a1_Focal cerebral contusion can be dynamic and expansive. It has been proved that subsequent expansive contusion is caused by brain parenchyma damage, especially BBB damage. We investigated a group of patients with traumatic brain injury. The patients (n=18) were divided in to group I (n=7) of patients submitted to neurosurgery due to expansive contusion, and group II (n=11) of patients without surgery. Serum concentrations of NSE and S-100B protein were measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, interleukin-6 (IL-6) was measured by chemiluminescent sequential immunometric assay and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-9, MMP-2) were measured by immunoassays. Cortical biopsy specimens of brain were investigated by electron microscopy in patients with trauma brain injury submitted to neurosurgery. Biochemical investigation from first day up to third day after traumatic brain injury proved increased values of IL-6 (302.2±119.9 vs. 59.6±11.9 ng/l, p<0.02) and S-100B protein (3.064±1.064 vs. 0.649±0.182 μ g/l, p<0.05) in patients with expansive lesion compared to patients without expansive contusion. Significantly higher levels of MMP-9 (150.4±28.46 vs. 74.11±13.16 ng/l, p<0.05) and of MMP-2 (814.5±126.3 vs. 523.1±25.28 ng/l, p<0.05) were found during first 3 days after admission in group I compared to group II. MMP-9 has also elevated in group II from lower values after admission (74.11±13.16 ng/l) up to high levels on the 10th day of hospitalization (225.1±49.35 ng/l )., a2_Ultrastructural investigation of endothelial cells and surrounded tissue revealed perivascular hemorrhage, increased pinocytic activity of endothelial cells, and cytotoxic edema of astroglial cells. Multivesical bodies were disclosed inside the endothelial cells. Higher levels of serum protein S-100B and IL-6 correlated with ultrastructural changes of endothelial cells, and with inflammatory response following TBI, respectively., D. Vajtr ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Chronic hypoxia results in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension characterized by fibrotization and muscularization of the walls of peripheral pulmonary arteries. This vessel remodeling is accompanied by an increase in the amount of lung mast cells (LMC) and the presence of small collagen cleavage products in the vessel walls. We hypothesize that hypoxia activates LMC, which release matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) cleaving collagen and starting increased turnover of connective tissue proteins. This study was designed to determine whether in vitro hypoxia stimulates production of MMPs in rat LMC and increases their collagenolytic activity. The LMC were separated on the Percoll gradient and then were divided into two groups and cultivated for 24 h in 21 % O2 + 5 % CO2 or in 10 % O2 + 5 % CO2. Presence of the rat interstitial tissue collagenase (MMP-13) in LMC was visualized by immunohistological staining and confirmed by Western blot analysis. Total MMPs activity and tryptase activity were measured in both cultivation media and cellular extracts. Exposure to hypoxia in vitro increased the amount of cells positively labeled by anti-MMP-13 antibody as well as activities of all measured enzymes. The results therefore support the concept that LMC are an important source of increased collagenolytic activity in chronic hypoxia., H. Maxová, J. Novotná, L. Vajner, H. Tomášová, R. Vytášek, M. Vízek, L. Bačáková, V. Valoušková, T. Eliášová, J. Herget., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
As traditional risk factors are unable to fully explain the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD), novel mechanisms became a target of many investigations. Our aim was to study the response of selected markers to physical exercise. High-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP-2, MMP-9), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE), pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A), E-selectin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were measured in serum of 21 CAD patients and in 22 healthy controls at rest and after exercise bicycle stress test performed up to the maximal tolerated effort. At rest, hs-CRP, AOPP, MMP-9 and BNP were significantly elevated in the CAD patients as compared with controls. In contrast, P-selectin was significantly lower in CAD patients and a tendency to lower levels of sRAGE was noted. After exercise MMP-9 and BNP, increased significantly in both groups. In conclusions, CAD patients have elevated hs-CRP, AOPP, MMP-9 and BNP - novel markers related to cardiovascular risk or left ventricular overload. MMP-9 and BNP increase significantly with exercise in both healthy individuals and CAD patients., V. Danzig ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is a family of proteolytic enzymes involved in remodeling of extracellular matrix. Although proteolytic enzymes are produced by many cell types, mast cells seem to be more important than other types in remodeling of pulmonary arteries during hypoxia. Therefore, we tested in vitro production of MMPs and serine proteases in four cell types (mast cells, fibroblasts, vascular smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells) cultivated for 48 h under normoxic or hypoxic (3 % O2) conditions. MMP-13 was visualized by immunohistochemistry, MMP-2 and MMP-9 were detected by zymography in cell lysates. Enzymatic activities (MMPs, tryptase and chymase) were estimated in the cultivation media. Hypoxia had a minimal effect on total MMP activity in the cultivation media of all types of cells, but immunofluorescence revealed higher intensity of MMP-13 in the cells exposed to hypoxia except of fibroblasts. Tryptase activity was three times higher and chymase activity twice higher in mast cells cultivated in hypoxia than in those cultured in normoxia. Among all cell types studied here, mast cells are the most abundant source of proteolytic enzymes under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Moreover, in these cells hypoxia increases the production of both specific serine proteases tryptase and chymase, which can act as MMPs activators., H. Maxová ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy