Charles University Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Biological and Medical Sciences Study program: Specialist in Laboratory Methods Candidate: Bc. Aneta Janků Supervisor: PharmDr. Ondřej Janďourek, Ph.D. Title of diploma thesis: In vitro screening of novel potentially active antimycotic compounds III Key words: yeasts, moulds, antimycotics, mechanism of action of polyenes, microdilution broth method, MIC - minimal inhibition concentration. The main topic of this diploma thesis is in vitro screening of new, potentially active antifungal compounds. The introductory chapter in the theoretical part of the work is devoted to the epidemiology of fungal infections. The classification of micromycetes and the characteristics of the fungal eukaryotic cell are given below, focusing on composition of the plasma membrane and the cell wall. A separate chapter also deals with specific species of fungi and the diseases they cause. The main topic is drugs from the group of antifungals, where more attention is focused on polyene antifungals, their mechanism of action in detail and the emergence of resistance. An integral part are also the stages of development of new drugs and a list of novels developing antifungals. The final chapter describes the types of methods designed for in vitro evaluation...

Charles University in Prague Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Biological and Medical Sciences Study program: Pharmacy Author: Simona Novotná Supervisor: RNDr. Klára Konečná, Ph.D. Title of diploma thesis: Advanced antibacterial activity testing of candidate newly synthesized compounds Background: The aim of this thesis was to perform an extended study of the antibacterial activity of selected newly synthesized rhodanine derivatives. In this study, activity against clinical isolates of bacterial strains of the genus Staphylococcus and Enterococcus was evaluated. The main part of the work also includes the evaluation of the antibacterial activity of one selected substance in combination with commercially available antibiotics using the checkerboard method. Methods: Evaluation of the antibacterial activity of tested substances was performed using the broth microdilution method according to EUCAST guidelines (with minor modifications). The activity of these substances was evaluated against clinical isolates of bacteria of the genera Staphylococcus and Enterococcus and one Staphylococcus aureus MRSA reference strain (ATCC 43300, CCM 4750). For a selected compound with a demonstrably promising antistaphylococcal effect, the combined effect of this substance was tested with three...

This thesis deals with rape and the possibilities of its protection against pests. The most important pests of this crop include rape stem weevil (Ceutorhynchus napi, Gyllenhal 1837), rape beetle (Brassicogethes aeneus Fabricius, 1775 Meligethes aeneus) and brassica pod midge (Dasineura napi, Loew 1850). In the practical part of the dissertation, 26 variants of application sequences of insecticides were evaluated. The first and last variant was taken as a control and therefore not treated with any insecticide. Insecticides were applied on the basis of pest control. In each variant, an insecticide was first applied, which was primarily intended for rape stem weevil (Ceutonhynchus napi, Gyllenhal 1837). The second insecticide was focused on rape beetles (Brassicogethes aeneus Fabricius, 1775, Meligethes aeneus). The third application of the insecticide was determined for the brassica pod midge (Dasineura napi Loew, 1850). The results were evaluated and entered into tables and subsequently statistically processed using Statistica 12. The aim of this work was to evaluate the most effective sequence of three insecticides against the main rapeseed pests. The view was also taken on an anti-resilient strategy in which insecticides having the same active substance should not be applied.

Antibiotics are substances that inhibit the growth of microorganisms and are widely used in modern medicine. High consumption of antibiotics correlates with their elevated occurence in sewage systems, from where they are further released into the environment. The threat of their occurrence in the environment is in triggering the formation and spread of antibiotic resistance. This thesis focuses on the removal of selected antibiotics and partly on the antibiotic resistance from wastewater by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). AOPs are based on the creation of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals, which are able to oxidize even highly persistent substances. The thesis focuses on the purification of effluents from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), which are identified as the main source of pharmaceutical pollution in the environment, by AOPs mainly based on ozonation. These processes were tested under laboratory conditions on model water as well as under real conditions as the tertiary stage of the treatment at Brno-Modřice WWTP under various operating states. As the results of the performed experiments show, it could be concluded that the studied AOPs are capable of effective degradation of studied antibiotics from the treated medium. Under real conditions, the antibiotics sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, azithromycin and clarithromycin were monitored. Output concentrations in each operational state were achieved to be below the limit of detection for all four antibiotics. The application of AOPs based on ozonation as the tertiary step of the treatment also had a positive effect on the reduction of microbial contamination and antibiotic resistance. Within the pilot plant experiments, a reduction of up to 4 orders of magnitude of E.coli, coliform microorganisms and a reduction of their resistant strains in the range of 1.4 - 4.0 logs were observed, compared to the effluent from the WWTP.

Translocation t(12;21) with the presence of the fusion gene ETV6-RUNX1 (TEL-AML1) is the most common chromosomal aberration found in acute lymphoblastic leukemia in childhood. The occurrence of the ETV6-RUNX1 is associated with excellent prognosis and high sensitivity to the treatment with the enzyme L-asparaginase (ASNase). Resistance to the drug aggravates the outlook of the patient and increases the risk of treatment failure, therefore, the CLIP working group has been for a long time involved in the identification of the mechanism of action of ASNase and the origin of the resistance to it. This thesis follows previous findings of the group and is devoted to the analysis of the importance of ETV6-RUNX1 and signalization and metabolic changes accompanying shifts in the L-asparaginase resistance. In the first part of the thesis, the knockout clones with stable increased resistance to ASNase have been established thanks to the CRISPR/Cas9 system, which created frameshift in the fusion gene. The accomplishment in this regard and removal of the fusion protein was confirmed on the level of DNA, mRNA a protein expression. The presence of other significant chromosomal aberrations affection the sensitivity to ASNase was ruled out by the means of SNP analysis. In the second part of the project, the signalization...

Charles University Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology Student: Júlia Jurčáková Supervisor: RNDr. Jakub Hofman PhD. Title of diploma thesis: The assessment of inhibitory effects of selected targeted anticancer drugs on the activity of ABC drug eflux trasporters. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death within oncological diseases. Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) accounts for about 85% of all lung cancer, and its major subtypes include adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. In addition to surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the use of targeted low-molecular substances, which target tumor cells with higher specificity, has recently been used in treatment. The two main causes of death in cancer patients are the formation of metastases and the development of multidrug resistance (MDR). This may also be caused by overexpression of the efflux transporters. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are groups of transmembrane pumps that use energy in the form of ATP to transfer a wide range of substrates. In particular, P-glycoprotein (ABCB1), breast cancer-resistance protein (ABCG2) and multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (ABCC1) are associated with MDR. Inhibition of these transporters increases the amount of cytostatic substrate within the...

House mouse hybrid zone is a complex of subspecies Mus musculus musculus, Mus musculus domesticus and their hybrids. This hybrid zone is considered as a tension zone, maintained by balance between dispersion of individuals towards the zone center and negative selection against the hybrids. Decreased anti-parasite resistance could be one of selective factors which maintain the hybrid zone. In this thesis, I use hematological methods and skin-swelling test to compare variability in mouse health state within the house mouse hybrid zone. The skin-swelling test is a method measuring pro-inflammatory immune responsiveness. Since the commonly adopted method to perform this test does not allow clear interpretation of the test results, in this thesis I also aim to optimise the test protoco . I found that utilization of concanavalin A (ConA) is more suitable in mice than application of the commonly used phytohemaglutinin (PHA). Assessment of health state of mice by both hematological methods and skin-swelling test consistently indicates increased ability of anti-parasitic resistance in the subspecies M. m. musculus compared to subspecies M. m. domesticus. Hematological examination further shows better health state of hybrid individuals compared to parental subspecies. Our results support hybrid resistance hypothesis....

I chose the theme of obsessive-compulsive disorder as a topic of my thesis. The main reason was that it is a disorder I have worked as a therapist in individual or group therapy frequently. Also I have participated in several studies as evaluator in Psychiatric Centre, and I collected data from dozens of patients. In the first part the thesis deals with the symptoms, clinical picture, prevalence, aetiology and treatment of OCD. Thesis is focuses on behavioural and cognitive models of the disorder in detail, because the treatment used in the present group of patients was CBT. Various models of cognitive behavioural therapy I discuss in more detail, because they allow different views of what happens to the patient and how to change it. The practical part has two parts. The first deals with the effectiveness of group cognitive behavioral approach for OCD patients, who use antidepressants but were resistant to previous treatment and were attended a daycare center at the Prague Psychiatric Center. The second part of the thesis deals with finding a predictor of successful cognitive behavioral therapy in these patients. The aim was to determine whether certain demographic or clinical factors that we evaluated before treatment may predict success outcome. The result is the finding that severity of the...

Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Biological and Medical Sciences Student: Bc. Lucie Polenová Supervisor: MUDr. Pavla Paterová Title of diploma thesis: Detection of methicillin - resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Hospital České Budějovice, a. s. and in University Hospital Hradec Králové The resistance of microbes to antibiotics belongs to worldwide health problems. Infections, which are caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), occur mainly in hospitals. It is because of incorrect and excesive consumption of antibiotics. Insufficient observance of hygienic-epidemiological measures helps to spread resistant strains. Background: The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of MRSA strains in two Czech hospitals - in Hospital České Budějovice, a.s. and in University Hospital Hradec Králové. To compare results with figures in the previous years and sort isolated strains by different characteristics in both hospitals. Methods: Results of the study are based on retrospective data analysis from electronic database. All data from hospitalized patients or outpatients during 1.1.2015 - 31.12.2015 with isolation of MRSA were counted. Processing and cultivation of isolates were made by standard microbiology measures. Strains,...

Drug resistance in cancer cells is a frequent cause of breast cancer therapy failure. The aim of this thesis was to elucidate mechanisms of resistance to taxanes, that are used in therapy of various types of cancer, including breast cancer. We particularly assessed the role of autophagy and changes in βII- and βIII isotype gene expression in development of taxane resistance. As model of breast cancer we used human sensitive cell lines SK-BR-3, MCF-7 a T47-D and resistant sublines SK-BR-3-PAC/REZ a MCF-7- PAC/REZ which grow in paclitaxel concentration lethal for sensitive sublines. In cell lines SK-BR-3 and MCF-7, taxane application decreased the level of autophagy, however in cell line T47-D led to its activation. We detected no difference between basal levels of autophagy in sensitive subline SK-BR-3 compared to resistant subline SK-BR-3-PAC/REZ, but we observed increased basal level of autophagy in sensitive subline MCF-7 compared to the resistant subline. Increase or decrease level of autophagy did not affect taxane resistance, except activation of autophagy in resistant subline SK-BR-3-PAC/REZ, that further increased the resistance to paclitaxel. Taxane application in cell line T47-D increased the levels of βII- and βIII-tubuline expression, however we did not find any similar effect in other tested...