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The Role of Cytokines in Support of Malignant Properties of Glioblastomas
Fortelková, Nikol ; Hodný, Zdeněk (advisor) ; Nováková, Zora (referee)
The tumor microenvironment of Glioblastomas (GB) is very complex and transforms throughout radiotherapy and chemotherapy, posing a favourable environment for the malignant properties of GB including invasivity, which promotes aggressive recurrency of the tumor. These changes in the tumor microenvironment are partly induced by cellular senescence and cellular response to stress, accompanied by a specific secretome, so called senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). The SASP is distinct in its secretion of growth factors, components of the extracellular matrix and remodelling enzymes, but above all proinflammatory cytokines, which may contribute to the malignant properties of GB. This thesis reviews the current state of knowledge of the potential role of selected cytokines of the SASP (IL-6, IL-1β, IL-8, IL-1α, TGF-β, CCL2, TNF-α) in support of the malignant properties of GB. Key words: glioblastoma (GB), senescence, SASP, malignant properties, cytokines
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Host-microbiota, pro-inflammatory immunity and physiological senescence in wild birds
Těšický, Martin
Triggered by microbial ligands, inflammation serves as a "double-edged sword" to fight infections on the one hand, but on the other hand causing tissue damage due to oxidative stress if it is dysregulated. For example, chronic inflammation can contribute to inflammaging, which is now widely regarded as one of the causes of ageing. In my interdisciplinary dissertation, my colleagues and I investigated three interrelated aspects of inflammation, using an evolutionary framework and various free-living birds as models: (1) ecological and evolutionary determinants of gut microbiota (GM) composition and diversity, a driver of wild bird immunity, (2) diversity in immune genes affecting inflammatory responses in wild birds and (3) inflammation-related physiological senescence in a free-living passerine bird, the great tit (Parus major). Firstly, using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding, we revealed high intra- and interspecific variation in passerine gut microbiota (GM) dominated by the major phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Although in mammals GM depends strongly on host phylogeny and diet, in birds we found only moderate effects of phylogeny and very limited effects of host geography and ecology on GM composition. While microbiota diverged between the upper and lower...
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Host-microbiota, pro-inflammatory immunity and physiological senescence in wild birds
Těšický, Martin ; Vinkler, Michal (advisor) ; Tschirren, Barbara (referee) ; Štěpánek, Ondřej (referee)
Triggered by microbial ligands, inflammation serves as a "double-edged sword" to fight infections on the one hand, but on the other hand causing tissue damage due to oxidative stress if it is dysregulated. For example, chronic inflammation can contribute to inflammaging, which is now widely regarded as one of the causes of ageing. In my interdisciplinary dissertation, my colleagues and I investigated three interrelated aspects of inflammation, using an evolutionary framework and various free-living birds as models: (1) ecological and evolutionary determinants of gut microbiota (GM) composition and diversity, a driver of wild bird immunity, (2) diversity in immune genes affecting inflammatory responses in wild birds and (3) inflammation-related physiological senescence in a free-living passerine bird, the great tit (Parus major). Firstly, using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding, we revealed high intra- and interspecific variation in passerine gut microbiota (GM) dominated by the major phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Although in mammals GM depends strongly on host phylogeny and diet, in birds we found only moderate effects of phylogeny and very limited effects of host geography and ecology on GM composition. While microbiota diverged between the upper and lower...
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Risks of Social Exclusion of Seniors Living in Home Enviroment
HŮLKOVÁ, Veronika
The bachelor thesis deals with the risks of social exclusion of seniors living in the home environment. The aim of the thesis is to find out the risks of social exclusion among seniors living separately and to identify reasons which lead seniors living in the home environment to the disuse of social services. This work is divided into two parts - the theoretical one and the empiric one. The theoretical part focuses on the definition of principal terms concerning the bachelor thesis. In the empirical part, there are stated two exploratory questions concerning the risks of social exclusion of seniors living in the home environment and the reasons which lead seniors living in the home environment to the disuse of social services. For obtaining the answers to the highlighted exploratory questions were used several methods, such as a qualitative investigative strategy, interviewing, and a technic of a semistructured interview. The investigative sample was formed by six informants, which were chosen in a combination of two methods of selection - the snowball method and quota sampling. Physical health, as one of the many risks, can lead to the social exclusion of seniors living in the home environment. The results further point to limited financial means, reduced self-sufficiency, and reduced social interactions. For example, low foreknowledge about social services, their negotiation and financial valuation, self-sufficiency, assurance of proceeding care and disposal of the sphere of close people can be seen as possible reasons that lead to the disuse of social services. The results may be beneficial for increasing awareness of the public about risks that lead to social exclusion. Further, they could serve as feedback to organisations providing social services to increase the foreknowledge about the services they provide.
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The association between tail streamer length and male atractiveness in barn swallows
Záleská, Josefína ; Albrecht, Tomáš (advisor) ; Cepák, Jaroslav (referee)
In the view of the sexual selection research, the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), and its European subspecies (Hirundo rustica rustica) in particular, belongs to the most detailed studied bird species all over. The males of the European subspecies have in general markedly longer outer tail streamers than the females have and, based on research in several European populations, this tail ornamental trait plays an important role in sexual selection in this subspecies. The length of the tail streamers was found to be related to several main parameters that are connected to individual attractiveness in socially monogamous pairing systems, such as early partner acquisition and earlier nesting initiation date, the probability of repeated nestings in a breeding season or the number of successfully raised young. The main aim of the presented diploma theses is to assess to what extend is the length of the tail streamers a determinative trait related to male attractiveness in a South Bohemian population of the European barn swallow. The results of this thesis imply that the tail streamer length of males is, indeed, an attractive trait in this population, connected to multiple mating advantages. KEY WORDS Sexual dimorphism, sexual selection, barn swallow, nesting initiation, attractivity, reproductive success,...
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The biology of aging in Nothobranchius fishes
Žák, Jakub
The aging human population and consequent unprecedented demographic changes in society have inevitably led to more scientists focusing their research on aging. Senescence, in the narrowest biological sense, is age related decline in an organism's function and survival. The majority of senescence research is performed in the laboratory environment. The basic biology of wild counterparts of model organisms is therefore relatively unstudied, despite its importance for proper interpretation of laboratory outcomes. This dissertation, via a series of 6 first-authored and 5 second-authored papers, combines field and laboratory research on senescence and senescence-related life history traits using a short-lived fish Nothobranchius furzeri. An age at the maturity of 14 days post hatching in wild N. furzeri is presented in this thesis as well as extremely fast growth of wild fish. Both life history traits have important consequences for senescence. The following section is focused on how the environment modulates senescence. In the first step, preferred body temperatures of Mozambican Nothobranchius fish were measured and descriptions of environmental and behavioural fluctuations within a 24 hours periodicity were completed. Based on this knowledge, ecologically relevant thermal fluctuations were simulated...
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Vliv chemoterapie a genotoxického stresu na imunologické vlastnosti nádorových buněk.
Horňáková, Michaela ; Reiniš, Milan (advisor) ; Drbal, Karel (referee)
Cancer treatment includes the use of chemotherapeutic agents, which have various effects on tumour cells, such as direct toxicity to cancer cells, immunogenic cell death induction and changes in cancer cells phenotype. Throughout the last decade many researchers have been focusing on the induction of genotoxic stress and cellular senescence, which chemotherapy can trigger. Even though induction of senescence in cancer cells represents an important mechanism for tumour suppression, there has been increasing evidence that shifting cancer cells into a senescent state by chemotherapy is not always beneficial. Senescent cells are associated with a specific secretory phenotype, which allows such cells to alter their microenvironment, modulate anti-tumour immunity, induce tumour suppression and even promote cancer development. Therefore, senescent cells elimination by innate or specific immunity, which can be boosted by immunotherapy, can be an important barrier preventing tumour growth. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
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The role of mitochondrial energy metabolism in cell senescence
Zima, Michal ; Trnka, Jan (advisor) ; Pecinová, Alena (referee)
Cellular senescence represents status, when the cells cease to divide and remain in permanent cell cycle arrest. Senescence is considered to be an active response of the cell to various extrinsic and intrinsic types of stress such as certain oncogene activation, exposing to several cytokines or drugs and damaged and/or uncapped telomeres. Senescent cells are characterised by extensive modification of gene expression, flattened and enlargement of cellular body. Hypothetically, altered gene expression may lead also to increase of certain surface proteins expression. Such protein can be L1 cell adhesive molecule (L1CAM), which is expressed heterogeneously within the population. This Thesis describes current knowledge of cellular senescence, the mechanism, which may result in establishment of senescence phenotype, and also the characteristic markers of senescence. Thesis also puts together the heterogeneity of L1CAM expression in A375 senescent cells with oxygen consumption rate and extracellular acidification rate performed by Seahorse XFe24 metabolic analyser. Therefore, ells were sorted according to their levels of expressing L1CAM onto low and high L1CAM expressing subpopulations. Obtained data show potential correlation between the rate of L1CAM expression in A375 cells and the metabolic rate. Key...
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