The effects of combined administration of two drugs elevating extracellular adenosine, namely dipyridamole (DP) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP), and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on hemopoietic stem cells in vivo were investigated. The experiments were performed on mice using the endogenous spleen colony formation in gamma-irradiated animals as an endpoint. The results have shown that DP and AMP act additively with G-CSF to enhance spleen colony formation and thus the erythroid repopulation of the spleen. These findings indicate that the signaling pathways of G-CSF and drugs elevating extracellular adenosine can interact at the level of primitive hemopoietic stem cells. The enhancement of hemopoiesis-stimulating effects of G-CSF by DP and AMP, which are low-priced and clinically available drugs, could improve the cost-effectiveness of the therapy with G-CSF., M. Hofer, M. Pospíšil, J. Netíková, V. Znojil, J. Vácha., and Obsahuje bibliografii
„Silná“ forma hylemorfismu, podle které je živá bytost metafyzicky složena ze substanciální formy a zcela neurčité první látky, je neslučitelná s novověkou přírodovědou: schopnost mít prožitky, subjektivita, v různém stupni základní vlastnost živého, má proti sobě nikoliv neurčitou, ale už samostatně strukturovanou hmotu. „Duše“ nemůže působit jako zdroj makro-struktury organismu, kterým je interakce atomů a molekul chovajících se podle (deterministických) zákonů. Tyto zákony působí stejně uvnitř těla i mimo něj. Ještě méně může být podstatná forma odpovědná za konfiguraci vrstvy atomových jader, která se na životních funkcích jako taková vůbec nepodílí a energeticky tyto funkce velmi podstatně přesahuje. Z těchto a podobných důvodů byla idea hylemorfismu nahrazena polaritou subjektivity (mysli) a těla. Současná „organická“ škola (Varela, Jonas, Thompson, Spahn aj.) se snaží v aristotelském stylu sblížit ducha s přírodou poukazem na strukturní (formovou) jednotu živé bytosti. Je si však zároveň vědoma, že forma poukazuje na specifickou jednotu živé bytosti jen tehdy, je-li viděna „zvnitřku“ bytostí, jako jsme my – vtělené subjektivity s jejich qualii a moralii, která se pomocí „formy“ vyjádřit nedají. „Forma“ svou podstatou spadá do kategorie toho, co je popsatelné ve 3. osobě, a jako taková proto neřeší dnešní „těžký problém“ vztahu mysli a těla., A “strong” form of hylomorphism, according to which a living being is the metaphysical composition of a substantial form and of totally indeterminate first matter, is incompatible with modern natural science: the ability to have experiences, subjectivity, to differing degrees the basic property of the living, encounters not an indeterminate matter, but a matter already independently structured. A “soul” cannot function as the source of the macro-structure of an organism, which source is represented, instead, by the interaction of atoms and molecules that behave according to the same (deterministic) laws to which they are subjected outside the living body. Even less can the substantial form be responsible for the configuration at the level of atomic nuclei which do not take part, as such, in living functions and which, in terms of energy, vastly exceed such functions. For these and similar reasons, the idea of hylomorphism has been replaced by the polarity of subjectivity (mind) and body. The contemporary “organic” school (Varela, Jonas, Thompson, Spahn, and others) attempts, in the Aristotelean way, to bring mind closer to nature by pointing to the structural (formal) unity of a living being. This school is, however, conscious of the fact that a form can point to the specific unity of a living organism only if it is seen from “within” beings such as us – i.e. embodied subjectivities, with their qualia and moralia, which cannot be expressed by means of a “form”. Form, in the end, belongs to a category that is describable only in the third person, and therefore, as such, does not resolve today’s “hard problem” of the relation between mind and body., and Jiří Vácha.
The aim of the study was to assess the association between promoter polymorphism [A(-596)G] in interleukin-6 gene and office systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and the heart rate (HR) in apparently healthy Czech subjects. Furthermore, we evaluated the possible influence of gender, BMI and smoking on these supposed associations. An age-matched (40-50 years) and gender-matched (F/M=81/89) sample of apparently healthy Czech subjects (n=170, F/M=81/89) without hypertension, other cardiovascular diseases or diabetes was examined. The A(-596)G Il-6 gene polymorphism was detected by the PCR method. No differences in genotype distribution and/or allelic frequency was found between groups with lower systolic blood pressure (£ 122 mm Hg) and higher systolic blood pressure (> 122 mm Hg). Similarly, no differences in the IL-6 polymorphism were found between lower (£ 86 mm Hg) and higher (> 86 mm Hg) diastolic blood pressure groups. However, we proved a significant increase of genotypes AG+GG as well as the allele (-596)G in higher (>78 beats/min) heart rate group. The genotypes AG+GG represent significantly higher relative risk for higher HR frequency, especially in women. Among lean persons with a low heart rate frequency, fewer AG+GG genotypes were determined than among any other subjects. The genotypes AG+GG are more frequent in non-smoking persons with higher HR compared to non-smoking subjects with lower HR, especially in women. Gender, BMI and smoking substantially modify the distribution of A(-596)G Il-6 gene polymorphism in apparently healthy persons with lower or higher heart rate., A. Vašků, M. Souček, M. Goldbergová, J. Vácha., and Obsahuje bibliografii