Hypercholesterolemia represents a major risk factor of cardiovascular disease. A number of experimental models is used for study of hypercholesterolemia pathogenesis and therapy. This thesis concentrates on characterization of one of these models. Prague hereditary hypercholesterolemic (PHHC) rat is such a suitable model for study of hypercholesterolemia. Although the majority of plasma cholesterol is transported by high density lipoprotein in PHHC rat fed standard diet, PHHC rat fed cholesterol diet develops hypercholesterolemia comparable to that of humans. The advantage of this model is that hypercholesterolemia develops without the need for addition of bile acids or other hepatotoxic substances to the diet. The hypercholesterolemia of PHHC rat is caused by slowed down catabolism of cholesterol-rich very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). These cholesterol-rich particles are synthesized in the liver. We found out that PHHC rat fed 1% cholesterol diet accumulates cholesteryl esters (CE) in the liver and also in the VLDL. Acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) may participate in the increased incorporation CE into VLDL. We found out no difference in ACAT and MTP activities in the liver between PHHC rats and control animals. Neither ACAT activity...

Most types of hypercholesterolemia are of polygenic origin. Some genes related to hypercholesterolemia are known, although all genes responsible for cholesterolemia regulation have not been characterised yet. To identify these new genes, animal models with spontaneous defects in cholesterol metabolism could be very useful. Moreover, a number of variations and polymorphisms have been found to influence blood cholesterol levels in humans. Some may also affect cholesterolemia responsiveness to dietary fat. The Prague hereditary hypercholesterolemic (PHHC) rat is a unique model of hypercholesterolemia induced by dietary cholesterol alone (without administration of cholic acid or thyrotoxic drugs). It exhibits modestly increased cholesterolemia when fed chow and responds to a diet containing cholesterol with a several-fold increase of cholesterolemia to concentrations comparable to those observed in hypercholesterolemic patients. Hypercholesterolemia in this model is characterised by accumulation of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and intermediate density lipoproteins (IDL) enriched by cholesterol. In an experiment with tyloxapol (an inhibitor of lipoprotein lipase) we found that PHHC rats on a cholesterol diet incorporated twice as much cholesterol into VLDL as Wistar rats, although liver...

LDL-apheresis and haemorheopheresis are the most frequent methods of extracorporeal ellimination methods used for lowering the LDL cholesterol in patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). In case of failure of conservative therapy (represented by pharmacotherapy and/or dietary regime) these methods reprensent the effective and accessible solution for the clinical status characterized by high morbidity and mortality as well. The lipid components are the most frequent observed markers for the effeciveness of intervention. However, immunity with its effector molecules plays also essential role and there is suppose, that could also reflect the state and progress of atherosclerosis in FH patients. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the levels of selected immunological markers (plasmatic glykoprotein α-2-macroglobulin, IL-10, soluble endoglin, soluble apoptotic factor sAPO-Fas and soluble form of adhesive P-selectin) and their changes after LDL-apheresis and haemorheopheresis employing enzyme immunoanalysis and immuno nephelometry. Totally, 12 patients were involved in this study, 3 were treated by haemorheopheresis, the rest 9 received LDL-apheresis. As a results, significant decreases in serum levels of α-2- macroglobulin, soluble endoglin and sAPO-1/Fas were recorded. Observed changes of...

We aimed to evaluate the endothelial function by combining RHI measurements and specific biochemical markers in the children with possible risk of premature manifestation of atherosclerosis and in the control group of healthy children. In all, 124 children (of which 106 patients divided into five groups according to diagnosis - type 1 diabetes mellitus, Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, familial hypercholesterolemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 18 healthy controls) were enrolled in the study. During the study, we measured RHI using a new plethysmographic method and further evaluated biochemical markers of endothelial dysfunction (ADMA, E-selectin, hsCRP and VCAM) and lipidogram in individual groups of children. The primary objective of our study was the determination of RHI and biochemical parameters in healthy subjects and in selected risk groups of children (type 1 diabetes mellitus, Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, familial hypercholesterolemia and children after successful treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia). At the same time, we compared patients from individual groups with the control group. We found significantly elevated RHI values in groups of children with type 1 diabetes, Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, and children after successful treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia....