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The metabolism and signaling of hydrogen sulfide: the role of CBS-related proteins in Caenorhabditis elegans
Vozdek, Roman ; Kožich, Viktor (advisor) ; Macůrková, Marie (referee) ; Jiráček, Jiří (referee)
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a toxic gas that causes respiratory failure and death at high concentrations, but at low concentrations, it functions as a signaling molecule in vasodilation and neuromodulation, and it protects cells and tissues from reperfusion injury, hypoxia, hyperglycemia and endothelial dysfunction. Several model organisms have been used to study the physiological roles and signaling pathways of H2S. The roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans is a remarkable model for studying the physiology, developmental biology and signaling of H2S; however, the metabolism of H2S in this animal is largely unknown. Cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) is one of three H2S-producing enzymes in mammals. Notably, C. elegans possesses 6 genes that encode proteins homologous to CBS, namely cbs- 1, cbs-2, cysl-1, cysl-2, cysl-3 and cysl-4. In this thesis we studied the roles of these genes in H2S metabolism and signaling. First, we identified cbs-1 as the gene encoding CBS in C. elegans; the recombinant purified CBS-1 protein exhibited canonical CBS activity, and RNA interference-mediated silencing of cbs-1 resulted in decreased CBS activity and increased homocysteine levels in worm extracts, recapitulating the phenotypes of CBS deficiency in mammals. Notably, the nematode and human enzymes differ in their domain...
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Obesity of young school - age children
Svobodová, Petra ; Bunc, Václav (advisor) ; Dvořák, Martin (referee)
The thesis deals with problematic of obesity of school-aged children, focuses on different points of view, tries to find out reasons leading to obesity and effects of obesity on the health and psyche of children. Obesity is defined as excess adipose tissue above optimal limits. Obesity mechanically burdens static strain and musculoskeletal system and makes worst physiological functions. The thesis is composed of a theoretical part and a practical part. The theoretical part deals with causes of obesity, with prevention, effects of overweight and compares opinions of Czech and world authors. The practical part is based on measuring weight and height of sample of children from schools in Pribram. The results of questionnaires filled by children attending 4th grade of primary schools are examined. Children answered questions related to their eating habits and their leisure time. Due to the fact that the number of obese children is increasing continually, it is necessary to be more focused on prevention and helping overweight children and their families. Key words Obesity, overweight, genetics, eating habits, leisure activities, metabolism, prevention, effects.
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The analysis of the textbooks and the creating of the learning texts about the thematic unit of carbohydrates and their metabolism for the gymnasial grammar schools
Šmídl, Milan ; Škoda, Jiří (advisor) ; Kolář, Karel (referee) ; Solárová, Marie (referee)
1 Abstract: The main parameters describing content and the accessibility of information from textbooks are many aspects such as text difficulty and others. Individual characteristics of pupils - that are represented by chosen student preconceptions and misconceptions - also belong to key factors. The providing of the comprehensive view of the issues regarding analysis and the linking of acquired pieces of knowledge with the practical textbook creation have been the main aims of this dissertation. The creation of an instructional text follows the analysis results of the topic carbohydrates and their metabolism in chosen textbooks and the preconception analysis of biochemical terms. The instructional text respects the results of the analysis. The theoretical background of textbook creation (the functions of textbooks, their structure, content, characteristics and investigated parameters) has been described in detail in the theoretical part of this doctoral thesis. It is followed by the survey of the information concerning student preconceptions and the possibilities for their analysis and use in teaching. The aspects of textbooks use from the perspective of pupils, teachers and publishers, as well as the relation of the topic carbohydrates and their metabolism to curriculum documents have been described in...
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Who has the right to Petřín: public park in the perspective of symmetrical anthropology
Stulíková, Vlasta ; Gibas, Petr (advisor) ; Stöckelová, Tereza (referee)
The aim of this thesis, which is based on one-year participant observation in Petřín (a public park in the centre of Prague), is to approach key processes for creating and maintenance of this space in symmetrical-anthropological way. The park is not consider to be mere static background for human interaction, but, reversely, hybrid dynamical process created through a wide actor-web of both material and immaterial matter. The park is not just a public, thus human, space but a space shared by a great variety of actors. Among this hybrid actors human is the one who holds the power over park management, who can include, or reversely, exclude chosen actors from participation and maintenance of this space. The author of this thesis tries to answer the question: What is the basis for this kind of decisions? Who shall be given the "right to Petřín"? From which power position? The author argues that these decisions are politicised in all cases because there is no possibility to describe the complicated reality of Petřín in exhaustive scientific way and make ever-lasting claims about it. For this reason, all those decisions originate in historically particular context. As a consequence of some actors exclusion there is a threat of dissolution of both cultural and biological diversity of this space. Key words:...
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The effect of uranium on carbohydrate metabolism of cultivated plants.
Lábusová, Jana ; Lipavská, Helena (advisor) ; Lhotáková, Zuzana (referee)
Nowadays, the environmental pollution by heavy metals is very serious problem all around the world. Radionuclides, including uranium, are heavy metals that cause both chemical and radioactive pollution. Naturally occurring uranium is not so dangerous for living organisms. Human activities, especially uranium ore mining and use of phosphate fertilizers, have increased its concentration in the environment with consequent contamination of soil, water and air. Compared to other countries, the Czech Republic is relatively rich in deposits of uranium ore. Extensive mining results in large contaminated areas, containing not only uranium but also other heavy metals and xenobiotics that need to be removed from the environment. One way how to decontaminate soils and waters is phytoremediation. This eco-friendly and cost-effective technique exploits the ability of plants to take up, translocate, transform and sequester xenobiotics. In order to provide functional phytoremediation, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms of plant responses to stress caused by xenobiotics. Therefore in my master thesis, I focused on the impact of uranium on physiological processes of uranium-stressed plants, with the emphasis on carbohydrate metabolism and antioxidative defense mechanism. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
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Use of workout programme in fitness in reduction period
Vrňák, Marek ; Bunc, Václav (advisor) ; Skalská, Marie (referee)
Title: Use of workout programme in fitness in reduction period Objectives: Objective of diploma thesis is to find out changes in body composition of six clients, who workout in fitness center for five months. Diploma thesis is focused on ganges of fat mass and muscle mass (ATH). Methods: In this thesis was used a method of analysis scientific literature. After that there was used qualitative research by fitness programme, which was used on six clients to find out changes of body composition after five months of workout. The workout was focused on a fitness-strenght workout in fitness centre for five months, consisting of two or three training sessions per week, every training session lasts 60 minutes. Results: Clients consist of 4 men and 2 women. Age of men was in a range of 19 to 49 years, final body weight was in a range of 76kg to 103kg, body height was measured from 174cm to 187cm. Age of women was 45 and 55 years, , final body weight was 75,5kg and 61,9kg, body height was 162cm and 163cm. Men decreased their fat mass in a range of 1,7 to 5,6kg, changes of ATH were measured in a range of +0,6kg to -1kg. Women decreased fat mass 6kg and 2,3kg down, ATH measurement results were +1,1kg and - 1,8kg. The intervention which was based on workout in fitness centre plus changes in nutrition created...
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Molecular mechanism of carcinogenicity of aristolochic acid
Levová, Kateřina ; Stiborová, Marie (advisor) ; Ryšlavá, Helena (referee) ; Souček, Pavel (referee)
Aristolochic acids (AA) are carcinogenic and nephrotoxic alkaloids from Aristolochia species. Aristolochic acid I (AAI), the major component of AA, causes the development of Aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) and Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN). These two diseases cause total renal failure and urothelial malignancies. The fact that these diseases have not been developed in all persons, who have been exposed to their action, might be causd by different activities and protein levels of the enzymes metabolizing AAI. Thus, the identification of enzymes involved in the metabolism, and detailed knowledge of their expression and catalytic specifities is a major importance. Aristolochic acid I (AAI) can be metabolized by several types of reactions. Like most nitroaromatics, the main activation pathway of AAI is reduction of its nitro group to form a cyclic acylnitrenium ion, which can bind to the purine bases, thereby forming AAI-DNA adducts. The detoxication pathway of AAI is its oxidative demethylation by cytochromes P450 forming detoxication metabolite 8-hydroxyaristolochic acid Ia (AAIa). In the present thesis, using rat and human enzymes and as well as several mice models, the metabolism of AAI in vitro and in vivo was investigated. The first model has deleted gene for NADPH:cytochrome P450...
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The role of lactate shuttle in ischemic-reperfusion injury of rat heart adapted to chronic hypoxia
Kolář, David ; Žurmanová, Jitka (advisor) ; Nováková, Olga (referee)
Adaptation to hypoxia is a well-known phenomenon increasing myocardial resistance to ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury as an appropriate physical exercise which improves the contractile function of the heart. Lactate is a major energy substrate for the heart muscle during physical activity and hypoxia. The metabolism of lactate was and still is associated with muscle fatigue, but in the last decades it has been considered its significant modulating function of metabolism during exercise at cellular level and whole organism level. It has been shown that its effects might be similar to the effects of hypoxia and its oxidized form, pyruvate, has the cardioprotective effects. The aim of this study was to compare the expression of LDHA and LDHB isoforms between left and right ventricle in the cardioprotective scheme of adaptation to hypoxia. Another objective/goal was to determine the left ventricular response to I/R insult in the perfused heart model adapted to hypoxia compared with the normoxic controls on/at the expression level of both LDH isoforms. Our results showed differences in the LDHA expression in the left and right ventricle and an increased response of the left ventricle to I/R insult in rats adapted to hypoxia which is reflected at the expression level of both isoforms. Key words: heart,...
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Oxidation of benzo(a)pyrene by cytochrome P450 1A1 expressed in prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems
Kroftová, Natálie ; Stiborová, Marie (advisor) ; Kubíčková, Božena (referee)
Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a human carcinogen, which is metabolized by a variety of enzyms such as cytochrome P450 (CYP) and epoxide hydrolase. The aim of this work was to study BaP metabolism in vitro by the hepatic microsomal system of rats treated with CYP inducers and by human cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) expressed in eukaryotic and prokaryotic systems. An eukaryotic expression system consisted of microsomes isolated from insect cells, whereas a prokaryotic expression system was formed by the membrane fragments of E. coli. In the case of recombinant human CYP1A1, we investigated the influence of cytochrome b5, NADPH:cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) and epoxide hydrolase in BaP oxidation. Isolation and purification of rabbit hepatic CPR was another aim of this work. BaP metabolites were separated by HPLC. The results found in this work demostrate the fact that hepatic microsomal systems of rats treated with an inducer of CYP1A (Sudan I), an inducer of CYP2B (phenobarbital) and an inducer of CYP3A (PCN) exhibit higher efficiency of BaP oxidation than microsomes of control rats. BaP is oxidized by human CYP1A1 expressed in the eukaryotic system to six metabolites (BaP-9,10-dihydrodiol, BaP metabolite with unknown structure, BaP-7,8-dihydrodiol, BaP-1,6-dion, BaP-3,6-dion, BaP-3-ol), whereas by human...
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Investigation of the effect of creatine in combination with magnesium and vitamin C on the performance of the individual person
Vlasák, Jan ; Němcová, Andrea (referee) ; Diviš, Pavel (advisor)
Creatine is nitrogen-containing organic acid which naturally occurs in the human body. The aim of this work was to determine the optimal dose of creatine in combination with vitamin C and magnesium for male respondents aged 18-26 years. They were divided into two groups differing in the creatine dosage. Group 1 took smaller dose of creatine (3 g per day) and group 2 higher dose of creatine (10 g per day). Both groups took both magnesium and vitamin C at constant doses throughout the study. The effects of significantly different dose of creatine in the individual groups were compared with each other in terms of the performance of individuals in the powerlifting, the anthropological changes and the overal metabolism of the intakes. In all disciplines of powerlifting, group 1 recorded higher average weight gains, which were not found to be statistically significant at a significance level of alpha 0,05. Anthropological changes were measured using the InBody 160 and a diagnostic measuring tape. In both cases, group 1 recorded better results than group 2, but these results were not statistically significant at a significance level of alpha 0,05. The total metabolism of the accepted dietary supplements was investigated through analytical methods. The urine of each respondent was regularly collected and subsequently analyzed during the research. Determination of creatinine, a creatine waste product, was performed by UV-VIS spectrophotometry using the Jaffe reaction. Vitamin C was analyzed by RP-HPLC. Magnesium was determined by the ICP-OES method. After creatine suplemantion of 3 per day, group 1 showed a slight increase in creatinine in the urine, but still in the physiological range. At the significance level alpha 0,05 there was no statistically significant difference. Group 2 showed an increase above the physiological limit which was already a statistically significant difference. Overall, creatine supplementation of 3 g per day has been found as a sufficient intake of creatine needed to build up muscle mass, increase energy metabolism and overall physical performance. The metabolization itself works very well and within the physiological values.
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