Comparison of variable-number tandem-repeat markers typing and IS1245 restriction fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting of Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis from human and porcine origins.

Background: Animal mycobacterioses are regarded as a potential zoonotic risk and cause economical losses world wide. M. avium subsp.

Altered expression of connexin43 in the inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication by chlorohydroxyfuranones in WB-F344 rat liver epithelial cells.

3-Chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone (MX), 3,4-dichloro-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone (MCA), and 3-chloro-4-methyl-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone (MCF) promote foci formation in the two-stage cell transformation assay in vitro. These chlorohydroxyfuranones (CHFs) and their structural congener 3-chloro-4-(chloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone (CMCF) inhibit gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) in Balb/c 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells. In the present study, the effects of MX, MCA, CMCF, and MCF on GJIC were evaluated in liver cells (WB-F344 rat liver epithelial cells), the target cells of MX-induced carcinogenicity, using the scrape-loading dye transfer technique.