Prevalence of Korean cats with natural feline coronavirus infections

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Feline coronavirus is comprised of two pathogenic biotypes consisting of feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) and feline enteric coronavirus (FECV), which are both divided into two serotypes. To examine the prevalence of Korean cats infected with feline coronavirus (FCoV) type I and II, fecal samples were obtained from 212 cats (107 pet and 105 feral) in 2009.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Fourteen cats were FCoV-positive, including infections with type I FCoV (n = 8), type II FCoV (n = 4), and types I and II co-infection (n = 2). Low seroprevalences (13.7%, 29/212) of FCoV were identified in chronically ill cats (19.3%, 16/83) and healthy cats (10.1%, 13/129).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Although the prevalence of FCoV infection was not high in comparison to other countries, there was a higher prevalence of type I FCoV in Korean felines. The prevalence of FCoV antigen and antibody in Korean cats are expected to gradually increase due to the rising numbers of stray and companion cats.</p

Expression of CYLD and NF-κB in Human Cholesteatoma Epithelium

The tumor suppressor CYLD is a deubiquitinating enzyme that inhibits activation of the NF-κB, which has key roles in inflammation and apoptosis. We hypothesized that CYLD may regulate the NF-κB signaling pathway in cholesteatoma. We conducted immunohistochemistry to examine the expression of CYLD and NF-κB in 16 cases of cholesteatoma and paired cases of retroauricular (RA) skin. In cholesteatoma epithelium, activated NF-κ B expression was significantly higher than in RA skin, whereas CYLD expression was significantly lower in cholesteatoma epithelium than in RA skin (P < .05). Furthermore, a significant inverse correlation was detected between CYLD and activated NF-κB expression in cholesteatoma epithelium (r = −0.630). We found that CYLD reduced and activated increased NF-κB in cholesteatoma epithelium in comparison to RA skin. The inverse correlation between CYLD and activated NF-κB in cholesteatoma may be involved in cholesteatoma epithelial hyperplasia

Molecular characterization of tetracycline- and quinolone-resistant Aeromonas salmonicida isolated in Korea

The antibiotic resistance of 16 Aeromonas (A.) salmonicida strains isolated from diseased fish and environmental samples in Korea from 2006 to 2009 were investigated in this study. Tetracycline or quinolone resistance was observed in eight and 16 of the isolates, respectively, based on the measured minimal inhibitory concentrations. Among the tetracycline-resistant strains, seven of the isolates harbored tetA gene and one isolate harbored tetE gene. Additionally, quinolone-resistance determining regions (QRDRs) consisting of the gyrA and parC genes were amplified and sequenced. Among the quinolone-resistant A. salmonicida strains, 15 harbored point mutations in the gyrA codon 83 which were responsible for the corresponding amino acid substitutions of Ser83→Arg83 or Ser83→Asn83. We detected no point mutations in other QRDRs, such as gyrA codons 87 and 92, and parC codons 80 and 84. Genetic similarity was assessed via pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and the results indicated high clonality among the Korean antibiotic-resistant strains of A. salmonicida

Enhanced immune response with foot and mouth disease virus VP1 and interleukin-1 fusion genes

The capsid of the foot and mouth disease (FMD) virus carries the epitopes that are critical for inducing the immune response. In an attempt to enhance the specific immune response, plasmid DNA was constructed to express VP1/interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and precursor capsid (P1) in combination with 2A (P1-2A)/IL-1α under the control of the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) immediateearly promoter and intron. After DNA transfection into MA104 (monkey kidney) cells, Western blotting and an immunofluorescence assay were used to confirm the expression of VP1 or P1-2A and IL-1α. Mice were inoculated with the encoding plasmids via the intradermal route, and the IgG1 and IgG2a levels were used to determine the immune responses. These results show that although the immunized groups did not carry a high level of neutralizing antibodies, the plasmids encoding the VP1/IL-1α, and P1-2A/IL-1α fused genes were effective in inducing an enhanced immune response

factor 1α in precancerous nodules with telomere

Increased expression of stathmin and elongatio

New Sedatives and Analgesic Drugs for Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Procedures

Procedural sedation has become increasingly common in endoscopy. Sedatives and analgesics induce anxiolysis and amnesia. In addition, an appropriate level of sedation is necessary for safe procedures including therapeutic endoscopy. Midazolam and propofol are the most commonly used drugs in sedative endoscopy. In recent years, the need to ascertain the safety and effectiveness of sedation has increased in practice. Therefore, new sedatives and analgesic drugs for optimal sedative endoscopy, have recently emerged. This article reviews the characteristics of sedatives and analgesics, and describes their clinical use in gastrointestinal endoscopy

Akkermansia muciniphila-derived extracellular vesicles influence gut permeability through the regulation of tight junctions

The gut microbiota has an important role in the gut barrier, inflammation and metabolic functions. Studies have identified a close association between the intestinal barrier and metabolic diseases, including obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Recently, Akkermansia muciniphila has been reported as a beneficial bacterium that reduces gut barrier disruption and insulin resistance. Here we evaluated the role of A. muciniphila-derived extracellular vesicles (AmEVs) in the regulation of gut permeability. We found that there are more AmEVs in the fecal samples of healthy controls compared with those of patients with T2D. In addition, AmEV administration enhanced tight junction function, reduced body weight gain and improved glucose tolerance in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced diabetic mice. To test the direct effect of AmEVs on human epithelial cells, cultured Caco-2 cells were treated with these vesicles. AmEVs decreased the gut permeability of lipopolysaccharide-treated Caco-2 cells, whereas Escherichia coli-derived EVs had no significant effect. Interestingly, the expression of occludin was increased by AmEV treatment. Overall, these results imply that AmEVs may act as a functional moiety for controlling gut permeability and that the regulation of intestinal barrier integrity can improve metabolic functions in HFD-fed mice.11Ysciescopuskc