• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.734-741
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• 2022

Currently, around 40 million people worldwide are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection making HIV a critical global health risk. Present therapies for HIV infection consist of drug cocktails that target different steps of the HIV life cycle to prevent infection, replication, and release of the virus. Due to its mutating nature, drug resistance coupled with side-effects of long-term drug use, novel strategies, and pharmaceuticals to treat and manage HIV infection are constant needs and continuously being studied. Plants allocate a major repertoire of chemical diversity and are therefore regarded as an important source of new bioactive agents that can be utilized against HIV. Since the early 1990s, upon recommendations of the World Health Organization, numerous studies reported phytochemicals from different structural classes such as flavonoids, coumarins, tannins and terpenes with strong inhibitory effects against HIV infection. The present review gathered and presented recent research (2021-present) on plant extracts and phytochemicals that exhibit anti-HIV properties with the aim of providing insights into future studies where ethnomedical and underutilized plant sources may yield important natural products against HIV. Considering the relation and importance of HIV treatment with current viral infection risks such as SARS-CoV-2, screening plants for anti-HIV agents is an important step towards the discovery of novel antivirals.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.150-154
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• 1999

This study was designed to examine the therapeutic effect of Italian honeybee (Apis mellifera) venom in piglets with bacterial diarrhea. Preweaning piglets were assigned to treated and nontreated control groups. In treated group, 47 piglets were given natural honeybee venom once a day for 3 consecutive days. The natural honeybees were stung acupoints of GV-1 (Jiao-Chao, at the indentation between the base of tail and the anus) and ST-25 (Hai-men, about 1 cm lateral to the umbilicus). In control group, 44 piglets were intramuscularly injected with a standard dosage of colistin sulfate (300,000 IU/kg of body weight) and antid-iarrheal drug (berberine, 2 ml/kg) once a day for 3 consecutive days. At post-treatment, 90.9% of control piglets and 93.6 % of piglets in treated group recovered from bacterial diarrhea. Bee acupuncture therapy did not show in piglets without any side effects such as allergy, intoxication, hemorrhage, or infection. It might be concluded that honeybee venom therapy was effective in controlling of piglets with bacterial diarrhea.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.796-808
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• 2018

The intracellular bacterium Wolbachia pipientis is widespread in arthropods. Recently, possibilities of novel Wolbachia-mediated hosts, their distribution, and natural rate have been anticipated, and the coconut leaf beetle Brontispa longissima (Gestro) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), which has garnered attention as a serious pest of palms, was subjected to this interrogation. By adopting Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) and multilocus sequence type (MLST) genotypic systems, we determined the Wolbachia infection density within host developmental stages, body parts, and tissues, and the results revealed that all the tested samples of B. longissima were infected with the same Wolbachia strain (wLog), suggesting complete vertical transmission. The MLST profile elucidated two new alleles (ftsZ-234 and coxA-266) that define a new sequence type (ST-483), which indicates the particular genotypic association of B. longissima and Wolbachia. The quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed a higher infection density in the eggs and adult stage, followed by the abdomen and reproductive tissues, respectively. However, no significant differences were observed in the infection density between sexes. Moreover, the wsp and concatenated MLST alignment analysis of this study with other known Wolbachia-mediated arthropods revealed similar clustering with distinct monophyletic supergroup B. This is the first comprehensive report on the prevalence, infection dynamics, and phylogeny of the Wolbachia endosymbiont in B. longissima, which demonstrated that Wolbachia is ubiquitous across all developmental stages and distributed in the entire body of B. longissima. Understanding the Wolbachia infection dynamics would provide useful insight to build a framework for future investigations, understand its impacts on host physiology, and exploit it as a potential biocontrol agent.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.1218-1223
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• 1999

The purposes of this study are to examine seroprevalence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection in pigs of different age groups, and retrospectively determine if nursery depopulation (ND) could influence the seroprevalence of M hyopneumoniae infection in nurseries. Sera of 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 weeks old pigs from 7 farms were first selected from a serum bank to examine serologic profiles for M hyopneumoniae infections. Availability of representative sera in the serum bank was a major criterion for farm selection. The sera were tested for M hyopneumoniae antibodies by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using Tween-20 extracted antigen. Serum samples were also selected from 15 of 34 swine farms that previously participated in a ND study. In order to evaluate M hyopneumoniae infection following ND, ELISA was performed with sera of 8~10 weeks old nursery pigs collected prior to and after ND for up to 12 months from the 15 farms. Serological profiles showed positive ELISA titers for 2 of 7 farms at 8 weeks, 4 of 7 farms at 12 weeks, 6 of 7 farms at 16 weeks, 6 of 6 farms at 20 weeks of age. Prior to ND, 11 of the 15 farms had positive titers in sera of 8~10 weeks old pigs. Sera of 8~10 weeks old pigs collected from 7 of the 11 farms (63.6%) were ELISA antibody negative for up to 12 months following ND. In conclusion, seroconversion to M hyopneumoniae was detected commonly between 10~16 weeks of age, indicating the occurrence of natural infection during the nursery age. The ND appeared to be an effective method to prevent M hyopneumoniae infection within the nursery pig in some farms.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.28-36
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• 2024

Objectives: This study investigated the impact of socioeconomic factors and sexual orientation-related attributes on the rates of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination and infection among men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods: A web-based survey, supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea, was conducted among paying members of the leading online portal for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) community in Korea. The study participants were MSM living in Korea (n=942). COVID-19 vaccination and infection were considered dependent variables, while sexual orientation-related characteristics and adherence to non-pharmacological intervention (NPI) practices served as primary independent variables. To ensure analytical precision, nested logistic regression analyses were employed. These were further refined by dividing respondents into 4 categories based on sexual orientation and disclosure (or "coming-out") status. Results: Among MSM, no definitive association was found between COVID-19 vaccination status and factors such as socioeconomic or sexual orientation-related attributes (with the latter including human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] status, sexual orientation, and disclosure experience). However, key determinants influencing COVID-19 infection were identified. Notably, people living with HIV (PLWH) exhibited a statistically significant predisposition towards COVID-19 infection. Furthermore, greater adherence to NPI practices among MSM corresponded to a lower likelihood of COVID-19 infection. Conclusions: This study underscores the high susceptibility to COVID-19 among PLWH within the LGBTQ+ community relative to their healthy MSM counterparts. Consequently, it is crucial to advocate for tailored preventive strategies, including robust NPIs, to protect these at-risk groups. Such measures are essential in reducing the disparities that may emerge in a post-COVID-19 environment.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.440-445
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• 2013

Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorum) is a kind of mountain herbs whose roots have restorative properties and the cultivating acreage of balloon flower has been steadily increasing in Korea. More frequent rain and high amount of rainfalls as a result of climate changes predisposed balloon flower to the outbreaks of root rot at high-density cultivation area in recent years. Root crowns were usually discolored into brown to blackish brown at first and the infected plants showed slight wilting symptom at early infection stage. Severely infected roots were entirely rotted and whole plants eventually died at late infection stage. The overall disease severities of root rot of balloon flower were quite variable according to the surveyed fields in Jeonnam, Gyeongnam and Jeju Provinces, which ranged from 0.1% to 40%. The root rot occurred more severely at the paddy or clay soils than the sandy soils and their severities were much higher at lowland than upland in the same localty. The disease increased with aging of the balloon flower. The causal fungi were identified as Fusarium solani and F. oxysporum on the basis of their mycological characteristics. The optimum temperature ranges of their mycelial growths was found to be $24^{\circ}C$. The pathogenic characters of F. solani and F. oxysporum treated by artificial wounding inoculation on healthy roots of balloon flower revealed that F. solani was more virulent than F. oxysporum. This study identified the causal agents of root rot of balloon flower as Fusarium solani and F. oxysporum, probably for the first time.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.29-38
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• 2004

This study validated the effect of Vaseline and the vegetable hormone-added medicine that can influence the formation of new calluses on the injured part, with the subjects of natural monument trees and large old trees. The medicines can help in the treatment of the pored or injured parts and promote the formation of new callus on natural monument trees and large old trees, which can help vigorous growth activities and prevent any secondary infection by pathogens at the same time. It turned out that the Vaseline that is used for the protection of cambiums after surgical operations on the trees did not have any significant effect on the formation of calluses. However, since it was found that new calluses formed rapidly when applying the medicine using a vegetable hormone, the medicine is highly recommended for use. If further studies should determine proper medicines for the trees according to the kinds of trees and if the medicine is applied in proper concentrations to the injured part for rapid formation of calluses on the trees when the trees undergo surgical operations, it then should be helpful in preventing the sound part(s) of the trees from decay caused by secondary infection and treatment of the injured part.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.134-139
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• 2004

In this study, an immunoactivity of panaxtriol ginsenosides Re and Rg1 against infection due to Candida albicans was investigated. The ginsenosides were extracted from Red Ginseng with 85% ethanol and heat-treatment and were analyzed by HPLC on water-acetonitrile as a mobile phase. The HPLC analysis revealed that the extract contained ginsenosides Re and Rg1, which were eluted as a combined peak. By agar diffusion susceptibility, the mixture of Re and Rg1 had no growth-inhibitory activity on C. albicans yeast cells. However, in animal tests BALB/c mice given the mixture of Re and Rg1 intraperitoneally (Lp.) before intravenous (Lv.) infection with live C. albicans yeast cells had longer mean survival times (MST) than MST of control mice groups that received only buffer solution instead of Re and Rg1. In experiments 60% of the ginsenosides-treated mice survived the entire duration of the 50-day observation. The Re and Rg1 mixture induced production of nitric oxide when interacted with RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line. In addition, the mixture caused morphological change of the macrophages. These data indicate that immunostimulation by the Re and Rg1 may be responsible for the protection of mice against disseminated candidiasis.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.111-115
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• 2000

Three cases of human infection by Trichinella spiralis were first confirmed by detecting encysted larvae in the biopsied muscle in December 1997, in Korea. The patients were one 35-and two 39-year-old males residing in Kochang-gun, Kyongsangnam-do. They had a common past history of eating raw liver, spleen, blood and muscle of a badger, Meles meles melanogenvs, and complained of high fever, facial and periorbital edema, and myalgia. Hematologic and biochemical examinations revealed leukocytosis and eosinophilia, and highly elevated levels of GOT, GPT, LDH and CPK. In the gastrocnemius muscle of a patient, roundly coiled nematode larvae were detected. The larvae measured 0.775-1.050 (av 0.908) mm in length, and 0.026-0.042 (av. 0.035) mm in maximum width. The specific IgG antibody levels in three patients' sera were significantly higher when compared with those of normal controls. The patients were treated with flubendazole and albendazole for 15-30 days, and discharged at 13-34 days post-admission. From the above findings, it was confirmed that T. spiralis is present in Korea, and the badger plays a role of as the natural host.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.1204-1208
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• 2017

Natural killer (NK) cells have been reported to be dysfunctional in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection. However, the functional recovery of NK cells under antiviral therapeutic agents in CHB was not clearly understood. In this study, we investigated the phenotypic changes of NK(CD56+CD3-) cells in terms of their functional markers (CD16, NKG2A, NKG2D) during tenofovir therapy in CHB. The frequency of NK(CD56+CD3-) cells in CHB patients was significantly increased after 12 months of tenofovir therapy when compared with baseline. The expression levels of CD16+/CD56+CD3- and NKG2A+/CD56+CD3- cells were also affected by tenofovir treatment. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the proportion of NK(CD56+CD3-) cells and HBV DNA (log copies/ml) in CHB patients.