Vaclav Blaha

PLASMA INTERLEUKIN-6 LEVEL IS ASSOCIATED WITH NT-PROBNP LEVEL AND PREDICTS SHORT- AND LONG TERM MORTALITY IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE HEART FAILURE

OBJECTIVES Interleukin 6 plays an important role in chronic heart failure (HF), but little is known about its involvement in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). The aim of our study is to evaluate the prognostic role of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in the patients with ADHF. METHODS Plasma levels of interleukin IL-6, N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide levels, and clinical covariates were measured in 92 patients with ADHF. Survival was followed up to 12 months, and prognostic factors were evaluated. RESULTS Elevated plasma IL-6 levels were increased in nonsurvivors and were associated with 1-year mortality (p < 0.01). Plasma IL-6 levels were associated with plasma NT-proBNP levels. In multivariate analysis, increased plasma IL-6 and NT-proBNP levels remained strong independent predictors of 1-year mortality. CONCLUSIONS Plasma IL-6 levels provide important prognostic information in the patients with ADHF. Measurement combining plasma IL-6 and NT-proBNP should serve as a powerful prognostic tool of multimarker strategy in patients with acute decompensated heart failure.

Tabun-inhibited rat tissue and blood cholinesterases and their reactivation with the combination of trimedoxime and HI-6 in vivo.

Up to now, intensive attempts to synthesize a universal reactivator able to reactivate cholinesterases inhibited by all types of nerve agents/organophosphates were not successful. Therefore, another approach using a combination of two reactivators differently reactivating enzyme was used: in rats poisoned with tabun and treated with combination of atropine (fixed dose) and different doses of trimedoxime and HI-6, changes of acetylcholinesterase activities (blood, diaphragm and different parts of the brain) were studied. An increase of AChE activity was observed following trimedoxime treatment depending on its dose; HI-6 had very low effect. Combination of both oximes showed potentiation of their reactivation efficacy; this potentiation was expressed for peripheral AChE (blood, diaphragm) and some parts of the brain (pontomedullar area, frontal cortex); AChE in the basal ganglia was relatively resistant. These observations suggest that the action of combination of oximes in vivo is different from that observed in vitro.

Changes of cholinesterase activities in the plasma and some tissues following administration of l-carnitine and galanthamine to rats

Changes of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities in the hypophysis and brain (frontal cortex, hippocampus, medial septum and basal ganglia), and butyrylcholinesterase in plasma and liver following galanthamine (GAL) administration were studied in rats pretreated with L-carnitine (CAR). Following only GAL administration (10 mg/kg, i.m.), both cholinesterases (without clinical symptoms of GAL overdosage) were significantly inhibited. Pretreatment with CAR (3 consecutive days, 250 mg/kg, p.o.) followed by GAL administration showed higher AChE inhibition in comparison with single GAL administration. However, a statistically significant difference was observed for AChE in the hippocampus only. The activity of peripheral cholinesterases was not influenced by CAR pretreatment. Thus, pretreatment with CAR enhanced AChE inhibition in some brain parts of the rat following GAL administration.

Sensitivity of porcine peripheral blood leukocytes to gamma irradiation in vivo, in vitro and ex vivo.

Purpose: The large white pig is a useful experimental model to compare in vivo, in vitro and ex vivo sensitivity of peripheral blood leukocytes to ionising radiation. Such studies are impossible to perform in humans and laboratory rodents due to ethical reasons and body size, respectively. We analysed dose- and time-dependent changes of lymphocyte and granulocyte absolute numbers in porcine peripheral blood after either whole-body irradiation (in vivo and ex vivo experiments) or exposure of porcine whole blood to γ-irradiation (in vitro experiments). Materials and methods: CytoCount™ absolute counting beads and light scatter analysis using a flow cytometer were used to determine major leukocyte subpopulation numbers in blood samples after red cell removal. Results: Similar to other species, lymphocyte numbers significantly decreased in pigs both in vivo and in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. Most importantly, our data clearly show that reduction of lymphocyte numbers after irradiation in vivo proceeds much faster than after irradiation in vitro and that granulocyte changes depend only on the time of analysis after irradiation. Conclusions: All three tested experimental arrangements demonstrated the radiosensitivity of lymphocytes and the radioresistance of peripheral blood granulocytes. These in vivo and in vitro approaches, as well as the newly introduced ex vivo observations, appear to be relevant to biodosimetry.