Expression of CD44 adhesion molecule in rat testis with ischemia/reperfusion injury

The expression pattern of CD44 was studied in the rat testis following ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury to elucidate the possible role of the CD44 adhesion molecule in acute experimental testicular torsion. Western blot analysis showed that CD44 expression began to increase significantly 24 hr after reperfusion, compared with the normal control; the increased expression persisted until 96 hr after I/R. Immunohistochemistry showed that, in the normal testis, CD44 was constitutively expressed mainly in ED2-positive resident macrophages in the interstitial space. After I/R, the majority of inflammatory cells in the interstitial space surrounding the damaged tubules were ED1-positive macrophages that were CD44-positive. These findings suggest that the significant increase in CD44 expression that occurs during the delayed phase after reperfusion originates from infiltrating macrophages possibly in anticipation of the migration and adhesion of additional macrophages into the affected testis.     

Acquired cervical syringomyelia secondary to a brainstem meningioma in a maltese dog

A 15-year-old female maltese was referred to us because of a 3-month history of ataxia, circling, and acute blindness. A mass was noted in the brainstem on brain magnetic resonance images. A cerebellar herniation was also detected on T1-weighted sagittal images. The lateral, third and fourth ventricles and central canal of the cervical spinal cord were enlarged. Based on diagnostic imaging findings, cervical syringomyelia secondary to a brainstem tumor was suspected. The clinical signs were controlled well by lomustine and the dog survived for 8 months after the initial diagnosis. The mass was diagnosed as a meningioma based on histopathological findings. This report describes the clinical findings and imaging characteristics of an acquired syringomyelia resulting from a brainstem meningioma.     

Medial canthoplasty for epiphora in dogs: a retrospective study of 23 cases

The medical records of 23 dogs that underwent medial canthoplasty for treatment of epiphora were reviewed. The most prevalent breed encountered was the shih tzu. Other affected breeds included the Pekingese, Maltese, toy poodle, and pug. All dogs had epiphora associated with medial canthal trichiasis and/or entropion. Other ocular abnormalities included conjunctivitis, keratitis, pigmentary keratitis, corneal ulceration, globe prolapse, and nasal fold trichiasis. After medial canthoplasty, the epiphora resolved in all dogs.     

Intercostal thoracotomy in 20 dogs: muscle-sparing versus traditional techniques

The levels of pain, duration of approaching and closure, and surgical exposure associated with intercostal thoracotomy were compared between muscle-sparing and traditional techniques in 20 dogs. Postoperative pain was assessed based on numerical pain scores using behavioral observation, heart rate, respiratory rate, and wound palpation. Time for approaching and closure were measured, and the extent of intrathoracic organ exposure for the surgical procedures was described for each technique. There were significant differences in numerical pain scores at 2 h as well as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 days after surgery between the two groups (p < 0.0001). There was no significant (p = 0.725) difference in times for approaching and closure between the two groups. Compared to the traditional method, the muscle-sparing technique also achieved the desired exposure without compromising exposure of the target organs. Our results suggest that the muscle-sparing technique is more effective than the traditional method for providing a less painful recovery during the first 7 days after intercostal thoracotomy. Additionally, the muscle-sparing technique is as effective as the traditional modality for providing an appropriate time for approaching and closure during intercostal thoracotomy as well as adequate organ exposure for the surgical procedures.     

Anti-obesity activity of diglyceride containing conjugated linoleic acid in C57BL/6J ob/ob mice

This study was to investigate the anti-obesity effects of diglyceride (DG)-conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) containing 22% CLA as fatty acids in C57BL/6J ob/ob male mice. There were four experimental groups including vehicle control, DG, CLA, and DG-CLA. The test solutions of 750 mg/kg dose were orally administered to the mice everyday for 5 weeks. CLA treatments significantly decreased mean body weight in the obese mice throughout the experimental period compared to the control (p < 0.01). All test solutions significantly decreased the levels of triglyceride, glucose and free fatty acids in the serum compared with control (p < 0.05). The levels of total cholesterol were also significantly reduced in DG and DG-CLA groups compared with the control group (p < 0.05). CLA significantly decreased weights of renal and epididymal fats compared with the control (p < 0.05). DG and DG-CLA also significantly decreased the epididymal fat weights compared with the control (p < 0.05). A remarkable decrease in the number of lipid droplets and fat globules was observed in the livers of mice treated with DG, CLA, and DG-CLA compared to control. Treatments of DG and CLA actually increased the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma. These results suggest that DG-CLA containing 22% CLA have a respectable anti-obesity effect by controlling serum lipids and fat metabolism.     

Isolation and Characterization of a Yellow Xanthophyll Pigment-Producing Marine Bacterium,Erythrobacter sp. SDW2 Strain,in Coastal Seawater

Xanthophylls, a yellow pigment belonging to the carotenoid family, have attracted much attention for industrial applications due to their versatile nature. We report the isolation of a homo xanthophyll pigment-producing marine bacterium, identified as the Erythrobacter sp. SDW2 strain, from coastal seawater. The isolated Erythrobacter sp. SDW2 strain can produce 263 ± 12.9 mg/L (89.7 ± 5.4 mg/g dry cell weight) of yellow xanthophyll pigment from 5 g/L of glucose. Moreover, the xanthophyll pigment produced by the SDW2 strain exhibits remarkable antioxidative activities, confirmed by the DPPH (73.4 ± 1.4%) and ABTS (84.9 ± 0.7%) assays. These results suggest that the yellow xanthophyll pigment-producing Erythrobacter sp. SDW2 strain could be a promising industrial microorganism for producing marine-derived bioactive compounds with potential for foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.     

Effects of conditioned media from human amniotic epithelial cells on corneal alkali injuries in rabbits

This study was performed to evaluate the effects of conditioned media (CM) from human amniotic epithelial cells (HAECs) on the corneal wound healing process. Eighteen rabbits (36 eyes) were used and randomly assigned to three groups according treatment: CM from HAECs (group 1), vehicle alone (group 2), and saline (group 3). Corneal alkali injuries were induced with 1 N sodium hydroxide. Each reagent used for treatment evaluation was injected into the dorsal bulbar subconjunctiva and the area of the corneal epithelial defect was measured every other day. Two animals from each group were euthanized at a time on days 3, 7, and 15, and the cornea was removed for histological examination. The sum of the epithelial defect areas measured on day 0 to day 6 as well as day 0 to day 14 in group 1 was significantly smaller than those of other groups. Histological examination revealed that the group 1 corneas had less inflammatory cell infiltration and showed more intact epithelial features compared to the other groups. These results suggest that CM from HAECs promote corneal wound healing in rabbits.     

Evaluation of Caspase-3 and Ki-67 expression in squamous cell hyperplasia of the stomach induced by Platycodi radix water extract in Sprague–Dawley rats

Platycodi radix is widely used in traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of bronchitis, asthma, pulmonary tuberculosis, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. This study aimed to investigate cell proliferation (Ki-67) and apoptosis (Caspase-3) potential in squamous cell hyperplasia of the stomach induced by a Platycodi radix water extract in a subchronic toxicity study. One hundred formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded stomach tissues of rats treated with Platycodi radix at doses of 0, 500, 1,000, and 3,000 mg/kg body weight/day were used for the analysis. They were conventionally stained using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunohistochemically (IHC) stained using caspase-3 and Ki-67 antibodies. The incidence of squamous cell hyperplasia was significantly increased in the 3,000 mg/kg b.w./day treatment group in both sexes (p<0.01). However, the hyperplastic change was completely repaired after 4 weeks of recovery period. Ki-67 expression was similar in all groups, with no statistically significant differences among the groups. Caspase-3 expression was significantly increased in both sexes in the 3,000 mg/kg b.w./day treatment group (p<0.01), compared with the vehicle control groups, and then reduced to normal levels in the recovery groups in both sexes. In conclusion, this study showed that squamous cell hyperplasia induced by the Platycodi radix water extract in the limiting ridge of the stomach is not considered to be abnormal proliferative change; as a result, squamous cell hyperplasia is considered to be a non-adverse effect when induced by the oral administration of the Platycodi radix water extract once daily for 13 weeks in rats.     

Marker‐assisted breeding for improvement of anaerobic germination in japonica rice (Oryza sativa)

Direct seeding is increasingly being practiced in rice cultivation areas because it saves labour and reduces cost of production and management. In this study, four japonica‐type breeding lines were developed from a cross of a japonica cultivar and an AG‐tolerant donor, KHO, using marker‐assisted selection. Validation of the target genes AG1 and AG2 in the selected lines was examined by PCR analysis and the background recovery rate by the recurrent parent was confirmed by genotyping using a 6K SNP chip. Compared to the recurrent, the survival rates of the selected lines were improved in a range from 33% to 115% in three conditions; in particular, the survival rate was increased in more than twice that of the recurrent parent under the hypoxic condition. The main agronomic trait, yield and quality‐related traits were similar to those of the recurrent parent. The use of these lines will contribute to the expansion of the cultivation area due to the proven economic benefits of direct seeding in Korea.