011; 32(3): 360-364 PubMed PMID: 21712778 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Atherosclerosis:blood, Bilirubin:blood, Blood Protein Electrophoresis, Cholesterol:blood, Female, Gilbert Disease:blood, Humans, Hyperbilirubinemia:blood, Lipoproteins:blood, Lipoproteins, LDL:blood, Lipoproteins, VLDL:blood, Liver Func.   

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyze the serum bilirubin level, lipid and lipoprotein parameters with the emphasis on the presence of atherogenic small dense LDL in patients with Gilbert's syndrome and to compare these results with probands in the control group. We used a new electrophoretic method, which enables to analyze up to 12 lipoprotein subpopulations. Atherogenic lipoprotein profile is characterized by the presence of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL), intermediate density lipoproteins (IDL) and the presence of small dense LDL lipoproteins. The presence of LDL1 and LDL2 subpopulations, as well as HDL lipoproteins is considered as protective factor.

METHODS: Molecular - genetic examination of Gilbert\'s syndrome using fragment analysis method was carried out in collaboration with the Centre for Medical Genetics, University Hospital in Bratislava. Total cholesterol and triglycerides in plasma were analyzed from lipid parameters by means of enzymatic CHOD-PAP method, Roche Diagnostics, Germany. Biochemical parameters - bilirubin (total, conjugated and unconjugated), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GMT), (Roche Diagnostics, Germany), TSH, FT3, fT4 (Siemens) were also examined. Serum lipoproteins and their subfractions were examined using Lipoprint LDL System Quantimetrix, CA, USA (12).

RESULTS: We found significantly higher levels of total bilirubin and unconjugated bilirubin in patients with Gilbert's syndrome. In the control group, probands had significantly higher triglycerides levels, VLDL cholesterol levels, IDL cholesterol level, and small dense LDL levels compared to the group with Gilbert\'s syndrome. Probands with Gilbert's syndrome had significantly lower presence of atherogenic lipoprotein spectrum than probands in control group (5% vs. 18%). We found significantly negative correlation between serum unconjugated bilirubin levels and LDL 3-7 (r = - 0.594, p <0.01), as well as between bilirubin and triglycerides (r = -0.540, p<0.01). Serum bilirubin concentration and LDL 1-2 concentration correlated significantly positively (r = 0.451, p <0.05).

CONCLUSION: The presence of atherogenic lipoprotein spectrum is determined by the particular representation of small dense LDL. Atherogenic spectrum was presented significantly less in patients with Gilbert\'s syndrome compared with the control group (5% vs. 18%). In our study, we have not followed the risk of coronary heart disease or other manifestations of atherosclerotic arteries disability. However, we found the inverse relationship of serum bilirubin levels and atherogenic small dense LDL. We found out that the protective antiatherogenic effect of hyperbilirubinemia is potentiated by low occurence of strongly atherogenic small dense LDL and persons with byperbilirubionemia (in our case represented Gilbert's syndrome), could be protected against the development of atheroscleosis....

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Journal Article 2011; 32(1): 52-58 PubMed PMID: 21407155 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Case-Control Studies, Female, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Haplotypes, Humans, Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins:genetics, Male, Middle Aged, Point Mutation, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Schizophrenia:genetics,.   

OBJECTIVES: Since there are clear indications that schizophrenia is a systemic disorder, we sought for a common molecular basis for schizophrenia abnormalities in brain and body. Our hypothesis was that an impaired insulin/ insulin-like growth factor signalling in cells might underlie both structural and functional brain changes and peripheral abnormalities in schizophrenia. No associations between polymorphisms in the genes for insulin-like growth factor 1 or its receptor and schizophrenia have been reported. However, the insulin receptor substrates 1-4 linking both the insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptors with intracellular pathways have not been extensively studied in schizophrenia. In this study, we therefore chose to study the insulin receptor substrate-4 (IRS-4) gene as a candidate gene in schizophrenia.

METHODS: The IRS-4 gene of 93 patients and 59 control subjects was screened for DNA sequence variations, followed by case-control analyses of 10 detected single nucleotide polymorphisms.

RESULTS: No significant genotype, allele or haplotype associations were found with the schizophrenia illness. However, one female patient with paranoid schizophrenia had an IRS-4 gene mutation at position 107863596, resulting in a change in amino acid coding from histidine to tyrosine at position 879.

CONCLUSIONS: Although this study supports the view that the IRS-4 gene is not of major importance for the aetiology of the vast majority of schizophrenia cases, our finding of this single patient with schizophrenia and a mutation in the IRS-4 gene may point to that the insulin/ insulin-like growth factor signalling system in cells is still of interest in the future search for schizophrenia genes....

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Journal Article 2010; 31(6): 801-806 PubMed PMID: 21196929 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Antidepressive Agents:therapeutic use, Anxiety:drug therapy, Blood Glucose:metabolism, Blood Pressure:drug effects, Body Weight:drug effects, Depression:drug therapy, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1:blood, Double-Blind Method, Female, Hemoglobin A, Glyco.   

OBJECTIVE: Depression is a common disorder among diabetic patients and affects negatively the treatment of their basic disease. The aim of the study was to assess, whether antidepressant medication could positively influence glycemic control of diabetes type 1 in depressive or anxious patients.

METHODS: A six-month, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study was performed to investigate the reaction of type 1diabetic patients (n=21) to treatment of depression and anxiety symptoms using antidepressant drug sertraline. The patients were given sertraline (100 mg/day) or placebo. The evolution of mental change was assessed using Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) along with development of somatic parameters commonly assessed in diabetic patients, especially glycosylated hemoglobin, insulin dose and body weight. The level of active substance in serum of the patients was also measured.

RESULTS: Mental state improved at the level of statistical significance of p<0.001 in both patients using antidepressant and placebo. From somatic parameters, body weight and systolic blood pressure increased statistically significantly also in both groups of patients.

CONCLUSIONS: The mental state of most patients who successfully completed the study improved regardless of the fact if they were using antidepressant or placebo. No statistically significant connections between the mental and somatic changes were found. This finding points out to the placebo effect of the medication, to the importance of a contact with patients, but also to the need to concentrate on their mental state....

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Journal Article 2010; 31(Suppl 2): 120-123 PubMed PMID: 21187818 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Ascorbic Acid:blood, Carotenoids:blood, Czech Republic, Diet, Female, Health Status, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Military Personnel, Nutritional Status, Vitamin A:blood, Vitamins:blood, alpha-Tocopherol:blood, beta Carotene:blood,.   

OBJECTIVES: The work objective was to monitor nutritional habits in the observed group of professional soldiers with the focus on eating food with the content of antioxidant carriers. Then to show present state of health and nutrition in the group on the basis of anthropometric measurements and biochemical examinations and finally to observe the level of antioxidant vitamins in the observed group of professional soldiers.

METHODS: The group included 171 healthy individuals, 152 men and 19 women. Their average age was 34.2±7.9 years. The venous blood was taken for biochemical examinations in all individuals on a fast. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, caliperation, waist circumferences), blood pressure and pulse were taken continually in all individuals. Simple questionnaires were administered to all participants for the complete evaluation of present health and for the registration of eating habits of the observed persons.

RESULTS: The study results show that retinol and a-tocoferol levels in the observed group were within a normal range. The average concentration of vitamin C in this group was 54 mmol/l and reached nearly the values given in other European countries. But concentrations of β-caroten and lycopen in serum were up to 50% lower in comparison with concentrations in population in the countries of West Europe. Higher vitamin C and β caroten serum levels were found in individuals who respond in a questionnaire they eat fruit and vegetables or supplements of vitamin preparations every day. Statistically lower levels of vitamin C, β karoten and lycopen in the group of obese people (compared with the group of normal weight people) show decreased level of antioxidant protection of the organism and the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

CONCLUSIONS: The results show that it is necessary to ensure optimal food not only with an energetic diet value but also with a proper input of antioxidant carriers in the form of fresh vegetables and fruit every day....

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