Calcareous corpuscles are a characteristic structure found in larval and adult stage cestodes. These corpuscles are known to contain several protein components and to possess protein-binding activity. However, the proteins bound to calcareous corpuscles in situ have not been studied. The present study was undertaken to identify the proteins on calcareous corpuscles. Calcareous corpuscles were purified from the plerocercoids (= spargana) of Spirometra erinacei, and serially dissolved using 0.1 M sulfamic acid solution. Collected supernatants were examined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and silver staining. The results showed that only the fraction remaining after the 19th dissolved fraction contained proteins. A total of 20 protein molecules were detected in gel, with major bands at 56, 53, 46, 40, 35, 29, 28, 24.5, 21, 19, 16, 13, 10 and 8 kDa. In particular, the proteins corresponding to the 21 and 16 kDa bands were most abundant. Our results demonstrated for the first time the protein contents of the calcareous corpuscles of spargana. Further studies on the functions of these proteins are required.
Animals ; Centrifugation ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Helminth Proteins/analysis/*metabolism ; Molecular Weight ; Protein Binding ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Silver Staining ; Sparganum/isolation & purification/*metabolism ; Spirometra/*metabolism ; Sulfonic Acids

Trimellitic anhydride (TMA) is widely used industrially to make epoxy and alkyd resins, plasticizers and surfactants. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether contact dermatitis is induced by repeated TMA challenge and the role of interleukin (IL)-10 in the TMA-induced contact dermatitis. The repetition of the challenge enlarged the extent of an early and a late phase of contact dermatitis in IL-10(+/+) and IL-10(-/-) mice. In the late phase of TMA-induced contact dermatitis, the peak of ear swelling responses by single challenge showed at 12 h after challenge, but the peak was observed at 8 h after repeated challenge. In the IL-10(-/-) mice, the repetition of the TMA challenges enlarged the extent of the contact dermatitis, but less than those in IL-10(+/+) mice. These results indicate that mice sensitized by TMA could possibly offer a useful model to study the mechanism of contact dermatitis, and IL-10 may act as potential modulators in the TMA-induced contact dermatitis. IL-10 may provide therapeutic tools for the treatment of TMA-induced contact dermatitis.
Animals ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Ear ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukins ; Mice ; Phthalic Anhydrides ; Plasticizers ; Plastics

BACKGROUND: As silicon compounds including silatranes are known to be able to stimulate regeneration of collagen, many studies on the influence of silatranes on the process of wound healing have been conducted. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two new silatrane compounds (silatrane I, 1-vinylsilatrane; silatrane VII, 1-alkylsilatrane), tretinoin tocoferil (TT), and Centella asiatica extract (CAE) on the wound healing of experimental rat ulcers. METHOD: Twenty four male rats (weighing about 250-300g) were used in this study. Two full-thickness excised wounds were created on the back of each rat under anesthesia, and they were divided into the following eight groups (each group had 3 rats), according to the treatment modalities; Group 1: treated with silatrane I on the left ulcer and TT on the right ulcer; Group 2: treated with silatrane I on the left and CAE on the right; Group 3: treated with silatrane VII on the left and TT on the right; Group 4: treated with silatrane VII on the left and CAE on the right; Group 5: treated with silatrane I on the left and ointment base (control) on the right ; Group 6: treated with silatrane VII on the left and ointment base on the right ; Group 7: treated with TT on the left and ointment base on the right ; Group 8: treated with CAE on the left and ointment base on the right. Wound surface areas were measured daily and three parameters were compared; the percentage of wound contraction, speed of healing and complete healing time. RESULTS: The percentage of wound contraction in the two silatrane compounds and TT treated groups at the 7th day was greater than that of the control group. However, the ulcers treated with CAE did not show any statistically significant difference, as compared to the control. The speed of healing in the first 7 days for the two silatranes and TT treated groups was faster than that of the control group. But, the ulcers treated with CAE did not show any statistically significant difference, as compared to the control group. The woourds took less time to completely heal in the silatrane VII and TT treated groups than in the control. Nevertheless, the ulcers treated with the silatrane I and CAE did not show any statistically significant difference, as compared to the control. CONCLUSION: The Two silatrane compounds are as effective as TT in the treatment of rat skin ulcers.
Anesthesia ; Animals ; Centella* ; Collagen ; Humans ; Male ; Rats* ; Regeneration ; Silicon Compounds ; Skin Ulcer ; Tretinoin* ; Ulcer* ; Wound Healing* ; Wounds and Injuries*

A total of 542 children under 10 years of age, admitted to the Seoul National University Children's Hospital, was examined for antibody titers of Toxoplasma gondii using indirect latex agglutination (ILA) test. Among them, 7.7% showed positive titers higher than 1:32, without significant difference between males (7.3%) and females (8.5%). The seropositive rate increased with age although the statistical significance was negligible (0.05 < P < 0.1). By residential areas, the prevalence appeared higher among children from southern provinces (Kyongsang-do and Cholla do) than those from other areas, but the statistical significance was also very low (0.05 < P < 0.1). When the seropositive cases were analyzed by coincidental diseases, the prevalence was significantly higher in patients with congenital diseases than in patients with non-congenital diseases (P < 0.05). The results showed that the seropositive rate of toxoplasmosis in children examined was not high compared with other endemic countries. Some correlations are suggested between toxoplasmosis and congenital anomalies in Korea.
Animal ; Antibodies, Protozoan/blood* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Human ; Infant ; Korea/epidemiology ; Latex Fixation Tests ; Male ; Prevalence ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Toxoplasma/immunology* ; Toxoplasmosis/epidemiology*

Adult worms of Parvatrema spp. (Digenea: Gymnophallidae) were found in the intestines of 2 species of migratory birds, i.e., a great knot, Calidris tenuirostris, and 2 Mongolian plovers, Charadrius mongolus, in the coastal area of Gunsan-si, Jeollabuk-do in October 2009. The recovered Parvatrema worms were 79 in total number and composed of 2 species. The worms from a great knot were 289 micrometer in length with the oral and ventral sucker ratio of 2 : 1. They had a single vitellarium, and their intrauterine eggs were 25.0 x 17.5 micrometer in size. These findings were compatible with P. duboisi (Dollfus, 1923) Bartoli, 1974 (syn. P. timondavidi Bartoli, 1963). The worms recovered from the Mongolian plovers were smaller in length than P. duboisi and had 2 vitellaria. The oral and ventral sucker ratio was 2.5 : 1, and the eggs were 17.5 x 8.8 micrometer in size. These worms were assigned to be P. homoeotecnum James, 1964. This is the first report on the natural final hosts of Parvatrema spp. in Korea.
*Animal Migration ; Animals ; Bird Diseases/*parasitology ; Charadriiformes/*parasitology/physiology ; Trematoda/anatomy & histology/*isolation & purification ; Trematode Infections/parasitology/*veterinary

The prevalence of parasitic infections was investigated in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients (n = 105) who visited Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea, during the period from 1995 to 2003. Fecal samples were collected from 67 patients for intestinal parasite examinations, and sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage samples from 60 patients for examination of Pneumocystis carinii. Both samples were obtained from 22 patients. Thirty-three (31.4%) of the 105 were found to have parasitic infections; Cryptosporidium parvum (10.5%; 7/67), Isospora belli (7.5%; 5/67), Clonorchis sinensis (3.0%; 2/67), Giardia lamblia (1.5%; 1/67), Gymnophalloides seoi (1.5%; 1/67), and Pneumocystis carinii (28.3%; 17/60). The hospital records of the 11 intestinal parasite-infected patients showed that all suffered from diarrhea. This study shows that parasitic infections are important clinical complications in HIV-infected patients in the Republic of Korea.
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/*parasitology ; Adult ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; HIV Infections/*complications ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parasitic Diseases/*epidemiology ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Mast cells play a critical role in the effector phase of immediate hypersensitivity and allergic diseases. Scutellaria baicalensis is a widely used herb in traditional oriental medicine with anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the roles of Scutellaria baicalensis in mast cell-mediated anaphylactic reactions have not fully been investigated. In this study, we examined the influences of the methanol extract of Scutellaria baicalensis (MESB) on compound 48/80- or anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP) IgE-induced anaphylaxis-like response in vivo. To further prove these in vivo results, the inhibitory effect of MESB on mast cell activation was evaluated, focusing on the histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMC). MESB inhibited compound 48/80-induced systemic anaphylaxis-like reaction, plasma histamine release and ear swelling response in mice. MESB also attenuated passive systemic and cutaneous anaphylaxis evoked by anti-DNP IgE. In in vitro experiments, MESB dose-dependently reduced histamine release from RPMC activated by compound 48/80 or anti-DNP IgE. Moreover, compound 48/80-elicited calcium uptake was suppressed in a concentration-dependent manner of MESB. Furthermore, MESB transiently increased the level of intracellular cAMP. From these results, it is suggested that MESB possesses effective anti-anaphylactic activity.
Anaphylaxis ; Animals ; Calcium ; Ear ; Histamine ; Histamine Release ; Hypersensitivity, Immediate ; Immunoglobulin E ; Mast Cells ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Methanol ; Mice ; Plasma ; Rats ; Scutellaria ; Scutellaria baicalensis

We describe an ovarian mucinous neoplasm that histologically resembles lobular endocervical glandular hyperplasia (LEGH) containing pyloric gland type mucin in a patient with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS). Although ovarian mucinous tumors rarely occur in PJS patients, their pyloric gland phenotype has not been clearly determined. The histopathologic features of the ovarian mucinous tumor were reminiscent of LEGH. The cytoplasmic mucin was stained with periodic acid-Schiff reaction after diastase treatment but was negative for Alcian blue pH 2.5, suggesting the presence of neutral mucin. Immunohistochemically, the epithelium expressed various gastric markers, including MUC6, HIK1083, and carbonic anhydrase-IX. Multiple ligation-dependent probe amplification detected a germline heterozygous deletion mutation at exons 1–7 of the STK11 gene (c.1-?_920+?del) in peripheral blood leukocytes and mosaic loss of heterozygosity in ovarian tumor tissue. Considering that LEGH and/or gastric-type cervical adenocarcinoma can be found in patients with PJS carrying germline and/or somatic STK11 mutations, our case indicates that STK11 mutations have an important role in the proliferation of pyloric-phenotype mucinous epithelium at various anatomical locations.

Reptiles were known to serve as paratenic hosts for Centrorhynchus (Acanthocephala: Centrorhynchidae) in Korea, but the infection course in experimental animals was not elucidated yet. In this study, the tiger keelback snakes (Rhabdophis tigrinus) were collected and digested with artificial pepsin solution, and the larvae of Centrorhynchus were recovered from them. Then, the collected larvae were orally infected to rats for developmental observations. In rats, all the larvae were observed outside the intestine on day 3 post-infection (PI), including the mesentery and abdominal muscles. As for the development in rats, the ovary of Centrorhynchus sp. was observed at day 15 PI, and the cement glands were 3 in number. Based on the morphological characteristics, including the arrangement of proboscis hooks, these larvae proved to be a species of Centrorhynchus, and more studies were needed for species identification.

Gynaecotyla squatarolae (Digenea: Microphallidae) adult flukes were recovered from experimental chicks at day 4-6 post-infection and their tegumental ultrastructure was observed with a scanning electron microscopy. They were pyriform in shape, and their anterior halves were concaved ventrally. The whole body surface was covered with tegumental spines, which were wide and 16-17 digitated between oral and ventral suckers. The density of spines and number of digits decreased posteriorly. The oral sucker was subterminal and the excretory pore was at the posterior end of the worm. wo ventral suckers were similar in appearance and protruded near midline of the worm. The genital atrium was dextral to the small ventral sucker. The dorsal surface was covered with tegumental spines, but the spines were sparser than on the ventral surface. On the middle portion of the dorsal surface, a small opening presumed to be the Laurer's canal was een. From these findings, it has been confirmed that the adult G. squatarolae has unique characteristics in the surface ltrastructure.
Animals ; Brachyura/*parasitology ; Chickens ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Trematoda/anatomy & histology/classification/*isolation & purification/*ultrastructure ; Trematode Infections/*parasitology