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Circadian clock in hippocampus
Šuchmanová, Karolína ; Sumová, Alena (advisor) ; Mareš, Pavel (referee)
Hippocampus is one of the main components of the limbic system. It plays an important role in the process of memory formation and recent literature shows that, like in other peripheral organs and brain structures, there is a circadian clock present in the hippocampus. The aim of the thesis was to study the hippocampal circadian clock under various conditions. The first part of the thesis examines the influence of glucocorticoid hormones on the clock gene expression in the hippocampus. Glucocorticoids are mammalian steroid hormones secreted from the adrenal glands that affect many processes in the organism. The glucocorticoid secretion is under the control of the circadian system, causing their levels to exhibit a pronounced diurnal rhythm. The hippocampus provides feedback to the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and is thus involved in the regulation of glucocorticoid hormone secretion. Hippocampal neurons also express glucocorticoid hormone receptors (GR). This thesis explores the effect of the absence of glucocorticoid hormones on the clock gene expression in the hippocampus. The absence of glucocorticoids was due to adrenalectomy and its effect was further compared with the effect of endogenous glucocorticoid replacement by daily injections of the GR agonist dexamethasone, emulating...
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Cirkadiánní systém a neuropsychiatrická onemocnění
Šuchmanová, Karolína ; Sumová, Alena (advisor) ; Červená, Kateřina (referee)
Neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders are an important issue, affecting a great part of our population. Recently, awareness of sleep disturbances and circadian rhythm dysfunctions accompanying these diseases is growing. Although the cause of circadian clock malfunctions in neuropsychiatric disorders remains to be elucidated, they have a destructive impact on quality of life of both patients and their caregivers. Thanks to our knowledge on molecular mechanisms of the circadian clock and novel techniques, it becomes possible to study the state of the central pacemaker, as well as its' output rhythms. This thesis provides a summary of data suggesting an important role of circadian system malfunctions in patients suffering from neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. In some cases, these data also suggest new therapeutic approaches, which could in the future help to ameliorate the patients' quality of life, by improving the functioning of their circadian system. Key words: neuropsychiatric disease, circadian system, human, melatonin, clock gene
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