This study was carried out to determine the effects of beta-carotene on the control of mastitis in dairy cows during the dry period. The relationship between the levels of plasma beta-carotene and the status of udder health in Holstein dairy cows were investigated. Blood samples were collected from 117 cows to compare the levels of plasma beta-carotene in lactating cows. The levels of plasma beta-carotene were 1.82 micro gram/ml in healthy cows(n=65) and 1.12 micro gram/ml in mastitic cows(n=52), respectively(p0.01). In the experiment to compare the level of plasma beta-caroten in the cows at different stages of lactation, the plasma beta-carotene levels were 1.73 micro gram/ml in lactating cows(n

We have studied, by a nonisotopic in situ end-laveling(ISEL) technique, frequency of apoptosis in the external granular layer(EGL) of the cerebellum of immature mice by Y-rays irradiation from 60Co or diagnostic ultrasound exposure. The total number of normal cells and cells showing morphological features of apoptosis were counted. The frequency of apoptotic cells was expressed as a percentage of the total number of cells in EGL. The extent of changes following 200 cGy(1090 cGy/min) was studied at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, or 24 hours after exposure. The maximal frequency was found 6~8 hours after exposure. The immature mice that received 18, 36, 54, 108, 198, 396, cGY of y-rays or diagnostic ultrasound(7.5MHz, 4.2mW, Ispta=7.9mW/cm2, Ispta=114.3W/cm2) for 10 or 30 minutes were examined 6 hours after irradiation. Measurements performed after y-ray irradiation showed a dose-related increase in apoptotic cells in each of the mice studied. The dose-response curves were analyzed by a linear-quadratic model;frequency of apoptotic cell in the EGL was y=(0.1349+_0.01175)D+(-0.0001522+_0.0000334)D2+0.048(r2=0.981, D-dose in cGy). In the experiment of ultrasound exposure, the frequency of apoptotic cell was 0.106+_0.130(10 minutes exposure) and 0.167+_0.220(30 minutes exposure). We estimated the relative dose of the yield from the experiment with ultrasound by substituting the yield from ultrasound exposure into the curve from the y-irradiation. The relative dose of ultrasound exposure compared with y-irradiation were 0.432 cGY(10 minutes exposure) and 0.885 cGY(30 minutes exposure). We have found that there is no evidence to indicate that diagnostic ultrasound involves a significant risk.

The present study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of mycoplasmal pneumonia of slaughter pigs in Youngnam area during the period from 1995 to 1997. The prevalence and pathomorphology of gross lung lesions were studied from 682 slaughter pigs in 8 swine herds. Gross lesions of pneumonia were recorede in the lungs of 442(64.8%), from 367 out of them(83.0%) were diagnosed as mycoplasmal pneumonia. Microbiological examination was performed with 197 lungs with gross lesions of mycoplasmal pneumonia of slaughter pigs from 8 differentswine herds. M hyopneumoniae, P multocida, A pleuropneumoniae, Streptococcus spp, Corynebacterium spp, and H parasuis were detected in 24.4%, 48.2%, 2.5%, 11.2%, 3.6%, and 1.0% of the pneumonic lungs, respectively. A total of 48 strains of M hyopneumoniae was investigated for thier in vitro susceptibility to antibiotics. Among the drugs tested, lincomycin, oxytetracycline, tiamulin and tylosin showed the high activity in minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC) of 0.04-5 micro gram/ml while erythromycin showed low activity in MIC values(1.25~40micro gram/ml).

The study was designated to investigate the electron microscopic findings following diethylnitrosamine (DEN) treatment in rats. Forty four male (Srague Dawley) rats were continuously given water containing 0.01% DEN for 13 weeks and livers of five rats with more tumor lesions at 16 and 17 weeks after initial treatment were used as EM materials. In transmission electron microscopic findings, most small-sized hepatocytes were active cells containing large mount of organelles, but light (pale staining) hepatocyte among small-sized hepatocytes were injured cells containg disorganized organelles. Tumor cells among small-sized hepatocytes were irregularly arranged and have ;leomorphic nuclei containing electron dense chromatin but the organelles in cytoplasm were swelled. Large-sized hepatocytes were active cells with condensed chromatin but the cytoplasm of these cells were pale due to be injured and dilated organelles. Dark hepatocytes were apoptotic cells with homogenous pyknotic nuclei and cytoplasm, and the cytoplasm of these cells contained dilated smooth endoplasmic reticulum (sER) but these sER were non-vesiculated. Cholangiocarninoma cells were crowed and were pale by far less number of organelles in cytoplasm and nuclei. In scanning electron microscopic findings, the lumens of portal veins, bile canaliculi, bile ductules, bile ducts and sinusoids were dilated and have irregular folded inner surface by protruded parenchyma.

DNA hybridization assay using probes prepared from liver was carried out to identify species characterization of the domestic animals. Gel electrophoresis showed that the target DNA extracted from raw muscle were 1kb and uniform pattern while fragments size of heated muscle were irrgular. Hybridizatino was performed by adding 200ng/ml probe in hybridization solution and incubating for 12 hours at 68 degrees centigrade. To obtain good discrimination, applied washing buffer and washing step differently depending on the species. The probes of pig, horse and dog formed the specific hybrids with each target DNA respectively. Although cross reaction ws detected in cattle, goat and sheep but signal intensity among these species made the discrimination possible each other. Such pattern was the same in the cases of chicken, turkey and duck. The hybridization pattern of heated muscle was similar to that of raw muscle in general, but the signal intensity was inferior to that of raw muscle. Species identification between closely related animal species, hybridized using the target DNA of such closely related animal species as a blocking agent, remarkable increase of discrimination from the evident decrease of non specific reaction compared with the control group. In addition, in the admixture where certain meat was included in the beef, pork, chicken meat, we colud find whether any unjust meat was admixed or not. In this case, detection limit of certain meat in admixture was 1%.

This investigation was carried out to study morphological and chronological aspects of the development of the Harderian gland in the Mongolian gerbil(Meriones unguiculatus). Male and female Mongolian gerbils were sacrificed on days 1, 3, 5, 10, 30 and 60 after birth and their Harderian glands were processed for light microscopic observation. The result obtained were summarized as follows; 1. In 1-day-old Mongolian gerbil, Harderian gland was well distinguished from other tissue structures. It was composed of several immature tubules, and these tubules were separated each other by undifferentiated mesenchymal connective tissues. 2. In 3-day and 5-day-old Mongolian gerbils, the arrangement of tubules in the gland was more condensed than that of 1-day-old Mongolian gerbil. The excretory ducts started to appear in the connective tissues located between lobes. 3. In-10-day-old Mongolian gerbil, small lipid vacuoles began to be found in the cytoplasm of the secretory cells of the Harderian gland. There were some mucus-secreting cells within the epithelium of the excretory duct found in the interlobar connective tissues. 4. In 30-day-old Mongolian gerbil, there was markdely increased number of the tubules in the glands. The epithelial cells of the tubules were typically columnar in shape. Most of the columnar epithelial cells contained many small lipid vacuoles, although a few cells contained large lipid vacuoles. 5. In 60-day-old Mongolian gerbil, the Harderian gland exhibited the typical structural characteristicsl of the adult gland. The mature glandular structrues were more distinct than those of 30-day-old animals.

A 5-month-old, 5kg, intact male mixed dog was admitted to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of the College of Veterinary Medicine Cornell University because of severe systolic murmur. On physical examination, the dog appeared to be thin and slightly small for his age. Radiographic studies with barium sulfate clearly showed the presence of loops of intestines in the pericardium. Based on these findings peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia was diagnosed. Many abnormalities were found in dog's heart: ventricular septal defect, pulmonic stenosis with moderate pulmonic value insufficiency, and mild mitral and tricuspid valve insufficiency. Puppy's longterm prognosis was fair. His interstines were removed from his pericardium and the defect in his deaphragm was closed. The surgery went smoothly and puppy recovered very nicely from anesthesia.

Ischemic damage in the selectively vulnerable populations of neurons is thought to be caused by an abnormal accumulation of intracellular calcium. It has been reported that the neurons, expressing specific calcium binding proteins, might effectively control intracellular calcium concentrations because of a high capacity to buffer intracellular calcium in the brain ischemic condition. It is uncertain that parvalbumin, one of the calcium binding proteins, can protect the neurons from the cerebral ischemic damage. Recently, treatment of kappa opioid agonists increased survival rate, improved neurological function, and decreased tissue damage under the cerebral ischemic condition. Many evidences indicate that these therapeutic effects might result from regulation of calcium concentration. This study was desighed to analyze the changes of number in parvalbumin-positive neurons after cerebral ischemic damage according to timepoints agter cerebral ischemic inductionl In addition, we evaluated the effect of GR89696 (kappa opioid agonist) or naltrexone(non selective opioid antagonist) on the changes of number in parvalbumin expressing neurons under ischemic condition. Cerebral ischemia was induced by occluding the common carotid artery of experimental animals. The hippocampal areas were morphometrically analyzed at different time point after ischemic induction(1, 3, 5 days) by using immuno-histochemical technique and imaging analysis system. The number of parvalbumin-positive neurons in hippocampus was sighificantly reduced at 1 day after ischemia(p0.05). Furthermore, the number of parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons was dramatically reduced at 3 and 5 days after cerebral ischemic induction(p0.05) as compared to 1 day group after ischemia, as well as sham control group. Sighificant reduction of parvalbumin positive neurons in CA1 region of hippocampus was observed at 1 day after cerebral ischemic induction. However, sighificant loss of MAP2 immunoreactivity was observed at 3 day after cerebral ischemia. The loss of parvalbumin-positive neurons and MAP2 immunoreactivity in CA1 region was prevented by pre-administration of GR89696 compared to that of saline-treated ischemic group. Furthermore, protective effect of GR89696 partially reversed by pre[treatment of naltrexone. These data indicate that parvalbumin-positive neurons more sensitively responded to cerebral ischemic damage than MAP2 protein. Moreover, this loss of parvalbumin-positive neurons was effectively prevented by the pretreatment of kappa opioid agonist. It was also suggested that the changes of number in parvalbumin-positive neurons could be used as the specific marker to analyze the degree of ischemic neuronal damage.

To determine sex of bovine embryos using hamster histocompatibility Y(H-Y) antibodies, bovine compact morulae were incubated for 6 hours in TCM199 supplemented with 10% hamster H-Y antiserum and the embryos with developmental arrest were diagnosed as male embryos, while the embryos showing development during the incubation as femalle embryos. This presumptive embryo sexing was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction(PCR)method. 1. In the result of hamster sperm cytotoxicity test to measure H-Y antibody titer, the rate of dead sperm was considerably lower in H-Y antiserum absorbed with hamster male splenocytes than in H-Y antiserum absorbed with hamster female splenocytes or H-Y antiserum umabsorbed with splenocytes(p0.01). 2. The rate of oocytes fertilized in vitro and the rate of blastocysts of the fertilized oocytes were 58.5% and 32.4%, respectively. The rate of blastocysts on day 8 was 15.9%, denoting the highest rate during whole culture period posterior to in vitro fertilization(IVF). 3. The bovine 16 cell and compact morulae embryos incubated in the medium supplemented with hamster H-Y antibodies showed 37.1% and 48.9% of developmental arrest which were diagnosed as male, respectively, and rates of redeveloped embryos from the arrested were 24.1% in 16 cell and 44.3% in compact morulae embryos, respectively, denoting higher rater of sex determination and rate of redevelopment in compact morulae than 16 cell embryos. 4. Bovine compact morulae of Korean cattle and Holstein were treated with hamster H-Y antibodies for sex determination and the rates fo developmental arrest(deagnosed as male) were 48.4% for Korean cattle and 47.9% for Holstein, respectively. The rates of redeveloped embryos to blastocyst after treatment were 42.6% for Korean cattle and 41.8% for Holstein, respectively, ahowing no sighificant differences of sex determination and redevelopment between both breed. 5. The sex determination of bovine cmbryos(Korean cattle Holstein) using hamster H-Y antibodies was diagnosed by PCR for confirmation, denoting the rates of 86.1% for Korean cattle and 85.9% for Holstein male embryos, respectively, and the rates of 91.9% for Korean cattle and 90.1% for Holstein female embryos, respectively, with no significant differences of sex determination between both breed. These results indicated that hamster H-Y antibodies can be usable for sex determination of bovine embryos of Korean cattle and Holstein, the viability of bovine embryos was sustained while being cultured in the medium supplemented with hamster H-Y antibodies of appropriate titer and sex determination of bovine embryos by PCR can be feasible for confirmation.

A nation wide sero-epidemiological survery of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome(PRRS) was carried out to analyze the current status of the PRRS virus infections in the field using the indirectr immunofluorescent antibody assay(IFA) with the field isolate PL96-1. Since the first report of the antibody detection to PRRSV in 1993, the prevalence of seropositive pigs has increased dramatically and the data indicate that over 21% of the pigs and around 60% of the farms showed seropositives to the PRRS virus. A slightly higher positive rate was recognized in breeders than fattenings and it might be due to the higher age at the time of testings. No significant regionl defferences were detected in the sero-epidemiological survey. Higher sero-positive rate in growers indicatesthat PRRSV infection in the field was common after weaning(around 40 days). However, the number of seropositive pigs were declined in fattening pigs. Sows showed around 26% of sero-positive rate that there is a higher chance of continuous virus circulation in the infected farms. Low rate of sero-positivity in boars(9.8%) implies that there is high demand in proper controlmeasures to prevent virus spreading through breeding procedures such as natural or artificial insemination Therefore it was concluded that PRRSV infection in domestic swine herds is endemic and the positive rate and economic loses will be increased by spontaeous infections in naive farms.