Growth under conditions of iron-restriction and the production of siderophore was examined in Vibrio mimicus ATCC 33653. This strain grew and multiplied in the presence of the high-affinity iron chelators ethylenediamine-di (o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid). Chrorne azurol S (CAS) agar and solution were used to detect the production of siderophore under these condition. Siderophore could be detected in the iron-rcstricted culture supernatants. The siderophore was extracted from iron-restricted culture supernatants by phenol-chloroform-ether method and purified by Dowex ion-exchange and Sephadex G-25 gel filtracton chromatography. The purified siderophore was confirmed by paper chromatography and HPLC. The Purified siderophore enhanced the growth of V. mimicus when the bacterium was grown in iron limited medium. Injection of both the siderohore and the bacteria to mice resulted in more rapid death than that of the only bacteria. However, the siderophore did not show lethality to mice and any toxicity to cell line like HeLa and U937.
Agar ; Animals ; Bacteria ; Cell Line ; Chelating Agents ; Chromatography ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Chromatography, Paper ; Iron ; Mice ; Vibrio mimicus* ; Vibrio*

A novel bacteriophage, designated as VPP97, that infects the strains of Vibiro parahaemolyticus (hallophilic, Gram-negative bacterium) isolated most commonly from marine environments, has been discovered, and several of its properties have been determined. The plaques were clear and sized 0.6-1.0 mm in diameter. The virion forms a single band on 70% sucrose gradient and p1.50 CsC1 gradient by sucrose gradient centrifugation and CsCI gradient centrifugation respectively. It has a hexagonal head and a relatively long tail, as shown by electron microscopy. Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio fluvialis and Vibrio furnissii were also sensitive to this phage It was almost totally inactivated at 70 degree C and at pH below 5 or over 10. The nucleic acid of VPP97 is composed of DNA. The VPP97 had 9 specific structural proteins sized between 21.5 kDa and 97.4 kDa on SDS-PAGE. When V. parahaemolyticus cultures were treated with either phage VPP97 or one of the several antibiotics for 2 hours, the viable number of V. parahaemolyticus treated with the phage VPP97 is lower than that treated with chloramphenicol, erythromycin or penicillin, but not lower than that treated with tetracycline. Mice that have responded to the phage treatment revealed the lower numbers of V. parahaemolyticus in small intestine and less damage on small intestine compared to the untreated mice. Therefore, we suggest that the phage treatment appears effective to the infection by V. parahaemolyticus.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteriophages* ; Centrifugation ; Chloramphenicol ; DNA ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Erythromycin ; Head ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Intestine, Small ; Mice ; Microscopy, Electron ; Penicillins ; Sucrose ; Tail ; Tetracycline ; Vibrio alginolyticus ; Vibrio parahaemolyticus* ; Vibrio* ; Virion

Diphenylbydantoin-induced movement disorders have been rarely reported. They include choreoathetosis, orofacial dyskinesia, asterixis, dystonia, and ballismus. A patient with epllepsy, who showed orofacial dyskinesia with toxic cerebellar syrnptoms after longterm use of diphenylhydantoin is presented. The involuntary movement rapidily disappeared with a reduction of diphenylhydantoin dose.
Dyskinesias ; Dystonia ; Humans ; Movement Disorders* ; Phenytoin

The study of bacteriophage began by F.W. Twort in 1915 and the lytic cycle recognized by d'Herellel in 1917. It repeated about the marine bacteriophage containing Vibrio phage by Smith, Spencer and Ju. Authors isolated 2 virulent phages for the pathogenic V. alginolyticus from marine products. These 2 phages were examined their ultrastructure & host-infection by elecron microscopy and in vivo test using skin of rats. V. alginolyticus phages(VAPs) fomed plaques about 0.5 - 0.9mm in diameter and bands 50 - 60% in sucrose density gradient. VAP had 50 - 120nm tail and 40 - 90nm head in diameter. In vivo test, using rat skin, as well as in vitro test VAP had the activity to V. alginolyticus isolated.
Animals ; Bacteriophages* ; Coriolaceae ; Head ; Microscopy ; Rats ; Skin ; Sucrose ; Tail ; Vibrio alginolyticus* ; Vibrio*

The use of recombinant DNA technology to produce human growth hormone has resulted in a marked increase in availability of Growth Hormone(GH) to treat short stature due to GH deficiency and other conditions, such as Turner syndrome, familial short stature, chronic renal insufficiency and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). But, the GH therapy may result in the adverse events such as sodium and water retention, pseudotumor cerebri, slipped capital femoral epiphysis, growth of nevi, recurrence of tumor. We experienced a case of severe hypertension associated with GH therapy in a 14-year-old male who presented high blood pressure up to 190/100 mmHg and normalized at 2-3 weeks after discontinuation of GH. Therefore, we think that the blood pressure should be carefully monitored during GH therapy.
Adolescent ; Blood Pressure ; DNA, Recombinant ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Growth Hormone* ; Human Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Male ; Nevus ; Noonan Syndrome ; Pseudotumor Cerebri ; Recurrence ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphyses ; Sodium

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia are major components of Alzheimer’s disease. In this study, we aimed at investigating the prevalence and severity of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in very mild to mild Alzheimer’s disease. Forty-four patients with Alzheimer’s disease who visited the neurology outpatient clinic of Seoul Medical Center were included. A trained neurologist or a supervised test technician administered the neuropsychological test, the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery including Mini Mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating. The instrument used for assessing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia was Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire. In order of prevalence, apathy, depression, irritability, anxiety, and agitation were the most common symptoms occurring in very mild-to-mild Alzheimer’s disease group. The prevalence and severity of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia were found to be in positive correlation with the Clinical Dementia Rating scores. Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia are found even in the very early stage of Alzheimer’s disease, apathy and depression being the most common symptoms. Physicians should be aware of this when managing dementia patients.

Purpose: Ketogenic diets (KDs) have anti-obesity effects that may be related to glucose control and the gut microbiota. This paper hypothesizes that KD reduces body weight and changes the insulin sensitivity and gut microbiota composition in a mouse model of dietinduced obesity. Methods: In this study, C57BL/6 male mice were assigned randomly to 3 groups. The assigned diets were provided to the control and high-fat (HF) diet groups for 14 weeks. The KD group was given a HF diet for 8 weeks to induce obesity, followed by feeding the KD for the next 6 weeks. Results: After the treatment period, the KD group exhibited a 35.82% decrease in body weight gain compared to the HF group. In addition, the KD group demonstrated enhanced glucose control, as shown by the lower levels of serum fasting glucose, serum fasting insulin, and the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, compared to the HF group. An analysis of the gut microbiota using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing revealed a significant decrease in the proportion of Firmicutes when the KD was administered. In addition, feeding the KD reduced the overall alpha-diversity measures and caused a notable separation of microbial composition compared to the HF diet group. The KD also led to a decrease in the relative abundance of specific species, such as Acetatifactor_muris, Ligilactobacillus_apodemi, and Muribaculum_intestinale, compared with the HF group. These species were positively correlated with the body weight, whereas the abundant species in the KD group (Kineothrix_alysoides and Saccharofermentans_acetigenes) showed a negative correlation with body weight. Conclusion The current study presents supporting evidence that KD reduced the body weight and altered the insulin sensitivity and gut microbiota composition in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity.

PURPOSE: This study was to investigate the age and sex differences of the fractal dimension of the normal parotid glands in the digitized CT images. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The six groups, which were composed of 42 men and women from 20`s, 40`s and 60`s and over were picked. Each group contained seven people of the same sex. The normal parotid CT images were digitized, and their fractal dimensions were calculated using Scion ImagePC program. RESULTS: The mean of fractal dimensions in males was 1.7292(+/-0.0588) and 1.6329(+/-0.0425) in females. The mean of fractal dimensions in young males was 1.7617, 1.7328 in middle males, and 1.6933 in old males. The mean of fractal dimensions in young females was 1.6318, 1.6365 in middle females, and 1.6303 in old females. There was no statistical difference in fractal dimension between left and right parotid gland of the same subject(p>0.05). Fractal dimensions in male were decreased in older group(p<0.05) and larger than female in same age group(p<0.05). But fractal dimensions in female had a tendency to decrease in older group but no statistical difference between ages(p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The fractal dimension of parotid glands in the digitized CT images will be useful to evaluate the age and sex differences.
Female ; Fractals* ; Humans ; Male ; Parotid Gland* ; Sex Characteristics

From June to October in 1993~1995, cultured Penaeus chinesis and Penaeus japonicus occurred mass mortality at the farm in Western Sea of Korea. The disease was reproduced in healthy shrimp by injection of filtered (at 0.45 micromeger) homogenate of infected shrimp. So we concluded hat it was filterable agents like virus. Clinical symptoms were white spots on the carapace and reddish tail. Histopathological changes were characterized by hypertrophied nuclei at cuticular epidermis lymphoid organ, hematopoietic tissue. In negatively stained preparation, the virion revealed rod-shaped, enveloped, nonoccluded. Cytopathic effect (CPE) were not observed by virus in CHSE-214, RTG-2, EPC, FHM cell lines. Base on the above facts, the reason of mass mortality of penaied shrimp was baculovirus.
Baculoviridae ; Cell Line ; Dental Caries ; Epidermis ; Korea ; Mortality ; Penaeidae* ; Tail ; Virion ; Virus Diseases*

The neurotoxicity of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in rodents was investigated by measuring the locomotor activity and the changes of brain biogenic amines in MPTP-treated C57BL/6 mice. The mice showed a typical curved spine posture 24 hours after MPTP treatment. Total locomotor activity was reduced and the ratios of stereotyped activity/total locomotor activity were increased 24 hours after MPTP treatment. However no significant changes were observed 7 days after MPTP treatment. MPTP-induced changes of biogenic amines were evident only in corpus striatum, not in frontal lobe, midbrain and hippocampus; the levels of dopamine, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) were reduced by 94%, 76.3% and 60.2% after 24 hours, and 81.9%, 61.3% and 26.1% after 6 days compared to control values respectively. The ratios of DOPAC/dopamine, HVA/dopamine and HVA/DOPAC were increased 24 hours and 7 day after MPTP treatment compared to control valuse in corpus striatum, but the degree of the 7 days was less than the 24 hours. The ratios of 5-HIAA/5-HT were incresed 24 hours and 7 days after MPTP treatment in corpus striatum, but there were no significant changes in the levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and 5-hydroxtryptamine (5-HT). In conclusion, MPTP produced parkinsonism-like behavioral and biochemical changes in C57BL/ 6 mice.
1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine* ; Animals ; Biogenic Amines* ; Brain ; Corpus Striatum ; Dopamine ; Frontal Lobe ; Hippocampus ; Homovanillic Acid ; Mesencephalon ; Mice* ; Motor Activity* ; Posture ; Rodentia ; Spine