• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.101-107
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• 2002

We experienced two cases of Rotor syndrome in brothers who were a 13 year-old boy and an 11 year-old boy, respectively. They presented with icteric scleras for a few months. Their common laboratory characteristics were as follows: Direct bilirubin was more increased than indirect bilirubin, but aminotransferases were normal. Plasma indocyanine green (ICG) test revealed hepatic excretory defect: plasma ICG concentrations 15 minutes after intravenous injection were 80.45% and 78.28%, respectively. 99mTc-DISIDA Hepatobiliary scan showed that severely decreased hepatic extraction with mild cardiac blood pool, markedly delayed biliary excretion in both intra- & extra- hepatic bile ducts, delayed visualization of gall bladder, and markedly delayed intestinal biliary passage. Needle liver biopsy showed normal hepatic histology without pigmentation.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.653-660
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• 2000

In order to study the regional distribution and relative frequency of the immunoreactive endocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract of the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus, the gastrointestinal tract was divided into 9 portions (cardia, fundus, pylorus, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon and rectum) and immunostained by immunohistochemical (PAP) method using 8 types of specific antisera against cholecystokinin (CCK)-8, gastrin, secretin, pancreatic polypeptide(PP), somatostatin, serotonin, glucagon and insulin. CCK-8-, gastrin-, somatostatin- and serotonin-immunoreactive cells were demonstrated in this study. These immunoreactive cells were found in the gastric gland regions of the pylorus or between parietal and chief cells of the fundus with round to spherical shaped, and in the interepithelial regions of the intestinal tract with spherical to spindle shaped except for jejunum where some of immunoreactive cells were also observed in the intestinal glands with round to spherical shaped. CCK-8-immunoreactive cells were restricted to the pylorus and duodenum with numerous and a few frequency, respectively. Gastrin-immunoreactive cells were restricted to the pylorus with numerous frequency. Similar to those of gastrin-immunoreactive cells, somatostatin-immunoreactive cells were restricted to pylorus with moderate frequency. Serotonin-immunoreactive cells were detected throughout whole gastrointestinal tract except for cardia and cecum with moderate or numerous frequency. However, no secretin-, PP-, glucagon- and insulin-immunoreactive cells were observed in this study. From these results, the appearance type, regional distribution and relative frequency of immunoreactive endocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract of the Mongolian gerbils were somewhat lowered or restricted compared to those of other mammals and these differences were might be caused by feeding habits and species specification.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.630-639
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• 2000

The gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) establishes long-term chronic infection that can lead to atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, and gastric cancer. H. pylori, which express cytotoxic genes is now recohnized as a cause of peptic ulcer and is also a major risk factor for the development of gastric adenocarcinoma. We performed this study 1) to assess the detection rate of H. pylori according to direct investigation of bacteria of gastric biopsy specimen and two serologic tests of GAP test and Helico blot 2.0 system in the symptomatic and non-symptomatic group 2) to evaluate and compare the efficacy of two serologic tests of GAP test and Helico blot 2.0 system for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. Forty-nine patients were positive for H pylori infection based on direct investigation of bacteria by histology. The detection rates of H. pylori infection based on direct investigation of bacteria by histology. The detection rates of H. phlori were significantly lower in gastric cancer than in other gastroduodenal disease(p<0.05). The concordance of two serologic tests of GAP test and Helico blot 2.0 system is poor. There was no statistically significant difference between the expression rate of CagA and VacA in the symptomatic and non-symptomatic group. Although Helico blot 2.0 system may not displace GAP test, it was a very sensitive serologic test for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection and it was used to detect IgG antibodies to H. pylori-specific antigens, including CagA, VacA and the various urease subunit. Our data suggest that further investigation is needed to determine whether or not the serologic expression of cytotoxic gene may be clinical usefulness of diagnostic methods in the gastroduodenal disease.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.247-256
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• 2000

The regional distributions and relative frequencies of endocrine cells were studied histochemically (Grimelius and Masson-Hamperl (M-H) silver methods) in the alimentary tract of the red-eared slider, Trachemys scripta elegans. Samples were taken from the esophagus, fundus, pylorus, duodenum, jejunum, ileum and large intestine. Argyrophil (Grimelius-positive) cells and argentaffin (M-H-positive) cells were found in the whole alimentary tract in this study. Spherical to spindle and/or oval to round-shaped argyrophil or argentaffin cells were located in the gastric glands of the stomach regions, in the basal portion of the epithelium of intestinal tract or the esophagus with variable frequencies. Argentaffin cells were more numerously detected in the whole alimentary tract compared with those of argyrophil cells in this study. Argyrophil cells were observed in the whole alimentary tract including the esophagus and the most predominant region was the rectum with moderate frequency. The relative frequency of these cells was rare in the esophagus, fundus, duodenum, jejunum and ileum, respectively and a few frequency in the pylorus. Argentaffin cells were also observed in the whole alimentary tract including the esophagus and the most numerously demonstrated region was the rectum with numerous frequency. They were observed with a few frequencies in the remaining regions of the alimentary tract except for the rectum, respectively. However, to know the exact type of the argyrophil cells and argentaffin cells that were observed in this study, more developmental methods such as immunohistochemistry were needed.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.119-131
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• 2023

Objective: This study was to assess the effects of different doses of an essential oil blend (EOB) on growth performance, diarrhea occurrence (DO), hematological and blood biochemical profile, intestinal morphometry, morphology and microbiology, relative weight and length of organs, digestive content pH, and liver antioxidant status in weaning piglets. Methods: A total of 135 barrows (7.09±0.29 kg body weight) were allotted randomly in a randomized complete block design based on body weight with nine replications and three animals per pen. Dietary treatments were a negative control (NC): basal diet; positive control (PC): NC plus 125 mg performance-enhancing antibiotic (enramycin 8%)/kg diet; NC plus 100 mg EOB/kg diet (EO100); NC plus 200 mg EOB/kg diet (EO200); and NC plus 400 mg EOB/kg diet (EO400). Diarrhea occurrence was monitored daily, and performance at the end of each phase. Results: Gain to feed ratio was greater (p<0.05) in starter II pigs fed EO400 and EO200 than in those fed EO100. Pigs fed EO400 had lower (p<0.05) DO than those fed NC and EO100 in the total period. Pre-starter II pigs fed NC had (p<0.05) lower serum total protein and plasma protein than pigs fed PC. Pigs fed EO100 showed smaller (p<0.05) mean corpuscular volume (MCV) than pigs fed EO400. Starter II pigs fed EO400 had (p<0.05) greater MCV and lower mean corpuscular hemoglobin and erythrocytes than those fed EO100. There was a greater concentration (p<0.05) of band cells for PC, similar to EO400 and EO200. Performance-enhancing antibiotic and EOB to diets increased (p<0.05) liver superoxide dismutase activity. Conclusion: Adding 200 and 400 mg EOB/kg diet decreased DO and was advantageous to hematological and blood biochemical profile and liver antioxidant status without being detrimental to growth performance and gastrointestinal health in nursery pigs.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.165-173
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• 2012

A 26 day experiment was conducted to determine the effects of feeding and starvation on the survival, morphology, and histology in chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) fry. We included three experimental groups: starved, fed, and initial. The survival and growth rates were lower in the starved group than in the fed group (P < 0.05). In the starved group, survival began to decline after 16 days, and all fish had died after 26 days. We determined the effects of starvation on the morphometric parameters using the truss and classical dimensions. The dimensions in the head region were larger in the starved group than in the initial and fed groups. In contrast, the truss dimensions of the fed group were larger than those of the initial and starved groups. Starvation reduced the heights of the hepatocyte nuclei and of the intestinal epithelium (P < 0.05). The starved group also showed atrophy of the digestive structures and shrinkage of the foregut and midgut. Starvation led to the degeneration and atrophy of the exocrine pancreas, in which the lumen was markedly diminished and the folds of mucosa were less apparent. The hepatocyte morphology in the starved group was abnormal compared with that of the initial and fed groups, with highly compact, irregularly shrunken nuclei. Melanomacrophages were randomly distributed in the kidneys of the starved group, and their abundance increased rapidly during the experiment. In contrast, neither the initial nor fed group had any melanomacrophages. These results suggest that the nutritional parameters used in this study are useful indices of nutritional status in chum salmon.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.297-304
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• 2013

Trichinosis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by the nematode Trichinella spiralis. Anthelmintics are used to eliminate intestinal adults as well as tissue-migrating and encysted larvae. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ivermectin and myrrh obtained from the aloe-gum resin of Commiphora molmol on experimental trichinosis. Ninety albino mice were orally infected with 300 T. spiralis larvae. Drugs were tested against adult worms at day 0 and day 5 and against encysted larvae on day 15 and day 35 post-infection (PI). Mature worms and encysted larvae were counted in addition to histopathological examination of muscle specimens. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total protein, albumin, globulin, urea, and creatinine values were estimated. Significant reductions in mean worm numbers were detected in ivermectin treated mice at day 0 and day 5 PI achieving efficacies of 98.5% and 80.0%, while efficacies of myrrh in treated mice were 80.7% and 51.5%, respectively. At days 15 and 35 post-infection, ivermectin induced significant reduction in encysted larval counts achieving efficacies of 76.5% and 54.0%, respectively, while myrrh efficacies were 76.6% and 35.0%, respectively. AST, ALT, urea, and creatinine levels were reduced, while total proteins were increased in response to both treatments compared to their values in the infected non-treated mice. Ivermectin use for controlling T. spiralis could be continued. Myrrh was effective and could be a promising drug against the Egyptian strains of T. spiralis with results nearly comparable to ivermectin.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.397-404
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• 2020

Purpose: Synbiotics can alleviate some intestinal pathologies or prevent trigger mechanisms for some diseases such as celiac disease (CD). If patients with high levels of anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies have normal duodenal histology, they are followed as potential CD patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of synbiotic use on the blood levels of anti-tTG antibodies in children. Methods: Eighty-two patients with high anti-tTG levels were included in this study. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. The synbiotic group was treated with a daily dose of a synbiotic including multi-strain probiotics for 20 days. The control group was not administered any medication. Anti-tTG values at baseline and repeat measurements and the percentage change in anti-tTG levels between groups were compared. Results: The anti-tTG level at baseline was 36 U/mL (interquartile range [IQR], 26.4-68 U/mL) in the synbiotic group, and it decreased significantly to 13 U/mL (IQR, 6.5-27.5 U/mL) after 20 days (p<0.05). The anti-tTG level at baseline was 46 U/mL (IQR, 31-89 U/mL) in the control group, which also decreased significantly to 23 U/mL (IQR, 7-41 U/mL) after 20 days (p<0.05). Anti-tTG levels exhibited 73% and 56% decreases in the synbiotic and control groups, respectively (p<0.05). Conclusion: It may be speculated that a synbiotic supplementation can contribute to decreasing anti-tTG levels in children with potential CD.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.197-206
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• 2021

Purpose: Celiac disease (CD) is a common autoimmune disease with extra-intestinal manifestations, including neurological disorders. There are few reports to assess various factors in increasing the chances of developing neurological disorders in CD, so we designed this study. Methods: All patients with CD at any age who had been referred to the Celiac Clinic were evaluated for neurological problems. CD was defined as IgA anti-transglutaminase antibodies (anti-tTG) of 18 IU/mL or higher in serology and Marsh type I or more severe in histopathological evaluation. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the impact of various independent variables on the neurological manifestations. Results: A total of 540 patients enrolled in this study. A 360 (66.7%) of patients were children. A 64.8% and 35.2% were female and male, respectively. Overall, 34.1% of patients had neurological manifestation, including headache, neuropathy, epilepsy, and ataxia. The odds of developing neurological manifestations in children were significantly lower than in adults (odds ratio [OR], 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45-0.96; p=0.03) and in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms significantly higher than in the group without GI manifestations (OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.18-2.63; p=0.005). Other variables, including Marsh classification (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.18-1.11; p=0.08) and anti-tTG levels (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.999-1.001; p=0.59) did not significantly increase the chances of developing neurological disorders. Conclusion: Our study showed that increasing age and the presence of GI symptoms, but not serological and histological findings, could increase the chances of developing neurological diseases in CD patients.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.298-310
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• 2021

Freshwater eel Anguilla japonica is a commercially important species in East Asia. However, given the continuously decreasing resources due to many problems as climate change, habitat destruction and overfishing, mass seed production is crucial. In particular, the eel larvae present a unique life history, spending prolonged periods in the Pacific Ocean. Therefore, finding suitable feed that lasts through the long larval stages is rather difficult. In the present study, we histologically observed the development of digestive organs for 50 days after hatching (DAH). The endogenous reserves were completely absorbed at 7 DAH, and the first exogenous feeding started thereafter. The teeth appeared at 4 DAH and dramatically changed from needle-like to broad-based types by 50 DAH. The intestine remained as straight gut until 50 DAH. The intestinal cilia appeared first at 6 DAH and their density continuously increased thereafter. Interestingly, goblet cells appeared in the intestine, but not in the esophagus, where these cells are commonly observed in other teleosts. In addition, high amounts of eosinophil substances, assumed to be zymogen granules, accumulated in the pancreas, suggesting a specific digestive strategy of this species. Overall, these observations largely update the previous reports and can be useful to improve A. japonica seed production.