Beneficial effect of hardening or cold adaptation for human health has been known for many decades. Beneficial or detrimental effect depends on the regimen and intensity of the adaptation and thus it is very important to pay attention to them. It has been shown in previous studies that cold adaptation of animals at a low temperature 0-4 žC is accompanied by dehydration and the damage of kidneys. As our best knowledge, the effect of mild cold adaptation on the molecular mechanisms in the heart has not been studied until now. The first aim of this study was to set up a new model of cold adaptation without any negative effects on the organism. The second aim was to assess mRNA levels of selected genes related to the important mechanisms associated with energy metabolism and cardio-protective signaling pathways in the left ventricle. Results obtained using the new model for cold adaptation at 102 řC did not show any negative changes in the blood or urine parameters and body fluid balance was maintained. Screening of mRNAs showed that chronic adaptation might affect the phenotype of the heart, transcriptional activity of the antioxidant system and of the pro-apoptotic genes, lowers adrenergic signaling and moderate glucose metabolism in cardiomyocytes. Key words: cold adaptation, heart, gene...

CHARLES UNIVERSITY IN PRAGUE Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Biological and Medical Sciences Study program: Health Care Bioanalytics Candidate: Bc. Nikola Fučíková Supervisor: doc. MUDr. Lukáš Smolej, Ph.D. Title of diploma thesis: Prognostic significance of atypical leukemic cell morphology in chronic lymphocytic leukemia The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the prognostic significance of atypical cell morphology and smudge cells in patients with untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia. We performed differential leukocytes count and classified lymphocytes as typical and atypical in a cohort of 101 patients (median age, 66 years; males, 69%, Rai III/IV stages, 18%). For atypical CLL, we used the 15% threshold and 59% of patients were classified as atypical CLL (aCLL). For smudge cells, we chose the 30% threshold and 33% of patients were classified as smudge cells positive. Patients in early clinical Rai stage (0) had significantly higher number of smudge cells (p=0.04). We didn't find a significant association between aCLL / smudge cells with modern prognostic indicators. We didn't find a relationship between aCLL and the time to first-line therapy (p=0.394). However, patients with aCLL had a significantly shorter overall survival (p=0.0397). There was a trend toward shorter...

Oskar Nedbal patří mezi nejvýznamnější české hudební osobnosti konce 19. a počátku 20. století. Jeho přínos lze spatřovat nejen v oblasti interpretačního umění a hudebně organizačního úsilí, ale rovněž na poli skladatelském, především díky operetě Polská krev (Polenblut). Disertační práce se kromě nezbytného přehledu pramenů a literatury a nástinu života a díla Oskara Nedbala soustředí na otázku postavení operety Polská krev jak v rámci skladatelovy ostatní tvorby, tak i v širším kontextu vídeňské operety. Zároveň přináší doposud nepublikované informace o nedbalianech z depozitáře divadelního oddělení Národního muzea v Terezíně a ve světle průzkumu těchto pramenů se pokouší definovat základní atributy Nedbalova způsobu práce při kompozici operety Polská krev i dalších významných děl. Nedbalova vrcholná operetní tvorba je ukázkovým příkladem populární hudby vysoké umělecké úrovně, ve které se odráží skladatelův vysoce seriózní kompoziční přístup. Zejména opereta Polská krev dokumentuje Nedbalův záměr klást na tento žánr vyšší umělecký nárok, než jaký byl běžný zejména ve Vídni počátkem 20. století. Abstract: Oskar Nedbal is one of the most important Czech music personalities of the end of 19th and the beginning of 20th century. His contribution can be seen not only in the fields of interpretive art...

The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the effect of increased concentrations of nitrite to Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) at different concentrations of chloride. Tilapias adults were exposed for 14 days to nitrite at the concentration of 3 mg.l?1 NO2? (i.e. concentration commonly found in recirculation systems). After 14 days the experimental fishes were divided into 4 group, which differed in concentrations of nitrite and chloride. These groups of fish were held in different conditions for the next seven days. Using standard clinical procedures the following haematologic biochemical parameters were determined: RBC, WBC, Hb, PCV, MetHb, MCV, MCH, MCHC, NO2-, GLU, Ca, Mg, TP, NH3. The tested nitrite concentration was not high enough to cause strong differences of pursued parameters. Only some of them (Hb, MetHb, MCHC) were statistically significant.

Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is organ-specific autoimmune disease which causes pancreatic beta cells to be irreversibly destroyed. The only possible treatment represents life-lasting insulin administration. The real trigger of destructive insulitis isn't known. T1D is a multi- factorial disease involving both external and internal factors in the disease pathogenesis. The presence of autoreactive T lymphocytes in pancreas is necessary for development of diabetes. T regulatory cells have protective function in the destructive insulitis. The aim of this diploma thesis was to study cord blood T regulatory cells and their connection to type 1 diabetes development. We tried to find the difference among T regulatory cells in mononuclear cord blood cells (CBMC) in different study groups. Samples were collected from mothers suffering from T1D, gestational diabetes. Healthy controls were tested as well. Sixty-eight samples of cord blood were included in the study among the years 2009 - 2011. Samples were divided into 3 groups (CBMC from children born to T1D mothers, mothers with gestational diabetes and healthy mothers without T1D). CBMC were ana- lysed by flow cytometry. T regulatory cells (defined as CD4+CD25+) were isolated by magnetic separation (MACS). The functional capacity of these cells was studied as well by...

Due to high incidence, medical and socioeconomic burden and impact on individual quality of life and productivity, allergic disorders are a crucial issue for 21st century immunology. Much still remains to be elucidated, particularly regarding the very early processes in allergy development. In order to introduce timely, effective preventive measures, novel, more reliable predictive factors of allergy risk also need to be established. Dysregulation of proper balance between the branches of immune response, particularly unwarranted dominance of Th2, is the underlying cause of allergy. After birth, new immune balance needs to be established to prepare the neonate for adequate reactivity towards newly encountered environmental stimuli. Regulatory T cells (Treg) play a central role in finely setting this balance and inducing tolerance towards harmless environmental antigens, including allergens. Interactions with external factors, most importantly microbiota, modulate this process during the early postnatal "window of opportunity." Analysis of cord blood Treg of children of allergic mothers uncovered decreased presence of function-associated surface markers and lower production of IL-10. Furthermore, decreased proportion of Helios- induced Treg was observed in children with higher risk of allergy....

The increasing incidence of children suffering from allergic diseases could be caused by sensitization of immature immune system during the intrauterine development. Several important scientific papers have demonstrated the ability of cord blood cells to respond by elevated proliferation activity after stimulation by common allergens. Following these findings, present study follows the production of cytokines which play a role in the pro- and anti-allergenic tuning of the immune system. Umbilical cord blood cells were stimulated with polyclonal activators (phytohaemagglutinin) and common allergens (ovalbumin, timothy grass, birch, mite). Subsequently, cytokine production was monitored using selected methods that reflect different stages of cell activation - at the level of mRNA by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR), by flow cytometry detection of the presence of intracellular cytokines in different cell subpopulations and by ELISA measurement of cytokines in CBMC culture supernatants. The results obtained point to a very weak ability of these common allergens (timothy grass, birch, mite, ovalbumin) to stimulate CBMC to produce cytokines observed by all of these methodological procedures. Although we did not observe significant differences in CBMC cytokine production (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12,...

The thesis deals with the issue of blood donation and it has a total of fifteen parts. The first chapter describes theoretical knowledges of motivational factors, altruism and economic view on it. It is followed by informations about the history of blood donation and treatments with blood, anatomy of blood and blood groups. The section of blood donation provides general informations about conditions of donation, resulting benefits, risks for donor and recipient and commercial collection of plasma. The thesis focuses especially on the blood market in the Czech Republic in terms of legislation, supply of blood, its evaluation and ultimately safety of blood. At the end there are published results of the questionnaire survey. Its aim was to find out how the public is looking at blood donation, its promotion, safety and reasons to donate or not to donate blood.

This thesis aims to assess the possibility of the usage of various biological fixatives for fish cell and tissues samples in order to extend its storage for later flow cytometric measurement of DNA content. The model species chosen were sterlet and tench, from which three types of samples were obtained: blood and fin tissue of subadult / adult individuals and tail tissue of hatched larvae. Altogether 13 fixation methods were tested for each type of sample of both model species. Methods were chosen based upon their easy feasibility and low time-consumption. The samples were measured on flow cytometer in native state immediately after sampling and placing in physiological saline and after 1, 5 and 10 days of fixation during which they were stored in a fridge or in a freezer at -80 ?C. Their analysis was carried out simultaneously with standards native cells from tench fin tissue when investigating sterlet samples, and commercially available fixed trout erythrocytes for tench samples. A fluorochrome used was 4',6-diamidine-2'-phenylindole dihydrochloride (DAPI; with excitation/emission maxima 358 / 461 nm). Based on the evaluation of coefficients of variation (CV) of fixed samples and the changes in their fluorescence levels in comparison with native state, optimal procedures for extended storage of all types of samples from both model species are suggested.

Allergy is one of the most common diseases. Identification of early prognostic markers pointing to an increased risk of allergy development is therefore of increasing importance. Cord blood represents an easily attainable clinical material for searching for prognostic markers signalizing future allergy development. Proportions of Th1 cytokines, Th2 cytokines and regulatory cytokines were tested in cord blood of children of allergic mothers (children in relatively high risk of allergy development) in comparison with cord blood of children of healthy mothers (low risk children). Also the activities of lymphocytes, dendritic cells (DC) and regulatory cells (Tregs) were compared in children of healthy and allergic mothers. The generally increased activity of both in vitro stimulated and non-stimulated mononuclear cord blood leukocytes was proved in children of allergic mothers in comparison with low risk children. The increased activity of DC of high risk children was detectable only after polyclonal stimulation. Significantly less pronounced functional properties of cord blood Tregs were found in children of allergic mothers when compared with children of healthy mothers. The increased reactivity of lymphocytes and DC together with the decreased activity of Tregs can support an easier...