Evaluation of infertility efficacy of the expressed STF2-GnRH vaccine in male cats.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is secreted from the hypothalamus and anti-GnRH antibodies are not formed under normal conditions. However, administration an excess of recombinant GnRH protein results in the formation of anti-GnRH. We evaluated the efficacy of the recombinant typhimurium flagellin fljB (STF2)-GnRH vaccine in inducing infertility in 17 intact male cats.

Modulation of the intestinal microbiota of dogs by kefir as a functional dairy product.

Kefir is a traditional dairy product with multiple probiotic characteristics derived from its associated microorganisms, including more than 50 species of lactic acid bacteria and yeast. For centuries, many people have produced kefir for human consumption; its consumption and potential role as a probiotic supplement in companion animals have never been tested. The present study explored the potential application of kefir as a probiotic supplement for dogs.

Effects of Sampling Techniques and Sites on Rumen Microbiome and Fermentation Parameters in Hanwoo Steers.

We evaluated the influence of sampling technique (cannulation vs. stomach tube) and site (dorsal sac vs. ventral sac) on the rumen microbiome and fermentation parameters in Hanwoo steers.

Hematologic and serologic status of military working dogs given standard diet containing natural botanical supplements.

The health of military working dogs (MWDs) deployed with Korean troops is of prime importance. The aim of our study was to investigate the hematologic and serologic status of Korean MWDs given natural botanical supplements. To do this, 11 natural botanicals were selected based on relevant references and combined to supplement MWDs.

Refractory ventricular fibrillation treated with esmolol.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of esmolol treatment for patients with refractory ventricular fibrillation (RVF) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).

Methods: This single-centre retrospective pre-post study evaluated patients who were treated between January 2012 and December 2015. Some patients had received esmolol (loading dose: 500μg/kg, infusion: 0-100μg/kg/min) for RVF (≥3 defibrillation attempts), after obtaining consent from the patient's guardian.

The association of alcohol consumption with patient survival after organophosphate poisoning: a multicenter retrospective study.

Organophosphate (OP) intoxication remains a serious worldwide health concern, and many patients with acute OP intoxication have also consumed alcohol. Therefore, we evaluated the association of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) with mortality among patients with OP intoxication. We retrospectively reviewed records from 135 patients who were admitted to an emergency department (ED) for OP intoxication between January 2000 and December 2012.

Protective effect of pterostilbene on testicular ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats.

Purpose: To evaluate protective effect of pterostilbene against testicular ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, which results in increased formation of oxidative stress, leading to testicular apoptosis and impaired spermatogenesis.

Methods: Thirty two pubertal male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 180-220g were selected and randomly divided into the following four groups: group A (normal control group), group B (sham-operated group), group C (induced I/R injury group), group D (induced I/R injury group receiving pterostilbene treatment). Johnsen's scores and mean seminiferous tubule diameters were evaluated for histopathologic assessment; germinal cell apoptosis was evaluated by the transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and immunohistochemistry for caspases.

Effects of Laughter Therapy on Immune Responses in Postpartum Women.

Objective: To examine the effects of laughter therapy on secretory IgA (sIgA) in postpartum women.

Methods: The study used a nonequivalent control group with nonsynchronized design. The participants were 76 postpartum women who agreed to participate in this study and were selected by convenience sampling (experimental group, n = 38; control group, n = 38).

Pharmacokinetics of Memantine after a Single and Multiple Dose of Oral and Patch Administration in Rats.

Memantine is a non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist used to treat Alzheimer's disease. We investigated memantine pharmacokinetics after oral, IV and patch administration in rats, and compared memantine pharmacokinetics after multiple- or single-dose oral and transdermal administration. Venous blood was collected at preset intervals in single- and multiple-dose studies.

Development of a standardized job description for healthcare managers of metabolic syndrome management programs in Korean community health centers.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a job description for healthcare managers of metabolic syndrome management programs using task analysis.

Methods: Exploratory research was performed by using the Developing a Curriculum method, the Intervention Wheel model, and focus group discussions. Subsequently, we conducted a survey of 215 healthcare workers from 25 community health centers to verify that the job description we created was accurate.

Scintigraphic evaluation of osseointegrative response around calcium phosphate-coated titanium implants in tibia bone: effect of platelet-rich plasma on bone healing in dogs.

Differential diagnoses for canine bone disease are commonly based on radiography. However, scintigraphy is a nuclear scanning test to trace bone healing during stress fracture and osteomyelitis and thus can be used to probe the osseointegration process in vivo in the context of the dental implant. The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility of using noninvasive scintigraphy to probe the effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to enhance osseointegration of the implant and to confirm the result with a parallel histological examination in adult beagle dogs.

The effects of elimination diet on nutritional status in subjects with atopic dermatitis.

A food allergy is an adverse health effect arising from a specific immune response that occurs reproducibly upon exposure to a given food. In those with food allergies that are thought to cause aggravation of eczema, food avoidance is important. The objective of this study was to research the nutritional status of patients with food allergies.

Kinetics of proinflammatory cytokines after intraperitoneal injection of tribromoethanol and a tribromoethanol/xylazine combination in ICR mice.

Tribromoethanol (2,2,2-tribromoethanol, TBE) is a popular injectable anesthetic agent used in mice in Korea. Our goal was to assess the risks associated with side effects (lesions) in the abdominal cavity, especially at high doses. To understand the underlying pathophysiological changes, we examined levels of cytokines through ELISA of abdominal lavage fluid and spleen collected from mice treated with low and high-dose TBE.

Antitumor effect of adriamycin-encapsulated nanoparticles of poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide)-grafted dextran.

In this study, we prepared adriamycin (ADR)-encapsulated core-shell type nanoparticles of a poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) grafted-dextran (DexLG) copolymer and evaluated its antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. The particle size of ADR-encapsulated DexLG nanoparticles was around 50-200 nm and the morphology was spherical shapes at transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation. Since reconstitution of lyophilized nanoparticles is essential to practical use in vivo, ADR-encapsulated DexLG nanoparticles were lyophilized and reconstituted them into deionized water.

Tanshinone IIA inhibits LPS-induced NF-kappaB activation in RAW 264.7 cells: possible involvement of the NIK-IKK, ERK1/2, p38 and JNK pathways.

Nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation by NF-kappaB-inducing kinase (NIK)-IkappaB alpha kinase (IKK) pathway and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) pathway are important in inflammation. We recently found that the tanshinone IIA, a diterpene isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza (S. miltiorrhiza), reduced the production of pro-inflammatory mediators in RAW 264.

Scoparone inhibits PMA-induced IL-8 and MCP-1 production through suppression of NF-kappaB activation in U937 cells.

Scoparone is a major component of the shoot of Artemisia capillaris (Compositae), which has been used for the treatment of hepatitis and biliary tract infection in oriental countries. In this study, the effects of scoparone on the expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) were examined in U937 human monocytes activated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Scoparone (5-100 microM) had no cytotoxic effect in unstimulated cells and concentration-dependently reversed PMA-induced toxicity in the cells stimulated with PMA.

Scoparone from Artemisia capillaris inhibits the release of inflammatory mediators in RAW 264.7 cells upon stimulation cells by interferon-gamma Plus LPS.

Scoparone is a major component of the shoot of Artemisia capillaris (Compositae), which has been used for the treatment of hepatitis and biliary tract infection in oriental countries. In the present study we observed that, scorparone exhibited no cytotoxic effect in unstimulated macrophages, but reduced the release of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) upon stimulation by IFN-gamma/LPS or LPS. The inhibitory effects were found to be in conjuction with the suppression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in IFN-gamma/LPS stimulated RAW 264.

Stylopine from Chelidonium majus inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory mediators in RAW 264.7 cells.

Stylopine is a major component of the leaf of Chelidonium majus L. (Papaveraceae), which has been used for the removal of warts, papillomas and condylomas, as well as the treatment of liver disease, in oriental countries. Stylopine per se had no cytotoxic effect in unstimulated RAW 264.