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Jae-Hoon Kim

Publications and source records attributed to Jae-Hoon Kim.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

In vitro antiprotozoal effects of artemisinin on Neospora caninum.

Neospora caninum is an intracellular apicomplexan parasite that infects a wide range of mammals and has been associated with abortion in cattle worldwide. Artemisinin is an effective antimalarial compound derived from a traditional Chinese herbal remedy, qinghao or Artemisia annua L. In the study reported, the cultured host cells (vero cells or mouse peritoneal macrophages) infected with N. caninum tachyzoites were incubated with alpha-MEM (minimal essential medium) 10%HS supplemented with various concentration or artemisinin (20, 10, 1, 0.1 and 0.01 microg/ml) to examine the efficacy of artemisinin against N. caninum tachyzoites intracellular multiplication. In long-term studies, at 20 or 10 microg/ml for 11 days, artemisinin reduced N. caninum and completely eliminated all microscopic foci of N. caninum. At 1 microg/ml for 14 days, artemisinin reduced N. caninum and completely achieved elimination of all microscopic foci of N. caninum. There was no apparent toxicity to host cells in long-term studies. In short-term studies, at > or = 0.1microg/ml, artemisinin reduced N. caninum tachyzoites intracellular multiplication, significantly (P < 0.05) and appeared to depend on the artemisinin concentrations. Pretreatment of host cells or N. caninum tachyzoites with artemisinin had no effect on N. caninum tachyzoites intracellular multiplication. These results demonstrate that artemisinin inhibited N. caninum tachyzoites intracellular multiplication.

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Chimeric receptor analyses of the interactions of the ectodomains of ErbB-1 with epidermal growth factor and of those of ErbB-4 with neuregulin.

A series of chimeric receptors was generated between the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, ErbB-1, and its homologue, ErbB-4, to investigate the roles of the extracellular domains (I-IV) in the ligand specificities. As compared with ErbB-1 and the chimeras with both domains I and III of ErbB-1, the chimeras with only one of these domains exhibited reduced binding of 125I-labeled EGF. Particularly, the contribution of domain III was appreciably larger than that of domain I of ErbB-1 in 125I-labeled EGF binding. Nevertheless, the chimeras with domain III of ErbB-1 and domain I of ErbB-4 were prevented from binding to 125I-labeled EGF competitively by the ErbB-4 ligand, neuregulin (NRG). On the other hand, NRG did not compete with 125I-labeled EGF for binding to the chimeras with the ErbB-1 domain I and the ErbB-4 domain III. Therefore, NRG binding to ErbB-4 depends much more on domain I than on domain III. With respect to autophosphorylation and subsequent ERK activation, EGF activated the chimeras with either domain I or III of ErbB-1. In contrast, NRG activated the chimeras with the ErbB-4 domain I and the ErbB-1 domain III, but not those with the ErbB-1 domain I and the ErbB-4 domain III. Therefore, the relative contributions between domains I and III of ErbB-4 in the NRG signaling are different from those of ErbB-1 in the EGF signaling.

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A case of chronic wasting disease in an elk imported to Korea from Canada.

A seven-year-old male elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) was euthanized and necropsied after having a 3-week history of body weight loss, emaciation, excessive salivation, teeth grinding, fever, anorexia, and respiratory distress. The elk was imported into Korea from Canada on March 9, 1997. Gross pathologic findings were restricted to a diffuse fibrinous pneumonia. Microscopic lesions included mild neuronal vacuolation and spongiform change in the neuropil of selected brain stem nuclei and generalized astrocytosis. Immunohistochemistry for protease-resistant prion protein (PrP(res)) was positive in all brain sections but more pronounced in the section of the obex of the medulla. And the PrP(res) was also detected by western immunoblotting in the brain and spinal cord. All the remaining elk and deer that had been in contact with this elk were destroyed and negative for chronic wasting disease (CWD). To our knowledge, this is the first case of CWD occurring outside of the U.S.A. and Canada.

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Prevalence of antibodies to Neospora caninum in Korean native beef cattle.

A total of 438 sera from Korean native beef cattle in 9 provinces were tested for Neospora caninum antibodies using an immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT). Eighteen (4.1%) cattle were positive by IFAT. The titers ranged from 1:200 (10 animals), 1:400 (5 animals), 1:800 (2 animals) to 1:1,600 (1 animal). Although the seroprevalence was slightly higher in Chungnam (8.9%), this was not significantly different from those noted in Kyunggi, Kangwon, Kyungbuk, Kyungnam, and Cheju provinces. Sera obtained from beef cattle in the provinces of Chungbuk, Jeonbuk and Jeonnam were all negative. Neospora positive sera were also tested for anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies using a commercial latex agglutination test (LAT). Antibody to T. gondii was detected in only 1 (5.6%) of 18 N. caninum positive sera. These results indicate that N. caninum and T. gondii infection are present at a low level in the Korean native beef cattle.

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Mycobacterium bovis infection in a farmed elk in Korea.

A case of tuberculosis is reported in an eight-year-old, male, elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni). The elk showed severe coughing, respiratory distress, abdominal breathing, anorexia, and severe progressive emaciation in the elk farm. At necropsy, the elk appeared in poor body condition. Mild enlargement of retropharyngeal and submandibular lymph node was observed in the head. Diffuse fibrinous pleuritis and purple red lobar pneumonia were found in the thorax. Well demarcated numerous dark yellow discrete or confluent nodules from 0.3 to 2 cm in diameter were scattered in the whole lung. Bronchial and mediastinal lymph nodes were also enlarged. Histopathologically, lungs had typical classical tuberculous granulomas, multiple abscesses, and numerous macrophages and Langhans giant cells infiltration in alveolar lumen. In the lymph nodes, there were small clusters of necrosis and infiltration of numerous macrophages, epithelioid cells, and Langhans giant cells. With the acid-fast staining, numerous mycobacteria were revealed in the lung and lymph nodes. According to this study, there are differences of the histopathologic lesions and the numbers of acid-fast bacilli in the lesions between this elk and cattle. Mycobacterium bovis was confirmed as a causative agent in this elk using bacterial isolation, biochemical characteristics, and PCR technique. The isolate was negative for niacin test, nitrate reductase, and pyrazinamidase. This is a first report for bovine tuberculosis of farmed elk in Asia.

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