Comparison of antibody titers in rabbits following immunization with inactivated influenza virus via subarachnoidal or subcutaneous route

Rabbits were immunized with inactivated influenza virus via the subarachnoidal (SA) or subcutaneous (SC) route, and the antibody titers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum were assayed. There were no nervous signs or morphological lesions related to SA immunization. In the SC group, the antibody titer was elevated in serum, but not elevated in CSF. In the SA group, the antibody titer was significantly elevated in serum and even in CSF, and their antibody titers were much greater than in the SC group. The present results suggest that intrathecal immunization is more effective than SC immunization at inducing a protective immune response against the transneural spread of viruses.     

Panax ginseng extract rich in ginsenoside protopanaxatriol attenuates blood pressure elevation in spontaneously hypertensive rats by affecting the Akt-dependent phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase

Nitric oxide (NO) produced by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is a fundamental regulator of systemic blood pressure. Ginsenosides from Panax ginseng have been investigated in vitro for the molecular and biochemical mechanisms by which they stimulate NO release in vascular endothelial cells; however, little research has been done to confirm the physiological relevance of these in vitro studies. To address this research gap, the effects of a P. ginseng extract rich in ginsenosides from protopanaxatriol on spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) was examined. Ginseng extract administration stimulated nongenomic Akt-mediated eNOS activation, enhanced NO production, improved vessel wall thickening, and alleviated hypertension in SHRs, confirming the physiological relevance of previous in vitro studies with ginsenosides.     

Synthesis of liquid crystalline spiroxazine derivatives

Liquid crystalline spiroxazine derivatives have been synthesized. The spiroxazines obtained were characterized by¹H-NMR, IR spectroscopy, UV and GC-MS.     

Isolation of peroxisomal enoyl-CoA hydratase in rainbow trout and immunochemical identification with the bifunctional enzyme

Peroxisomes are the sites for β-oxidation of long-chain fatty acids. The peroxisomal bifunctional enzyme (PBE) enoyl-CoA hydratase, 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase catalyzes the second and third reactions of the β-oxidation system. Originally termed PPA-80 for peroxisome-proliferation associated 80,000 MW polypeptide, PBE levels are monitored to measure peroxisome proliferation in rodents and other species. The quantity of a 79,000 MW polypeptide in the light mitochondrial fraction of the liver, as analyzed by SDS-PAGE, increases when rainbow trout are exposed to peroxisome proliferating agents. This correlates with increases in acyl-CoA oxidase activity and peroxisome volume density. In the present study, peroxisomal enoyl-CoA hydratase was purified from trout liver and analyzed by immunoblotting with anti-PBE. A positive reaction with the 79,000 MW polypeptide band was observed providing strong evidence that this is the bifunctional enzyme.     

Microorganism repair after UV-disinfection of secondary-level effluent for agricultural irrigation

A pilot study of microorganism repair after UV disinfection was performed for agricultural reuse of secondary-level effluent in paddy rice fields in Korea. Effluent from the bio-filter of a 16-unit apartment was used in a flow-through type UV-disinfection system. The average concentration of suspended solids (SS) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) were 3.4 and 5.9 mg L⁻¹, respectively. The mean total coliform level was in the range of 1.5 × 10⁴ MPN 100 mL⁻¹. Photoreactivation and dark repair were apparent at a low UV dose (6 mW s cm⁻²). In low-dose UV disinfection, microorganisms increased within 12 h by approximately 5 and 1% due to photoreactivation and dark repair, respectively. This increase was not significant at a high UV dose (16 mW s cm⁻²). The repaired microorganisms were further inactivated, rather than reactivated, by solar irradiation, and numbers decreased to non-detectible levels after 4 h of exposure to solar irradiation. Based on UV disinfection and repair studies, a UV dose of 30 mW s cm⁻² is recommended as sufficient to produce reclaimed water virtually free of pathogens and may be adequate for disinfection of secondary effluent for agricultural irrigation in paddy rice culture.     

The effects of spatial variability of land use on stream water quality in a costal watershed

Researchers generally accept that land use types within a watershed closely relate with the water quality characteristics of streams. Despite numerous studies investigating the relationships between water quality and land use, there are increasing concerns about the geographical variation and lack of spatial integration in previous studies. We investigated the relationships between land use and water quality characteristics including biological oxygen demand (BOD₅), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and Escherichia coli in the Wha-Ong estuarine reservoir watershed in Korea, which has spatially integrated land uses. Residential and paddy areas appear to be positively and negatively correlated, respectively, with degraded water quality. The spatial variations of these relationships were also examined using zonal analysis. Some results contrasted with those of previous studies that were conducted mostly in developed Western countries and may reflect the different land use intensities and agricultural practices in Korea. Relationships across zones, distinguished by distances from streams, were inconsistent and erratic, suggesting that the relationships between remote land uses and water quality may be affected more significantly by sub-basin characteristics than by the land use itself. The geographical differences and spatial variations found in this study indicate that caution must be taken in generalizing the relationship between land use and water quality.     

Detection and isolation of winter dysentery bovine coronavirus circulated in Korea during 2002-2004

Although winter dysentery (WD) has been suspected to occur frequently in Korea, to date the exact epidemiology of WD has remained unknown. Therefore, we investigated the causative agents of WD by using electron microscopy, ELISA, RT-PCR, and nested PCR from 97 fecal samples of 32 WD-affected herds collected from 8 provinces during 2002-2004. The bovine coronavirus (BoCV) was consistently detected in all herds with WD. Of other pathogens, only coccidian oocyts were inconsistently but concurrently detected with BoCV. Ten isolates were identified as BoCV by immune electron microscope, immunofluorescent test and ELISA with antiserum to BoCV, and RT-PCR. From these results, it is concluded that WD caused by BoCV occurred in relatively high frequency and was widespread in Korea. The results provide important epidemiological data for the control and establishment of a surveillance system for WD in Korea.     

Isolation and characterisation of the entomopathogenic bacterium,Photorhabdus temperata producing a heat stable insecticidal toxin

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Entomopathogenic nematodes symbiotically associated with Photorhabdus spp. invade the larvae of susceptible insects and Photorhabdus bacteria are released...     

Calbindin-D9k mRNA expression in the rat uterus following exposure to methoxychlor: a comparison of oral and subcutaneous exposure

Calbindin-D(9k) (CaBP-9k) is a cytosolic calcium-binding protein that is induced by estrogenic compounds possibly through estrogen receptors. We compared CaBP-9k mRNA expression in the uterus with uterotrophic response in immature rats exposed to methoxychlor (MC), an environmental chemical with estrogenic activity. MC was orally or subcutaneously administered to 3-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats for 3 days. The weights of the uterus and vagina significantly increased in the oral treatment group at a dose of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, but those of the subcutaneous (SC) treatment group only increased at 200 mg/kg. Northern blot analysis showed that CaBP-9k mRNA expression was significantly induced in a dose-dependent manner at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day in the oral treatment group. SC administration of MC induced significant expression at only a dose of 200 mg/kg/day; this was similar to the uterotrophic response. MC has an estrogenic effect on the uterus as shown by the increase in weight and induction of CaBP-9k mRNA expression, which were much greater following exposure via oral gavage than via the SC route. The strong correlation between the results of in vivo uterotrophic assay and CaBP-9k mRNA expression suggests that CaBP-9k mRNA expression in the rat uterus may be used as an early gene marker for detection of the estrogenic effects of putative environmental chemicals.