The influence of lipophilic and hydrophilic fraction of silver fir (Abies alba) branch extract on responsiveness of isolated human brain vessels

Cerebrovaskularne in nevrodegenerativne bolezni prizadenejo milijone ljudi po svetu in predstavljajo veliko tveganje za zdravje ljudi. Zaradi staranja populacije je razširjenost vedno večja. Med najbolj razširjenimi bolezenskimi stanji sta možganska kap in Alzheimerjeva bolezen. Obe bolezni sta povezani z možgani. Pri možganski kapi gre za akutno stanje, ki povzroča ishemijo možganov. Alzheimerjeva bolezen pa je kronična progresivna nevrodegenerativna bolezen pri kateri so v ospredju znaki demence. Dandanes znanstveniki želijo s pomočjo študij razviti nova in učinkovitejša zdravila za njuno zdravljenje, vendar pri tem velik izziv predstavlja krvno-možganska pregrada zaradi posebnosti v anatomski zgradbi in selektivni prepustnosti. Namen magistrske naloge je bil ugotoviti vpliv lipofilne in hidrofilne frakcije iz izvlečka vej bele jelke (Abies alba) na odzivnost človeških možganskih arterij. Predvidevali smo, da bosta obe frakciji tako lipofilna kot hidrofilna frakcija relaksirali možganske arterije. Poleg tega smo predvidevali, da je mehanizem relaksacije povezan z aktivacijo endotelijske sintaze dušikovega oksida. Merili smo izometrično silo krčenja žilnih obročkov in ugotavljali odziv po štirih različnih protokolih. Ugotavljali smo ali frakciji povzročata relaksacijo ali krčitev žilnih obročkov (protokol 1), mehanizem delovanja (protokol 2), učinek frakcij na histamin (protokol 3) in učinek na žile obročke po daljši inkubaciji s preiskovano frakcijo (protokol 4). Rezultati so prikazani v obliki grafov. Med seboj smo primerjali odzive izoliranih žilnih obročkov na lipofilno in hidrofilno frakcijo po posameznih protokolih. Ugotovili smo, da ima lipofilna frakcija sprostitveni učinek na izolirane žilne obročke. Pri hidrofilni frakciji pa se je izkazalo, da žilne obročke krči. Ugotovili smo tudi, da sproščanje žilnih obročkov pri lipofilni frakciji ni značilno povezano z aktivacijo NOS sistema. Sprostitveni učinek lipofilne frakcije na človeške možganske arterije bi lahko predstavljal potencial uporabe izvlečka vej bele jelke pri zdravljenju tudi nevrodegenerativnih bolezni.Cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases affect millions of people worldwide and represent a high risk for human health. As the population ages, the prevalence is increasing. Brain stroke and Alzheimer´s disease are among the most common. Both are connected with the brain. Brain stroke is an acute condition, which causes ischemia of the brain. Alzheimer´s disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease of which the most common sight is dementia. Nowadays, with the help of studies scientists want to develop new and more effective drugs for their treatment, but the brain blood barrier represent a great challenge due to special features of the anatomical structure and selective permeability. The purpose of the master´s thesis was to determine the effect of liphophilic and hydrophilic fraction of silver fir (Abies alba) branch extract on the responsiveness of human brain arteries. We predicted that both fractions, liphophilic as well as hydrophilic will relax brain arteries. We also predicted that the mechanism of relaxation is connected with endothelial nitric oxide synthase. We measured the isometric force of contraction of the vascular rings and determined the response according to four different protocols. We determined if fractions cause relaxation or contraction of vascular rings (protocol 1), working mechanism (protocol 2), effect of fraction on histamine (protocol 3) and effect on vascular rings after incubation with researched fraction (protocol 4). The results are presented in the form of graphs. We compared the responses of isolated vascular rings on lipophilic and hydrophilic fraction among themselves. And we discovered that lipophilic fraction has a relaxing effect on isolated vascular rings. But hydrophilic fraction caused contraction of vascular rings. We also discovered that working mechanism of lipophilic fraction is not typically connected with NOS system. The relaxing effect of the lipophilic fraction on the human brain arteries could mean a potential for silver fir branch extract to be used in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases