• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.96-99
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• 2008

Toxoplasma gondiiis a widespread apicomplexan parasite which is able to infect virtually all warm-blooded vertebrates. Twenty-two percent of the U.S. population is infected, but severe disease in adults is mainly limited to immunosuppressed patients. In patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS), T. gondii causes a life-threatening opportunistic infection, with Toxoplasma encephalitis as its most severe manifestations. T. gondii is also known to cause congenital infection and is among the pathogens with the highest incidence of complications in pregnancies. Despite its clinical importance, only very few therapeutic drugs against T. gondii are available, all of which target the rapidly dividing tachyzoites, leaving the dormant encysted bradyzoite stage unaffected. We searched 15 traditional medicines that have anti-inflammatory effect from dongyibogam and Traditional Chinese medicine. In vitro studies were performed with HeLa cell cultures, with quantification of Toxoplasma growth by a cell proliferation assay. The result of experiment shows the selectivity of Citrus unshiu Markovich is 6.0. This is higher than sulfadiazine (selectivity was 1.63). For in vivo studies, mice were acutely infected intraperitoneally with $10^5$ tachyzoites of the virulent RH strain and then treated per orally for 4 days from 6 hours postinfection. Efficacy was assessed by sequential determination of parasite burdens in peritoneal cavity. In vivo, Citrus unshiu Markoviche inhibited Toxoplasma growth at a concentration of 10㎎/㎏ of body weight per day, the inhibition ratio was estimated to be 64.01%.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제47권2호
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• pp.103-107
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• 2009

The genus Acanthamoeba can cause severe infections such as granulomatous amebic encephalitis and amebic keratitis in humans. However, little genomic information of Acanthamoeba has been reported. Here, we constructed Acanthamoeba expressed sequence tags (EST) database (Acanthamoeba EST DB) derived from our 4 kinds of Acanthamoeba cDNA library. The Acanthamoeba EST DB contains 3,897 EST generated from amebae under various conditions of long term in vitro culture, mouse brain passage, or encystation, and downloaded data of Acanthamoeba from National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and Taxonomically Broad EST Database (TBestDB). The almost reported eDNA/genomic sequences of Acanthamoeba provide stand alone BLAST system with nucleotide (BLAST NT) and amino acid (BLAST AA) sequence database. In BLAST results, each gene links for the significant information including sequence data, gene orthology annotations, relevant references, and a BlastX result. This is the first attempt for construction of Acanthamoeba database with genes expressed in diverse conditions. These data were integrated into a database (http://www. amoeba.or.kr).

• 한국동물위생학회지
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.111-116
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• 2011

Artificial insemination (AI) of swine is a very useful reproductive tool and that offers convenience in the Korean swine industry. Since many viruses have been reported to be excreted through boar semen, we investigated the presence of antibodies and antigens against viruses causing reproductive failure in semen of boar in 349 semen samples collected from six Korean AI centers. Viral antigens were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or reverse transcription-PCR predominantly. The results was as follows. The major reproductive failure causing factor was porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), followed by porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) ($X^2$=166.64, P<0.001). PCV2 and PRRSV, Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) was detected in 73 samples (20.9%), 44 samples (12.6%), 4 samples (1.1%), 3 samples (0.9%), respectively and porcine parvovirus in one sample (0.3%) Classical swine fever virus (CSFV), bovine viral diarrhea virus and Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) were not detected. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was carried out in 111 serum samples from three AI centers. In most pigs, antibodies response was showed prominently in CSFV (105 sera, 94.6%) ($X^2$=82.580, P<0.001), followed by, in PRRSV (100 sera, 90.1%), PCV2 (92 sera, 90.1%), and PPV (8 sera, 82.9%). ADV antibody was not detected. Thus, the experimental results will be used for the base data, with respect to the state of viral stillbirth in general pig farms, as well as AI centers and breeding farms in Korea.

• 한국응용곤충학회지
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• 제42권2호
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• pp.125-132
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• 2003

울산시 울주군 청량면 인근 해안가 주변의 저습지를 보유한 용암리에 서식하는 모기의 계절적 발생소장을 조사하였다. 성충 채집은 Nozawa 유문등을 이용하여 3년(1999-2001) 동안 3월부터 9월까지 두 곳의 우사에서 격주에 한번씩 암컷을 대상으로 실시하였다. 채집된 암컷 성충은 1999년에 트랩당 평균 4,416.1마리, 2000년에 5,505.9마리, 그리고 2001년에 6,863.8마리였다. 채집된 모기의 종류는 5속 10종이었으며, 가장 높은 채집수를 보인 종은 중국얼룩날개모기로 종비는 53.4%였으며 다음으로 작은빨간집모기(43.0%), 이나도미집모기(1.6%), 등줄숲모기(1.3%), 빨간집모기(0.5%) 순이었다. 말라리아 매개모기인 중국얼룩날개모기와 일본뇌염 매개모기인 작은빨간집모기의 주요발생 시기인 6월부터 9월까지의 트랩당 평균 채집수는 각각 3,663.3마리와 3,142.5마리였다. 1997년 조사에서 우점종으로 나타난 이나도미집모기의 채집수는 연중 7월 초순에 가장 높게 나타났다.

• 한국동물위생학회지
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.139-145
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• 2012

Prevalence of major legal communicable diseases in bovine and swine had been monitored in Jeonbuk province from year 2004 to 2008. At least 1 communicable disease had been reported in 687 heads from 68 bovine farms and 17 farms (25.0%) of the 68 positive farms had 1~2 additional outbreaks during the surveillance. By disease, enzootic bovine leukosis, Johne's disease and Akabane disease were occurred in 53 farms (582 heads), 14 farms (100 heads) and 1 farm (5 heads), respectively. Swine communicable diseases were occurred in 4,466 heads from 63 swine farms and 18 farms (28.6%) of the 63 positive farms had 1~2 additional outbreaks during the surveillance. By disease, Aujeszky's disease (AD), porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), classical swine fever (CSF), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), porcine transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE), atrophic rhinitis (AR) and Japanese encephalitis in swine (JE) were occurred in 20 farms (70 heads), 20 farms (2,817 heads), 12 farms (258 heads), 6 farms (1,257 heads), 1 farm (50 heads), 1 farm (2 heads) and 1 farm (10 heads), respectively. In total, 10 communicable diseases (1 species of first-class, 3 species of second-class, and 6 species of third-class) were reported. The first-class diseases were CSF. Johne's disease, and Aujeszky's disease. JE was the second-class and Akabane disease, enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL), PED, PRRS, TGE and AR were third-class diseases.

• 한국동물위생학회지
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.105-111
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• 2010

Rabies virus which belongs to the genus Lyssavirus of the family Rhabdoviridae is known as a highly neurotropic virus and causes fatal encephalitis accompanied by severe neurological symptoms in almost all mammals, including humans. In this study, monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against rabies virus were produced, characterized and applications of MAbs as diagnostic reagents were assessed Spleen and inguinal lymph node cells from Balb/c mouse immunized with purified rabies virus were fused with SP2/O myeloma cells using polyethylene glycol (PEG) and hybridoma cells producing rabies virus-specific MAbs were screened by an indirect fluorescent antibody test. A total of ten MAbs were produced against rabies virus. The protein specificity and neutralizing activity of MAbs were determined by Western blot analysis and fluorescent antibody virus neutralization test, respectively. As a result, two MAbs, 5G3 and 6H4 had specificity for nucleoprotein (N protein) and two other MAbs, 5B1 and 5C1 had neutralizing activity for rabies virus. Some MAbs recognized the rabies virus-infected bovine brain stem cells by immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay. In conclusion, it was confirmed that MAbs produced in this study were rabies virusspecific and could be used as reliable diagnostic reagents for the detection of rabies virus.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.7-12
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• 2011

Free-living amoebae ingest several kinds of bacteria. In other words, the bacteria can survive within free-living amoeba. To determine how Escherichia coli K1 isolate causing neonatal encephalitis and non-pathogenic K12 interact with free-living amoebae, e.g., Acanthamoeba castellanii (T1), A. astronyxis (T7), Naegleria fowleri, association, invasion and survival assays were performed. To understand pathogenicity of free-living amoebae, in vitro cytotoxicity assay were performed using murine macrophages. T1 destroyed macrophages about 64% but T7 did very few target cells. On the other hand, N. fowleri which needed other growth conditions rather than Acanthamoeba destroyed more than T1 as shown by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay. In association assays for E. coli binding to amoebae, the T7 exhibited significantly higher association with E. coli, compared with the T1 isolates (P<0.01). Interestingly, N. fowleri exhibited similar percentages of association as T1. Once E. coli bacteria attach or associate with free-living amoeba, they can penetrate into the amoebae. In invasion assays, the K1 (0.67%) within T1 was observed compared with K12 (0%). E. coli K1 and K12 exhibited high association with N. fowleri and bacterial CFU. To determine the fate of E. coli in long-term survival within free-living amoebae, intracellular survival assays were performed by incubating E. coli with free-living amoebae in PBS for 24 h. Intracellular E. coli K1 within T1 (2.5%) and T7 (1.8%) were recovered and grown, while K12 were not found. N. fowleri was not invaded and here it was not recovered.

• 한국동물학회지
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.51-56
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• 1970

Studies on the feeding and resting behavior of Culex pipiens pallens, a possible vector of Japanese encephalitis in Korea, was carried out at Kobu-Ri, Kobu-Myon, Chongup Kun. Cholla Pukdo in 1967. 1. Indoor and outdoor human biting collections showed that 47.3 per cent Culex pipiens pallens were collected indoors and 52.7 per cent outdoors. 2.Feeding occurred throughout the night from dusk to dawn, with the peak period from 23:00-24:00 hours outside the house and from 24:00-01:00 hours inside. 3. Culex pipiens pallens females preferred man for their blood feeding to domestic animals. The results of human and cow biting collections showed that the feeding ratio between man and cow was 2.1 to 1. As to the feeding preference to the domestic animals, the ratio among cow, pig and horse was 7.3 to 5.1 to 5.4 4. Daytime resting collections showed that large numbers of Culex pipiens pallens females rest inside the house, especially in the bed room and the chicken pen. As temperatures increased, fewer mosquitoes resting indoors and more mosquitoes rest ing outdoors were caught. By means of sweep-net collections at outdoors resting places, a small number of Culex pipiens pallens mosquitoes were caught in such places as grass fields, vegetable fields, barley fields, bean fields, culverts, bomb shelters, and so on. A comparison between number of mosquitoes collected resting during the day in bedrooms and verandahs with resting collections in the same places at night showed that more mosquitoes were present at night. It was observed that the majority of the unfed females rested before feeding at night.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.53-61
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• 2016

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular Apicomplexan parasite and a causative agent of toxoplasmosis in human. It causes encephalitis, uveitis, chorioretinitis, and congenital infection. T. gondii invades the host cell by forming a moving junction (MJ) complex. This complex formation is initiated by intermolecular interactions between the two secretory parasitic proteins-namely, apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) and rhoptry neck protein 2 (RON2) and is critically essential for the host invasion process. By this study, we propose two potential leads, NSC95522 and NSC179676 that can efficiently target the AMA1 hydrophobic cleft, which is a hotspot for targeting MJ complex formation. The proposed leads are the result of an exhaustive conformational search-based virtual screen with multilevel precision scoring of the docking affinities. These two compounds surpassed all the precision levels of docking and also the stringent post docking and cumulative molecular dynamics evaluations. Moreover, the backbone flexibility of hotspot residues in the hydrophobic cleft, which has been previously reported to be essential for accommodative binding of RON2 to AMA1, was also highly perturbed by these compounds. Furthermore, binding free energy calculations of these two compounds also revealed a significant affinity to AMA1. Machine learning approaches also predicted these two compounds to possess more relevant activities. Hence, these two leads, NSC95522 and NSC179676, may prove to be potential inhibitors targeting AMA1-RON2 complex formation towards combating toxoplasmosis.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제21권6호
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• pp.1663-1669
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• 2007

Acute transverse myelitis(ATM) is defined as an acute intramedullary dysfunction of the spinal cord, ascendng or static involving both halves of the cord and appearing without any history of previous neurological diseases due to traumatic accident, tumor of all kind, encephalitis and of course excluding all possible viral, bacterial and fungal infection. It is mainly characterized by acute motor disorder of both limbs in respect to which spinal segments are affected as well as sensory disorder and dysuria & dyschezia. The exact cause is unknown, however it is recently suggested that immunological factors are highly involved. It has been reported by several reliable sources that it is often accompanied by immunological diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE). As treatments non steroid anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDS) are primarily recommended as to steroids, limited doses are injected only with the proper prescription from the physician. Operative methods are not options as traumatic accidents and tumors are excluded as factors. To enhance muscle strength and prevent articular contracture physical therapy and passive exercise is imperative. The following patient whose chief complaints were mainly about hypoesthesia of Rt. lower limb and stiffness of phalanges of both fingers as well as to weakness of lower extermity. Therefore it has been diagnosed as arthalgia syndrome. In oriental medicine factors such as wind evil heat-evil, dampness-heat evil, cold evil cause the arthalgia syndrome. In this case the patient was diagnosed as dampness-heat evil and herbal medicine Chunglijagam-Tang and Dong-Qi acupuncture was applied to treat bladder disorder.