Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) is implicated in the modulation of vagal effects on the heart rate. In this study, the impact of acute and chronic atropine administration on VIP levels in rat heart atria was investigated in relation to heart rate in the course of vagus nerves stimulation. Anaesthetised control and atropinised (10 mg/kg/day for 10 days) rats pretreated with metipranolol and phentolamine that were either given or not a single dose of atropine were subjected to bilateral vagus nerve stimulation (30 min: 0.7 mA, 20 Hz, 0.2 ms). VIP concentrations in the atria were determined afte reach stimulation protocol. In control rats with or without single atropine administration, the heart rate upon vagal stimulation was higher than in atropinised animals with or without single atropine dose, respectively. VIP concentrations in the control atria were significantly decreased after the stimulation; the decrease was comparable both in the absence and presence of a single dose of atropine. Compared to controls, VIP levels were significantly decreased after chronic atropine treatment and they were not further reduced by vagal stimulation and single atropine administration. Administration of VIP antagonist completely abolished the differences in the heart rate upon vagal stimulation between control and atropinised groups. In conclusion, the data indicate that chronic atropine administration affects VIP synthesis in rat heart atria and consequently it modifies the heart rate regulation., J. Kuncová, Š. Faitová, J. Capouch, M. Štengl, J. Slavíková., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
We have examined the changes of intercellular electrical coupling protein connexin-43 (Cx43) and of PKC-ε in heart atria of diabetic rats and/or after the treatment with triiodothyronine (T3 ). Diabetes was induced in Wistar-Kyoto rats by streptozotocin (50 mg/kg, i.v.) and atria were examined after 5 (acute stage) and 10 (chronic stage) weeks. T 3 (10 μg/100 g/day) was applied via a gastric tube for the last 10 days prior to the end of the experiments to non-diabetic and to the half of diabetic rats. Expression and phosphorylated status of Cx43, as well as expression of PKC-ε , were analyzed by Western blots using mouse monoclonal anti-Cx43 and rabbit polyclonal anti-PKC-ε antibodies. We found that the Cx43 expression was significantly increased after the treatment with T3 and in the acute diabetes. Both in diabetes and after T3 treatment the phosphorylation of Cx43 isoforms was markedly suppressed compared to the non-diabetic and T3-untreated controls. Such a down-regulation was less pronounced in diabetic rats after the T3-treatment. The expression of atrial PKC-ε was increased in diabetic rats. This increase was suppressed after T3 administration and the expression was decreased in T3-treated non-diabetic rats. We suggest that the reduced Cx43 phosphorylation in diabetic and hyperthyroid rats can deteriorate a cell-to-cell coupling and consequently facilitate a development of atrial tachyarrhythmia in diabetic or hyperthyroid animals., M. Mitašíková ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Trombembolická nemoc je jedna z možných komplikací ventrikuloatriálního shuntu. Námi popisovaná kazuistika se týká 20leté pacientky s prenatálně diagnostikovaným obstrukčním hydrocefalem, pro který jí byl postnatálně zaveden nejprve ventrikuloperitoneální a později pro poruchu resorpce moku v peritoneální dutině ventrikuloatriální shunt. Dva roky po jeho zavedení byla pacientka přijata pro opakované stavy dušnosti, ranní otoky obličeje a krku a dva dny trvající vertigo s pocitem tlaku v hlavě. Na ultrasonografii žil byl nalezen trombus v oblasti levé vnitřní jugulární žíly a okolo atriálního konce zavedeného zkratového systému. Byla započata antikoagulační terapie v podobě subkutánně aplikovaného nízkomolekulárního heparinu enoxaparinu. Ventrikuloatriální shunt byl později extrahován a nahrazen opět shuntem ventrikuloperitoneálním. Finálně došlo k rekanalizaci tří ze čtyř uzavřených žil. Po jednom roce léčby trombózy je pacientka bez zásadních subjektivních i objektivních potíží a medikuje warfarin., Thromboembolic disease is one of possible complications of ventriculoatrial shunt. Our case report describes a 20-year-old patient who was prenatally diagnosed with obstructive hydrocephalus and was postnatally treated with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt and, subsequently, because of cerebrospinal fluid malabsorption in the peritoneal cavity, with ventriculoatrial shunt. Two years after the surgery, the patient was admitted with recurrent symptoms of dyspnoea, morning oedema of the face and neck and two-day history of vertigo with feeling of pressure inside her head. Venous ultrasonography revealed thrombus in the left internal jugular vein and around the atrial end of the shunt. Anticoagulation therapy using subcutaneous application of low-molecular-weight heparin enoxaparin was started. Ventriculoatrial shunt was removed and replaced with ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Eventually, three of four closed veins were recanalized. After one year of thrombosis treatment, the patient is without any significant subjective or objective problems and she is treated with warfarin. Key words: thromboembolic disease – venous thrombosis – ventriculoatrial shunt – hydrocephalus – anticoagulation therapy The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE “uniform requirements” for biomedical papers., and L. Jurák, P. Buchvald, V. Beneš III, D. Oršulík, P. Suchomel