• The Journal of the Korean dental association
• /
• v.52 no.7
• /
• pp.425-431
• /
• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of our study was to evaluate penicillin as a still drug of choice for severe endodontic infection, by analyzing the antimicrobial susceptibilities from endodontic infections with swelling to figure out appropriate antibiotics as empirical treatment. Materials and methods : This study involved 18 patients who attended for emergency treatment because of facial or periapical swelling associated with root canal infections. Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility test of each pathogen were performed by Vitek2 Systems (bioM$\acute{e}$rieux, Marcy l'Etoile, France). Results : The most frequent bacteria was Streptococcus spp.(77%), and the resistance against penicillin was 35% in overall patients, followed by clindamycin and erythromycin (17%), which was much higher than previous studies. Conclusions : In our study, the higher resistance made penicillin alone not to be chosen as the first antibiotic drug for severe endodontic infections. Combinations with other drug, penicillin with wider spectrum of activity, or changing to other antibiotics was considered while remembering the increased risk of resistant microorganism.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.100-106
• /
• 2014

Infection with invasive Shigella species results in intestinal inflammation in humans but no symptoms in adult mice. To investigate why adult mice are resistant to invasive shigellae, 6~8-week-old mice were infected orally with S. flexneri 5a. Shigellae successfully colonized the small and large intestines. Mild cell death was seen but no inflammation. The infected bacteria were cleared 24 hours later. Microarray analysis of infected intestinal tissue showed that several genes that are involved with the sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) signaling pathway, a lipid mediator which mediates immune responses, were altered significantly. Shigella infection of a human intestinal cell line modulated host S1P-related genes to reduce S1P levels. In addition, co-administration of S1P with shigellae could induce inflammatory responses in the gut. Here we propose that Shigella species have evasion mechanisms that dampen host inflammatory responses by lowering host S1P levels in the gut of adult mice.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.64-70
• /
• 2003

Water-insoluble chitosan with molecular weight of 2,000,000, 580,000, 80,000, and 40,000 and more than 90% of degree of deacetylation were prepared to test antibacterial activity of chitosan against a pathogenic bacteria, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). As experimental method, the Shake Flask Method (SFM) and Modified Shake Flask Method (MSFM) were applicated. The anti-microbial activity of chitosan/acetic acid aqueous solution is consistent irrespective of Mw of chitosan. MIC value of SFM measurement was 0.2 ppm, and MIC value of modified SFM measurement was 25 ppm. But MIC value of chitosan/acetic add solution and chitosan treated cotton filter paper was equally 5 ppm. The antibacterial activities of chitosan were different in different test measurements employed. The antibacterial activities of chitosan/acetic acid solution and chitosan treated cotton filter paper were also different. Therefore, it needs to be pointed out that the test measurements of anti-microbial activity have some problems.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.301-313
• /
• 2010

Growth promoters including hormonal substances and antibiotics are used legally and illegally in food producing animals for the growth promotion of livestock animals. Hormonal substances still under debate in terms of their human health impacts are estradiol-$17\beta$, progesterone, testosterone, zeranol, trenbolone, and melengestrol acetate (MGA). Many of the risk assessment results of natural steroid hormones have presented negligible impacts when they are used under good veterinary practices. For synthetic hormonelike substances, ADIs and MRLs have been established for food safety along with the approval of animal treatment. Small amounts of antibiotics added to feedstuff present growth promotion effects via the prevention of infectious diseases at doses lower than therapeutic dose. The induction of antimicrobial resistant bacteria and the disruption of normal human intestinal flora are major concerns in terms of human health impact. Regulatory guidance such as ADIs and MRLs fully reflect the impact on human gastrointestinal microflora. However, before deciding on any risk management options, risk assessments of antimicrobial resistance require large-scale evidence regarding the relationship between antimicrobial use in food-producing animals and the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in human pathogens. In this article, the risk profiles of hormonal and antibacterial growth promoters are provided based on recent toxicity and human exposure information, and recommendations for risk management to prevent human health impacts by the use of growth promoters are also presented.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.40 no.11
• /
• pp.805-813
• /
• 2017

The role of phospholipase D (PLD) in cancer development and management has been a major area of interest for researchers. The purpose of this mini-review is to explore PLD and its distinct role during chemotherapy including anti-apoptotic function. PLD is an enzyme that belongs to the phospholipase super family and is found in a broad range of organisms such as viruses, yeast, bacteria, animals, and plants. The function and activity of PLD are widely dependent on and regulated by neurotransmitters, hormones, small monomeric GTPases, and lipids. A growing body of research has shown that PLD activity is significantly increased in cancer tissues and cells, indicating that it plays a critical role in signal transduction, cell proliferation, and anti-apoptotic processes. In addition, recent studies show that PLD is a downstream transcriptional target of proteins that contribute to inflammation and carcinogenesis such as Sp1, $NF{\kappa}B$, TCF4, ATF-2, NFATc2, and EWS-Fli. Thus, compounds that inhibit expression or activity of PLD in cells can be potentially useful in reducing inflammation and sensitizing resistant cancers during chemotherapy.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.462-467
• /
• 1996

Acetolactate synthase (ALS, EC 4.1.3.18) is the first common enzyme in the biosynthesis of leucine, isoleucine, and valine. It is the target enzyme for several classes of herbicides, including the sulfonylureas, the imidazolinones, the mazolopyrimidines, the pyrimidyl-oxy-benzoates, the pyrimidyl-thio-benzens, and the 4,6-dimethoxypyrimidines. An amino-terminal fragment of the sulfonylurea-resistant ALS gene (SurB) from Nicotiana tabaccum was cloned into the bacterial expression vector pGEX-2T. The resulting recombinant plasmid pGEX-ALS1 was used to transform Escherichia coli strain BL21, and the tobacco ALS was expressed in the bacteria as a protein fused with glutathione S-transferase (GST). Polyclonal antibodies against the fusion product (GST-ALS) were produced, and the sensitivity of GST-ALS with the rabbit anti-GST-ALS IgG was up to 50 ng. This antibody was used for Western blot analysis of the partially purified ALS from barley shoots. The results suggest that the polyclonal antibody produced in this study can be used to detect plant ALS.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.363-369
• /
• 1996

As basic study to evaluate the treatability of oil-contaminated environment with bacteria, isolation and characterization of crude oil-degrading bacterium were carried out. A bacterial strain SH-14 capable of degrading crude oil was isolated from contaminated soils by enrichment culture technique and identified as Acinetobacter sp. by morphological, cultural and biochemical characteristics, and so named Acinetobacter sp. SH-14. The optimal medium composition and cultural conditions for the growth and emulsification of crude oil by Acinetobacter sp. SH-14 used were crude oil of 2.0%, $KNO_3$ of 0.2%, $K_2HPO_4$ of 0.05%, and $MgSO_4\;{\cdot}\;7H_2O$ of 1.0%, along with initial pH 7.0 at $30^{\circ}C$. Acinetobacter sp. SH-14 showed to be resistant to chloramphenicol and utilized various hydrocarbons such as dodecane, hexadecane, isooctane, cyclo-hexane etc., as a sole carbon source. Acinetobacter sp. SH-14 harbored a single plasmid. By agarose gel electrophoresis and curing experiment it was found that the genes for crude oil components degradation were encoded on the plasmid.

• The Microorganisms and Industry
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.27-31
• /
• 1993

Certain bacterial species possess the capability of differentiation through several morphogenetic changes which enable them to adapt to certain internal and external stimuli(Losick and Shapiro 1984). Upon induction, cells of A. vinelandii undergo a morphological process which leads to the production of one cyst per cell (Sadoff, 1975). The cysts are considerably resistant to desiccation, which confers a survival advantages upon the organism(Socolofsky and Wyss 1962). Like other prokaryotic differentiations encystment provides a relatively simple model of cellular differentiation. Like in other differentiating bacteria, vegetative growth can be separated from differentiation. Furthermore, the differentiation cycle can be synchronized by specific inducer. There have been a great deal of morphological and physiological studies on this process. However, the mechanisms used to regulate cell differentiation can be clearly defined by careful genetic analysis of the process. Unfortunately, A. vinelandii has proven to be difficult for genetic analysis (Sadoff 1975). For example, it has been shown that a variety of metabolic mutants of Azotobacter speicies are difficult to isolate after mutagenesis with chemical mutagens or UV irradiation. Nevertheless recent advances in molecular genetics in Azotobacter species, especially in the nitrogen fixation research area, appear to be able to overcome this difficulty (Robinson et al. 1986; Kennedy et al. 1986).

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.29-33
• /
• 2004

Cranberries have long been used by lay people to relieve the symptoms of urinary tract infections. Recent research has determined that the component of cranberry called proanthocyanidin (PAC) is the primary mechanism for inhibiting P-fimbriated E.coli adhesion to uroepithelial cells in vitro. A series of experiments were performed to determine the effects of PAC on growth and adhesion of uropathogenic E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus to urinary catheter material. The results showed that PAC-inhibited binding of Gram positive S. aureus to collagen coated surfaces and significantly decreased the growth of these bacteria. P-fimbriated E.coli did not bind well to the biomaterial and their growth was unaffected by the cranberry extract with the exception of some loss in viability at 1000 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL after 5 to 18 hours of exposure. This is the first report of the potential for cranberries to interfere with the adhesion and growth of S. aureus, a multi-drug resistant organisms responsible for morbidity and mortality especially in hospitalized patients.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.378-384
• /
• 1996

In vitro activities of LB20304a were compared with those of grepafloxacin (OPC-17116), Q-35, ciprofloxacin, and sparfloxacin against 380 clinical isolates collected from general hospitals in 1996. LB 20304a was the most active agent against gram-positive strains including staphylococci, streptococci and enterococci. LB20304a was also very active against gram-negative bacteria and its activity was comparable to that of ciprofloxacin but better than those of grepafloxacin, Q-35 and sparfloxacin. The therapeutic effect of LB20304a was superior to those of sparfloxacin and ciprofloxacin against systemic infection by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus K283 (MRSA) in neutropenic mice. Against urinary tract infection induced by Escherichia coli 851E in mice, LB20304a was more active than sparfloxacin and ciprofloxacin. However, LB 20304a was slightly less active than that of ciprofloxacin against urinary tract infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa 1912E, but better than that of sparfloxacin.