Eosinophilic myositis lesions are characterized by severe eosinophil infiltration along muscles of affected animals. The exact cause of the lesion remains controversial and the carcass is condemned once this lesion is seen during meat inspection. A cow slaughtered in Chonbuk province, Korea was observed to have disseminated pale foci throughout the musculature; meat samples were obtained and macroscopically investigated. Cut ends of neck and thigh muscle tissues showed variably sized, multifocal pale white-grayish nodular lesions. Histopathological examination consistently revealed inflammatory lesions with adjacent infiltration of eosinophilic granulocytes and focal necrotic calcification. However, no parasites, including Sarcocystis sp., could be discerned in the affected carcass. This case was diagnosed as idiopathic eosinophilic myositis in cattle.

A 3-year-old spayed female Persian feline with non regenerative anemia showed persistent autoagglutination in EDTA anticoagulated blood. Primary immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) was suspected and the underlying causes for IMHA were excluded by radiologic, sonographic, serologic and molecular studies. Cytologic examination of the bone marrow revealed that dysmyelopoiesis and dysplastic changes were prominent in the erythroid cells. These changes included asynchronous maturation of the nucleus and cytoplasm, binucleation, trinucleation, fragmented or lobulated nuclei and multilineages. Mild dysgranulopoiesis and dysmegakaryocytopoiesis were also detected including pseudo Pelger-Huet anomalies, giant band neutrophils, asynchronous maturation of the nucleus and cytoplasm in granulopoiesis and large hypolobulated forms as well as dwarf megakaryocytes in megakaryocy-topoiesis. Myelodysplastic syndrome and congenital dysmyelopoiesis was ruled out by the low number of blast cells. Finally, secondary dysmyelopoiesis associated with IMHA was diagnosed and immuno-suppressive treatment was successfully responsive.

Portosystemic shunt (PSS) was diagnosed in 43 dogs by mesenteric portogram from January, 2002 to June 2007 in Haemaru referral animal hospital. PSS was found in various breeds including Maltese, Miniature Schnauzer and Yorkshire Terrier and there was no predisposition in gender. In laboratory parameters, mean cell volume was lower than normal value in single shunt and alanine aminotransferase was higher than normal range in multiple shunts with clinical significance. Cystic calculi were found in over 50% dogs with PSS and even in 70.8% dogs with single shunt. In 81% dogs with PSS, extrahepatic single shunt such as portocarval type and portoazygous type was identified. Extrahepatic multiple shunt and intrahepatic single shunt were observed in 4 dogs, respectively. Gradual attenuation using ameroid constrictor was applied to 35 dogs with extrahepatic single shunt and the prognosis of these dogs were good except two dogs, which showed poor prognosis because of acquired multiple PSS and renal disease unrelated with PSS, respectively.

This study describes thoracic radiographic features of normal premature minipigs at the age of 4, 8, 12 and 20 weeks. The evaluation for appearance, shape, contour, location and extent of distribution of thoracic organs was recorded through right lateral and ventrodorsal thoracic radiographs. The size of the tracheal diameter, cranial mediastinum, and the heart were measured, and information about the correlation of each organ in their thoracic conformation could be obtained. Although there were limitations with plain thoracic radiographs, basic characteristics and data for thoracic radiographs of normal premature minipigs according to each age were useful.

A calmodulin-dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) sandwich fusion protein was generated by insertion of calmodulin into the β-bulge region of DHFR to observe the effects of structurally constraining the calmodulin structure. The calcium binding properties of the sandwich protein were almost identical to calmodulin. Similar to calmodulin (10.7 μM), the sandwich protein bound four equivalents of calcium, with half saturation (K∧0.5) observed at a [Ca²+] of 8 μM. However, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) kinase activation property of the sandwich protein was lower than that of calmodulin. The sandwich protein activated NAD kinase, but to only half of the level obtained with calmodulin. The K∧0.5 for both calmodulin and the sandwich protein were approximately the same (1-2 nM). Methylation analyses of the sandwich protein show that insertion of calmodulin into DHFR results in a large decrease in methylation. The V∧max observed with the sandwich protein (95 nmole/min/ml) was only 22% of the value observed with calmodulin (436 nmol/min/ml) in the presence of calcium. Addition of trimethoprim to the reaction significantly inhibited the observed methylation rate. Overall, the data suggest that the insertion of calmodulin into the DHFR structure has little effect on calcium binding by the individual lobes of calmodulin, but may constrain the lobes in a manner that results in altered interaction with the calmodulin-dependent proteins and severly perturbed the methyltransferase recognition site.

This study was conducted to investigate incidence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing strains and characteristics of ESBL gene in pathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from poultry during the period from April 2003 to December 2005 in Korea. Among 203 isolates, 4 isolates (3 from broilers and 1 from layer) were confirmed as ESBL producing strains by double disk synergy test, polymerase chain reaction and sequencing for β-lactamase genes. bla∧CTX-M-15 and bla∧CMY-2 were detected in these 4 isolates and were transferred to recipient by conjugation, respectively. Also, these ESBL producing strains were associated with multiple drug resistance. In conclusion, these results exhibit incidence of CTX-M and CMY-2 β-lactamase in pathogenic E coli from poultry in Korea, and clinically important meaning in human. And they also suggest the needs for rapid and broad surveillance to monitor ESBL genes and R plasmid transferring resistant gene in poultry.

This study was to evaluate the efficacy of single dose Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyo)-vaccination in the swine farms which had different serological patterns of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). A minimum of 240 pigs from each farm was applied, allocating M. hyo vaccinated and control groups. The PRRSV and PCV2 infections were analyzed by serological method (commercial ELISA kit). After administrating pigs a single dose of M. hyo vaccine or control saline at 3 weeks of age, serum antibodies to M. hyo, PRRSV and PCV2 were monitored at 4, 10, 16 and 22 weeks of age. Mortality, weight changes feed conversion ratio (FCR) and lung score were also evaluated. A single-dose vaccination of M. hyo bacterin was efficacious to reduce mycoplasmal lung lesions and induce good humoral immune response. However, FCR was improved only in one of the three farms where showed seronegative status to both PRRSV and PCV2 in the period from 4 to 16 weeks of age. These results might imply that M. hyo vaccine alone could not overcome the PRRSV and PCV2 infection-associated wasting in the field condition. Therefore, the control of PRRSV and PCV2 should be considered to obtain the better effects of M. hyo vaccination.

The cDNA of the aquabirnavirus, GC-1 isolated from rockfish Sebastes schlegeli in Korea, was synthesized using the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences were determined from cDNA of the VP2-NS-VP3 coding region of genome segment A. The nucleotide sequences of the segment A were 3,086 base pairs (bp) in length and contained large open reading frame (ORF) and terminal sequences. The large ORF was comprised of 2,916 bp nucleotides and composed of 972 deduced amino acid sequences. Pairwise comparisons were made with other aquabirnavirus sequences published previously. The study of genetic relationships between GC-1 and aquabirnaviruses in the large ORF and VP2 coding regions demonstrated that the GC-1 has the nearest genetic relationship with the marine birnaviruses (MABV strains), and the GC-1 and MABV strains can be clustered as the same genogroup. GC-1 can be included in MABV, which is the 7th genogroup of family Aquabirnaviridae.

One hundred and sixty nine Escherichia (E.) coli strains isolated from fecal samples of aquatic birds in Geumho river basin and Dalseong park were tested by agar dilution method to determine their susceptibility patterns to 14 antimicrobial agents. The distribution of tetracycline resistance determinants (tetA, tetB, tetC, tetD and tetE) were also examined by PCR in 76 tetracycline-resistant (TC∨r) E. coli isolated. The high resistance was observed in tetracycline, cephalothin and ampicillin (45.0~36.7%). Resistance of E. coli isolates derived from Dalseong park to tetracycline, cephalothin, ampicillin and streptomycin (65.7~44.8%) were significantly higher than those isolated from Geumho river basin (31.4~14.7%). About seventy percent (70.4%) of the strains isolated were resistant to one or more drugs tested. Thirty (39.5%) of 76 TC∨r E. coli isolates which were resistant to one or more drugs transferred all or a part of their resistance patterns to the recipient strain of E. coli J53 by conjugation. All of TC∨r E. coli isolates contained at least one or more of 5 tet genes examined. The most common genes found in these isolates were tetA (60.6%) and followed by tetB (7.9%) and tetC (1.3%). However, tetD and tetD and tetE were ant found in any of the isolates tested. Twenty one (27.6%) of TC∨r E. coli isolates had two determinants, tetA/tetB (20 strains), tetA/tetC (1 strain). And two strains (2.6%) contained three determinants (tetA/tetB/tetC).

A two-year-old mixed breed sow was requested to the Veterinary Pathology Laboratory of Cheju National University with a clinical signs of severe abdominal pain and sudden death. Grossly, there was severe hemorrhage in abdominal cavity. Most of internal parenchymas and subcutaneous muscle showed severe pale discoloration. Both ovaries were enlarged with oval to round protruding multilobular masses and dark red in color. And they were firm and contained multiple small cysts in their cut surface. Histopathologically, numerous neoplastic granulosa cells had spherical-to-oval, hyperchromatic nuclei and scant eosinophilic cytoplasms were distributed with follicular pattern in ovarian masses. And the typical Call-Exner bodies, distinctive microcanityies, were observed in the center of small neoplastic follicles. Based on the gross and histopathologic findings, this case was diagnosed as granulosa cell tumor. In our best knowledge, this is believed to be the first report of granulosa cell tumor in a sow in Korea.