Tree shrew is a novel and high-quality experimental animal model. In this study, the real-time polymerase chain reaction methods were established to detect infection-related cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, IL-10, IL-17A, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and housekeeping gene glyceraldehyde-phosphate dehydrogenase ( ) of tree shrew. The results indicated that the establised methods had good specificity. The high point of the linear range of these reagents reached 1 × 10 copies, and the low points ranged from 10 copies (IL-6, IL-17A), 100 copies (IL-10, ) to 1 000 copies (IL-8, IFN-γ). In this interval, the linear correlation coefficient of each reagent was greater than 0.99. The lowest detectable values of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17A, IFN-γ and were 8, 8, 4, 8, 128 and 4 copies, respectively. The results showed that the established detection methods had good specificity, sensitivity and wide linear range. The methods were suitable for detection of multiple concentration range samples, and could be used for the subsequent studies of tree shrew cytokines.
Animals ; Cytokines ; analysis ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Shrews

A total of 1,498 small mammals (rodents and insectivores), including Apodemus agrarius (n = 1,366), Crocidura lasiura (54), Mus musculus (32), Micronytus fortis (28), Eothenomys regulus (9), Micronys minutes (6), and Cricetulus triton (3), were live-trapped in Gyeonggi-do (Province) (Paju-si, Pocheon-gun, and Yeoncheon-gun) near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) from December 2004 to September 2005. A. agrarius was found to be infected with 3 species of echinostomes (Echinostoma hortense, Echinostoma cinetorchis, and Euparyphium murinum), while C. lasiura was infected with 1 species (Echinochasmus japonicas) of echinostome. Other mammals were free from echinostome infections. Total 16 E. hortense were detected in 7 (0.5%) mice, 9 E. cinetorchis from 5 (0.4%), and 3 E. murinum from 2 (0.1%) out of 1.366 A. agrarius examined. E. japonicus was found only in 1 (1.9%; total 3 specimens) C. lasiura. These results demonstrate that A. agrarius and C. lasiura, inhabiting near the DMZ of Gyeonggi-do serve as the natural definitive hosts for several species of echinostomes, although their infection rates are low. This is the first record of natural infections of A. agrarius with E. cinetorchis and C. lasiura with E. japonicus in the Republic of Korea.
Animals ; Echinostoma/*isolation & purification ; Echinostomiasis/parasitology/*veterinary ; Humans ; Insectivora/*parasitology ; Korea ; Mice ; *Murinae/parasitology ; Rodent Diseases/*parasitology ; Rodentia ; Shrews/parasitology

These studies document species differences in the distribution of the catecholamine-synthesizing enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) within the main olfactory bulb (MOB) of a number of rodents and insectivore species including the rat, wild mouse, mongolian gerbil, stripped field mouse (apodemus agrarius), hedgehog, mole, laboratory shrew (suncus murinus). TH-containing neuronal perikarya were observed in the MOB of the both species of the rodents and insectivore except the hedgehog and laboratory shrew (suncus murinus). None of these cell groups displayed either dopamine beta hydroxylase (DBH) or phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT). The number of stained somata and their intensity varied such that label was most prominent in the stripped field mouse followed in decreasing order by the rat, mongolian gerbil, wild mouse and mole. The vast majority of such cells occurred in the glomerular layer as periglomerular cells surrounging the glomeruli of the stripped field mouse, rat, mongolian gerbil, wild mouse and moles. Numerous additional cells were present in the external plexiform layer (EPL) and mitral cell layer (MCL). These often displayed long ascending immunoreactive processes and appeared to correspond to tufted cells. Also a few smaller, multipolar cells were present in the internal granular layer scattered among the granule cells. However, the hedgehog and laboratory shrew displayed no perikaryal staining in the MOB. In conclusion, these data suggest that TH is present in the MOB of stripped field mouse, rat, mongolian gerbil, wild mouse and moles but is not found in the MOB of the hedgehog and laboratory shrew, or that species differences exist in the level of TH.
Animals ; Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase ; Dopaminergic Neurons* ; Gerbillinae ; Hedgehogs ; Mice ; Neurons ; Olfactory Bulb* ; Rats ; Rodentia* ; Shrews ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase

A total of 1,618 ticks [420 individual (adults) and pooled (larvae and nymphs) samples], 369 rodents (Apodemus arius, Rattus norvegicus, Tscherskia triton, Mus musculus, and Myodes regulus), and 34 shrews (Crocidura lasiura) that were collected in northern Gyeonggi-do near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) of Korea during 2004-2005, were assayed by PCR for selected zoonotic pathogens. From a total of 420 individual and pooled tick DNA samples, Anaplasma (A.) phagocytophilum (16), A. platys (16), Ehrlichia (E.) chaffeensis (63), Borrelia burgdorferi (16), and Rickettsia spp. (198) were detected using species-specific PCR assays. Out of 403 spleens from rodents and shrews, A. phagocytophilum (20), A. platys (34), E. chaffeensis (127), and Bartonella spp. (24) were detected with species-specific PCR assays. These results suggest that fevers of unknown causes in humans and animals in Korea should be evaluated for infections by these vector-borne microbial pathogens.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum/genetics/isolation & purification ; Animals ; Biological Warfare ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics/isolation & purification ; Ehrlichiosis/transmission/veterinary ; Humans ; Korea ; Mice/*microbiology ; Rats/*microbiology ; Seasons ; Shrews/*microbiology ; Ticks/*microbiology ; Zoonoses

Monthly surveys were conducted to investigate the occurrence of chigger mites and seroprevalence of scrub typhus among small mammals in Jeollanam-do, the southwestern part of Korea, from November 2006 through October 2007. Fifty-eight small mammals, including 57 Apodemus agrarius (98.3%) and 1 Crocidura lasiura (1.7%), were captured, and a total of 4,675 chigger mites representing 4 genera and 8 species were collected from them. The chigger infestation rate among small mammals was 69.0%. The most predominant species in A. agrarius was Leptotrombidium scutellare (54.0%), followed by Leptotrombidium pallidum (39.4%), Leptotrombidium orientale (4.4%), Leptotrombidium palpale (1.1%), Neotrombicula tamiyai (0.6%), Eushoengastia koreaensis (0.3%), Neotrombicula gardellai (0.3%), and Cheladonta ikaoensis (<0.1%). The chigger index of A. agrarius was the highest in October (740.0), followed by November (242.0), September (134.6), March (98.3), February (38.2), January (35.3), December (34.5), April (30.8), and May (1.7). The average antibody positive rate of scrub typhus in wild rodents was 50.0%. The seropositive rates were high in October (100.0%) and November (83.3%), whereas those in other months were relatively low (28.6-57.1%). The chigger index of L. scutellare rapidly increased in September to form an acuminate peak in October, followed by a gradual decline. These results suggest that the outbreak of scrub typhus in the southwestern part of Korean peninsula is mostly due to L. scutellare.
Animals ; Antibodies, Bacterial/blood ; Antibody Specificity ; Arachnid Vectors/*microbiology ; *Disease Reservoirs ; Humans ; Murinae/parasitology ; Orientia tsutsugamushi/*immunology ; Population Dynamics ; Public Health Surveillance ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Rodent Diseases/parasitology/transmission ; Scrub Typhus/epidemiology/*transmission ; Seasons ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Shrews/parasitology ; Species Specificity ; Trombiculiasis/parasitology/veterinary ; Trombiculidae/*microbiology