In previous studies it could be shown that after bilateral nephrectomy (NX) the excretory function of the liver is disturbed. To further clarify whether or not this "renohcpatic syndrome" is caused by toxic effects of uremia or by competition phenomena between variuos uraemic toxins an additional aspect was investigated: the biliary excretion of endogenous amino acids. Furthermore, previously it could be shown that renal and hepatic excretory functions overlap. Therefore, the renal excretion of effectively biliary eliminated amino acids (glutamic acid, alanine, tyrosine, isoleucine) is very low and vice versa. That means, that the renal excretion of amino acids with low hepatic elimination (tryptophan, citrulline, lysine, taurine) dominates. The hepatic excretion of amino acids is hardly altered after NX. Remarkably, the removal of both kidneys is followed by a distinct reduction in amino acid plasma concentrations, especially if these concentrations are relatively high in the controls. Interestingly, there is no correlation between plasma concentrations and biliary excretion of amino acids. But the calculation of the bile to plasma concentration ratios of amino acids makes it possible to differentiate three groups of amino acids: Amino acids excreted actively into bile (ratio > 1), amino acids with ratios below 1, indicating effective retention, and amino acids with ratios of about 1, whose hepatic handling is passive. After NX these ratios tended to approach 1; low ratios increased and high ratios decreased. That means, active processes involved in excretion or retention are obviously disturbed. These changes could indicate uraemic liver damage as proved regarding influence of NX on hepatic excretion of other endogenous substances and xenobiotics.
We investigated the gastric response to an ulcerogenic irritant and the change in gastric functions in an experimental rat model of obstructive jaundice, with or without biliary drainage. After biliary obstruction for 14 days, rats with ligated bile duct (BDL) were randomly divided into three groups: BDL group without biliary drainage, BDL followed by choledochoduodenostomy (CD) or a choledochovesical fistula (CVF). The gastric functions were evaluated 2 weeks after the surgery. Gastric damage, induced by orogastric administration of ethanol, was evaluated 30 min later using a lesion index and microscopic scoring was then performed on fixed stomachs. Basal gastric acid secretion was measured by the pyloric ligation method.The lesion index and maximum lesion depth did not differ in the BDL and sham groups, while they were significantly reduced in the CD group. Gastric acid output and secretory volume were reduced in the BDL group compared to the sham group, while these reductions were abolished in the CD group. Afferent denervation with capsaicin further reduced the ulcer index in the later group. Our data suggest that gastric mucosal susceptibility to injury is dependent on the normal flow of bile into the duodenal lumen, which appears to be a requirement for adaptive gastric cytoprotection., A. Cingi, R. Ahiskali, B. K. Oktar, M. A. Gülpinar, C. Yegen, B.Ç. Yegen., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The complex architecture of the liv er biliary network represents a structural prerequisite for the formation and secretion of bile as well as excretion of toxic substances through bile ducts. Disorders of the biliary tract affect a significant portion of the worldwide population, often leading to cholestatic liver diseases. Cholestatic liver disease is a condition that results from an impairment of bile formation or bile flow to the gallbladder and duodenum. Cholestasis leads to dramatic changes in biliary tree architecture, worsening liver disease and systemic illness. Recent studies show that the preva lence of cholestatic liver diseases is increasing. The availability of well characterized animal models, as well as development of visualization approaches constitutes a critical asset to develop novel pathogenetic concepts and new treatment strategies., L. Sarnova, M. Gregor., and Obsahuje bibliografii
We give one sufficient and two necessary conditions for boundedness between Lebesgue or Lorentz spaces of several classes of bilinear multiplier operators closely connected with the bilinear Hilbert transform.
A mathematical model of the microalgal growth under various light regimes is required for the optimization of design parameters and operating conditions in a photobioreactor. As its modelling framework, bilinear system with single input is chosen in this paper. The earlier theoretical results on bilinear systems are adapted and applied to the special class of the so-called intermittent controls which are characterized by rapid switching of light and dark cycles. Based on such approach, the following important result is obtained in the present paper: as the light/dark cycle frequency is going to infinity, the value of resulting production rate in the microalgal culture goes to a certain limit value, which depends on average irradiance in the culture only. As a case study, the so-called three-state model of photosynthetic factory, being a simple four-parameter model, is analyzed. The present paper shows various numerical simulations for the model parameters previously published and analyzed experimentally in the biotechnological literature. These simulation results are in a very good qualitative compliance with the well-known flashing light experiments, thereby confirming viability of the approach presented here.
A collection of parallel corpora: English-Lithuanian (2m words), Lithuanian-English (0,06m words), Czech-Lithuanian (0,8m words), Lithuanian-Czech (0,02m words). All the corpora are online-searcheable via one interface at http://donelaitis.vdu.lt/main_en.php?id=4&nr=1_2. The corpus is still being updated with new texts.
Bilirubin is the final product of heme catabolism in the systemic circulation. For decades, increased serum/plasma bilirubin levels were considered an ominous sign of an underlying liver disease. However, data from recent years convincin gly suggest that mildly elevated bilirubin concentrations are as sociated with protection against various oxidative stress-mediated diseases, atherosclerotic conditions being the most clinically relevant. Although scarce data on beneficial effects of bilirubin had been published also in the past, it took until 1994 when the first clinical study demonstrated an increased risk of coronary heart disease in subjects with low serum bilirubin levels, and bilirubin was found to be a risk factor for atherosclerotic diseases independent of standard risk factors. Consistent with t hese results, we proved in our own studies, that subjects with mild elevation of serum levels of unconjugated bilirubin (benign hyperbilirubinemia, Gilbert syndrome) have much lower prevalence/incidence of cor onary heart as well as peripher al vascular disease. We have also demonstrated that this association is even more general, with serum bilirubin being a biomarker of numerous other diseases, often associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis. In addition, very recent data have demonst rated biological pathways modulated by bilirubin, which are responsible for observed strong clinical associations., L. Vítek., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Většina léčiv se po absorpci váže na specifické bílkoviny krevní plazmy. Změny koncentrací plazmatických bílkovin ovlivní množství vázané a volné frakce jednotlivého léčiva a tím i jeho účinek. U starších pacientů se častěji setkáváme s hypalbuminemií danou především malnutricí a malabsorbcí, dále též nižší funkční synteticko u kapacitou jater a častějšími ztrátami proteinů. Tato hypalbuminemie zvyšuje volno u frakci léčiv a tím i účinnost léků, které se váží na albumin. Při chronických zánětech, infekcích, nádorových onemocněních se zvyšuje alfa-1- kyselý glykoprotein a tím se snižuje volná frakce léčiv, jež se váží na tuto bílkovinu akutní fáze. Proto je nutné v indikovaných případech vedle celkové hladiny léčiv v plazmě stanovovat plazmatické koncentrace volných frakcí: u léčiv, kde je známa významná vazba na proteiny a kde je úzké terapeutické rozmezí; u stavů, které vedou k změně hladiny proteinů v plazmě., Following their absorption, the majority of drugs bind to specific plasma proteins. Any change to plasma protein concentrations affects the proportion of bound and free fraction of the drug and thus also its effect. Older patients suffer more frequently from hypo albuminemia, mostly due to malnutrition and malabsorption but also due to lower functional capacity of the liver and recurring protein loses. This hypo albuminemi a increases the free fraction of drugs and thus the efficacy of the drugs that bind to albumin. Alfa-1-acid glycoprotein concentration increases in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases, infections and tumours and this leads to decrease in the free fraction of drugs that bind to this acute phase protein. Consequently, it is necessary in indicated cases to, apart from the total drug plasma concentrations, to also me asure plasma concentrations of free fractions: for drugs that are known to significantly bind to plasma proteins and that have narrow therapeutic index; in patients whose health status could result in plasma proteins levels deviations., Tomáš Adámek, Zoltán Paluch, Štefan Alušík, and Lit.: 16
Five hundred and eight phytosociological relevés from pine forests on sand, calcareous gravel and rock in NE and S Germany were analysed with respect to the frequency of Ellenberg indicator values of vascular plants for nutrients (N). Principal component analysis revealed that after the average nitrogen value (mN), the distribution shape and modality are the second most important sources of variation in the N-spectra of relevés. Of the five spectral types defined by combinations of mN and modality, the unimodal low nutrient type (66.5%) prevailed, followed by bimodal distributions with many indicators for low and high N-supply, with few in the intermediate classes 4 and 5 (27.4%), whereas spectra with a single mode at high (3.9%) or intermediate (2.2%) N- values were rare. Two explanations for the frequent coexistence of vascular plant indicators of N-deficiency with those indicating eutrophication are discussed: (a) Bimodality may be a consequence of the low capacity of pine forests to sequestre the excess input of anthropogenic nitrogen from the atmosphere, and/or (b) the natural dynamics of humus accumulation and mineralization following disturbance. To avoid misinterpretation of mN, inspection of modality of the N-spectra should be standard practice when analysing pine forest or other long-lived vegetation with low N-sequestration. Predominance of high N- over low N-indicators in relevés may be interpreted as a signal of advanced anthropogenic eutrophication, N-saturation and increased risk of N-leaching to groundwater. Bimodal spectra with prevailing deficiency indicators, on the other hand, may be either due to short-term N-release or indicate the beginning of eutrophication.