The occurrence of melatonin is known in nearly all organisms, but nothing is known exactly about its function outside of vertebrates. Long-term perifusions as well as short-term batch incubations of brains and moulting glands of the cockroach Periplaneta americana were used to identify the effect of melatonin on the release of prothoracicotropic hormone, a glandotropic neuropeptide in the brain, which stimulates the production of the moulting hormone ecdysone in the moulting gland. This is the first experimental evidence of a neurohormonal releasing effect of melatonin in the insect nervous system., Klaus Richter, Elmar Peschke, Dorothee Peschke, and Lit
Abundant evidence indicates that ATP and adenosine act as neurotransmitters or co-transmitters, influencing nerve cell physiology in various ways. Therefore, regulation of ATP-metabolizing enzymes is essential for the normal development and function of neuronal tissue. In the present study we have examined the effect of gonadal (OVX) or adrenal (ADX) steroid hormone deprivation on the activity and expression of synaptic membrane ecto-ATPase in three extrahypothalamic brain areas of female rats, primarily not associated with reproductive function. It was shown that OVX significantly increased ecto-ATPase activity and the relative abundance of this enzyme in the hippocampal (Hip) and caudate nucleus (CN), but not in brain stem (BS) membrane preparations. ADX was followed by an upregulation of the enzyme activity and its relative abundance in all the brain areas investigated. The highest enzyme activity and the most profound effects of OVX and ADX were detected in the CN. The results obtained indicate that ADX and OVX upregulate the expression of ecto-ATPase, potentiating the production of adenosine in synaptic cleft thus modulating the activity of numerous neurotransmitter systems in distinct areas of the CNS., N. Nedeljkovic, V. Djordjevic, A. Horvat, G. Nikezic, D.T. Kanazir., and Obsahuje bibliografii
This paper shows that there is a quantum-physical and evolution-biological perspective for (libertarian) free will, and that the so-called scientific arguments against it are in reality metaphysical arguments and insufficient. The paper also develops the idea of a nonphysical organ of higher organisms: the Domindar (Detector of macroscopic indetermination, and restrictor)., Tento článek ukazuje, že existuje kvantově-fyzikální a evolučně-biologická perspektiva pro (libertariánskou) svobodnou vůli a že tzv. Vědecké argumenty proti ní jsou ve skutečnosti metafyzické argumenty a nedostatečné. Příspěvek také rozvíjí myšlenku nefyzického orgánu vyšších organismů: Domindara (detektor makroskopické neurčitosti a omezovače)., and Uwe Meixner
Estrogen replacement therapy could play a role in the reduction of injury associated with cerebral ischemia in vivo, which could be, at least partially, a consequence of estrogen influence of glutamate buffering by astrocytes during hypoxia/ischemia. Estrogen exerts biological effects through interaction with its two receptors: estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and estrogen receptor beta (ERβ), which are both expressed in astrocytes. This study explored effects of hypoxia and glucose deprivation (HGD), alone or followed by 1 h recovery, on ERα and ERβ expression in primary rat astrocyte cultures following 1 h exposure to: a) 5 % CO2 in air (control group-CG); b) 2 % O2/5 % CO2 in N2 with glucose deprivation (HGD group-HGDG); or c) the HGDG protocol followed by 1 h CG protocol (recovery group-RG). ER α mRNA expression decreased in HGDG. At the protein level, full-length ER α (67 kDa) and three ER α -immunoreactive protein bands (63, 60 and 52 kDa) were detected. A significant decrease in the 52 kDa band was seen in HGDG, wh ile a significant decrease in expression of the full length ERα was seen in the RG. ERβ mRNA and protein expression (a 54 kDa single band) did not change. The observed decrease in ER α protein may limit estrogen-mediated signalling in astrocytes during hypoxia and recovery., M. D. Al-Bader, S. A. Malatiali, Z. B. Redzic., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Carnosine (CARN) is an anti-glycating agent able to quench superoxide, and to neutralize 4-hydroxynonenal. Trolox-carnosine (CARN-T) was synthesized because of its resistance against degradation and to improve CARN antioxidant capacity. We evaluated the impact of trolox (TRO), CARN and its derivative CARN-T on oxidative stress (OS) in brain during rat adjuvant arthritis (AA). The experiments were done on healthy, control arthritic and arthritic animals with administration of CARN 150 mg/kg b.w., TRO 41 mg/kg b.w. and CARN-T 75 mg/kg b.w. in a daily dose during 28 days. Antioxidants did not affect the body weight on day 14, but on day 28 TRO enhanced the weight reduction. On day 14 and 28 CARN-T and TRO reduced arthritic score. IL-1beta, MCP-1 and MMP-9 were measured in plasma on day 14. MCP-1 was decreased by CARN-T and TRO. All antioxidants reduced IL-1beta and MMP-9 levels. Malondialdehyde, 4-hydroxynonenal and protein carbonyls were increased in brain. CARN, CARN-T and TRO prevented higher lipid and protein oxidation in brain. CARN and CARN-T caused no weight reduction like TRO that has an advantage in inflammatory arthritis. Moreover the antioxidants administered had a similar therapeutic effects on arthritic score, markers of inflammation in plasma and OS in brain., S. Poništ, L. Slovák, V. Kuncírová, T. Fedorova, A. Logvinenko, O. Muzychuk, D. Mihalová, K. Bauerová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
K+-p-nitrophenylphosphatase (K+pNPPase) is the enzyme, which is considered to be involved in K+-dependent hydrolysis of the phosphoenzyme in the reaction cycle of Na+, K+-ATPase. The aim of our present study was to characterize some features of K+pNPPase in homogenates of the rat brain and liver. We determined p-nitrophenylphosphatase (pNPPase) activity in the presence of various ion combinations (Mg 2++K+, Mg2+, K+). We found a higher total pNPPase activity in the brain (0.8±0.079 nkat/mg protein) than in the liver (0.08±0.01 nkat/mg protein). Contrary to the liver, the main part of the total brain activity was K+-dependent. The activity of K+pNPPase was significantly higher in cerebral cortex homogenates (0.86±0.073 nkat/mg protein) in comparison to those of the whole brain (0.57±0.075 nkat/mg protein). The specific K+pNPPase activity was two times higher in the isolated pellet fraction (0.911±0.07 nkat/mg protein), rich in synaptosomes, compared to the whole brain homogenate (0.57±0.075 nkat/mg protein). Our results demonstrate the high activity of K+pNPPase in the brain tissue and its distribution mainly into the pellet fraction, what might indicate a possible role of K+pNPPase in specific structures of the brain, e.g. in synaptosomes., M. Ďurfinová, M. Brechtlová, B. Líška, Ž. Barošková., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Brain Awareness Week is a series of global events held in many parts of the world to increase public awareness of the brain. Every March BAW brings together the efforts of universities, hospitals, patient groups, government associations worldwide in a week-long commemoration of the brain. Founded and coordinated by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives and the European Dana Alliance for the Brain, BAW is observing its fifteenth anniversary campaign in 2010. More than 1,000 students heard lectures by top Czech scientists as part of the annual Brain Awareness Week that took place in the administration building of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic 15-21 March 2010. and Gabriela Adámková.
Příspěvek se zaměřuje na neuropsychologické výzkumy percepční laterality realizované na Slovensku. Opisují se především adaptace a varianty metodik zkoumání sluchové, zrakové a hmatové laterality, diskutují se možnosti jejich aplikace v neuropsychologické diagnostice.
Příspěvek nastiňuje přehled vývoje oboru neuropsychologie ve světě i u nás, v tehdejším Československu doplněný zkušenostmi z práce v neuropsychologické laboratoři v Psychiatrickém centru v Heiloo v Nizozemí. Je pojednán stav neuropsychologické diagnostiky a následné rehabilitace jedinců s postiţením mozku. Je podtrţen vliv Alexandra Romanoviče Luriji, který stál u vzniku klinické i teoretické neuropsychologie. Autor představuje model "uzavřeného kruhu" - jako model moţné neuropsychologické rehabilitace v psychiatrii. V závěru příspěvku je načrtnut výhled oboru neuropsychologie. and The article outlines the development of neuropsychology abroad and in our country, in the former Czechoslovakia, enriched by the experiences from work in neuropsychological laboratory in Psychiatric Centre at Heiloo, Netherlands.
The state of neuropsychological diagnostic and ensuing rehabilitation of persons with brain afflictions is discussed and the influence of Alexander Romanovich Luria, who was one of the founders of both clinical and theoretical neuropsychology, is underlined. The author present the model of „a closed circle“ as a model of possible neuropsychological rehabilitation in psychiatry. The article concludes by outlining prospects of the field of neuropsychology.