Anti-hepatofibrogenic Effect of Turnip Water Extract on Thioacetamide-induced Liver Fibrosis / 한국실험동물학회지

Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver disease and lots of people in Korea are suffered. There are many efforts to find candidates to suppress liver fibrogenesis and several chemical-induced model or bile duct ligation model have been used to research and develop hepatic fibrogenic suppressor. From the previous study about functional effects of turnip which cultivated in Kangha Island, we got the feasibility which turnip might be able to inhibit heptatic fibrogenesis. TAA is a representative hepatic fibrosis inducer, repeated 7-weeks i.p. injection of it results in hepatic fibrosis. We compared the level of hepatic fibrosis in TAA-turnip group, TAA group, and vehicle control group. Nodules-formed by TAA were observed; they were rarely shown in vehicle control group, observed in most area in TAA group, but only shown in periportal regions in TAA-turnip group. These results were confirmed through Masson's trichrom stain; fibrous structures increased in TAA group (fibrosis score: 4) but significantly decreased in TAA-turnip group (fibrosis score: 2-3). In conclusion, we got the result that turnip water extract has a potency to protect TAA-induced hepatic fibrogenesis but it is necessary further study to find its mechanism.

Characterization of Korean Leptospira interrogans Isolates by Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis of Not I Digests of DNA / 감염과화학요법

BACKGROUND: Many strains of Leptospira interrogans have been isolated in Korea since 1984. Most isolates were identified as serovar lai by serological methods. The pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns of Korean isolates have not been investigated currently. METHODS: 29 reference strains and 29 Korean isolates of Leptospira interrogans were characterized by PFGE. Chromosomes were digested by the Not I restriction enzyme and subsequently PFGE was performed in CHEF-DRII (Bio Rad Lab) with 3 pulse times (30 seconds 13 hours, 60 seconds 13 hours, 120 seconds 14 hours) at 150 V (4.5 V/cm). RESULTS: 12 serogroup reference strains and most 17 serovars reference strains in the serogroup Icterohaemoffhagie showed the unique Not I restriction patterns. Most isolates identified serologically as serovar lai showed the same PFGE patterns as the serovar lai reference strain. The strain HM3 and 18R identified serologically as new serovars yeonchon and hongchon respectively showed the same PFGE patterns as serovar lai. The strain AP31, CH88-19 and NR13 that were different from serovar lai by serological methods showed the PFGE patterns indistinguishable from serovar lai reference strain. The strain HY2 that was identified as serovar lai, and the strain 30R that was different from serovar lai serologically showed the PFGE patterns slightly different from serovar lai reference strain. CONCLUSION: The PFGE profile of most Korean isolates Leptospira interrogans serologically identified as serovar lai is identical to the reference strain serovar lai. PFGE analysis thus may be applied to identify serovar of isolates and to investigate the genetic diversity of related serovar.

Characterization of Korean Leptospira interrogans Isolates by Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis of Not I Digests of DNA / 감염과화학요법

BACKGROUND: Many strains of Leptospira interrogans have been isolated in Korea since 1984. Most isolates were identified as serovar lai by serological methods. The pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns of Korean isolates have not been investigated currently. METHODS: 29 reference strains and 29 Korean isolates of Leptospira interrogans were characterized by PFGE. Chromosomes were digested by the Not I restriction enzyme and subsequently PFGE was performed in CHEF-DRII (Bio Rad Lab) with 3 pulse times (30 seconds 13 hours, 60 seconds 13 hours, 120 seconds 14 hours) at 150 V (4.5 V/cm). RESULTS: 12 serogroup reference strains and most 17 serovars reference strains in the serogroup Icterohaemoffhagie showed the unique Not I restriction patterns. Most isolates identified serologically as serovar lai showed the same PFGE patterns as the serovar lai reference strain. The strain HM3 and 18R identified serologically as new serovars yeonchon and hongchon respectively showed the same PFGE patterns as serovar lai. The strain AP31, CH88-19 and NR13 that were different from serovar lai by serological methods showed the PFGE patterns indistinguishable from serovar lai reference strain. The strain HY2 that was identified as serovar lai, and the strain 30R that was different from serovar lai serologically showed the PFGE patterns slightly different from serovar lai reference strain. CONCLUSION: The PFGE profile of most Korean isolates Leptospira interrogans serologically identified as serovar lai is identical to the reference strain serovar lai. PFGE analysis thus may be applied to identify serovar of isolates and to investigate the genetic diversity of related serovar.