Nine strains of Yersinia species isolated from pigs and dogs in Korea, comprising 5 strains of Yersinia enterocolitica, 2 strains of Y. kristensenii and each strain of Y. pseudo-tuberculosis and Y. intermedia, were examined for the presence of virulence-associated plasmids, calcium dependency and provocation of guinea pig conjunctivitis (Sereny test). Three strains of Y. enterocolitica isolated from pigs were positive in calcium dependency and harbored one plasmid of about 45 megadalton, but negative in Sereny test

To elucidate the physiological characteristics of histamine receptor of the isolated renal artery in dog, effects of various receptor blockers and Ca++ channel blockers on the contractile responses of histamine were investigated in the isolated renal artery of dog. Histamine caused the contraction in the isolated renal artery of dog, and the contractile responses increased between the concentration of 5 x 10** (-6)M and 10** (-2)M in dose-dependent manner. The contractile response induced by histamine (10** (-3)M) was not blocked by pretreatment with atropine (10** (-6)M), phentolamine (10** (-6)M), propranolol (10** (-6)M) or cimetidine (10** (-6)M), but was completely blocked by pretreatment with pyrilamine (10** (-6)M). The contractility induced by histamine (10** (-3)M) was decreased in the Ca++ free medium. The contractile response induced by histamine (10** (-3)M) was decreased in the Ca++ free medium. The contractility induced by histamine (10** (-3)M) was markedly inhibited by pretreatment with papaverine (5x10** (-5)M) or verapamil (5x10** (-5)M). After the pre-contraction induced by norepinephrine (10** (-7)M) or prostaglandin F2 alpha (5x10** (-6)M), the contractile response induced by the additional treatment of histamine (10** (-3)M) was markedly increased compared with that of histamine (10** (-3)M) alone

A total of 13 synchronized dairy cattle (Holstein) were used to determine pregnancy rates in relation to plasma progesterone, estradiol-17-beta levels and serum chemical values on the day of last PGF 2 alpha injection and day of frozen/thawed bovine embryo transfer. The pregnancy rate of recipients with 1.0-4.0ng/ml of progesterone levels at the day of last PGF 2 alpha injection was higher than that of recipients with below 1.0ng/ml or above 4.0ng/ml of progesterone levels. On the day of transfer, optimal progesterone levels were between 1.0ng/ml and 4.0ng/ml coinciding with a pregnancy rate of 88.9 %. Pregnancy rate decreased when progesterone levels were below 1.0ng/ml (33.3 %) or above 4.0ng/ml (0 %). Corpus luteum grade did not affect pregnancy rate and this result revealed that manual palpation of corpus luteum was not valid criterion of corpus luteum function. Progesterone levels as well as pregnancy rate did not significantly differ whether the corpus luteum was on the right (1.62 +- 1.33ng/ml; 63.5 %) or left ovary (1.99 +- 0.61ng/ml; 85.0 %). Estradiol-17-beta levels were not significantly different between pregnant and nonpregnant recipients, but estradiol-17-beta levels (82.2 +- 13.5 VS. 72.3 +- 10.1pg/ml) were higher at below 1.0 ng/ml of progesterone. Total cholesterol levels on the day last PGF 2 alpha injection and day of transfer did not affect pregnancy rate. Calcium and inorganic phoshorus levels belonged to normal range in most of the recipients. These range did not affect pregnancy rate. In reviewing above results, plasma progesterone levels (1.0-4.0ng/ml) at the time of transfer are diagnostic value for screening recipients prior to transfer of frozen/thawed bovine embryos