• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제28권10호
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• pp.1723-1729
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• 2018

The aim of this work is to investigate the protective efficacy of emodin, an active, naturally-occurring anthraquinone derivative of several traditional Chinese herbs, against Brucella abortus infection in macrophages. Brucella were incubated with different concentrations of emodin and showed that bacterial survival rates were markedly reduced in a dose-dependent manner at increasing incubation time points. Through bacterial infection assay, the highest non-cytotoxic concentration of emodin demonstrated attenuated invasion of Brucella into macrophages, however it did not inhibit the growth of these pathogens within the host cells. On the other hand, emodin effectively decreased the number of bacteria that adhered to host cells, which indicated its potential as an anti-adhesin agent. Furthermore, using immunoblotting and FACS assay for detecting MAPK signaling proteins and F-actin polymerization, respectively, the results showed that the emodin-incubated cells displayed modest reduction in the phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2 and inhibition of F-actin polymerization as compared to control cells. These findings indicate the potential use of emodin as a naturally-occurring alternative method for the prevention of animal brucellosis although this requires confirmation of safe clinical doses.

• 한국동물위생학회지
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.451-465
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• 1998

The present study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of brucellosis in Kyungbuk area for the 3 years from 1966 to 1998. Collective milk samples were routinely screened to detect positive farms by using the milk ring test(MRT), and serum agglutination test was performed to detect sero-positive individuals in the MRT positive farms. Attempt were made to isolate the causative organismas from slaughtered sero-positive reactors and some biochemical and polymerase chain reation characters of the isolates were also made to identify the organisms. Seroprevalence to brucellosis in peoples who are close contact with infected dairy herds was also investigated. Brucellosis of dairy cattle was rare before 1997, but has been broken more frequently since early 1998. By the MRT for dairy herds, positive rate was gradually increased every year : 0.6% in 1996, 1.5% in 1997, 3.9% in 1998. Among 262 MRT-positive herds, only 21 herds(8.0%) showed positive brucellosis in serological test. The isolation rates of Brucella sp from tested materials were 51.2% in supramammary glands, 39.5% in milks, and 50.0% in pulmonary Iymphnode, respectively. Isolated strain and biotype were Brucella(B) arbortus biotype 1 in 26 heads, and were B suis biotype 1 in 2 heads. Isolated strain and vaccine strain were very similar in their colony morphology and staining. In drug susceptibility, isolated stains(B abortus) and vaccine strain(B abortus RB-51) were sensitive to ampicillin, gentamycin, kanamycin, neomycin, penicillin, streptomycin, and to tetracycline, but resistant to erythromycin. In the PCR, field strains reacted to BA and IS711 primers, and vaccine strain reacted to BA, IS711, and RB5l primers. In the plate agglutination test of 96 sera of human contacted with animals, serum antibody titer detected 1 : 100 in one person, 1 : 200 in one, and below 1 : 25 in the others.

• 한국동물위생학회지
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.375-384
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• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate the characteristics of brucellosis in Korean native cattle in a farm where bovine brucellosis was confirmed 3 times from September 2006 to March 2007. Of 74 bulls serum samples examined, 21 (28.4%) were positive by Rose-Bengal test (RBT) and Standard tube agglutination test (STAT). In the isolation test from seropositive bulls, B abortus was isolated and identified from 2 specimens (testis, intestinal lymph node) among 6 kinds of specimens including blood, urine, feces and soil. Isolation rate of intestinal lymph node and testis was 25% (3/12 cases) and 16.7% (2/12), respectively. B abortus was also isolated from calves below 12 months old, i.e., 1 isolate (25.0%) was confirmed from testis, 4 (40.0%) from supra-mammary lymph nodes and 1 (25.0%) from intestinal lymph node. All isolates had Brucella specific 16s r-RNA with 905-bp band detected by PCR assay. For the more effective control of bovine brucellosis in korea, this paper would like to suggest that all of bulls and calves should be included in the screening tests.

• 약학회지
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• 제51권1호
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• pp.44-50
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• 2007

Acute septic shock is one of inflammatory diseases mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$. In this study, we examined the pathological difference and mechanism of lipopolysaccharides isolated from E. coli (E-LPS) or S. abortus (S-LPS) on inducing acute septic shock in ICR mouse. All mice were died by intraperitoneal treatment of S-LPS with 0.75 mg/kg, whereas E-LPS treated with even 3 mg/kg only showed 30% of mice lethal, indicating that S-LPS may be more feasible in triggering a strong septic shock condition. The secretion pattern of TNF-${\alpha}$, a critical pro-inflammatory cytokine in septic shock condition, was also distinct between E-LPS- and S-LPS-treated groups. Thus, S-LPS strikingly increased serum level of TNF-${\alpha}$ (6 ng/ml) at 1 h, while E-LPS just displayed at 2 ng/ml level. However the interaction of S-LPS with LPS receptor toll like receptor (TLR)-4, was not stronger than that of E-LPS, according to experiments with macrophage cell line RAW264.7 cells. Thus, E-LPS rather than S-LPS strongly enhanced the production of TNF-${\alpha}$. Interestingly, S-LPS more strongly up-regulated splenocyte proliferation, compared to E-LPS group, whereas there was no difference between S- or E-LPS treated groups in proliferation of Balb/c- or C57BL/6-originated splenic lymphocytes. Therefore, our data suggest that S-LPS is a more active endotoxin and that the strong septic shock-inducing effect of S-LPS seems due to the enhancement of early TNF-${\alpha}$ production and S-LPS-sensitive lymphocyte proliferation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.441-448
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• 2023

Brucellosis is a contagious zoonotic disease that infects millions of people annually with hundreds of millions more being exposed. It is caused by Brucella, a highly infectious bacterial species capable of infecting humans with an estimated dose of 10-100 organisms. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) has been reported to contribute to prevention of viral diseases as well as a chronic infection caused by Mycobacterium bovis. Here, we investigated the role of SIRT1 in the establishment of Brucella abortus infection in both in vitro and in vivo systems using the reported SIRT1 activators resveratrol (RES), piceatannol (PIC), and ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3). In RAW264.7 cells, SIRT1 activators did not alter the adherence of Brucella or Salmonella Typhimurium. However, reduced uptake of Brucella was observed in cells treated with PIC and Rg3, and survival of Brucella within the cells was only observed to decrease in cells that were treated with Rg3, while PIC treatment reduced the intracellular survival of Salmonella. SIRT1 treatment in mice via oral route resulted in augmented Brucella resistance for PIC and Rg3, but not RES. PIC treatment favors Th2 immune response despite reduced serum pro-inflammatory cytokine production, while Rg3-treated mice displayed high IL-12 and IFN-γ serum production. Overall, our findings encourage further investigation into the complete mechanisms of action of the different SIRT1 activators used as well as their potential benefit as an effective alternative approach against intracellular and extracellular pathogens.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제33권8호
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• pp.1006-1012
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• 2023

In this study, we investigated the effects of sodium propionate (SP) treatment on intracellular mechanism of murine macrophages and its contribution to host immunity during Brucella abortus 544 infection. The intracellular growth assay revealed that SP inhibited Brucella replication inside the macrophages. To determine intracellular signaling involved during SP treatment after Brucella infection, we analyzed the change of five different cytokines production relevant to SP such as TNF-α, IL-10, IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-6, and the results indicated that the boost with IL-10 was apparent throughout the culture period for 48 h as well as IL-1β which was apparent at 24 h post-infection and IFN-γ which was apparent at 24 h and 48 h in comparison to SP untreated groups. On the other way, SP-treated cells displayed suppressed production of TNF-α and IL-6 at all time points tested and 48 h post-infection, respectively. Furthermore, we conducted western blot to establish a cellular mechanism, and the result suggested that SP treatment attenuated p50 phosphorylation, part of the NF-κB pathway. These findings indicated that the inhibitory effect of SP against Brucella infection could be attributed through induction of cytokine production and interference on intracellular pathway, suggesting SP as a potential candidate for treating brucellosis.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제40권3호
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• pp.543-549
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• 2000

The pathogenicity of Br abortus RB51 strains, producted by commercial vaccine companies in Republic of Korea and USA, were evaluated in mouse and guinea pig. BALB/c and ICR mice were intraperitoneally inoculated with RB51 vaccines or virulent field strain and the existence of RB51 including its ratio of spleen to weights and persistence in spleens were examined. Groups of guinea pigs on day 55-58 of received subcutaneously with various RB51 vaccines, RB51 field isolates (Daehungjin) or virulent field isolates(Sangju) to compare the histopathogenicity in uterus. All the mice received RB51 vaccines or RB51 field isolates survived for 10 days, but the groups of mice received virulent field isolates died 5 from 11 (45.5%) in case of BALB/c mice and 12 from 12 (100%) in ICR mice, respectively. The number of RB51 in the groups of mice given with vaccine strains and RB51 field isolates were declined rapidly were in spleens between 12 and 20 days after inoculation. In contrast the mice given with the virulent field isolates rose in number of bacteria up to 20 days after inoculation. In the groups of mice infected with virulent field isolates, the ratio of spleen weights to body weight were significantly higher than those in control or in the groups inoculated with RB51 strain, including RB51 field isolates, at 12 and 20 days after inoculation. At ten days after inoculation, placentas of both the pregnant and non-pregnant guinea pigs were conducted for histopathological examination. Although any abnormal lesions were not observed in non-pregnant guinea pigs, all the strains caused the inflammation of the placenta, implying pathogenecity of RB51 in pregnant guinea pigs.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제48권4호
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• pp.431-440
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• 2008

Brucellosis is one of the most important zoonosis in worldwide. As one of the control measures, attempts have been made to develop new diagnostic methods using filed isolates as a national policy in many countries. Currently, bovine brucellosis in Korea have been received attention in both public health and economical aspects due to sudden increase of outbreak. Based on the situation, we compared standard strain (B. abortus 1119-3) with field isolates to reveal the differences among them. Biological and biochemical charateristics, antibiotic resistance profiles, outer membrane proteins (OMPs) and lipopolysaccharide analysis of the strains were included in this study. For the diagnostic purpose, an attempt was made to find out a novel antigen from the Korean isolates by serological analysis. There were differences about 55 kDa, 36-38 kDa and 20 kDa in analysis of OMPs by SDS-PAGE and Western blot with positive sera ($\geq$ 1:400 in SAT titer). Also, a serological diagnostic method, ELISA was conducted using OMPs of the strains as novel antigen. Relationships between O.D. and SAT titer were analyzed using field sera showing different SAT titer. High correlation coefficient was observed between SAT titer and ELISA. Results from this study suggested that a new diagnsotic method should be developed using their own field isolates in each country.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제45권1호
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• pp.45-53
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• 2005

GroE that is a heat shock protein composed of GroEL and GroES is known as an immunodominant target of both the humoral and cellular immune responses in bovine brucellosis. This study was carried out to characterize groE gene encoding heat shock proteins of B. abortus isolated in Korea and to evaluate the immunogenicity of the GroE protein expressed in E. coli system. In PCR the specific signals with the size of 2,077 bp were detected in five strains isolated from the mammary lymphnodes of the dairy cattle that were serologically positive and the reference strains. In comparison of the sequences of nucleotides and amino acids among the strains, GroES showed 100% identity in both sequences. GroEL was evaluated 99.0~99.9% in nucleotides and 98.0~100% homology in amino acids. The groE gene including groES and groEL was inserted into pET29a vector and constructed pET29a-GroE recombinant plasmids. The inserted groE was confirmed by digestion with Nco1 and EcoR1 endonucleases and nucleotide sequencing. E. coli BL (DE3) was transformed with pET29a-GroE, named as E. coli BL (DE3)/pET29a-GroE. In SDS-PAGE, it was evident that the recombinant plasmid effectively expressed the polypeptides for GroES (10 kDa) and GroEL (60 kDa) in 0.5, 1 and 2 hours after IPTG induction. The immuno-reactivity of the expressed proteins were proved in mouse inoculation and Western blot analysis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제32권9호
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• pp.1126-1133
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• 2022

This study investigated the contribution of lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitors, nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), tetra-O-methyl nordihydroguaiaretic acid (M₄N) and zileuton (ZIL), and thromboxane A2 (TXA₂) inhibitor 4,5-diphenylimidazole (DPI) in the proliferation of Brucella abortus infection. None of the compounds affected the uptake of Brucella into the macrophages. We determined the effect of neutralizing leukotriene B4 (LTB4) receptor and showed that the uptake of the bacteria was inhibited at 30 min post-infection. M₄N treatment attenuated intracellular survival of Brucella at 2 h post-incubation but it was not observed in the succeeding time points. DPI treatment showed reduced survival of Brucella at 24 h post-incubation while blocking LTB4 receptor was observed to have a lower intracellular growth at 48 h post-incubation suggesting different action of the inhibitors in the course of the survival of Brucella within the cells. Reduced proliferation of the bacteria in the spleens of mice was observed in animals treated with ZIL or DPI. Increased serum cytokine level of TNF-α and MCP-1 was observed in mice treated with M₄N or ZIL while a lower IFN-γ level in ZIL-treated mice and a higher IL-12 serum level in DPI-treated mice were observed at 7 d post-infection. At 14 d post-infection, ZIL-treated mice displayed reduced serum level of IL-12 and IL-10. Overall, inhibition of 5-LOX or TXA₂ or a combination therapy promises a potential alternative therapy against B. abortus infection. Furthermore, strong ligands for LTB4 receptor could also be a good candidate for the control of Brucella infection.