PURPOSE: We investigated whether a relationship exists between tumor control dose 50 (TCD50) or tumor growth delay (TGD) and radiation induced apoptosis (RIA) in syngeneic murine tumors. Also we investigated the biological markers that can predict radiosensitivity in murine tumor system through analysis of relationship between TCD50, TGD, RIA and constitutive expression levels of the genetic products regulating RIA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Syngeneic murine tumors such as ovarian adenocarcinoma, mammary carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, fibrosarcoma, hepatocarcinoma were used in this study. C3H/HeJ mice were bred and maintained in our specific pathogen free mouse colony and were 8~12 weeks old when used for the experiments. The tumors, growing in the right hind legs of mice, were analyzed for TCD50, TGD, and RIA at 8 mm in diameter. The tumors were also analyzed for the constitutive expression levels of p53, p21(WAF1/CIP1), BAX, Bcl-2, Bcl-x(L), Bcl-x(S), and p34. Correlation analysis was performed whether the level of RIA were correlated with TCD50 or TGD, and the constitutive expression levels of genetic products regulating RIA were correlated with TCD50, TGD, RIA. RESULTS: The level of RIA showed a significant positive correlation (R=0.922, p=0.026) with TGD, and showed a trend to correlation (R=-0.848), marginally significant correlation with TCD50 (p=0.070). It indicates that tumors that respond to radiation with high percentage of apoptosis were more radiosensitive. The constitutive expression levels of p21(WAF1/CIP1) and p34 showed a significant correlation either with TCD50 (R=0.893, p=0.041 and R=0.904, p=0.035) or with TGD (R=-0.922, p=0.026 and R=-0.890, p=0.043). The tumors with high constitutive expression levels of p21(WAF1/CIP1) or p34 were less radiosensitive than those with low expression. CONCLUSION: Radiosensitivity may be predicted with the level of RIA in murine tumors. The constitutive expression levels of p21(WAF1/CIP1) or p34 can be used as biological markers which predict the radiosensitivity.
Adenocarcinoma ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Biomarkers* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Fibrosarcoma ; Leg ; Mice ; Radiation Tolerance* ; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms

We have investigated and discussed the changes of scholarship, tuition and educational facilities in national medical colleges and private medical colleges for the period of 1984 and 1993. The data an alysed in this study were cited from the third edition and the seventh edition and raw data for the eighth edition of the Educational State Report of Korean Medical Schools which were issued by the Deans' Association of Korean Medical Schools. The significant findings were as follows: 1. In all investigated medical college libraries, the number of seats and medical books and the sorts of medical journals have increased, particularly the average budgets for medical journals have increased over 3 times in 1993 compare to 1994. 2. Between 1984 and 1993, total budget for scholarship have been increased out average benefit rate have been decreased from 38.6% to 34.3%. But the average benefit doubled its amount. 3. Average tuition in national medical college was about 52% of that in private medical college in 1993. In national medical colleges, average tuition for premedical course was 10% costly than medical course but it was just opposite to private medical colleges. 4. Between 1984 and 1993, Audio-visual aids have increased in number a little bit but there was nothing significant changes between national and private medical college. 5. Eighty one percent of investigated medical colleges have animal laboratory for research but only 15.6% of medical colleges have specific pathogen free rooms in the animal laboratories. 6. In 1993, the space in medical college buildings was occupied 29.6% by student education facilities, 25.8% by research space for professors and 10.5% by medical library. The average area for student educations was 42.4m2, for professors research was 32.2m2 and for library was 11.4m2 per a student.
Animals ; Audiovisual Aids ; Budgets ; Education ; Fellowships and Scholarships* ; Humans ; Libraries, Medical ; Schools, Medical ; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms

We analyzed 72 items related to serum biochemistry and hematology in 85 specific pathogen-free (SPF) Seoul National University (SNU) miniature pigs aged 1- to 36-months which originated from a Minnesota miniature pig. Almost all examined items were similar between male and female pigs. However, some items such as Cr level, B/C ratio, C.R.F, LDH, LAP and T4 were significantly different between male and female pigs (P<0.05). Thirty four examined items showed age-related changes, and the significant changes were observed in animals less than six months old. The values for BUN, K, uric acid, Ca, Ca++, and Pi were significantly higher in pigs younger than six months of age, which might reflect poor kidney function in young pigs. Additionally, TIBC, UIBC and RDW were significantly higher in young pigs, and RBC, Hb, HCT, MCHC and MCV were significantly lower in young pigs, thus indicating a similar physiology of iron deficiency anemia. These age-related specific phenotypes seemed to be normal, but it should be considered in the long-term experiment using the young pigs. In conclusion, in this study, we defined the normal reference intervals for SPF SNU miniature pigs, and we also determined that there are some physiological differences between the pig genders and ages. This study provides fundamental data for use in experiments involving SPF SNU miniature pigs.
Aged ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; Animals ; Biochemistry ; Female ; Hematology ; Humans ; Kidney ; Male ; Minnesota ; Phenotype ; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms ; Swine ; Uric Acid

Avian influenza (AI) is an infectious, low pathogenic virus that is endemic all over the world and poses a potential threat to the poultry industry. Vaccination is a widely used effective method to prevent avian influenza virus. Here we employed a comparative proteomics approach [two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF)] to characterize proteome in the sera from the specific pathogen free (SPF) chickens, the vaccinated chickens, and the naturally infected chickens. We identified total 58 proteins that were differentially expressed in the sera of three groups. Among them ovotransferrin and vitamin D-binding protein were more expressed in the sera of naturally infected chickens compare with other groups. Our results suggested that the level of these two proteins in the serum may help to discriminate the naturally infected chicken from the vaccinated chicken.
Animals ; Chickens ; Conalbumin ; Electrophoresis ; Influenza in Birds ; Poultry ; Proteins ; Proteome ; Proteomics ; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms ; Vaccination ; Viruses ; Vitamin D-Binding Protein

Despite the existence of an active vaccination program, recently emerged strains of nephropathogenic infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) in Korea have caused significant economic losses in the poultry industry. In this study, we assessed the pathogenic and antigenic characteristics of a K-IIb type field strain of IBV that emerged in Korea since 2003, such as Kr/Q43/06. Specific pathogen free 1-week-old chickens exhibited severe respiratory symptoms (dyspnea) and nephropathogenic lesions (swollen kidneys with nephritis and urate deposits) following challenge with the recent IBV field strain. The antigenic relatedness (R value), based on a calculated virus neutralization index, of the K-IIb type field strain and K-IIa type strain KM91 (isolated in 1991) was 30%, which indicated that the recent strain, Kr/Q43/06, is a new variant that is antigenically distinct from strain KM91. This report is the first to document the emergence of a new antigenic variant of nephropathogenic IBV in chicken from Korea.
Animals ; Antigens, Viral ; *Chickens ; Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology/*veterinary/virology ; Infectious bronchitis virus/classification/*pathogenicity ; Korea ; Nephritis/*veterinary/virology ; Poultry Diseases/*virology ; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms ; Virulence

In Korea, several outbreaks of low pathogenic AI (H9N2) viral infections leading to decreased egg production and increased mortality have been reported on commercial farms since 1996, resulting in severe economic losses. To control the H9N2 LPAI endemic, the Korea Veterinary Authority has permitted the use of the inactivated H9N2 LPAI vaccine since 2007. In this study, we developed a killed vaccine using a low pathogenic H9N2 AI virus (A/chicken/Korea/ADL0401) and conducted safety and efficacy tests in commercial layer farms while focusing on analysis of factors that cause losses to farms, including egg production rate, egg abnormality, and feed efficiency. The egg production rate of the control group declined dramatically 5 days after the challenge. There were no changes in feed consumption of all three groups before the challenge, but rates of the control declined afterward. Clinical signs in the vaccinated groups were similar, and a slight decline in feed consumption was observed after challenge; however, this returned to normal more rapidly than the control group and commercial layers. Overall, the results of this study indicate that the safety and efficacy of the vaccine are adequate to provide protection against the AI field infection (H9N2) epidemic in Korea.
Animals ; Chickens ; Emulsions ; Female ; Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype/*immunology ; Influenza Vaccines/*immunology/*standards ; Influenza in Birds/immunology/prevention & control ; Oviparity ; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms ; Vaccines, Inactivated/immunology

OBJECTIVEAs a new technique of biomedical imaging, the optical in vivo imaging has been used in many research fields of biological processes, such as analyzing gene expression pattern, observing action of drug target. For extending its application field, this technique is initially used to investigate the effect of acupuncture in this study.

METHODSSeven SPF mice were randomly divided into an acupuncture group (4 cases) and a control group (3 cases). Fluorescent labeling Cy7 (Tf-Cy7) and Doxorubicin (Dox) were injected into the caudal vein of the nude mice, respectively. With the.stabilized distribution of Tf-Cy7 and Dox in vivo, "Yaoyangguan" (GV 3) point was acupunctured in the acupuncture group. The animals in the control group were not acupunctured. Then, the fluorescent irradiance of Tf-Cy7 and Dox was displayed by the optical in vivo imaging, the effect of acupuncture was analyzed.

RESULTS(1) After acupuncture, the fluorescent intensity of Tf-Cy7 started to decrease in the blood-brain barrier and heart, but tended to increase in the liver and spleen, in which the highest intensity of Tf-Cy7 was demonstrated at 50 min during the acupuncture. It was obviously different from that of the control group. (2) The fluorescent intensity of Dox tended to increase in the brain and lung after 20 min of acupuncture, and reached the highest concentration at 30 min.

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture can influence the action of Tf-Cy7 targeting and distribution of Dox, which is clearly showed with the optical in vivo imaging. Thus, this technique provides a new approach for the acupuncture and meridian research.

Acupuncture ; Animals ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; physiology ; Female ; Heart ; physiology ; Liver ; physiology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Molecular Imaging ; methods ; Pilot Projects ; Random Allocation ; Research Design ; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms

One-day-old SPF chicks were inoculated with the Cux-l strain of chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV), and the clinical development of disease and its macroscopic and microscopic alterations in the thymus and bone marrow, were observed. Tissue sections of thymus and bone marrow were stained using the streptavidin-biotin peroxidase method and examined under light microscope for evaluation of antigenic intensities in tissues. Those findings were then compared with blood parameters and ELISA results obtained through collected sera during sacrifice procedures. We sought to determine: the localization of viral antigens in thymus and bone marrow tissues after inoculation, the correlation between antigen intensities and hematologic, serologic and histopathologic findings, definitive diagnostic criteria using histopathologic and immunoperoxidase methods, and the reliability of these methods in the diagnosis of CIAV infection. For this purpose, 83, one-day-old SPF chicks were used. The birds were divided into experimental (n = 52) and control (n = 26) groups. A virus dose of TCID50 of 100,000/ml was administered intramuscularly to every bird in the experimental group. Based on the results of this study, we have suggested that clinical examination, along with macroscopic and microscopic evaluation of the thymus and bone marrow, maybe undertaken starting from day 7 post-inoculation (PI). ELISA, might be of value, as it might give consistent results starting from day 14 PI. However, the most reliable results were obtained through examination of thymus and bone marrow sections from infected birds stained by immunoperoxidase technique, as early as day 4 PI.
Animals ; Bone Marrow/*pathology ; *Chicken anemia virus ; Chickens ; Circoviridae Infections/pathology/*veterinary ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Poultry Diseases/*pathology ; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms ; Thymus Gland/*pathology

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) causes a highly contagious and immunosuppressive disease of chicken. Agar gel immunodiffusion using IBDV antigen extracted from bursa of Fabricius of infected chicken has been used officially for diagnosis of IBDV in Korea. In this study, in order to replace the IBDV whole virus antigen with non-infectious antigen, recombinant VP2 protein (rVP2) of IBDV was produced using recombinant baculovirus expression system. Purified baculovirus-expressed rVP2 was used as an antigen in an agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID). rVP2 antigen precipitated specifically IBDV antibodies. AGID using rVP2 antigen detected anti-IBDV antibodies from 6 dpi to 28 dpi (termination of the experiment) when specific pathogen free chickens were experimentally infected with IBDV 52/70 strain. This was consistent with result by AGID using IBDV antigen, virus neutralization test (VNT) and a commercial ELISA kit (except for one serum). The sensitivity of rVP2 was the same with that of IBDV antigen when field sera (n=324) were tested by AGID. However, AGID using rVP2 antigen detected maternal antibodies from broiler chickens (n=20) on a broiler farm up to 15 days old, although the detection rate of the AGID was relatively low compared to a commercial ELISA kit. Our results indicate that IBDV whole virus antigen from IBDV infected chickens would be replaced with recombinant VP2 protein as an antigen for AGID.
Agar ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Baculoviridae ; Bursa of Fabricius ; Chickens ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Immunodiffusion ; Infectious bursal disease virus ; Korea ; Neutralization Tests ; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms ; Sprains and Strains ; Staphylococcal Protein A ; Viruses

The genomic DNA extracted from chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) of SPF chickens from three chicken farms was used as template to amplify the ALV proviral DNA by PCR with four pairs of primers, high positive detection rates of gag - gene (29/46), pol - gene (27/46), env - gene (24/46) and LTR fragment (31/46) were achieved. Eight continuous and overlapping fragments were amplified from one DNA sample with 8 pairs of primers according to published sequences, then cloned into the TA vector and se quenced. The complete sequence of the whole genome of ALV strain SD0501 was established and analyzed with DNAstar software. Comparisons of SD0501 sequence with that of other representative endogenous avian virus strains demonstrated that the genomes of ALV were relatively conservative, the nucleotide identity of all the strains was over 99.1%, and env - gene was over 98.5%. However, a low identity was demonstrated among the representative strains of different subgroups, especially, the env - gene showed obvious difference, the corresponding identity was as low as 56.3% - 91.5%.
Animals ; Avian Leukosis Virus ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; Chick Embryo ; Genome, Viral ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Proviruses ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms ; Terminal Repeat Sequences