• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.85-88
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• 2017

Toxoplasma gondii causes serious infection worldwide in humans and animals. In this study, the seroepidemiology of toxoplasmosis was investigated in wild boars (Sus scrofa) (n=377), wild rabbits (cape hare, Lapus capensis) (n=331), and wild chickens (red junglefwol, Gallus gallus) (n=571) in 4 forested and country sided area of Hubei province of China. For this, blood samples were collected and tested by indirect hemagglutination test (IHA). The seroprevalence was found to be 7.2%, 5.1%, and 12.6% in wild boars, rabbits, and chickens, respectively, with significant differences among these species. The prevalence of T. gondii infection in male and female wild boars was found to be 7.9% and 6.5% (P<0.01), in male and female rabbits was 5.6% and 4.9% (P<0.01), and in male and female chickens was 17.1% and 7.7% (P<0.01), respectively, with significant differences between 2 genders of chickens (P<0.01). The findings of this study may help in planning of the prevention measures against T. gondii infection in wild animals in this area.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6047-6053
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• 2012

Bracken fern [Pteridium aquilinem (L.) kuhn (Dennstaedtiaceae)] is one of the most common species on the planet. It has been consumed by humans and animals for centuries. Use by some human groups is because they believe bracken fern is good for health as plant medicine. However, it is also one of the few known plants that can cause tumors in farm animals. Many interested groups have focused their attention on bracken fern because of these interesting features. In order to evaluate the biological effects of exposure to this plant in cellular level, human cancer cell lines were treated with the fern dichloromethane extracts and the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects were studied. Anti-proliferative/cytotoxic effects were evaluated by cell count, MTT assay and flow cytometry methods with three different cancer cell lines, TCC, NTERA2, and MCF-7, and two normal cells, HDF1 and HFF3. Pro-apoptotic effects of the extracts were determined by DAPI staining and comet assay, on TCC cancer cells compared to the normal control cell lines. Cellular morphology was examined by light microscopy. Our present study showed that the extract caused DNA damage and apoptosis at high concentrations ($200{\mu}g/mL$) and also it may induce cell cycle arrest (G2/M phase) at mild concentrations (50 and $30{\mu}g/mL$) depending on the cell type and tumor origin. These results indicate that bracken fern extract is a potent source of anticancer compounds that could be utilized pharmaceutically.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.56 no.8
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• pp.33.1-33.8
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• 2014

Background: Sox 9 is a major marker of chondrocyte differentiation. When chondrocytes are cultured in vitro they progressively de-differentiate and this is associated with a decline in Sox 9 expression. The active form of vitamin D, 1, 25 $(OH)_2D_3$ has been shown to be protective of cartilage in both humans and animals. In this study equine articular chondrocytes were grown in culture and the effects of 1, 25 $(OH)_2D_3$ upon Sox 9 expression examined. The expression of the transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) ion channels 5 and 6 in equine chondrocytes in vitro, we have previously shown, is inversely correlated with de-differentiation. The expression of these channels in response to 1, 25 $(OH)_2D_3$ administration was therefore also examined. Results: The active form of vitamin D (1, 25 $(OH)_2D_3$ when administered to cultured equine chondrocytes at two different concentrations significantly increased the expression of Sox 9 at both. In contrast 1, 25 $(OH)_2D_3$ had no significant effect upon the expression of either TRPV 5 or 6 at either the protein or the mRNA level. Conclusions: The increased expression of Sox 9, in equine articular chondrocytes in vitro, in response to the active form of vitamin D suggests that this compound could be utilized to inhibit the progressive de-differentiation that is normally observed in these cells. It is also supportive of previous studies indicating that $1{\alpha}$, 25-dihydroxyvitamin $D_3$ can have a protective effect upon cartilage in animals in vivo. The previously observed correlation between the degree of differentiation and the expression levels of TRPV 5/6 had suggested that these ion channels may have a direct involvement in, or be modulated by, the differentiation process in vitro. The data in the present study do not support this.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.1-6
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• 1984

It has been generally recognized that the secretion of aldosterone is mainly regulated by angiotensin II in animals and humans, however, potassium and ACTH are also proposed as other humoral factors involved in the aldosterone secretory process. Recently, stress, anesthesia, adrenergic stimulation, low sodium intake or water deprivation stimulate plasma renin activity, while high sodium intake and deoxycorticosteroid have been reported to cause suppression of renin activity in animals. It seems that overall response of aldosterone secretory mechanisms reflects complex interactions both intrarenal and extrarenal components. Furosemide has been widely used to investigate the control of renin secretion by the kidney, and the relationship between diuretics and the disposition of endogenous aldosterone were reported (Oh, 1984). The sequential with 10 min interval samples of plasma were collected following administration of furosemide(1 mg/kg), aspirin(10 mg/kg), respectively. And also similar experiment was performed in the propranolol (10 mg/kg) pretreated rabbits. The results were as follows : 1) The concentration of plasma aldosterone was average of $426.I{\sim}485.5pg/ml$ in normal rabbits. Plasma concentrations of aldosterone rised significantly after injection of furosemide during 50 min, and the rise of plasma aldosterone was blocked by the propranolol pretreatment 2) Significant fall in the plasma level of aldosterone after injection of aspirin was noted. This result indicates that the increased secretion of aldosterone induced by furosemide administration is mediated through ${\beta}-receptors$, and the possible role of prostaglandin is substantiated.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.181-184
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• 2020

Blastocystis, an enteric protist, has been reported to be an important cause of protozoal gastrointestinal manifestations in humans and animals worldwide. Animals harboring certain Blastocystis subtypes (STs) may serve as a potential source of human infection. However, information about the prevalence and genetic diversity of Blastocystis in alpacas is limited. In the present study, a total of 366 fecal samples from alpacas in Shanxi Province, northern China, were examined for Blastocystis by PCR amplification of the small subunit rRNA gene, followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The prevalence of Blastocystis in alpacas was 23.8%, and gender difference in the prevalence of Blastocystis was observed. The most predominant Blastocystis ST was ST10, followed by ST14 and ST5. The detection of ST5, a potentially zoonotic genotype, indicates that alpacas harboring ST5 could be a potential source of human infection with Blastocystis. These data provide new insight into the prevalence and genetic diversity of Blastocystis in alpacas.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.14 no.1_4
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• pp.61-69
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• 2007

Physiotherapy may be defined as the use of physical techniques for the treatment of injuries and movement dysfunction. In the world of human medicine, physiotherapy has been proven as an indispensable aid in the recovery of many musculoskeletal conditions, as evidenced by the extensive physiotherapy departments within most hospitals. Nowadays, this important branch of medicine is also rapidly becoming a recognised tool in the prevention, cure, and rehabilitation of many equine, canine and feline injuries. In 1978, canine physical therapy techniques were described by Ann Downer, a physical therapist on faculty at Ohio State University. Animal physical therapy is a new and rapidly developing field of health care for animals. The benefits of physical therapy have long been recognized in humans. More recently, work in the veterinary field has shown the same benefits of physical therapy to be true for animal patients. Performing orthopaedic or neurological surgery, or fitting a human patient with a cast or splint, and then discharging the patient is an outdated approach. In such cases, physical therapy is clearly warranted. Similarly, recent research has shown that post-surgical rehabilitation and therapy after injuries significantly improves the functional outcomes for animals. The goals of physiotherapy are to relieve pain, restore range of motion/movement, improve function, prevent injuries and expand the physical potential of the patient. Once in the field, physical therapists actively continue their education to keep up to date on the latest treatments and technologies. Via continuing education courses, physiotherapists can learn how to apply their unique and specialized knowledge to other animal species.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.115-125
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• 1985

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a debilitating disease of humans caused by Hantaan virus (HV), the prototype member of a newly proposed genus of Bunyaviridae. Studies of HV pathogenesis have been limited by the absence of a well defined model for a virus-induced disease state. In an attempt to devise a model for HV pathogenesis in laboratory rodents, newborn outbred suckling ICR mice were shown to be uniformly susceptible to lethal infection with non- mouse adapted HV by intracerebral (IC), intraperitoneal (IP), intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SC) inoculation routes. Clinical coures, mean time to death, and fatal outcome were age-dependent. With an inoculum of 10 $LD_{50}$, mortality was 100% in mice infected within 72h of birth, but declined to 50% by 7 days. By 2-2.5 weeks, animals developed complete resistance to clinical disease. Virus was consistently detected in serum by day 6 post-infection in IC- and IP- inoculated animals, and reached peak levels of $10^5\;PFU/ml$ by day 8 Mice infected IM and SC showed delays in onset of viremia, but achieved similar titers. Immunofluorescent antibody appeared by 17-18 days, and neutralizing antibody by 15 days, in all experimental groups. Two of 8 inbred mouse strains were identified as resistant to clinical disease : SJL/J and A/J. Manipulation of this model will allow investigation of natural rodent pathogenesis with HV, as well as offer insight into disease mechanisms and therapy of HFRS.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.119-124
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• 1997

Chronic hypertension is associated with impaired endothelial function such as reduced synthesis/release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor(EDRF, nitric oxide) and increased synthesis/release of endothelium-derived contracting factor(EDCF) including prostaglandin endoperoxide($PGH_2$) , superoxide anion both in animals and in humans. We have previously shown that ginsenosides lower the blood pressure and enhance the release of nitric oxide(NO) from endothelial cells in the rat aorta of the normotensive rats. The aim of the present study is to examine whether in vivo treatment of spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHRs) with protopanaxatriol ginsenosides(PPT) reduces the blood pressure and improves endothelial function in the isolated thoracic aorta of SHR. In addition, the contractile response to $PGH_2$ and superoxide anion in the aorta treated with PPT was assessed. SHRs at the age of 16 weeks were savaged with PPT(30 mg/kg/ day) for 2 weeks and systolic blood pressure was measured by the tail-cuff method. Whereas blood pressure was significantly increased in SHRs by 5.4 mmHg during this period of treatment, treatment of SHRs with PPT blocked the elevation of blood pressure. Endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine was significantly increased in the PPT-treated animals. $PGH_2$- and oxygen-derived free radical-induced contractions were significantly suppressed in aortic rings without endothelium from PPT-treated SHR. These findings indicate that PPT reduces the blood pressure of SHR, which may be associated with either increase of NO release or by antagonizing superoxide anion and PGH2 in the aortic smooth muscle.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.275-285
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• 2008

Antimicrobial drugs are widely used in poultry industry as growth promoters or to control infectious diseases. However, this practice is reported to have caused high resistance to antimicrobial drugs in normal chicken flora and pathogens. Antimicrobial resistance to Escherichia coli (E. coli) from chicken has been mainly reported in normal flora, but rare in pathogenic organism in Korea, recently. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate prevalence of antimicrobials resistance, transfer of R plasmid, and association between antimicrobial drug resistance and O serotype of 203 pathogenic E. coli from poultry in Korea during the period from April 2003 to December 2005. These isolates showed a high resistance to tetracycline (Tc, 93.6%), nalidixic acid (Na, 92.6%), streptomycin (Sm, 81.8%), ampicillin (Ap, 77.3%), ciprofloxacin (Ci, 70.9%), sulfisoxazole (Su, 66.5%), and trimethoprim (Tp, 58.1%). Two hundred-one (99.0%) of the isolates were resistant to one or more drugs. They showed 57 different resistant patterns, and the most prevalent resistant pattern among them was Tc, Sin, Su, Ap, Tp, Ci, Na. Sixty-eight (33.8%) of the isolates transferred all or a part of their antimicrobial resistant pattern to the recipient strain by R plasmid. The most common antimicrobial resistant pattern was Tc, Sm, Su, Ap, Tp, Ci, Na in serotype O78, O88 and O15, respectively. These results exhibit high individual and multiple resistance to antimicrobials of pathogenic E. coli from poultry in Korea. They also suggest the needs for surveillance to monitor antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic bacteria that can be potentially transmitted to humans from food animals and to regulate the abuse of antimicrobials on food-producing animals in Korea.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 1994

Indolo[3,2-b]carbazole(ICZ) is a potent Ah receptor agonist with biological activities similar in several respects to those of the potent environmental toxin, TCDD. ICZ is produced during the oilgomerization of indole-3-carbinol(I3C), a breakdown product of the glucobrassicin present in food plants of the Brassica genus. In the present study we examined ICZ levels in tissues and excreta of rats treated with I3C or dietary cabbage of established glucobrasicin content, and in feces of conventional and germfree rats fed on a basal diet, and of humans. We also examined the levels of cytochrome P4501A1 induction, as determined by the ethoxyresorufin ο-deethylase assay, in tissues of animals that received cabbage-supplemented diets, or which were treated with purified I3C or ICZ. Our findings indicated that incorporation of either homogenized or whole freeze-dried cabbage in the feed led to large increases(16-60 fold) in the levels of ICZ in the feces and lower gastrointestinal tract of rats. We observed that whereas ICZ is readily detectable at about the same levels(2.00$\pm$0.50 ppb) in the feces of conventional rats fed on a purified diet and in human feces, levels of ICZ in the feces of germfree animals fed on the basal diet were at the limits of detection(0.40$\pm$0.20 ppb), indication that gut bacteria are important for the production of ICZ from essential dietary constituents in the basal diet. We showed that in contrast to the near 7000-fold difference in CYP1A1 inducing potencies of ICZ and TCDD in cells in culture, their inducing potencies differ by only about an order of magnitude in rats. Nonetheless, the levels of ICZ remaining in livers twenty hours after I3C treatment appear too low to account for the induced activity. This result indicates that ICZ may be rapidly cleared from the liver or that substances other than, or in addition to, ICZ be responsible for the enzyme-inducing activity of orally administered I3C or its precursors.