Effects of Lactobacillus casei on Hematology and Blood Chemistry in Normal and Burned Mice

Effects of the bacterial immunostimulant, Lactobacillus casei YIT 0003 (viable), on hematology and blood chemistry in normal and full thickness burned mice were studied. The white blood cell counts in normal and burned mice pretreated with L. casei cells at an early period after the intraperitoneal or subcutaneous administration of the cells were higher than in untreated animals. Significant increases in the population of neutrophils occurred in both groups of mice, at this period. On the other hand, L. casei cells did not affect red blood cell counts, platelet counts, plasma components, enzyme activities and electrolytes

Application of Ecotoxicogenomics for Studying Endocrine Disruption in Vertebrates and Invertebrates

Chemicals released into the environment potentially disrupt the endocrine system in wild animals and humans. Developing organisms are particularly sensitive to estrogenic chemicals. Exposure to estrogens or estrogenic chemicals during critical periods of development induces persistent changes in both reproductive and nonreproductive organs, including persistent molecular alterations. Estrogen-responsive genes and critical developmental windows of various animal species, therefore, need to be identified for investigators to understand the molecular basis of estrogenic activity during embryonic development. For investigators to understand molecular mechanisms of toxicity in various species, toxicogenomics/ecotoxicogenomics, defined as the integration of genomics (transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) into toxicology and ecotoxicology, need to be established as powerful tools for research. As the initial step toward using genomics to examine endocrine-disrupting chemicals, estrogen receptors and other steroid hormone receptors have been cloned in various species, including reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and alterations in the expression of these genes in response to chemicals were investigated. We are identifying estrogen-responsive genes in mouse reproductive tracts using cDNA microarrays and trying to establish microarray systems in the American alligator, roach, medaka, and water fleas (Daphnia magna). It is too early to define common estrogen-responsive genes in various animal species; however, toxicogenomics and ectotoxicogenomics provide powerful tools to help us understand the molecular mechanism of chemical toxicities in various animal species

Protective Effects of Bacterial Immunostimulants, OK-432 and LC 9018 on Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection in Tumor-Bearing Mice

Survival rates among sarcoma-180 bearing mice against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection were fewer than those among normal mice. However, the mortality of tumorbearing mice against the infection was reduced in case of administration of bacterial immunostimulants such as OK-432 and LC 9018