• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.578-587
• /
• 2020

Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile is a Gram (+), anaerobic, spore forming, rod shaped bacterium that can produce toxin. The objective of this study is to reveal the presence of C. difficile in meat products, to analyze the ribotype diversity by PCR and to evaluate the antibiotic susceptibility of isolated strains. The organism was isolated in 22 out of 319 (6.9%) examined meat product samples and 9 out of 22 (40.9%) isolates were identified as RT027 and all isolates had the ability of toxin production. In terms of antibiotic susceptibility, all isolates were susceptive to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, tetracycline and vancomycin and 21 (95.4%) isolates to metronidazole. On the other hand, imipenem and cefotaxim resistance was observed in all. In conclusion, the results of this comprehensive study conducted in Turkey deduced the presence of C. difficile in different meat products. Therefore, these products can be evaluated as a potential contamination source of C. difficile from animals to humans especially for elders, youngsters, long terms wide spectrum antibiotic used and immuno-suppressed individuals.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.143-151
• /
• 2004

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are capable of degrading extracellular matrix, a process that is necessary for angiogenesis, tumor invasion and metastasis. Platelet-activating factor (PAP) increases angiogenesis, tumor growth and metastasis through nuclear factor (NF)-$\kappa$B activation. Based on these facts, the involvement of MMPs in PAF-induced pulmonary metastasis was investigated in murine sarcoma cells, MMSV-BALB/3T3. Messenger RNA expression and enzymatic activity of MMP-9 were assessed by RT-PCR and zymography, and cell migration and metastasis were done for the detection of MMP-9 functional activity. PAP induced mRNA expression and enzymatic activity of MMP-9, and its effects were either inhibited by the PAP antagonist, WEB 2170 or by the NF-$\kappa$B inhibitor, parthenolide, or p65 antisense oligonucleotide in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, PAF induced promoter activity of MMP-9, which was inhibited by WEB 2170, phenanthroline, NAC, PDTC. These results indicate that PAF induces mRNA expression and enzymatic activity of MMP-9 in NF-$\kappa$B dependent manner. Cell migration assay showed that PAF induced MMSV-BALB/3T3 migration, and its effect was significantly inhibited by treatment with phenanthroline. PAF enhanced pulmonary metastasis of murine sarcoma cells, MMSV-BALB/3T3 was also reduced by phenanthroline. These results suggest that PAF-enhanced cell migration and pulmonary metastasis is mediated through the expression of MMP. In conclusion, It is suggested that PAF enhances pulmonary metastasis by inducing MMP-9 expression via the activation of NF-$\kappa$B.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.63-67
• /
• 2006

Apple scar skin, one of the most destructive diseases affecting apple, is caused by Apple scar skin viroid (ASSV d). Fruit dappling appeared on several cultivars in Korea and has been distributed to major cultivated areas since 2001. ASSVd was identified from infected fruits by using nucleic acid sequence-based amplification with electrochemiluminescence (NASBA-ECL). NASBA-ECL method was faster and hundredfold more sensitive than reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for ASSVd detection in apple leaves/ stems. ASSVd was rapidly transmitted to the entire tree in the second year after artificial inoculation. The ASSVd could be transmitted efficiently by using contaminated pruning scissors to both lignified stems (60 to $70\%$) and green shoots (20 to $40\%$) of apple tree and young plants. Dipping of contaminated scissors in $2\%$ sodium hypochlorite solution effectively prevented viroid transmission. In the ASSV d-infected fruits, the viroid was easily detected from fruit skin, seed coat, and embryo. Moreover, embryo and endosperm separately excised from the ASSVd-infected seeds were ASSVd positive in NASBA-ECL assay. Seedlings germinated from ASSVd-positive seeds showed $7.7\%$ infection rate., which indicated that ASSVd is seed-borne.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.348-353
• /
• 2011

The aim of the present study is to investigate the cytokine production inhibitory effect of a Dictamni Radicis Cortex (DRC). DRC has been commonly used as important medicinal herb in China and it used to control eczema, atopic dermatitis, fever and inflammatory diseases. Inflammation, such as a bacterial infection in vivo metabolites, such as external stimuli or internal stimuli to the defense mechanisms of the biological tissue a variety of intracellular regulatory factors deulin inflammatory TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, IL-8, such as proinflammatory cytokines, prostagrandin, lysosomal enzyme, free radicals are involved in a variety of mediators. The present study was designed to determine the effect of the DRC on proinflammatory factors such as NO, iNOS expression and TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) - stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The cell toxicity was determined by MTS assay. To evaluate of anti-inflammatory effect of DRC, amount of NO was measured using the NO detection kit and the iNOS expression was measured by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). And proinflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA kit. As a result, the DRC reduced NO, iNOS expression and TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6 production without cytotoxicity. Our results suggest that the DRC may have an anti-inflammatory property through suppressing inflammatory mediator productions.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.65-73
• /
• 2010

Objectives : Recently, Pharmacopuncture therapy has been used for the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Especially, we have been interested in chemical mediators concerned with inflammation such as prostaglandin, nitric oxide. The purpose of this study is investigated that the effect of Ampelopsis Radix Pharmacopuncture solution in RAW 264.7 macrophages, performed several experimental items : those are Prostaglandin $E_2$, Nitric Oxide and Cyclooxygenase-2. Methods : The cytotoxicity of Ampelopsis Radix Pharmacopuncture solution in RAW 264.7 macrophages were measured by MTT assay. In order to observe cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA expression in lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, RT-PCR was used. Prostaglandin $E_2$ production and Nitric Oxide production was measured by nitric oxide detection kit and Prostaglandin $E_2$ assay kit. Results : 1. The MTT assay demonstrated that cytotoxic effect of Ampelopsis Radix Pharmacopuncture solution in RAW 264.7 macrophages was not appeared. 2. Ampelopsis Radix Pharmacopuncture solution inhibited nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. 3. Ampelopsis Radix Pharmacopuncture solution inhibited cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA expression in lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. 4. Ampelopsis Radix Pharmacopuncture solution inhibited Prostaglandin $E_2$ production in lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Conclusions : On the basis of these results, It was shown that Ampelopsis Radix Pharmacopuncture solution was able to inhibit the production of $PGE_2$ and NO, as well as COX-2 mRNA expression. Our results may provide new mechanism by which Ampelopsis Radix Pharmacopuncture solution accounts for its beneficial effect on accelerating wound healing and anti-inflammation.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.47-59
• /
• 2008

Objective : Anti-inflammatory effects of the extract of Lycii Fructus on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells were investigated. Method : In order to assess the cytotoxic effect of Lycii Fructus on the raw 264.7 macrophages 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide(MTT) assay was performed. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) analysis of the mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$(TNF-$\alpha$) and inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS) was performed in order to provide an estimate of the relative level of expression of these genes. The protein level of the inhibitor of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B(I{\kappa}B)$ and nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$(NF-${\kappa}B$) activity was investigated by Western blot assay. NO production was investigated by NO detection. Result : Lycii Fructus suppressed NO production by inhibiting the LPS-induced expressions of iNOS and TNF-$^-\alpha$ mRNA and iNOS protein in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Also, Lycii Fructus suppressed activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ in the nucleus. Conclusion : These results show that the extract of Lycii Fructus has anti-inflammatory effect probably by suppressing iNOS expressions through the down-regulation of NF-${\kappa}B$ binding activity.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.302-312
• /
• 2018

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the effects of two herbal medicines, Agastachis Herba and Lysimachiae Herba, on a cellular model of non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NFLDs). Methods: HepG2 cells were treated with palmitic acid and with various concentrations of Agastachis Herba (AH) or Lysimachiae Herba (LH) extract in water. The lipotoxicity was assessed using EZ-cytox, and the lipoapoptosis was assessed using cell death detection ELISA. Intracellular lipids were measured by oil red O staining. The efficacy of AH and LH on sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor-1c (SREBP-1c), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) in HepG2 cells was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: Both AH and LH extracts increased lipoapoptosis and decreased lipotoxicity and levels of SREBP-1c, ACC, and FAS (SREBP-1c, ACC, and FAS are factors in lipid synthesis). In the oil red O staining experiment, both extracts also reduced intracellular lipid accumulation; in this instance, LH's efficacy was superior to that of AH. Conclusions: According to the results, both AH and LH are likely to contribute to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, as both interfere with lipid synthesis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.24 no.10
• /
• pp.1358-1364
• /
• 2011

The sex-determining region on the Y (SRY) gene is important in mammalian sex determination and differentiation. We report a study of the abundance of SRY gene products in bovine ejaculate. RT-PCR experiments using RNA extracted from bovine spermatozoa with SRY-specific primers yielded a 456 bp product, but the amount of SRY mRNA in sperm was lower than that in the testes (p<0.01). A protein of approximately 27 KDa was detected by western blotting. The SRY transcript was detected in the midpiece of approximately half the spermatozoa by in situ hybridization, and the SRY protein was detected in the heads of half the spermatozoa by immunofluorescence, indicating that SRY mRNA and protein may only be present in Y-bearing spermatozoa. These results suggest that the SRY transcript and protein are present in bovine ejaculated Y-sperm. The roles of the SRY gene in spermatogenesis, sperm motility, and the sperm-oocyte interaction merit further investigation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.11
• /
• pp.4623-4628
• /
• 2015

Breast cancer still remains as the most frequent cancer with second mortality rate in women worldwide. There are no validated biomarkers for detection of the disease in early stages with effective power in diagnosis and therapeutic approaches. Cancer/testis antigens are recently promising tumor antigens and suitable candidates for targeted therapies and generating cancer vaccines. We conducted the present study to analyze transcript changes of two cancer/testis antigens, OIP5 and TAF7L, in breast tumors and cell lines in comparison with normal breast tissues by quantitative real time RT-PCR for the first time. Significant over-expression of OIP5 was observed in breast tumors and three out of six cell lines including MDA-MB-468, T47D and SKBR3. Not significant expression of TAF7L was evident in breast tumors but significant increase was noted in three out of six cell lines including MDA-MB-231, BT474 and T47D. OIP5 has ssignificant role in chromatin organization and cell cycle control during cell cycle exit and normal chromosome segregation during mitosis and TAF7L is a component of the transcription factor IID, which is involved in transcription initiation of most protein coding genes. TAF7Lis located at X chromosome and belongs to the CT-X gene family of cancer/testis antigens which contains about 50% of CT antigens, including those which have been used in cancer immunotherapy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.100-110
• /
• 2006

A mutant of Potato vims Y (PVY) was occurred in PVY resistance flue-cured tobacco breeding line KF0402 $(TC1146{\times}KF117)$ showing vein necrosis at Suwon in Korea. This isolate, PVY-SWM, was differentiated from other PVY based on biological properties and nucleotide sequence analyses of coat protein gene. PVY-SWM caused typical symptoms on 21 indicator plants as compared to the PVY-TOJC37. Remarkably, the PVY-SWM induced distinctly different symptom of systemic vein necrosis on tobacco cultivars V.SCR, PBD6, TN86, TN90, Virgin A Mutant (VAM), Wislica, NC744, KB108 and KB111, which were reported to have the recessive potyvirus resistance gene va. In RT-PCR assays with specific primers for detection of PVY, a single band of about 800bp in length was produced. The amplified DNA was cloned and the nucleotide sequence was determined. The coat protein gene of PVY-SWM showed 88.4%-99.0% and 92.5%-98.5% identities to the 12 different PVY isolates of Genbank Database at the nucleotide and amino acidi respectively. Multiple alignments as well as cluster dendrograms of PVY-SWM isolate revealed close phylogenetic relationship to the $PVY^{NTN}$ subgroup.