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.

To determine the prevalence of Escherichia (E.) coli O157 : H7 from pigs after the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system has been applied to Korean swine farm since 2006, 291 fecal samples were tested between May and December in 2008. Four E. coli O157:non-H7 (1.4%) were isolated from 4 different non-HACCP-accredited farms and they didn't have virulent genes which can cause illness for human. Also, Clostridium (C.) perfringens, Salmonella spp. and E. coli enterotoxins were tested using multiplex PCR. The positive rate for these pathogens of non-HACCP-accredited farms was higher than that of HACCP-accredited farms, and especially in case of C. perfringens, E. coli enterotoxins LT and STa, it was statistically significant (p less than 0.05). Thus, the early implementation of the HACCP program is expected to greatly contribute to the safety of livestock products as well as food hygiene.

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.

Rabies virus (family Rhabdoviridae, genus Lyssavirus, RV) is the causative agent of rabies in mammals. We conducted a sero-epidemiological survey for RV using sera from South Korean stray and companion dogs in the present study. A total of 533 canine serum samples were collected between February 2006 and December 2007 and were screened for rabies immunity with a neutralizing peroxidase linked assay. Both companion (49.1%) and stray (60.1%) dogs demonstrated RV seropositivity. Regional RV antibody prevalence was measured in the Jeju (87.5%), Gyeonggi (62%), Gyeongsang (59.1%), Jeonra (42%), Chungcheong (37.9%), and Gangwon (30.4%) provinces. Prevalence increased with age but did not exceed 80% in any age group. Stray and companion dogs had RV antibody prevalence values of 26.7% and 23.7%, respectively. Seroprevalence was significantly associated with age (χ² = 9.46; p = 0.024) for companion dogs, although this association was not evident in stray dogs. There were no significant differences in age between stray and companion dogs and no gender differences in RV seroprevalence. Our results suggested that a widespread and reinforced vaccination program must be applied to Korean dogs.

A thirty-five week old elk was referred for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) confirmation from Chungnam province in Korea. Necropsy revealed much bloody contents in the lumen of small and large intestines, and reddening of its mucosa. Microscopically, few coccidia showing various developmental stages were infiltrated in lamina propria of small intestine with granulomatous inflammation and congestion. They were identified as Eimeria spp. according to their location and morphological characteristics. Because fecal examination and oocyst culture were not available, the species of the Eimeria could not be confirmed. There were no detection of pathogenic bacteria such as clostridia and virus in intestinal contents. CWD was shown to be negative in immunohistochemistry test. In conclusion, it was the first Eimeria case detected in small intestine of Korean domestic elk as far as we know although Eimeria spp. were not the main cause of death.

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.

Pesticides are useful to eliminate harmful insects and grow crops however, misuse and abuse of pesticides may cause a death of wild birds, livestock, and companion animals. We analyzed residual pesticides in the ingesta and tissues from the dead wild birds, livestock, and companion animals which were suspected pesticide poisoning based on the diagnosis of the Animal Disease Diagnostic Center of National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS). The samples were primarily brought to NVRQS from local communities and veterinary diagnostic laboratories. The 231 suspicious samples of pesticide poisoning based on the necropsy were analyzed by GC/NPD, GC/FPD, GC/ECD, or GC/MSD in 2008 and 2009. Pesticides were identified from the 55 samples of total 143 samples analyzed in 2008 and from the 34 samples of total 88 samples analyzed in 2009. The pesticide identification rates in 2008 were higher than the rates in 2009. It may have relevance to the increased samples with the outbreak of avian influenza in 2008 in Korea. The concentrations of pesticides found in the dead animals varied and exceeded the respective LD∧50 of pesticides in many cases. Monochrotophos, phosphamidon, and methomyl were the most common pesticides found and those pesticides are high rank sales in Korea. The cause of pesticide poisoning in animal is assuming a misuse and an abuse of commonly used pesticides in Korea.

Fifty young calves, about five to six months old purchased from nation-wide were investigated with the prevelance of neutralizing antibody (Ab) of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBRV), parainfluenza 3 virus (PI₃V), bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV). The positive detection ratio of neutralizing Ab against IBRV was only 3% and two of positive samples showed low antibody titer (below 2). Ab against BRSV showed 48% of positive ratio and among 24 positive samples, antibody titer of 23 samples were below 3. But in the case of BVDV, 68% of samples were positive and 23 samples appeared to possess high antibody titer, above 4 and the antibody titer of five samples were above 8. The highest positive result came from PI₃V. The positive ratio in the samples investigated in this study was 72%, but the antibody titer of positive samples were generally below 3 (77.8% in positive samples).