• 생약학회지
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• 제42권4호
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• pp.366-370
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• 2011

Bee venom (BV) has been used as a treatment for a wide variety of ailments such as inflammatory diseases in korean traditional medicine. Despite its well documented anti-inflammatory property, it has not been fully demonstrated regarding the influence of BV against Propionibactierium acnes (P. acnes), which promotes follicular inflammation (inflammatory acne). This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory property of BV against P. acnes in vivo. To induce inflammation in vivo using P. acnes, $1{\times}10^7$ CFU of living P. acnes were intradermally injected into the ear of mice. BV (1, 10, 100 ${\mu}g$) in vaseline was applied epicutaneously on the ear resulting in P. acnes-induced ear swelling and inflammation. Epicutaneous administration of BV with P. acnes decreased the number of infiltrated inflammatory cells and inflammatory cytokines in the ear, thereby relieving P. acnes-induced ear swelling and granulomatous inflammation, especially at the dose of 1 ${\mu}g$ of BV. In this report, we demonstrated the therapeutic effects of BV on P. acnes-induced inflammation in vivo using the mouse model. These data highlight the potential of using BV as an alternative treatment to the antibiotic therapy of acne vulgaris.

• 한국응용곤충학회지
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• 제49권3호
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• pp.251-259
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• 2010

톱다리개미허리노린재(Riptortus clavatus)의 장내세균이 분리되었다. 형태학적 분석과 생화학적 분석을 통하여 세균이 Staphylococcus succinus와 가장 유사한 것으로 동정되었다. 16S rRNA 유전자의 염기서열은 이러한 동정 결과를 뒷받침했다. 페니실린G를 톱다리개미허리노린재 성충에게 경구투여 하였을 때 장내세균 밀도 감소와 치사 효과를 유발하였다. 동일한 방법으로 곤충병원세균(Xenorhabdus nematophila)의 세 가지 대사물질(benzylideneacetone, proline-tyrosine, and acetylated phenylalanine-glycine-valine)을 처리하였을 때, 톱다리개미허리노린재 장내세균의 밀도감소와 치사효과를 확인하였다. 이러한 결과는 톱다리개미허리노린재의 장내세균이 Staphylococcus sp.이며, 곤충병원세균 대사물질의 항균 활성이 장내세균과 궁극적으로 톱다리개미허리노린재의 생존에 영향을 미친다는 것을 제시하였다.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제58권1호
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• pp.33-36
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• 2015

Group D streptococci are known to cause newborn septicemia and meningitis, but the Streptococcus bovis group strains rarely cause serious neonatal infections in Korea. Central nervous system (CNS) complications of neonatal S. bovis group infection have rarely been reported. In adults, S. bovis group strains cause bacteremia and endocarditis, and are associated with gastrointestinal malignancy. However, only a few studies have reported meningitis and septicemia in infants. Here, we describe a case of bacteremia and meningitis due to Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus with a delayed CNS complication in an infant. A 28-day-old male infant was admitted to the hospital with a 1-day history of fever. Cultures of blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and urine showed the presence of S. bovis group strain-S. gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus. He was discharged after 21 days of intravenous ampicillin and cefotaxime administration. Two weeks later, he was readmitted with a fever and short episodes of tonic-clonic movements. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed marked bilateral frontal subdural effusion. He was discharged after 31 days of antibiotic therapy, and no neurological sequelae were observed at the 9-month follow-up. In conclusion, we present a rare case of neonatal S. gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus infection causing urinary tract infection, septicemia, meningitis, and delayed CNS complications. This case emphasizes the need for physicians to be aware of S. bovis infection in infants.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• 제23권5호
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• pp.430-438
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• 2020

Purpose: We investigated the clinical features and factors affecting the choice of treatment modality and the course of pediatric gallstone (GS) disease. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 65 patients diagnosed with GS using imaging studies between January 2009 and December 2017 were included. Results: This study included 65 patients (33 boys and 32 girls; mean age, 8.5±5.3 years; range, 0.2-18 years) who primarily presented with abdominal pain (34%), jaundice (18%), and vomiting (8%). Idiopathic GS occurred in 36 patients (55.4%). The risk factors for GS included antibiotic use, obesity, hemolytic disease, and chemotherapy in 8 (12.3%), 7 (10.8%), 6 (9.2%), and 4 patients (6.2%), respectively. We observed multiple stones (including sandy stones) in 31 patients (47.7%), a single stone in 17 (26.2%), and several stones in 17 (26.2%). GS with a diameter of <5 mm occurred in 45 patients (69.2%). Comorbidities included hepatitis, choledocholithiasis, cholecystitis, and acute pancreatitis in 20 (30.8%), 11 (16.9%), 11 (16.9%), and 4 patients (6.2%), respectively. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) was administered to 54 patients (83.1%), leading to stone dissolution in 22 patients (33.8%) within 6 months. Cholecystectomy was performed in 18 patients (27.7%) (mean age, 11.9±5.1 years). Most patients treated surgically had multiple stones (83%) and stones measuring <5 mm in size (89%), and 66.7% of patients had cholesterol stones. Conclusion: Cholecystectomy is feasible in patients with small-sized or large numbers of GS and those with persistent abdominal pain and/or jaundice. UDCA administration with close follow-up is recommended in patients with uncomplicated GS.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제61권2호
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• pp.64-67
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• 2018

We report the case of a 12-year-old girl who had mild encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS) associated with acutepyelonephritis caused by Escherichia coli. The patient was admitted with a high fever, and she was diagnosed with acute pyelonephritis based on pyuria and the results of urine culture, which detected cefotaxime-sensitive E. coli. Although intravenous cefotaxime and tobramycin were administered, her fever persisted and her C-reactive protein level increased to 307 mg/L. On day 3 of admission, she demonstrated abnormal neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as delirium, ataxia, and word salad. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain performed on day 4 showed marked hyperintensities in the bilateral corpus callosum and deep white matter on diffusion-weighted images, with corresponding diffusion restriction on apparent diffusion coefficient mapping. No abnormalities or pathogens were detected in the cerebrospinal fluid; however, lipopolysaccharides (LPS, endotoxin) were detected in plasma (41.6 pg/mL), associated with acute neurological deterioration. Her clinical condition gradually improved, and no neurological abnormalities were observed on day 6. Follow-up brain MRI performed 2 weeks later showed near-disappearance of the previously noted hyperintense lesions. In this patient, we first proved endotoxemia in a setting of MERS. The release of LPS following antibiotic administration might be related to the development of MERS in this patient. The possibility of MERS should be considered in patients who present with acute pyelonephritis and demonstrate delirious behavior.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제24권6호
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• pp.803-811
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• 2014

Concerns over drug-resistant bacteria have stimulated interest in developing alternative methods to control bacterial infections. Endolysin, a phage-encoded enzyme that breaks down bacterial peptidoglycan at the terminal stage of the phage reproduction cycle, is reported to be effective for the control of bacterial pathogenic bacteria. Bioinformatic analysis of the SPN9CC bacteriophage genome revealed a gene that encodes an endolysin with a domain structure similar to those of the endolysins produced by the P1 and P22 coliphages. The SPN9CC endolysin was purified with a C-terminal oligo-histidine tag. The endolysin was relatively stable and active over a broad temperature range (from $24^{\circ}C$ to $65^{\circ}C$). It showed maximal activity at $50^{\circ}C$, and its optimum pH range was from pH 7.5 to 8.5. The SPN9CC endolysin showed antimicrobial activity against only gram-negative bacteria and functioned by cutting the glycosidic bond of peptidoglycan. Interestingly, the SPN9CC endolysin could lyse intact gram-negative bacteria in the absence of EDTA as an outer membrane permeabilizer. The exogenous lytic activity of the SPN9CC endolysin makes it a potential therapeutic agent against gram-negative bacteria.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.54-61
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• 2020

Saccharomyces boulardii is the only probiotic yeast with US Food and Drug Administration approval. It is routinely used to prevent or treat acute diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders, including the antibiotic-associated diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile infections. The formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), specifically H₂O₂ during normal aerobic metabolism, contributes to programmed cell death and represents a risk to the viability of the probiotic microbe. Moreover, a loss of viability reduces the efficacy of the probiotic treatment. Therefore, inhibiting the accumulation of ROS in the oxidant environment could improve the viability of the probiotic yeast and lead to more efficacious treatment. Here, we provide evidence that supplementation with a non-reducing disaccharide, namely trehalose, enhanced the viability of S. boulardii exposed to an oxidative environment by preventing metacaspase YCA1-mediated programmed cell death through inhibition of intracellular ROS production. Our results suggest that supplementation with S. boulardii together with trehalose could increase the viability of the organism, and thus improve its effectiveness as a probiotic and as a treatment for acute diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disorders.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.11-16
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) colonization of the stomach mucosa and duodenum is the major cause of acute and chronic gastroduodenal pathology in humans. Efforts to find effective anti-bacterial strategies against H. pylori for the non-antibiotic control of H. pylori infection are urgently required. In this study, we used whey to prepare glycomacropeptide (GMP), from which sialic acid (G-SA) was enzymatically isolated. We investigated the anti-bacterial effects of G-SA against H. pylori in vitro and in an H. pylori-infected murine model. MATERIALS/METHODS: The anti-bacterial activity of G-SA was measured in vitro using the macrodilution method, and interleukin-8 (IL-8) production was measured in H. pylori and AGS cell co-cultures by ELISA. For in vivo study, G-SA 5 g/kg body weight (bw)/day and H. pylori were administered to mice three times over one week. After one week, G-SA 5 g/kg bw/day alone was administered every day for one week. Tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, and IL-10 levels were measured by ELISA to determine the anti-inflammatory effects of G-SA. In addition, real-time PCR was performed to measure the genetic expression of cytotoxin-associated gene A (cagA). RESULTS: G-SA inhibited the growth of H. pylori and suppressed IL-8 production in H. pylori and in AGS cell co-cultures in vitro. In the in vivo assay, administration of G-SA reduced levels of IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 pro-inflammatory cytokines whereas IL-10 level increased. Also, G-SA suppressed the expression of cagA in the stomach of H. pylori-infected mice. CONCLUSION: G-SA possesses anti-H. pylori activity as well as an anti-H. pylori-induced gastric inflammatory effect in an experimental H. pylori-infected murine model. G-SA has potential as an alternative to antibiotics for the prevention of H. pylori infection and H. pylori-induced gastric disease prevention.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제13권11호
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• pp.1604-1608
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• 2000

Penicillin antibiotics such as penicillin G, ampicillin and amoxicillin have been widely used in the pig industry to control salmonellosis, bacterial pneumonia, and urinary tract infections. Extensive use of antibiotics in veterinary clinics has resulted in tissue residues and bacterial resistance. To prevent unwanted drug residues entering the human food chain, extensive control measures have been established by both government authorities and industries. The demands for reliable, simple, sensitive, rapid and low-cost methods for residue analysis of foods are increasing. In this study, we established a rapid prediction test for the detection of pigs with unacceptable tissue residues of penicillins. The recommended therapeutic doses of three penicillins, penillin G (withdrawal time, 7 days), ampicillin (withdrawal time, 7 days) and amoxicillin (withdrawal time, 14 days), were administered to three groups of 20 pigs each. Blood was sampled before drug administration and during the withdrawal period. The concentration of penicillins in plasma, determined by a semi-quantitative ELISA, were compared to that of internal standard, 4 ppb, which corresponded to the Maximum Residue Limit in milk. The absorbance ratio of internal standard to sample (B/Bs) was employed as an index to determine whether drug residues in pig tissues were negative or positive. That is, a B/Bs ratio less than 1 was considered residue positive, and larger than 1 negative. All 60 plasma samples from pigs were negative to three penicillins at pretreatment. Penicillin G could be detected in the plasma of the treated pigs until day 4 post-treatment and ampicillin until day 2, whereas amoxicillin could be detected until day 10 of its withdrawal period. The present study showed that the semi-quantitative ELISA could be easily adapted to detect residues of penicillin antibiotics (penicillin G, ampicillin and amoxicillin) in live pigs.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제60권5호
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• pp.151-157
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• 2017

Purpose: Macrolide resistance rate of Mycoplasma pneumoniae has rapidly increased in children. Studies on the clinical features between macrolide susceptible-M. pneumoniae (MSMP) and macrolide resistant-M. pneumoniae (MRMP) are lacking. The aim of this study was to identify the macrolide resistance rate of M. pneumoniae in Korean children with M. pneumoniae penupmonia in 2015 and compare manifestations between MSMP and MRMP. Methods: Among 122 children (0-18 years old) diagnosed with M. pneumoniae pneumonia, 95 children with the results of macrolide sensitivity test were included in this study. Clinical manifestations were acquired using retrospective medical records. Results: The macrolide resistant rate of M. pneumoniae was 87.2% (82 of 94 patients) in children with M. pneumoniae pneumonia. One patient showed a mixed type of wild type and A2063G mutation in 23S rRNA of M. pneumoniae. There were no significant differences in clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings between the MSMP and MRMP groups at the first visit to our hospital. The time interval between initiation of macrolide and defervescence was significantly longer in the MRMP group ($4.9{\pm}3.3$ vs. $2.8{\pm}3.1days$, P=0.039). Conclusion: The macrolide resistant rate of M. pneumoniae is very high in children with M. pneumoniae pneumonia in Korea. The clinical manifestations of MRMP are similar to MSMP except for the defervescence period after administration of macrolide. Continuous monitoring of the occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility of MRMP is required to control its spread and establish strategies for treating second-line antibiotic resistant M. pneumoniae infection.