To elucidate the involvement of interleukin-1beta converting enzyme (ICE) in the courseof experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), we induced EAE by immunizing rats with an emulsion of rat spinal cord homogenate with complete Freund's adjuvant supplemented with Mycobacterium tuberculosis(H37Ra, 5mg/ml) and then examined the expression of ICE in the spinal cord of rats with EAE. In normal rate spinal cords, ICE is constitutively, but weakly, expressed in ependmal cells, neurons, and some neuroglial cells. In EAE, many inflammatory cells are positive for ICE, and the majority of ICE+ cells were identified as ED1+ macrophages. During this stage of EAE, the number of ICE+ cells in brain cells, including neurons and astrocytes, increased and these cells also had incresed ICE immunoreactivity. These findings suggest that the upregulation of ICE in both brain cells and invading hematogenous cells is stimulated by a secretory product from inflammatory cells, and that this enzyme is involved in the pathogenesis of EAE via the production of IL-1 beta.

Field infectious bursal disease viruses 9IBDVs) were isolated from IBDV-suspected commercial chickens. The variable region in VP2 gene of six Korean IBDV isolates (K-IBDVs) and IBD vaccines was examined using the reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RT/PCR-RFLP) assay. With all K-IBDVs and vaccine IBDVs, a 474-bp fragment of the VP2 gene was amplified and tested with various restriction enzymes. Resseriction enzymes BstNI and StyI differentiated K-IBDV isolates and IBD vaccines into four groups. Reseriction enzyme profiles of K-IBDV isolates were different from them of IBD vaccines. K-IBDV isolates except for 310 isolate had specific SspI and TaqI recognition sites, which were recognized in highly virulent IBDVs, but IBD vaccines had no those sites. This study showed that RT/PCR-RFLP assay was thought to be valuable tool for differentiation of IBDVs and identification of highly virulent IBDV.

Ontogeny, distributions and relative frequencies of somatostatin-immunoreactive cells were investigated in the proventriculus of the chicken embryos with incubation periods. Samples were taken from 10 groups(10 days of incubation to hatching) and studied by immunogistochemical methods. The findings were as follows. Somatostatin-immunoreactive cells were observed from 12 days of incubation in the proventricular glands and after that increased with incubation periods. The first observation time of these cells in the epithelium were at 15 days of incubation in the basal portion but in 16 and 17 days of incubation, no immunoreactive cells were observed in the epithelium but after that a few immunoreactive cells were observed in the basal portion and gastric gland regions. The shpaes of these cells were spherical to spindle in the proventricular glands and spherical to round in the epithlium and gastric gland.

This study was performed to report the outbreaks of canine intestinal spirochetosis and to characterize the canine isolates. Three canine isolates were weakly beta-hemolytic and had sharp end shape with 5 flagella. Isolates didn't produce indole but fermented fructose. In API-ZYM∨_ study, isolates were alpha-glucosidase negative and alpha-galactosidase positive, which is the typical characteristics of B. pilosicoli. In multilocus enzyme electrophoresis(MEE) study, isolates were divided into 2 electrophoretic types.

Q-fever is a vector-borne (Coxiella [C.] burnetii) zoonotic disease that is an increasing public health concern. To date, some research about Q-fever prevalence in dairy herds and human patients has been reported in Korea, but information about Korean native cattle is scarce. To measure the prevalence rates of C. burnetii in Korean native cattle, a total of 1,095 bovine serum samples collected during 2010~2013 were analyzed with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Sixty-eight heads of cattle were diagnosed as positive and while 19 heads were suspected (positive rate = 6.2%). Interestingly, Jeju province had a seropositivity rate six times greater than that of other provinces (18.9% vs. 3.2%). High seroprevalence might be caused by wide distribution of ticks in Jeju province compared to other regions. Based on these data, extensive monitoring of C. burnetii infection in cattle, tick distribution, and climate changes is required.

To characterize the roles of C-peptide in vascular homeostatic processes, we examined the genes regulated by C-peptide in LEII mouse lung microvascular endothelial cells. Treatment of the cells with C-peptide increased the expression of c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) mRNA dose-dependently, accompanied by an increase in JNK1 protein content. Prior treatment of the cells with PD98059, an ERK kinase inhibitor or SB203580, a p38MAPK inhibitor, abrogated the C-peptide-elicited JNK1 mRNA expression. These results indicate that C-peptide increases JNK1 protein levels, possibly through ERK- and p38MAPK-dependent activation of JNK gene transcription.

The scarcity of green during summer months imposes nutritional stress on farm animals. In this study we examined the effect of nutritional stress on various biochemical parameters of rabbits.Control and green deprived groups each of 20, weaned New Zealand White rabbits, of either sex, were randomly placed and observed for two months. Then green was re-introduced in deprived group for again two months. Blood sera harvested at every 15th day and analyzed using RA 50 Chemistry auto analyzer. Significant (p0.05) decrease of alkaline phosphatase (AKP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and increase in gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and serum cholesterol was observed in rabbits green deprived group.

Com o propósito de avaliar o perfil bioquímico de algumas enzimas, em potras sadias da raça BH (Brasileiro de Hipismo), utilizaram-se 380 amostras de plasma sangüíneo colhidas de 19 animais desde o nascimento até 24 meses de vida. Na análise dos resultados evidenciou-se que os valores médios das enzimas FA (fosfatase alcalina) e CK (creatina quinase ) foram máximos entre o nascimento e 24 horas de vida (FA-1995.50 UI/ ; CK-189.13UI/L), enquanto que para a LD (lactato desidrogenase) e GGT (gama glutamiltransferase) as maiores magnitudes ocorreram, respectivamente, entre 3 e 4 dias (LD-479.11UI/L) e aos 10 dias de idade (GGT-18.70UI/L). As FA, CK, LD e GGT, mostraram diminuições dos valores médios, respectivamente, até 6 meses (FA-323.50UI/L), 20 dias (CK-51UI/ L), 19 meses (LD-214.00UI/L) e 4 meses (GGT-11.40UI/L) estabilizando-se a seguir, com pequenas variações. A atividade da AST (aspartato aminotransferase) que foi mínima logo após o nascimento (AST- 43.38UI/L), aumentou até os sete dias de vida (AST-110.89UI/L), e a seguir diminuiu progressivamente, com pequenas oscilações, até o final do estudo. Todas as enzimas avaliadas sofreram variações influenciadas pelo fator etário, particularmente no período inicial de vida dos animais estudados. | 380 plasma samples were used with the purpose of evaluate the biochemical profile of some enzymes in healthy BH (Brasileiro de Hipismo) fillies. These samples were collected from 19 animals since birth until 24 months of age. The results showed that the mean values of ALP (alkaline phosphatase) and CK (creatine kinase) were higher between birth and 24 hours of life (FA-1995.50 UI/; CK-189.13UI/L), whereas for LD (lactate dehidrogenase) and GGT (gama glutamiltransferase) the highest values were, respectively, between 3 and 4 days (LD-479.11UI/L) and with 10 days of life (GGT-18.70UI/ L). AP, CK, LD and GGT showed a reduction of the mean values, respectively, until 6 months (FA-323.50UI/L), 20 days (CK-51UI/ L), 19 months (LD-214.00 UI/L) and 4 months (GGT-11.40UI/L) stabilizing with some oscillations. The activity of AST (aspartate aminotransferase) was minimal after birth (AST- 43.38UI/L) increased until the seventh day of life (AST-110.89UI/L) and next it diminished progressively with little oscillations until the end of the study. All enzymes evaluated were influenced by age, particularly in the initial period of life of the animals studied.