The molecule possessing ankyrin-repeats induced by lipopolysaccharide (MAIL) protein is a novel member of the Ikappaβ family. In the present study, we examined the effect of norepinephrine (NE) on MAIL mRNA expression in primary cultured mouse hepatocytes and non-parenchymal liver cells. MAIL mRNA expression in hepatocytes and non-parenchymal liver cells was not directly influenced by NE. However, MAIL mRNA expression in hepatocytes was significantly induced by incubation with a culture medium of non-parenchymal liver cells, treated with NE. Pretreatment with an interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist significantly attenuated the stimulatory effect of the medium. Moreover, exogenous IL-1β induced MAIL mRNA expression in hepatocytes, while IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor α did not. The concentration of IL-1β in the medium of non-parenchymal liver cells was significantly increased after NE-treatment. These results suggest that NE can induce MAIL mRNA expression in hepatocytes through IL-1β, released from non-parenchymal liver cells.

Carnosine is a dipeptide (β-alanyl-L-histidine) found in mammalian brain, eye, olfactory bulb and skeletal muscle at high concentrations. Its biological functions include antioxidant and anti-glycation activities. The objectives of this study were to investigate anti-diabetic effects of carnosine as determined by blood glucose levels, glucose tolerance test (GTT), glycosylated emoglobin, and serum biochemical and lipid levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. There were five experimental groups including normal (ICR mice), control (saline), and three groups of carnosine at doses of 6, 30, and 150 mg/kg b.w.. Carnosine was orally administered to the diabetic mice everyday for 12 weeks. There was no significant difference in body weight changes in carnosine-treated groups compared to the control. The treatments of carnosine at the dose of 6 mg/kg significantly decreased the blood glucose level compared with the control at 2 and 4 weeks. The treatments of carnosine at the doses of 6 and 30 mg/kg significantly decreased the blood glucose levels in GTT and glycosylated hemoglobin compared with the control. Carnosine significantly increased total proteins compared with the control. Carnosine at the dose of 6 mg/kg significantly decreased total cholesterol and triglyceride in the serum compared to the control. These results suggest that carnosine at a low level has a hypoglycermic effect resulting from reduction of blood glucose and that a carnosine-containing diet or drug may give a benefit for controlling diabetes mellitus in humans.

Members of the genus Brucella are facultative intracellular bacteria and cause brucellosis, a chronic disease in humans and abortion in animals. In this study, we tested sera for brucellosis of 15 Hanwoo farms in the western part of Gyeong-buk province, resulting 5 farms were brucellosis positive in 2008. We collected blood from 277 heads in the brucellosis positive 5 farms, and performed serological diagnosis, brucella positive cattle which had shown higher than 200 antibody titer in tube agglutination test were slaughtered, supramammary lymph nodes were collected, and Brucella spp. wild type isolation and identification were performed. From these results, 15 of Brucella spp. wild type strains were isolated and all strains were identified as B. abortus biotype 1 by biological and molecular analysis. In the antimicrobial susceptibility test, all 15 strains had a similar susceptibility and resistance pattern. This study may be useful for bacteriological and epidemiological understanding of cattle brucellosis in Korea.

This study was carried out to find whether phenidone (1-phenyl-3-pyrazolidinone), a cyclooxygenase as well as a lipoxygenase inhibitor, exhibits the preventive effect on carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced acute liver injury in rats. Rats were pretreated with phenidone at a dose of 50 or 200 mg/kg (p.o.) once daily for 3 consecutive days before CCl₄ administration. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were measured. Malondialdehyde (MDA) production was determined as an index of lipid peroxidation in the liver and serum. The histopathological changes in the liver were also examined in each group. The reduction in body weights was significantly inhibited in the phenidone-treated group than in the CCl₄ control group. Significant increase in the relative liver weights of the phenidone-treated groups was observed compared with either the vehicle or CCl₄ groups. Elevation of serum AST and ALT activities occurred after CCl₄ treatment was significantly attenuated by the pretreatment with phenidone. The elevation of MDA levels in liver and serum were completely inhibited in phenidone-treated groups. The protective effects on phenidone-treated groups were confirmed histopathologically. These results suggest that phenidone may be a useful protector through modulation of hepatic inflammation in CCl₄-induced acute liver injury.

Recently, the number of stray dogs is proportionate to the increase of the number of the companion dogs. Sarcoptic scabiei var canis, causing scabies, is one of the most important canine zoonotic arthropods in Korea and around the world. Thus, we have tried to know the prevalence of canine scabies in the stray dogs in Korea. A total of 565 stray dogs were collected from the rescue centers all over the country from Jan. 2006 to Dec. 2006. They were grouped with euthanasia or natural death and examined for the gender and age estimated by dental formula. To identify the lesions, the whole body was grossly examined and tested pathologically. Thirty two (5.66%) of 565 dogs were diagnosed as canine scabies. Dogs from urban areas had fewer scabies (0.62%) than those of rural areas (12.5%). Prevalence of scabies in male and female dogs was no difference as 5.96% and 5.25%. Euthanasia group showed higher prevalence (6.48%) than natural death group (2.44%) in scabies. Old dogs over five years showed lower infestration (1.82%) in scabies. In histopathological findings, there were mites in the burrows formed in the subcorneal space. Acanthosis, hyperkeratosis with crust, and vascular dilatation were main findings. One hundred thirteen (20%) of 565 stray dogs were diagnosed to have skin disease. Among them, canine scabies is the most prominent ectoparasite as 5.66 %. With previous reports on human infection in Korea, canine scabies must be regarded as the important zoonotic canine skin disease. Accordingly, for the human and canine hygiene it is imperative that stray dogs with skin problems are segregated and tested for the parasites to treat properly as soon as arriving at rescue shelter.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the osteogenic capacity of water extract of danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge). We have established in rat critical-sized calvarial defect model using the combination with collagen scaffold and danshen hydrophilic extract. All rats were extinguished at 8 weeks after bone graft surgery, and the bone regeneration ability of bone grafting sides was evaluated by plain radiography and micro-CT. These results revealed water extract of danshen had the potential to promote osteogenesis especially continuous oral administration with local treatment compared to one-shot local treatment. This compound may provide a new alternative agent for growth factors to promote bone healing and bone regeneration. In conclusion, these results suggest that danshen hydrophilic extract have the potential to promote osteogenesis in bone defects. Further studies about fusion technology with salvianolic acid B, peptides, growth factors, and scaffolds using of the combination of tissue engineering, cell engineering and mechanical engineering are needed.

In this study, we investigated the biological activities such as anti-tumor, anti-oxidant and antiinflammatory activities as well as single oral dose toxicity of fermented Rhus verniciflua extract (FRVE). In order to examine anti-tumor activity of FRVE, the sarcoma 180 cells were treated with FRVE at various concentrations (0.03, 0.3, 3 and 30 mg/mL) in microtetrazolium (MTT) assay. In MTT assay, all the cells treated with FRVE at various concentrations have shown a significant difference compared with control (p less than 0.05). In xanthine oxidase inhibition assay to examine the antioxidant activity, the xanthine oxidase inhibition rate of FRVE at 1.5 mg/mL and 15 mg/mL was 85±15.01% and 99±16.02%, respectively. Nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 cells showed that FRVE showed a significant anti-inflammation effect at 3 mg/mL (p less than 0.05). In single oral dose toxicity study, no differences were observed between control and treated groups in clinical signs, body weight gains, feed and water consumptions. The results indicated that lethal dose 50 (LD∧50) of FRVE was found to be higher than 5,000 mg/kg in this experiment. From the above results, we may suggest that FRVE might have useful as a material for functional food and/ or animal pharmaceutics.

Among 203 avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) isolated from poultry with colibacillosis in korea, 14 isolates were selected from total 68 isolates transferred R plasmid and classified into 5 groups on the basis of antimicrobial minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) pattern, farm source and O serotype. An association between clonal origin and R plasmid of them was investigated by R plasmid profile, restriction endonuclease analysis and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The strains that showed the same or very similar antimicrobial MIC pattern, but different farm source and O serotype, revealed different PFGE pattern, which seemed to be different clonal origin. And the strains that showed the same MIC pattern and O serotype, revealed different PFGE pattern, seemed to be originated from different clone. Also the strains showing the same MIC pattern and farm source, but different O serotype, revealed to be different clonal origin. The strains that showed the same or similar MIC pattern, farm source, and O serotype, revealed identical or similar PFGE pattern, which seemed to belong to be one clone. Meanwhile, horizontal transfer of R plasmid seems to be common in APEC with regardless of O serotype and clone of the strains. These results indicate that rapid and accurate epidemiological survey of APEC can be possible by the combination of O serotyping, plasmid profiling and PFGE analysis following the classification of them into groups of antimicrobial drug resistance pattern.

The objective of this study was to investigate the infection rate of gastro-intestinal tract parasites on acquired laboratory nonhuman primates, Vervet monkey, Cynomolgus monkey, and Rhesus monkey acquired from Japan and China. These monkeys have been acclimating at an individual housing condition after our legal quarantine period. We examined 133 fecal samples to investigate parasitic infection using direct smear and formalin-ether-sedimentation technique. As a result, total parasitic infection rate was 33.8% (n=45/133) for all monkeys. Two species of macaques, cynomolgus and rhesus, were infected with Trichuris trichiura (4), Giardia lamblia (4) and Balantidium coli (41). Vervet monkeys, which had been controlled by individual housing system for a long time, were clear for parasitic infection. The protozoan, Balantidium coli was one of the most frequently detected in these monkey colonies. Double infection was noted in only 4 monkeys and involved with Trichuris trichiura and Balantidium coli. Serious clinical symptoms were not observed in the most of the infected monkeys, but the monkeys infected by Giardia lamblia showed intermittent or chronic watery diarrhea. Consequently, the prophylactic anthelmintic treatment and periodic monitoring are essential to preserve the SPF colonies in the laboratory facility.

Protein expression patterns in Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) strains with diverse phenotypes, such as phage type, antibiotic resistance pattern and plasmid profiles were examined. For detailed analysis of proteins expressed by different S. Typhimurium strains, protein fractions were divided into detergent-rich phase (DP) and aqueous phase (AP) using triton X-114 detergent. The two phases were subjected to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), followed by protein identification using peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF). In the results, PMF showed that DP fractions consisted mainly of outer membrane proteins, whereas the AP fractions included cytosolic proteins. Comparison of 2-DE profiles of DP did not show any distinct protein spots which could be correlated with phage type, antibiotic resistance pattern or plasmid profile. However, comparisons of 2-DE profiles of the AP revealed differences in the protein spots, which could be correlated with the plasmid profile and phage types. Among these protein spots, flagellin was specific for strains containing a 90 kb plasmid. Compared to DT193 phage type, three protein spots in the range of pI 5.0-5.5 and MW 8-15 kDa of AP 2-DE profiles were absent in the DT104 phage types. Additionally, a protein spot with PI in the range of 4.5-5.0 and molecular weight (MW) between 51-69 kDa was specific for phage type DT104, while a protein spot with pI in the range of 4.0-4.8 and MW between 18-20 kDa was specific for DT193 phage type. These protein spots may be useful for discriminating phage types of S. Typhimurium.