• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.415-421
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• 2016

The drug-resistance of malaria parasites is the main problem in the disease control. The huge Brazilian biodiversity promotes the search for new compounds, where the animal kingdom is proving to be a promising source of bioactive compounds. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the antiplasmodial and cytotoxic activity of the compounds obtained from the toad venoms of Brazilian Amazon. Toad venoms were collected from the secretion of Rhinella marina and Rhaebo guttatus in Mato Grosso State, Brazil. The powder was extracted at room temperature, yielding 2 extracts (RG and RM) and a substance ('1') identified as a bufadienolide, named telocinobufagin. Growth inhibition, intraerythrocytic development, and parasite morphology were evaluated in culture by microscopic observations of Giemsa-stained thin blood films. Cytotoxicity was determined against HepG2 and BGM cells by MTT and neutral red assays. The 2 extracts and the pure substance ('1') tested were active against chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strain, demonstrating lower $IC_{50}$ values. In cytotoxic tests, the 2 extracts and substance '1' showed pronounced lethal effects on chloroquine-resistant P. faciparum strain and low cytotoxic effect, highlighting toad parotoid gland secretions as a promising source of novel lead antiplasmodial compounds.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1333-1340
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• 2012

Epithelial ovarian cancer represents the most lethal gynecological cancer, and the high mortality rate makes this malignancy a major health concern. Poor prognosis results from an inability to detect ovarian cancers at an early, curable stage, as well as from the lack of an effective therapy. Thus, effective and novel strategies for prevention and treatment with non-toxic agents merit serious consideration. Resveratrol, obtained from grapes, berries, peanuts and red wine, has been shown to have a potent growth-inhibitory effect against various human cancer cells as well as in in vivo preclinical cancer models. The objective here was to evaluate potential antitumor effects of resveratrol in both in vitro and in vivo NuTu-19 ovarian cancer models. In vitro an invasion assay was performed. After 48 h, the numbers of viable cells that invaded the extracellular matrix layer were reduced by 94% with resveratrol in comparison to control. For the in vivo anti-tumor assessment, 10 rats were injected with NuTu-19 cells into the ovarian bursa. Thereafter, half were provided with a diet mixed with a dose of 100 mg resveratrol/kg body weight/day for 28 days. Following sacrifice, anticancer effects were assessed by histological evaluation of ovarian as well as surrounding tissues, and immunohistochemical detection of cell proliferation and apoptosis, but there were no observable differences between the control and resveratrol-treated groups for any of the biological endpoints. While resveratrol is effective in suppressing the in vitro cellular invasion of NuTu-19 ovarian cancer cells, these effects do not appear to impact on in vivo NuTu-19 ovarian cancers in rats.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.599-603
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• 2004

Primary pericardial malignant mesothelioma is a lethal and rare cardiac neoplasm of mesodermal origin. Most cases are associated with history of pericarditis with constriction and/or tamponade. Authors experienced a case of primary pericardial malignant mesothelioma in a 55-year old female who had suffered from dyspnea and chest pain. Pericardial nodules revealed intense uptake by FDG-PET scan and confirmed as primary pericardial malignant mesothelioma by thoracoscopic biopsy. Here we report this case with a brief review of the relevant literatures.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.93-103
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• 1998

In order to investigate the reducing effect of velvet antler water extract (VAWE) on the toxicity of anti-cancer drug, cis-platin (CDDP) and mitomycin C (MMC), we examined effects of co-administration with VAWE and anti-cancer drugs on their toxicities. We recognized that $LD_{50}$ of CDDP/MMC were increased by co-administration with VAWE and them in mice. It was found that co-administration of VAWE and MMC increased the survival rate in mice treated by lethal dose of MMC. Also, co-administration of VAWE and CDDP/MMC inhibited decrease of the body weight and organ weight in mice intoxificated by CDDP/MMC. The increase of serum blood urea and serum creatinine levels in rats intoxicated by CDDP were significantly inhibited by the co-administrationin with VAWE and CDDP. The decrease of RBC and WBC in rats intoxificated by MMC were significantly inhibited by the co-administration with VAWE and MMC. These results suggest that the combined usage of VAWE and CDDP/MMC drugs may be a new method for prevented or minimized the toxicity of them.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.43-52
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• 2014

In weapon systems development, live fire tests have been frequently adopted to evaluate the performance of the systems under development. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure safety in the test ranges where the live fire tests can cause serious hazards. During the tests, a special care must be taken to protect the test and evaluation (T&E) personnel and also test assets from potential danger and hazards. Thus, the development and management of the range safety process is quite important in the tests of guided missiles and artillery considering the explosive power of the destruction. Note also that with a newly evolving era of weapon systems such as laser, EMP and non-lethal weapons, the test procedure for such systems is very complex. Therefore, keeping the safety level in the test ranges is getting more difficult due to the increased unpredictability for unknown hazards. The objective of this paper is to study on how to enhance the safety in the test ranges. To do so, an approach is proposed based on model-based systems engineering (MBSE). Specifically, a functional architecture is derived utilizing the MBSE method for the design of the range safety process under the condition that the derived architecture must satisfy both the complex test situation and the safety requirements. The architecture developed in the paper has also been investigated by simulation using a computer-aided systems engineering tool. The systematic application of this study in weapon live tests is expected to reduce unexpected hazards and test design time. Our approach is intended to be a trial to get closer to the recent theme in T&E community, "Testing at the speed of stakeholder's need and rapid requirement for rapid acquisition."

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.59-75
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• 1999

Skin is continuously exposed to external stimuli including ultraviolet radiation, which is a major cause of skin photoaging. According to recent discoveries, UVA with a lower energy but deep-penetrating properties, compared to UVB, is likely to play a major part in causing skin photoaging. The clinical and histochemical changes of photoaging are well characterized, but the biochemical mechanisms are poorly understood partly due to the lack of suitable experimental systems. In this work, three-dimensional, reconstituted skin culture models were prepared. After certain period of maturation, the equivalent models were shown to be similar in structure and biochemical characteristics to normal skin. Mature dermal and skin equivalent models were exposed to sub-lethal doses of UVA, and the effects of UVA relevant to dermal photoaging were monitored, including the production of elastin, collagen, collagenase(MMP-1), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1). Interestingly, dermal and skin equivalents reacted differently to acute and chronic exposure to UVA. Elastin production was increased as soon as one week after commencing UVA irradiation by chronic exposure, although a single exposure failed to do so. This early response could be an important advantage of equivalent models in studying elastosis in photoaged skin. Collagenase activity was increased by acute UVA irradiation, but returned to control levels after repeated exposure. On the other hand, collagen biosynthesis, which was increased by a single exposure, decreased slightly during 5 weeks of prolonged UVA exposure. Collagenase has been thought to be responsible for collagen degeneration in dermal photoaging. However, according to the results obtained in this study, elevated collagenase activity is not likely to be responsible for the degeneration of collagen in dermal photoagig, while reduced production of collagen may be the main reason. It can be concluded that reconstituted skin culture models can serve as useful experimental tools for the study of skin photoaging. These culture models are relatively simple to construct, easy to handle, and are reproducible Moreover the changes of dermal photoaging can be observed within 1-4 weeks of exposure to ultraviolet light compared to 4 months to 2 years for human or animal studies. These models will be useful for biochemical and mechanistic studies in a large number of fields including dermatology, toxicology, and pharmacology.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.20.1-20.13
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• 2020

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) causes a form of porcine pleuropneumonia that leads to significant economic losses in the swine industry worldwide. The apxIBD gene is responsible for the secretion of the ApxI and ApxII toxins and the pnp gene is responsible for the adaptation of bacteria to cold temperature and a virulence factor. The apxIBD and pnp genes were deleted successfully from APP serotype 1 and 5 by transconjugation and sucrose counter-selection. The APP1ΔapxIBDΔpnp and APP5ΔapxIBDΔpnp mutants lost hemolytic activity and could not secrete ApxI and ApxII toxins outside the bacteria because both mutants lost the ApxI- and ApxII-secreting proteins by deletion of the apxIBD gene. Besides, the growth of these mutants was defective at low temperatures resulting from the deletion of pnp. The APP1ΔapxIBDΔpnp and APP5ΔapxIBDΔpnp mutants were significantly attenuated compared with wild-type ones. However, mice vaccinated intraperitoneally with APP5ΔapxIBDΔpnp did not provide any protection when challenged with a 10-times 50% lethal dose of virulent homologous (APP5) and heterologous (APP1) bacterial strains, while mice vaccinated with APP1ΔapxIBDΔpnp offered 75% protection against a homologous challenge. The ΔapxIBDΔpnp mutants were significantly attenuated and gave different protection rate against homologous virulent wild-type APP challenging.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.193-205
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• 2023

Botanical insecticides derived from plant extracts exhibit repellent, antifeedant and enzyme-inhibiting activities against insect pests. Among such pests, phytophagous mites are major threats to horticultural crops. Botanical extracts derived from neem, chrysanthemum, and shrubby sophora are employed as field acaricides. These botanical extracts have low toxicities against natural enemies of the insect pests and, thus, are valuable in pest management. This review focuses on the potential for botanical extracts in the controls of mites, with comparisons of the spectrum of activity, the lethal dose and times and their mode of action. This information will enable better formulation of botanical extracts in integrated mite control.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.81-92
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• 2011

When we bury the infected poultry into the ground, we have many problems such as the difficulty of making sufficient area for burying, environmental contamination by the leachate, unpleasant ordor. Also, in case of burning the carcass of the infected poultry, there are some problems such as high cost, dust, unpleasant odor, etc. It could cause environmental contamination which many peoples and environmental organization complains about. In this study, we develop a treating system which treats the infected poultry carcass in a environmental method preventing the environment contamination. This system is composed of many processes. The euthanasia system uses rigid vinyl to trap and to do a euthanasia the infected poultry with lethal gas, carbon dioxide. And then, with the tractor attached grappler infected poultry carcass could be put into the carcass treating system. The euthanasia system uses rigid vinyl to trap the infected birds and to confine lethal gas, carbon dioxide. Infected poultry carcass are moved to carcass disposal system by collecting device which is attached at tractor. The carcass treatment system (capacity of disposal : 6.3 $m^3$) is installed on a truck and do one pass work, which is input, crush, stir, sterilize, and discharge treated carcass. 1,000 chickens was killed within 9.7min by $CO_2$ (300L/min) in the tent (10 $m^3$). The collecting device could carry 142 chickens at a time, and the movable carcass treatment system could sterilize 2 tons carcass per hour (at one time). This treatment systems was eco-friendly because it reduced the volume of carcass by 31.9% with no wastewater generation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2771-2774
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• 2012

Aim: Tumors of upper gastrointestinal tract are among the cancers that have a quite lethal course. Cytotoxic chemotherapy is the most efficient therapeutic modality for metastatic gastric cancer. In patients who do not respond to first-line treatment, the response rate to second-line therapies is generally low and the toxicity rates high. This study concerned the efficacy and the side effect profile of second-line therapy with irinotecan in the patients who were being followed-up with the diagnosis of metastatic gastric cancer in $\dot{I}$zmir, Turkey. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and toxicity in 31 patients with metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma who presented to the polyclinic of Medical Oncology of Izmir Ataturk Education and Research Hospital between May 2008 and July 2011. All received chemotherapy regimens containing cisplatin, fluoropyrimidine (5-FU) and docetaxel as the first-line therapy for late stage disease. Irinotecan as a single agent was given at a dose of 210 mg/$m^2$ on each 21 days. Irinotecan (180 mg/$m^2$ on day 1), 5-FU (500 mg/$m^2$ on days 1-2) and leucovorin (LV; 60 mg/$m^2$ on days 1-2) as a combined regimen were given over a 14 day period. Results: Median age was 54 (range, 31-70). Irinotecan was given as a combined regimen for median 6 cycles (range, 3-12) and as a single agent for median 3 cycles (range, 1-10). Metastases were detected in one site in six patients (19%), in two different sites in 17 patients (55%) and in three or more sites in eight patients (26%). Four patients (12.9%) showed partial response and six patients (19.3%) showed stable disease. Progression-free survival (PFS) was found to be 3.26 months (95% CI, 2.3-4.2). Median overall survival (OS) was found to be 8.76 months (95% CI, 4.5-12.9). The most commonly seen grade 3/4 side effect was neutropenia but the the therapy was generally well-tolerated. Conclusions: In this study, it was demonstrated that second-line therapy with irinotecan given following the first-line therapy with cisplatin, fluoropyrimidine (5-FU) and docetaxel was efficient and safe. Further studies are needed for confirmation.