Tenocytes are the principal cells of the human Achilles tendon. In tendinosis, changes in the metabolism and morphology of these cells occur. Neurotrophins are growth factors essential for the development of the nervous system. Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) has been found to kill sarcomas but has destructive effects in several major diseases. The two systems have interaction effects and are associated with apoptosis, proliferation, and pain signalling in various diseases. Whether these systems are present in the Achilles tendon and in Achilles tendinosis is unknown. The hypothesis is that the tenocytes produce substances belonging to these systems. In Studies I–III, we show that the potent effects of these substances are also likely to occur in the Achilles tendon. We found tenocyte immunoreactions for the neurotrophins brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), the nerve growth factor (NGF), the neurotrophin receptor p75, and for TNF-α and both of its receptors, TNFR1 and TNFR2. This occurred in both subjects with painful mid-portion Achilles tendinosis, and in controls. Furthermore, we found mRNA expression for BDNF and TNF-α in tenocytes, which proves that these cells produce these substances. TNFR1 mRNA was also detected for the tenocytes, and TNFR1 immunoreactions were upregulated in tendinosis tendons. This might explain why tenocytes in tendinosis undergo apoptosis more often than in normal tendons. Total physical activity (TPA) level and blood concentration of both soluble TNFR1 and BDNF were measured in Study IV. The results showed that the blood concentration of both factors were similar in subjects with tendinosis and in controls. Nevertheless, the TPA level was related to the blood concentration of sTNFR1 in tendinosis, but not in controls. This relationship should be studied further. The findings of this doctoral thesis show that neurotrophin and TNF-α systems are expressed in the Achilles tendon. We believe that the functions include tissue remodelling, proliferation and apoptosis.

The thesis titled The Physical activity in vegetarian women consists of two parts. The first, theoretical part is devoted mainly vegetarianism as such. There clarify the concept of vegetarianism, its distribution and nutritional aspects of a vegetarian diet with regular physical activity. Further topics are about physical activity recommendations for adults in the Czech Republic and in the global context. There are also benefits of human walk. The second part of the thesis deals with research of the issue. There is solved the question of vegetarianism and its potential impact on increasing the level of physical activity among women. To find answers was elected the research group of thirty vegetarian women and a control group of thirty women eating in the usual way in a similar age variance. Comparison of these two specific groups of women took place within the gained data from an international survey of PA IPAQ-long and weekly monitoring using pedometers six months in repetition. Based on the results wasn´t recorded demonstrable evidence that vegetarianism affecting the increase in the physical activity compared with the population eating in the conventional way.