• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 1997

For the purpose of improving the chemotherapeutic index of acyclovir(ACV), it was conjugated with asialofetuin(AF), which has been reported to enter into hepatocytes. When $[H^3]$ acyclovir in itself or its conjugate were administered to rats, the latter was taken up more selectively by the liver than any other tissues. The stability of ACVMP-AF conjugate in phosphate buffer (pH 5.0) and rat liver homogenate showed a pseudo-first order profile. ACVMP-AF, however, was relatively stable in pH7.4 phosphate buffer and rat plasma. The conjugate was added to the isolated rat hepatocyte and cellular uptake was monitored by scintillation counting for up to 6 hours at $37^{\circ}C$. Hepatocytes incubated with the conjugate exhibited radioactivities significantly enhanced over control levels dose-dependently, i.e., a 3-40 fold increase in radioactivities was observed over controls at the conjugate concentrations of $0.1-10\;{\mu}g/ml$. The AUQ in the liver, kidney, spleen, intestine and lung was higher in treatment with ACVMP-AF than that in treatment with ACV. In treatment with ACVMP-AF, the weighted-average overall drug targeting efficiency(Te) for the liver was higher than in treatment with ACV(57.00 vs 13.31 %), and the weighted-average tissue exposure(Re) was 5.03 for the liver. These results indicated that ACVMP-AF conjugate was rapidly taken up by hepatocytes and could be an efficient and selective hepatic targeting system.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.1485-1489
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• 2007

Achaete-scute like 2 (ASCL2) gene encodes a member of the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor which is essential for the maintenance of proliferating trophoblasts during placental development. ASCL2 gene preferentially expresses the maternal allele in the mouse. However, it escapes genomic imprinting in the human. In this study, the complete open reading frame consisting of 193 amino acids of ASCL2 gene was obtained. Sequence analysis indicated that a C-G mutation existed in the 3' region between Meishan and Large White pigs. The polymorphism was used to determine the monoallelic or biallelic expression with RT-PCR-RFLP in pigs of Large $White{\times}Meishan$ $F_1$ hybrids. Imprinting analysis indicated that the ASCL2 gene expression was biallelic in all the tested tissues (heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, stomach, small intestine, skeletal muscle, fat, uterus, ovary and pituitary). PCR-RFLP was used to detect the polymorphism in 270 pigs of the "$Large\;White{\times}Meishan$" $F_2$ resource population. The statistical results showed highly significant associations of the genotypes and fat meat percentage (FMP), lean meat percentage (LMP) and ratio of lean to fat (RLF) (p<0.01), and significant associations of the genotypes and loin eye area (LEA) and internal fat rate (IFR) (p<0.05).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.1162-1167
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• 2004

The present study was designed to define whether dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) could affect antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), and glutathione S transferase (GST), and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation, in the small intestine and liver from broiler chickens. A total of twenty-four 3 wk-old male broiler chickens were assigned to three dietary treatments (1.5% corn oil, 0.75% corn oil plus 0.75% CLA, and 1.5% CLA, isocalorically), and fed a grower-finisher diet from 22 to 35 days. In the small intestinal mucosae, the specific activities of SOD, GSH-Px, CAT, and GST, and the level of MDA were not substantially influenced by dietary CLA. In the liver, the specific activities of SOD, GSH-Px, and GST, and the level of MDA were also unaffected by dietary CLA at the level of either 0.75% or 1.5% compared with corn oil at the level of 1.5%. However, the broiler chickens fed the diet containing 1.5% CLA resulted in a significant increase in peroxisomal CAT activity and a marked decrease in total lipid and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) from liver tissues compared with those fed the diet containing 1.5% corn oil. In conclusion, ability of CLA to increase hepatic CAT activity suggest that dietary CLA may affect, at least in part, antioxidant defense system as well as lipid metabolism in the liver of broiler chickens.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.149-159
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• 1998

In order to observe the anticellulolytic localization in the epithelia of the digestive tract such as esophagus, crop, and intestine of a Korean land snail N. samarangae, a cytochemical method and a immunogold labelling method were applied. For the cytochemical study on the cellulase activity, Benedict reaction method applied. And for the immunocytochemical study, the rabbit serum immunoglobuins (IgG) was obtained from the rabbits injected with cellulase which was extracted from body fluid of the snail. The digestive tract tissues of N. samarangae were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and 2% OsO4 and embedded in Lowicryl K4M at -40$^{\circ}C$ under UV light (360 nm). The thin sections were loaded on the nickel grids and stained with the serum IgG and protein A-gold complex (particle size: 10 nm). Observations were undertaken with transmission electron microscope (Jeol, JEM-1010). The epithelium of the digestive tract was consisted of five types of cells. In the cytochemical study, the reaction products were found along the periphery of the vacuoles derived from the Bebedict reaction. In the immunocytochemical study, the protein-A gold particles were selectively labelled in Type 1, Type 3 and Type 4 cells in intestinal tissue. membranes of rER, in the surrounding cytoplasm of the rER and secretory granules, and in the apical cytoplasm of the cells. On the material being secreted from the apical cytoplasm was also labelled with the immunogold particles. The all results obtained throughtout present study suggest that the intestinal epithelium of the snail N. samarangae seretes cellulase as one of digestive enzymes.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.187-196
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• 2006

The mammalian trematode Paragonimus westermani is a typical digenetic parasite, which can cause paragonimiasis in humans. Host tissues and blood cells are important sources of nutrients for development, growth and reproduction of P. westermani. In this study, a cDNA clone encoding a 47 kDa hemoglobinase of P. westermani was characterized by sequencing analysis, and its localization was investigated immunohistochemically. The phylogenetic tree prepared based on the hemoglobinase gene showed high homology with hemoglobinases of Fasciola hepatica and Schistosoma spp. Moreover, recombinant P. westermani hemoglobinase degradaded human hemoglobin at acidic pH (from 3.0 to 5.5) and its activity was almost completely inhibited by E-64, a cysteine proteinase inhibitor. Immunohistochemical studies showed that P. westermani hemoglobinase was localized in the epithelium of the adult worm intestine implying that the protein has a specific function. These observations suggest that hemoglobinase may act as a digestive enzyme for acquisition of nutrients from host hemoglobin. Further investigations may provide insights into hemoglobin catabolism in P. westermani.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.789-796
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• 2014

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding rate on growth performance, blood components and histology of growing olive flounder. The experiment was carried out to determine the optimum feeding rate of the fish (initial fish mean weight of $97{\pm}3.0$ g) at the optimum water temperature. Two replicated groups of fish were fed commercial diet at the feeding rates of 0, 1.0, 1.65 and 2.3% body weight (BW)/day and satiation. Feeding trial was conducted under a flow-through system with ten 1.2 metric ton aquaria receiving filtered seawater at $21{\pm}2^{\circ}C$ for three weeks. Weight gain and specific growth rate (SGR) for fish fed to satiation were significantly higher than those for the unfed fish and for fish fed at 1.0 and 1.65% BW/day. There were no significant differences in values of such parameters between fish fed at 1.65% and those fed at 2.3% BW/day and between fish fed at 2.3% and those fed to satiation. Weight gain and SGR for the unfed fish were significantly lower than those for fish in the other treatments. All the tissues (hepatopancreas, kidney and anterior intestine) were in good condition in fish fed the experimental diet at different feeding rates. This result indicates that the optimum feeding rates of olive flounder (97-160 g) was approximately 2.52% BW/day at the optimum water temperature.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.217-221
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• 2000

Radiotheraphy may be considered as one of the most effective treatments for digestive tumors. This procedure has major side effects, especially in fast growing tissues like intestinal mucosa. For this reason, the morphological changes in mouse jejunal villi after whole body ${\gamma}-irradiation$ were analysed. Four week old ICR male mice were irradiatied with 6.5Gy or 12Gy of whole body ${\gamma}-irradiation$ and were sacrificed 3 days later. Jejunum among intestine were taken for morphology. Samples were carried out dehydration process and sliced sample covered with paraffin was hold on the slide and then light microscopy was observed by Hematoxylin & Eosin staining. villi at both irradiated doses were showed that the length of villi were shortened and thickened and that lumen were expanded in comparison with non-irradiated group. Since willi have an important role in digestion and very sensitive to radiation from this test, it has a role of test parameter for finding radioprotectors as well as evaluating the biological effect by radiaton.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.628-636
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• 2020

Streptococcosis in the olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus can be caused by Streptococcus parauberis. We compared three routes of administration for experimental injections of the S. parauberis 19FBSPa0003 strain in the olive flounder. Pathological changes were observed during the experimental infection. Inflammation of the serous membrane in the liver, intestine, spleen and heart was the major pathological change found in the infected olive flounder. No mortality was observed in fish that received intraperitoneal (IP) injection at less than 1×10⁴ colony-forming unit (CFU)/fish. The lethal dose 50 for olive flounder, given an intravenous (IV) injection, was 7.94×10⁴ CFU/fish. Fish with a higher concentration of IV injected S. parauberis (1×10⁸ CFU/fish) died within a maximum of two days. However, serious necrosis and bacterial proliferation in ellipsoidal cells of the spleen and heart tissues were found in moribund or dead fish, 1-2 days after IV injection. Similar histopathological signs were observed in olive flounder inoculated by subcutaneous (SC) infected and naturally infected. In addition, SC was also strongly associated with bacteria concentration and cumulative mortality rate. Based on these results, SC is the recommended method for artificial infection by S. parauberis in the olive flounder.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.45-53
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• 2013

The action of melatonin within the body of animals is known to be mediated by melatonin receptors. Three different types of melatonin receptors have been identified so far in fish. However, which of these are specifically involved in puberty onset is not known in fish. We cloned and analyzed the sequence of melatonin receptor 1a (mel 1a) gene in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. In addition, we examined the tissue distribution of gene expressions for three types of receptors, mel 1a, 1b and lc and investigated which of them is involved in the onset of puberty by comparing their expression with that of gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor I (GnRHr I) gene using quantitative real-time PCR from 1 week post hatch (wph) to 24 wph. The mel 1a gene of Nile tilapia consisted of two exons and one bulky intron between them. Mel 1a gene was found to be highly conserved gene showing high homology with the corresponding genes from different teleost. All three types of melatonin receptor genes were expressed in the brain, eyes and ovary in common. Expression of mel 1a gene was the most abundant and ubiquitous among 3 receptors in the brain, liver, gill, ovary, muscle, eye, heart, intestine, spleen and kidney. Mel 1b and mel 1c genes were, however, expressed in fewer tissues at low level. During the development post hatch, expressions of both mel 1a and GnRHr I genes significantly increased at 13 wph which was close to the putative timing of puberty onset in this species. These results suggest that among three types of receptors mel 1a is most likely associated with the action of melatonin in the onset of puberty in Nile tilapia.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.333-344
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• 2019

In vertebrate reproductive system, estrogen receptor (ER) plays a pivotal role in mediation of estrogenic signaling pathways. In the present study, we report the cDNA cloning, expression analysis, and transcriptional activity of ERβ1 subtype from medaka Oryzias dancena. The deduced O. dancena ERβ1 (odERβ1; 519 amino acids) contained six characteristic A/B to E/F domains with very short activation function 2 region (called AF2). A phylogenetic analysis indicated that odERβ1 was highly conserved among teleost ERβ1 subgroup. A conventional RT-PCR revealed that the odERβ1 transcripts were widely distributed in the multiple tissues, the ovary, brain, gill, intestine, kidney, and muscle. Further, the relatively higher odERβ1 expressions in the ovary and brain were clearly reproduced in RT-qPCR assay. When HA-fused odERβ1 expression vector was transfected into HEK293 cells, an immunoreactivity for odERβ1 was mainly detected in the nucleus part. Finally, an estrogen responsive element driven luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that the transcriptional activity of odERβ1 significantly increased by estradiol-17β (E2) in a dose dependent manner (p<0.05). However, fold-activation of odERβ1 in the presence of E2 was markedly weak, when it compared with those of O. latipes ERβ1. Taken together, these data suggest that odERβ1 represents a functional variant of teleost ERβ subtype and provides a basic tool allowing future studies examining the function of F domain of ERβ1 subtype and expanding our knowledge of ERβ evolution.