[Lung metastases as the first manifestations of occult medullary microcarcinoma]. / Metastázy do plic jako první projevy okultního medulárního mikrokarcinomu.

The article is concerned with medullary microcarcinoma of the thyroid. Similarly to medullary macrocarcinoma, this may metastasize to distant sites. Reported is a case of a 54year- old male who had suffered from chest tightness and dry irritating cough. Chest Xray showed small nodules with poorly- defined borders of unknown etiology. Lung biopsy was performed, which detected amyloid- rich neuroendocrine carcinoma. Examination of the thyroid was recommended to confirm or rule out suspected medullary carcinoma. The biopsy examination also suggested G1 and G2 primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung or diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia. Numerous examinations using imaging methods (CT, MRI, PET- CT) were carried out with no positive results in the thyroid. Despite that, thyroidectomy was performed. Subsequent biopsy examination revealed medullary microcarcinoma sized 0.6 cm. Apart from lung metastases, tumor lesions were found in cervical lymph nodes. This case is an example of a close cooperation between a pathologist and a clinician -  endocrinologist. Based on serum calcitonin levels, this may aid in differential diagnosis.

[Importance of reelin in the development of the central nervous system. II. Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 as an important element in the reelin signalling cascade]. / Význam reelinu pri vývoji centrálního nervového systému. II. Cyklin-dependentní kináza 5 jako významný clánek reelinové signalizacní kaskády.

Expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) gradually increases during embryonal development until it reaches maximal levels that persist in the adult brain. Cdk5 represents a key component in the reelin signalling cascade. Activity of p35/Cdk5 is critical for the development of normal, six-layered structure of the mammalian brain cortex. Although it is not required for splitting of the cortical pre-plate into the marginal zone and sub-plate, a process that is affected in absence of the reelin and/or Dab1, it is substantial for the later-born neurons to bypass sub-plate neurons and to enter into the embryonal cortical plate. The defect of p35/Cdk5 disrupts the classical inside-out histogenetic pattern of neocortex. Neurons that fail to migrate past older layers of cells accumulate beneath the sub-plate thus forming an abnormal, inverted outside-in configuration in p35/Cdk5 defective animals. Exploration of neuronal migration disturbancies can shed new light on some diseases of human brain development including different heterotopias and lissencephaly. From an evolutionary point of view, the involvement of Cdk5 in the reelin signalling cascade could define a new step in the brain gray matter development.

On acute effects of some drugs on the higher nervous activity in man. Ethanol (0.5 g/kg) and its interaction with diazepam (5 mg) and meclophenoxate (100 mg). Part LVIII.

1. Acute effects of ethanol (0.5 g/kg of body weight) and its interactions with diazepam (5 mg) and meclophenoxate (100 mg) and placebo on the higher nervous activity were tested on a group of 16 healthy and unfatigued volunteers-university students (8 females, 8 males, aged 21 years). The experimental subjects were given the following combinations of the studied drugs: (a) Ethanol plus meclophenoxate, (b) Ethanol plus placebo, (c) Ethanol plus diazepam, (d) Placebo solution plus placebo. The method of artificial conditioned speech connections was made use of. Three statistically balanced trials were always carried out: before, and one and two hours after the administration of the tested drug combinations during the early and late forenoon hours. The investigation-sets consisted of two optic, two complex tactile, and two acoustic associations. The criteria for the evaluation of the results were the number of repetitions necessary for mastering the given task, then the number of correct responses and the frequencies of responses in the first eight repetitions of the sets when the active knowledge of the persons under investigation was tested. 2. One hour after the application, there appeared a statistically significant impairment in NNR and NCR, both after ethanol alone and ethanol in combinations with diazepam and meclophenoxate. The frequency of responses was impaired only after the combination of ethanol plus diazepam. 3. Two hours after the administration, the combinations of ethanol plus diazepam and ethanol plus meclophenoxate impaired significantly the number of necessary repetitions. NCR impairment was observed only after application of ethanol with diazepam. Ethanol administered separately did not impair the followed up characteristics of learning. 4. The most marked effect appeared during the formation of artificial conditioned speech connections with acoustic stimuli.

Acute effects of ethanol (0.5 mg/kg) and its interaction with diazepam (5 mg) and meclophenoxate (100 mg) on the blood pressure, the body temperature and the heart rate in man.

1. In the course of an experiment in which acute effects of perorally applied ethanol alone (0.5 g/kg of body weight) or in combination with diazepam (5 mg) and meclophenoxate (100 mg) on verbal learning were studied, the values of the blood pressure, the body temperature and the heart rate of experimental subject were simultaneously registered with the help of polyphysiograph Physiomat. 2. The method of artificial conditioned speech connections was adopted. The experimental subjects were 16 healthy and unfatigued volunteers - university students (8 females, 8 males, age 21 years). The investigation-sets consisted of two optic, two complex tactile, and two acoustic associations. Three trials were always carried out: before, and one and two hours after the administration of the studied drugs. 3. The values of the blood pressure, the body temperature and the heart rate were not significantly influenced by the applied substances. Only two hours after application of ethanol in combination with diazepam, a marked decrease of systolic and diastolic blood pressure was registered in comparison with the values observed after application of placebo.