The brain is widely responsive to gonadal hormones. The functional significance of ovarian hormones in the brain is evident from biochemical studies indicating that estradiol or progesterone treatment of testectomized rats produces changes of antioxidant enzyme activities. The effect of estradiol benzoate (EB) and progesterone (P) in the control of antioxidant (AO) enzyme activities was studied in the brain of adult male Wistar rats. The activities of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR) were measured in appropriate subcellular fractions, prepared from brains of animals belonging to various experimental groups. These groups were designed with the intention to follow changes in enzyme activities 2 h or 24 h after systemic administration of 5 g EB or 2 mg P to testectomized (TX) animals. The obtained results show that both EB and P increase CAT activity, whereas EB decreases GSH-Px, GST and GR activities. These findings clearly show the modulatory role of EB and P in the control of enzymes responsible for the protection of rat nerve cells against oxidative damage caused by free oxygen radicals., S. B. Pajović, Z. S. Saičić, M. B. Spasić, V. M. Petrović., and Obsahuje bibliografii
For more than sixty years lith ium carbonate has been used in medicine. However, during its administration different side effects including oxidative stress can occur. Selenium belongs to essential elements possessing antioxidant properties. This study aimed at evaluating if selenium co uld be used as a protective adjuvant in lithium therapy. The experiment was performed on four groups of Wistar rats: I (control), II (Li), III (Se), IV (Li + Se) treated with saline, lithium carbonate (2.7 mg Li/kg b.w.), sodium selenite (0.5 mg Se/kg b.w.) and lithium carbonate (2.7 mg Li/kg b.w.) + sodium selenite (0.5 mg Se/kg b.w.), respectively. All substances were administered as water solutions by stomach tube for 3 or 6 weeks. Catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GP x) as well as malonyldialdehyde (MDA) were determined in brain homogenates. Lithium slightly enhanced MDA and depressed CAT and SOD after 6 weeks as well as GPx after 3 weeks. Selenium co -administration show ed tendency to restore the disturbed parameters. Selenium alone and given with lithium significantly increased GPx vs. Li- treated group after 3 weeks. Having regarded the outcomes of this study, the research on application of selenium during lithium treatment seems to be worth continuation., M. Kiełczykowska, J. Kocot, A. Lewandowska, R. Żelazowska, I. Musik., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Brain Awareness Week this year featured lectures by leading Czech neuroscientists and other brain scientists. It was the Czech Republic´s 18th observance, held on March 14-18, 2016 at the Czech Academy of Sciences main building. This issue of the Academic Bulletin presents an article by Dr. Alexandr Chvátal of the Institute of Experimental Medicine fo the CAS on what is known about glial cells at present. According to the general opinion, the central nervous system (CNS), whose principal purpose is the acquisition, processing and storage of information and response to external stimuli, to mainly composed of neurons that provide all of this above-mentioned functions. In fact, many glial cells are also involved in these functions. The aim of this brief overview is to correct some misconceptions about glial cells and to summarize some new insights about their role in nervous tissue functions. Many of the results were obtained by researchers from the Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences. and Autorem je redakce uvedená zkratkou red