• BMB Reports
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• 제33권6호
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• pp.463-468
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• 2000

Anthrax lethal toxin, which consists of two separate protein, protective antigen (83 KDa) and lethal factor (85 KDa) is responsible for major symptoms and death from systemic infection of Bacillus anthracis. High concentrations of this toxin are cytolytic to macrophages, whereas sublytic concentrations of lethal toxin induce these cells to produce interleukin $1{\beta}$ ($IL-1{\beta}$). It is proposed that melatonin and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) may play an important role in modifying immune dysfunction. In this study, we investigated whether or not melatonin and DHEA could prevent $IL-1{\beta}$ production that is induced by anthrax lethal toxin in mouse peritoneal macrophages. Treatment of melatonin or DHEA alone, as well as together, prevented the production of $IL-1{\beta}$ caused by anthrax lethal toxin. We found that melatonin at a concentration of $10^{-6}-10^{-7}$ M inhibits $IL-1{\beta}$ production induced by anthrax lethal toxin. As expect, treatment of DHEA at a concentration $10^{-6}-10^{-7}$ M also suppressed production of $IL-1{\beta}$ by lethal toxin stimulated macrophages. The results of these studies suggest that melatonin and DHEA, immunomodulators, may have an important role in reducing the increase of cytokine production in anthrax lethal toxin-treated macrophages.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.693-709
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• 1994

This epidemiologic study was carried out to investigate cauuse and magnitude of food-poisoning like epidemic occurred among inhabitants of a village who have eaten dead cow's meat near Kyongju in February of 1994, around lunar new year, The investigation consisted of interview survey on all inhabitants of 77 households (111 males and 119 females) and their visitors (40 males and 35 females), skin test with anthraxinum (Russian product), study on clinical characteristics for the patients hospitalized, and microbiologic examination on microbes isolated from cow's meat, patient and soils of dead cow's barn. The results obtained are as followings; 1. The proportion of the inhabitants who ingested the dead cow's meat was 36.4%. The incidence rate of the disease was 65.1% for males, 41.7% for females and the cases were distributed evenly for all age groups. The group ingested raw meat showed higher incidence than the group ingested cooked meat. There was no case among people who did not eat the meat. 2. The most clinical symptoms were significantly more frequent among cases than non-cases : sore throat (57%), nausea (51%), fever (47%), indigestion (43%), cough (41%), anorexia (41%), abdominal distention (41%), and abdominal pain (39%) were the major symptoms among cases. 3. Among 29 cases hospitalized out of total 61 cases, three patients, all old and feeble persons, deceased from the disease resulting in 4.9% fatality rate among total patient and 10.3% among hospitalized. Septicemia and meningitis were the causes of the deaths. 4. Three strains isolated from patients, and three strains from dead cow's meat and soil revealed typical microbiologic characteristics of Bacillus Anthracis, which also proved to be fatal to experimentally infected mice.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제42권3호
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• pp.195-198
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• 2006

Anthrax lethal toxin은 탄저병의 치사원인이 되는 독소이며, Lethal toxin은 두 종류의 단백질 PA (Protective antigen)과 LF (lethal factor)로 구성되어 진다. PA는 세포표면의 수용체와 결합하여 LF를 세포질 안으로 이동시켜 주는 역할을 한다. LF는 금속 이온$(Zn^{2+})$ 의존적 단백질 가수분해 효소로써 MKKs[MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) kinases] 집단 단백질의 아미노 말단 부분을 절단하여 대상 세포를 죽음으로 유도하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 본 연구에서는 LF에 대한 특성 분석 및 억제제 개발에 과한 연구를 위해 cell-based high-throughtput screens 개발에 선행되어야 하는 기초 자료를 마련하는데 그 목적이 있다. 이를 위하여 LF의 절단 대상이 되는 기질이 MEK1을 yeast내에서 동시 발현시켜 LF의 활성을 검증하였다. 먼저 효모(Saccharomyces cerevisiae)를 숙주로 하여 LF의 기질인 MEK1 발현 vector를 구축하였고, 구축된 발현 system을 기본을 LF 활성을 검증하고자 yeast에 형질전환하여 plasmid의 안전성 및 MEK1 유전자의 발현 및 LF에 의한 MEK1 아미노말단의 절단 부위를 확인하였다. 본 연구는 세포내 검증 system 도입의 기초적 자료를 제공하였으며, yeast내의 MEK1 발현은 탄저병의 저해제 선별 및 활성 측정 검증을 생체에서 고효율적이며, 안정적으로 할 수 있다는 가능성을 나타냈다.

• 한국동물위생학회지
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• 제45권2호
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• pp.117-124
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• 2022

In the event of an outbreak of a livestock epidemic, it has been considered that the existing burial-centered carcass disposal method should be improved ecofriendly for prevention of leachate and odors from burial basically in regard of pathogen inactivation. Therefore, the aim of this study is whether it was possible to treat the carcass of cattle and chickens using the chemical carcass treatment method. It was conducted to establish detailed treatment standards for the chemical treatment method of cattle and chicken carcasses based on the results of the proof of the absence of infectious diseases in cattle chickens. After inoculating cattle carcass with 10 pathogens (foot and mouth disease virus, bovine viral diarrhea virus, Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium avium subsp. Paratuberculosis, Brucella abortus, Bacillus anthracis, Clostridium chauvoei, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella Typhimurium) and chicken carcasses with low pathogenic avian influenza virus, Clostridium perfringens type C, E. coli and Salmonella Typhimurium, these were treated at 90℃ for 5 hours in a potassium hydroxide liquid solution corresponding to 15% of the body weight. This method liquefies all cadaveric components and inactivates all inoculated pathogens by PCR and culture. Based on these results, it was possible to prove that chemical treatment of cattle and chicken carcasses is effective in killing pathogens and is a safe method without the risk of disease transmission. The chemical treatment method of livestock carcasses can be suggested as an alternative to the current domestic burial-centered livestock carcass treatment method, preventing environmental pollution, and contributing to public health.