We conducted diagnostic investigations to analyze the causes of abortions (46 cases, 65.7%), deaths (22 cases, 31.4%) and muscular lesions (2 cases, 2.9%) occurred after foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccination in livestock farms in Korea. Bacterial culture, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed to detect the causative agents of abortion in bovine and caprine. The diagnostic results showed that 36 (51.4%) cases, referring as “Identified”, were occurred by influence of underlying disease including bovine viral diarrhea (12 cases, 17.1%), neosporosis (7 cases, 10.0%), septicemic colibacillosis (5 cases, 7.1%), Q fever (4 cases, 5.7%) and other abnormal conditions (8 cases, 11.4%) not by vaccination. Other 2 (3.0%) cases were suspected to be vaccine-associated adverse reaction on the basis of pathological findings (shock lung, oil-component-induced granuloma) and clinical symptoms (dyspnea with pulmonary edema). The other 32 (45.7%) cases were determined “Unknown” because any pathogens and pathological changes were not identified. However, many of the “Unknown” cases were presumptive to be the vaccine-related adverse reaction based on epidemiological investigation, especially, the cases which showed the clinical signs within 2 days after the vaccination. It is important to conduct pathological, microbilogical and epidemiological investigation to diagnose whether the cases are from vaccine-associated adverse reaction or not.

We report a massive outbreak of human Q fever cases, which occurred at totally 11 humans. The occurrence was related to a goat farm where Coxiella burnetii infection was diagnosed from goat tissues and environmental specimens. From January of 2018, continuous abortions from 6 goats occurred. Laboratory tests from 77 goat specimens for C. burnetii showed that 54 (70.1%) and 63 (81.8%) goats were positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. The infection was also confirmed from the farmer, his wife and 9 persons from all 16 veterinary officials who had visited the farm for protective measures and preparing goat specimens for laboratory tests. The farm was found to be extensively contaminated with C. burnetii from the examination to the environmental specimens and epidemiological inspections, which might be the main source of C. burnetii infection to humans. The extensive contamination to the farm was derived from the uncareful handling of postpartum animal tissues or discharges by the farm owner. This report will contribute to the establishment of educational system on the biosecurity to novice farmers.

Bumblebees are widely used to pollinate various greenhouse crops. Among the different bumblebee species, Bombus ignitus is indigenous to Korea, China, Japan and Russia. B. ignitus undergoes one generation per year, and artificial hibernation is essential for year-round rearing of the bumblebee. Keeping the queens under low-temperature conditions for several months is an effective method for terminating their diapause and promoting colony development. In the present study, we investigated how cold temperature affects the artificial hibernation of B. ignitus queens. Under chilling temperatures of -2.5°C, 0°C, 2.5°C and 5°C with constant humidity >80%, the queens stored at 2.5°C exhibited the highest survival rates, which were 74.0% at one month, 67.0% at two months, 60.0% at three months, 46.0% at 4 months, 33.0% at 5 months and 24.0% at 6 months. Lower survival rates were observed at 0°C, 5°C, 7.5°C and 12.5°C. At 2.5°C the colony developmental characteristics after diapause were 1.2- to 1.5-fold greater than those when queens were stored at 5°C. Thus, 2.5°C and 70% R.H. were the most favorable chilling temperature and humidity conditions for terminating the diapause of B. ignitus queens.

The anti-inflammatory effects of the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) derived from cricket (G. bimaculatus, Gb) were investigated in complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) treated chronic arthritis rat model. This GAG produced a meaningful anti-edema effect showing inhibition of C-reactive protein (CRP) and rheumatoid factor. This GAG also inhibited the atherogenesis and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels of VEGF production in HUVEC cells, IL-6, prostaglandin E2 stimulated lipopolysaccharide in LAW 264.7 cells and TNF-α production in normal splenocytes, with dose dependent manner. This GAG was also found to be an inducer of NO production from the HUVEC cells and a stimulator of endothelial nitric oxide synthase. In the histological finding, the LV dorsal root ganglion, linked to the paw treated Gb GAG, was repaired against CFA induced cartilage destruction. The combined Indomethacin (5 mg/kg)-Gb GAG (10 mg/kg) also more effectively inhibited CFA-induced paw edema at 3h, 2nd and 3rd day to levels comparable to anti-inflammatory drug, indomethacin.

The purpose of this study was performed to determine the whitening effect of organic solvent extracts from the centipede, Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans. We prepared different concentrations (50%, 70% and 100%) of ethanol, methanol, 100% ethyl acetate and water extracts. We tested melanin inhibitory effect and tyrosinase activity using B16/F10 melanoma cell. As a result, treatment of organic solvent extracts is decreased the biosynthesis of melanin and tyrosinase activity to 30~60%. Especially the 70% ethanol extracts was the most effective in B16/F10 melanoma cells. In the study on melanogenic protein expression, 70% ethanol extracts of Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans blocked glycosylation of tyrosinase. Therefore this result suggests that 70% ethanol extracts could be developed as a skin whitening agents.

The centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans has been a medically important arthropod species by using it as a traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. In this study, we derived a novel lactoferricin B like peptide (LBLP) from the whole bodies of adult centipedes, S. s. mutilans, and investigated the antifungal effect of LBLP. LBLP exerted an antifungal and fungicidal activity without hemolysis. To investigate the antifungal mechanism of LBLP, a membrane study with propidium iodide was first conducted against Candida albicans. The result showed that LBLP caused fungal membrane permeabilization. The assays of the three dimensional flow cytometric contour plot and membrane potential further showed cell shrinkage and membrane depolarization by the membrane damage. Finally, we confirmed the membrane-active mechanism of LBLP by synthesizing model membranes, calcein and FITC-dextran loaded large unilamellar vesicles. These results showed that the antifungal effect of LBLP on membrane was due to the formation of pores with radii between 0.74 nm and 1.4 nm. In conclusion, this study suggests that LBLP exerts a potent antifungal activity by pore formation in the membrane, eventually leading to fungal cell death.

Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is one of the important modes of action available for the control of insects. An assessment was made of the electric eel AChE inhibitory activity of 55 endophytic fungi isolated from the leaves of Huperzia serrata collected in Eunshi, Hubei Province, China. Of 55 mycelial extracts and 55 ethyl acetate-soluble fractions from liquid culture of the fungi, the ethyl acetate-soluble fraction of strain ES056 exhibited strong AChE inhibitory activity (88%) at a concentration of 100 μg/mL. Based on morphological characteristics and nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS sequence analysis, this fungus showed greatest similarity to members of the order Eurotiales and was shown to be most closely related to members of the Aspergillus aculeatus group. It was designated Aspergillus sp. MY056. This strain merits further study as a potential anti-AChE product.

COPRISIN is an antibiotic substance extracted from Copris tripartitus. This study is intended to identify various cell biological stimuli that COPRISIN, widely known as an antibacterial substance, has on human cells and to identify its molecule mechanism. A variety of human cell lines were divided into epithelial cells including kidney cells or womb cells, and immunocyte including T cells or macrophages and, after their being cultivated and maintained, cell biological changes of the respective cells according to COPRISIN treatment were compared. As a result, it was confirmed that, different from other experiment cells, COPRISIN specifically caused cell kill in T cells and macrophages. That is, fragmentation of DNA, typical characteristics observed in the process of apoptosis, was confirmed in the nucleus of cells dying owing to COPRISIN treatment. An Apoptosis process is one dependent upon activity of caspase family protein, it was proved that COPRISIN medium cell kill process was one through a caspase-independent route such as AIF. Though it was found out that transcription of TNF-α and extracellular TNF-α secretion increased in blood cells stimulated by COPRISIN, it was also confirmed that TNF-α was a major medium factor in a COPRISIN induced cell kill process from the fact that a cell kill process by COPRISIN was not inhibited at all with TNF-α inhibiting antibody treatment. Above results revealed that COPRISIN, different from other tissue origin cells including kidney cells, can specifically induce apoptosis in immunocyte, which is caused by a caspase-independent cell signal transmission route.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of peripheral nitric oxide (NO) pathways in the onset of interleukin (IL)-1β-induced mechanical allodynia in the orofacial area. Experiments were carried out on male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 230-280 gm and surgical procedures were performed under pentobarbital sodium (40 mg/kg, i.p.). Under anesthesia, a polyethylene tube (PE10) was implanted into the subcutaneous area of one vibrissa pad, which enabled the injection of IL-1β or other chemicals. We subcutaneously injected 50 μL of IL-1β into a vibrissa pad through the implanted polyethylene tube with a 100 Hamilton syringe. After the administration of 0.01, 0.1, 1, or 10 pg of IL-1β, withdrawal behavioral responses were examined. The subcutaneous injection of saline had no effects on the air-puff thresholds. Following the subcutaneous injection of 0.01, 0.1, 1, or 10 pg of IL-1, the threshold of air puffs decreased significantly to 12± 3, 7 ± 2, 5 ±1, or 5 ± 1 psi, respectively, in a dose dependent manner. Pretreatment with L-NAME, a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, blocked IL-1β-induced mechanical allodynia. However, neither D-NAME, an inactive isomer of L-NAME, nor vehicle affected the IL-1β-induced mechanical allodynia. Subcutaneous injection of IL-1 increased the number of c-fos-like immunoreactive neurons, whereas pretreatment with L-NAME decreased this number, in the trigeminal caudal nucleus. These results suggest that pro-inflammatory cytokines and NO are important contributors to the pathogenesis of persistent and exaggerated IL-1β-induced pain states. Based on these observations, peripheral application of NOS inhibitors may be of therapeutic value in treating pain disorders in the clinic.