The aim of the present study was to assess systemic circulatory and tissue activities of both the classical arm and of the alternative arm of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in a new transgenic rat line (TG7371) that expresses angiotensin-(1-7) (ANG 1-7)-producing fusion protein; the results were compared with the activities measured in control transgene-negative Hannover Sprague-Dawley (HanSD) rats. Plasma and tissue concentrations of angiotensin II (ANG II) and ANG 1-7, and kidney mRNA expressions of receptors responsible for biological actions of ANG II and ANG 1-7 [i.e. ANG II type 1 and type 2 (AT1 and AT2) and Mas receptors] were assessed in TG7371 transgene-positive and in HanSD rats. We found that male TG7371 transgene-positive rats exhibited significantly elevated plasma, kidney, heart and lung ANG 1-7 concentrations as compared with control male HanSD rats; by contrast, there was no significant difference in ANG II concentrations and no significant differences in mRNA expression of AT1, AT2 and Mas receptors. In addition, we found that in male TG7371 transgene-positive rats blood pressure was lower than in male HanSD rats. These data indicate that the balance between the classical arm and the alternative arm of the RAS was in male TGR7371 transgene-positive rats markedly shifted in favor of the latter. In conclusion, TG7371 transgene-positive rats represent a new powerful tool to study the long-term role of the alternative arm of the RAS in the pathophysiology and potentially in the treatment of cardio-renal diseases.

• MeSH
• angiotensin I * metabolismus   MeSH
• angiotensin II * MeSH
• kardiovaskulární nemoci metabolismus   genetika   MeSH
• krevní tlak fyziologie   MeSH
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• ledviny metabolismus   MeSH
• nemoci ledvin metabolismus   genetika   MeSH
• peptidové fragmenty * metabolismus   MeSH
• potkani Sprague-Dawley * MeSH
• potkani transgenní * MeSH
• protoonkogen Mas MeSH
• receptor angiotensinu typ 1 genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• receptory spřažené s G-proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• rekombinantní fúzní proteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• renin-angiotensin systém * fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Pectus excavatum je najčastejším typom deformity hrudníka. Môže byť asymptomatický, v prípade závažnejších foriem však pacienti môžu pociťovať zvýšenú únavnosť, záťažové dyspnoe, bolesti na hrudníku, palpitácie, prípadne zníženú toleranciu fyzickej námahy. Najčastejšie sú však s touto diagnózou asociované psychické ťažkosti vyplývajúce z vnímania vlastnej deformity ako handicapu, pre ktorý sa pacienti často vyhýbajú aktivitám s odhaleným hrudníkom (napr. plávanie). Jediným typom liečby tejto deformity bola donedávna chirurgická korekcia. Dôležitou súčasťou terapie je rehabilitácia zameraná na nápravu nesprávneho držania tela posilňovaním hrudných a chrbtových svalov, a taktiež na dychové cvičenia. Posledných 15 rokov existuje aj konzervatívna liečba, pomocou tzv. vacuum bellu. Hoci výsledky zahŕňajúce dlhoročné skúsenosti s týmto typom terapie zatiaľ chýbajú, výsledky doterajších štúdií demonštrujú, že liečba vacuum bellom je bezpečným spôsobom liečby pectus excavatum s minimálnym výskytom komplikácií.

Pectus excavatum is the most common type of chest deformity. It is usually asymptomatic, but patients suffering from severe forms may experience increased fatigue, exercise dyspnoea, chest pain, palpitations and/or decreased tolerance to physical activity. Psychological difficulties associated with this diagnosis stem from patients ́ perceiving the deformity as a disability and causing them to avoid activities with an exposed chest (e. g. swimming). For a long time, the only available type of treatment was a surgical correction. An important part of the therapy is rehabilitation aimed at correcting the body posture by strengthening chest and back muscles as well as breathing exercises. In the last 15 years there has been an increase in the use of a conservative treatment using the vacuum bell. Although conclusive results based on long-term supporting evidence are lacking, the disponible studies demonstrate vacuum bell treatment is a safe option for pectus excavatum with minimal complications.

• Klíčová slova
• vacuum bell,
• MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• hrudník vpáčený * rehabilitace   terapie   MeSH
• konzervativní terapie * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• techniky fyzikální terapie MeSH
• vakuum MeSH
• výsledek terapie MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic caused unprecedented research activity all around the world but publications from Central-Eastern European countries remain scarce. Therefore, our aim was to characterise the features of the pandemic in the intensive care units (ICUs) among members of the SepsEast (Central-Eastern European Sepsis Forum) initiative. We conducted a retrospective, international, multicentre study between March 2020 and February 2021. All adult patients admitted to the ICU with pneumonia caused by COVID-19 were enrolled. Data on baseline and treatment characteristics, organ support and mortality were collected. Eleven centres from six countries provided data from 2139 patients. Patient characteristics were: median 68, [IQR 60-75] years of age; males: 67%; body mass index: 30.1 [27.0-34.7]; and 88% comorbidities. Overall mortality was 55%, which increased from 2020 to 2021 (p = 0.004). The major causes of death were respiratory (37%), cardiovascular (26%) and sepsis with multiorgan failure (21%). 1061 patients received invasive mechanical ventilation (mortality: 66%) without extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (n = 54). The rest of the patients received non-invasive ventilation (n = 129), high flow nasal oxygen (n = 317), conventional oxygen therapy (n = 122), as the highest level of ventilatory support, with mortality of 50%, 39% and 22%, respectively. This is the largest COVID-19 dataset from Central-Eastern European ICUs to date. The high mortality observed especially in those receiving invasive mechanical ventilation renders the need of establishing national-international ICU registries and audits in the region that could provide high quality, transparent data, not only during the pandemic, but also on a regular basis.

• MeSH
• COVID-19 * epidemiologie   terapie   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• jednotky intenzivní péče MeSH
• kyslík MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• registrace MeSH
• respirační insuficience * epidemiologie   terapie   MeSH
• retrospektivní studie MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 MeSH
• sepse * epidemiologie   MeSH
• syndrom dechové tísně * MeSH
• umělé dýchání MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• multicentrická studie MeSH

• MeSH
• imunitní systém MeSH
• lymfa MeSH
• tělesné tekutiny MeSH
• Publikační typ
• kongresy MeSH

• Konspekt
• Patologie. Klinická medicína
• NLK Obory
• hematologie a transfuzní lékařství
• alergologie a imunologie