Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as an Integral Part of the Priestly Spirituality [manuscript]: Diploma thesis / Josef Mudra; tutor: Karel Sládek. -- Prague, 2013. -- 91 pg. The submitted thesis aims to define the topic of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as an integral part of the identity and spirituality of a diocesan priest. The essence of the priestly vocation lies in the continuation of the presence of Christ, the only High Priest, Head of the Church. Through the Sacrament of Orders, the ordained presbyter with the grace of the Holy Spirit likens Christ - the Priest, the Master and the Shepherd and thereby he participates in the mission of Christ as the Head without refraining from being a limb of the Mystical Body. Being an apostle, he continues to be a disciple. On the contrary, his apostolate has been growing from a permanent position of discipleship. Only in the position of a constant docile listening to the Lord, the priest can be a teacher; only as a sheep which commits itself to the Good Shepherd, he could be a shepherd to the flock entrusted to him; only when being lively aware of the fact that Christ loved him and brought himself as a sacrifice, he is able to offer the daily Sacrifice together with the Lord. The priest's activity is based on the union with Christ, on...

Adaptace na chronickou hypoxii zvyšuje toleranci srdce k ischemicko-reperfuznímu poškození. Tato adaptace je umožněna řadou fyziologických změn na buněčné úrovni. Jednou z nich je změna v buněčném energetickém metabolismu. Tento proces může být regulován proteinem FTO (z angl. fat mass and obesity associated), demetylázou epigeneticky regulující buněčnou syntézu proteinů. Srdeční metabolismus může být také modulován adipokiny leptinem a adiponektinem. Cílem tohoto projektu bylo proto studovat roli FTO a adipokinů v chronicky hypoxickém srdci. Dospělí samci potkanů kmene Sprague Dawley byli adaptováni na dva modely kontinuální normobarické hypoxie (CNH; 12 % O2 a 10 % O2; 3 týdny). CNH (10 % O2) redukovala u těchto zvířat rozsah infarktu myokardu o 20 %. CNH (12 % O2) nebyla kardioprotektivní. Hladina proteinu FTO byla měřena v tkáni levých (LV) a pravých (RV) komor, stejně jako v játrech a koncovém mozku hypoxických i normoxických zvířat. Za normoxie je hladina FTO v RV o 50 % vyšší než v LV. Ve vysoce metabolicky aktivních tkáních jater a koncového mozku jsou pak hladiny FTO vyšší dokonce 6krát a 11krát. CNH (12 % O2) vedla k signifikantnímu nárůstu hladiny proteinu FTO v srdci. Jednalo se o 21% nárůst v LV a 27% v RV. Hladiny v játrech a koncových mozcích nebyly CNH ovlivněny. Silnější CNH (10 % O2)...

1 ABSTRACT Charles University Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology Student: Leona Ryzová Supervisor: PharmDr. Jana Pourová, Ph.D. Title of diploma thesis: Cardiovascular effects of silymarin Aim: The aim of the diploma thesis is to summarize the existing knowledge about the mixture of natural plant substances collectively referred to as silymarin and to map the results of the latest studies focusing on the cardiovascular effects of silymarin. Main findings: Available data suggest that silymarin has positive effects on the human body, including hepatoprotective, choleretic and cholagogic, neuroprotective, anticancer and antiviral, anti-inflammatory and positive effects on diabetes mellitus. Positive effects on the cardiovascular system include protective effects on the vascular endothelium, antioxidant effects, beneficial effects on blood lipids, regulation of blood aggregation and antidiabetic effects. Although the conclusions from cardiovascular studies are not always the same, most confirm the positive effect of silymarin on the cardiovascular system. A necessary part of future research will be the search for new dosage forms in order to increase the bioavailability of silymarin, which so far limits its clinical application. Conclusion: Silymarin is a mixture of...

The effect of cold acclimation on body of mammals has been studied for many decades by using relatively low temperatures for acclimation (6-10 řC). The results of these experiments have shown the important role of the adrenergic and thyroid system during acclimation and negative impact on renal system at the same time. In contrast, a recent study on winter swimmers suggests a possibility of positive influence of hardening on cardiovascular system. There is no available study investigating a relationship between cold adaptation and ischemia-reperfusion injury. The aim of this study was to establish a protocol of isolated rat heart and its fixation at our workplace. Furthermore, to find the impact of mild cold acclimation on the ischemia-reperfusion injury of rat. Methods of ex vivo heart perfusion and fixation were successfully established. The effect of 5 weeks long cold acclimation in 10 ± 2 řC on left ventricle ischemia-reperfusion injury was observed. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

Title: Quality of Performance in Shooting Sports related to Heart Frequency Objectives: The aim of this thesis was to determine the influence of heart frequency on the quality of performance in shooting sports. To compare the control group with the experimental group on the basis of results. Methods: The method for obtaining data was the measurement of heart frequency by means of Polar sporttesters. Processing of obtained results by means of the program Polar ProTrainer 5. Tables and all statistical calculations were carried out by means of adequate functions of the program Microsoft Excel 2010. Results: Results of the thesis pointed out that the heart frequency did not have any influence on the quality of shooting performance of the tested shooter. These results also proved that shooters from the control group were better than shooters from the experimental group. Keywords: quality, performance, shooting, heart, frequency

2. Abstract Adaptation to chronic hypoxia is in addition to ischemic preconditioning one of the two known cardioprotective mechanisms. The precise molecular basis of these processes is still not fully explained. There are some studies that suggest the possible involvement of the adenosinergic signaling system in this adaptation. In this work, we focused on the characterization of the adenosinergic system in the myocardium of rats adapted to two regimens of chronic hypoxia - a protective continuous normobaric hypoxia (CNH) and non-protective intermittent hypoxia (INH/R, 23 h hypoxia and 1 h normoxia). Initially, we compared the total amount of adenosine receptors in samples from different groups of adapted animals. We discovered changes mainly at A2B receptor, which increased at CNH and declined in INH/R. This result suggests the possible involvement of A2B receptors in cardioprotection afforded by adaptation to chronic hypoxia. Furthermore, we investigated the distribution of various types of adenosine receptors and transporters in the plasma membrane of cardiac cells. We observed that A2A and A3 localize in membrane microdomains together with membrane enzyme CD73 that produces adenosine in the extracellular space by degrading AMP. A1 and A2B receptors similarly as nucleoside transporters ENT1, ENT2 and...

Adenosine plays a critical role in the heart signalling while affecting heart rate, contractility or coronary flow. Nowadays, four adenosine receptor subtypes are distinguished which are present in most of tissues and cells: A1, A2A, A2B and A3. All these receptors belong to the family of G protein-coupled receptors. Upon activation, their main target is an enzyme adenylyl cyclase which produces an important second messenger cAMP. The main goal of this thesis was characterization of adenosine receptors in the rat myocardium, assessment of their distribution, binding properties and signalling. We examined a possible disparity in receptors distribution between the left and right ventricles using SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and Western blotting. The same methods have been used in studies of adenosine receptor distribution in lipid rafts. Samples of lipid rafts and soluble fraction were prepared using a nonionic detergent Triton X-100. We did not find any evidence of different distribution between the left and right ventricles and our results did not confirm compartmentation of the receptors either. For determination of binding properties of the receptors we used radioligand binding assays with the A1 selective radioligand [H3 ]DPCPX. We did not observe any significant difference between the receptor...

Hypertrophy of the heart is tightly bound to the metabolic adaptations and a cellular remodeling. An important and dynamic system contributing to the maintenance of energy homeostasis is the creatine kinase system (CK). The microcompartmentalization of CK isoforms maintains the flux of ATP between energy production and consumption sites and ensures the effectiveness of the CK system. Changes in expression and activity of CK isoforms during hypertrophy are already well described - to extend this knowledge, this thesis quantified changes in association of cytosolic CK isoforms and sarcomeres. Another essential system, maintaining homeostasis in overloaded heart is composed of the hexokinase (HK) isoforms, located also in cytosol and in mitochondrial compartment. HK1 is associated with mitochondria under physiological conditions, maintaining mitochondrial membrane potential, while HK2 is located mainly in the cytosol. Under stress conditions translocation of HK2 into mitochondrial membrane occurs, which increases the direct supply of ADP to complex V of the respiratory chain and decreases the probability of apoptosis activation. We analyzed association of individual HK isoforms with mitochondria within the second aim of this thesis. Third aim of the thesis was to characterize changes in the CK and M...

Within the span of few decades, there has been a significant increase in diabetes mellitus and chronic stress in developed countries, such as the Czech Republic. These conditions have a significant negative effect on physical and mental health. Repeated and long-term exposure to raised levels of glucose, overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system and the increase in plasma levels of stress hormones affects most of the organs in the body, including the heart. The cardiovascular system is regulated by a broad number of neurotransmitters, hormones and neuropeptides. Alterations in the innervation of the cardiovascular system, as a result of both diseases, can affect its physiological functions. The present thesis focuses not only on the role of the classic, but primarily on the peptidergic innervation of the heart. The aim was to contribute to the explanation of the impact of neuropeptides and their shared receptor systems on the genesis and the development of heart damage due to diabetes mellitus and/or exposure to stressors. Knowledge of the physiological characteristics of neuropeptides and their involvement in the pathogenesis of both diseases and related complications could be helpful in determining the optimal treatment method or alternatively allow us to use the cardio protective effect of...

Gender differences in myocardial apoptosis of the patients after heart transplantation Background: Many functions of the cardiovascular apparatus are influenced by gender. The aim of our study was to find out the sensitivity to perioperative ischemia of the donor female and male myocardium; and determine how the organism affects the donor myocardium of the other sex after heart transplantation (detection of apoptosis), and whether the investigated biomarkers can predict primary graft dysfunction (PGD). Methods: The research was divided into three prospective studies. The Study 1 included 81 patients undergoing heart transplantation from September 2010 to January 2013. Patients were divided into two groups according to male allograft and female allograft. In order to prove myocardial necrosis the high-sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) method was used. Apoptosis was determined by immunohistochemical detection of caspase-3, Bcl-2, and by the TUNEL method. The Study 2 includeded 58 patients divided into four groups according to gender; both of the recipient and the donor. Apoptosis (caspase-3, Bcl-2, TUNEL) was analysed in these groups during the two-year follow-up. Into Study 3 64 patients were involved. We investigated the relationship in between these biomarkers and the development of PGD after...