ABSTRACT
The application of RNA interference (RNAi) strategy for controlling classical swine fever could become a promising alternative to the conventional eradication measures, as it was recently shown for foot-and-mouth disease (Chen et al., 2004), influenza (Ge et al., 2003), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (He et al., 2007) and porcine transmissible gastroenteritis (Zhou et al., 2007). The use of synthetic siRNA which is corresponding to nucleotides 1130-1148 of the CSF virus strain Alfort, targeting the nucleocapsid protein (C) was investigated to show the inhibition of CSF virus replication. It could be shown that the virus titer of infected cells, which had been mock-transfected or transfected with control (non-silence) RNA were not affected. These data indicate that siRNA_253 is able to inhibit viral replication.
Subject(s)
Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , Classical Swine Fever Virus/drug effects , Classical Swine Fever/metabolism , Nucleocapsid Proteins/metabolism , RNA Interference , RNA, Small Interfering/pharmacology , Virus Replication/drug effects , Animals , Cell Line , Classical Swine Fever Virus/genetics , Classical Swine Fever Virus/physiology , Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic , Microbial Viability/drug effects , Nucleocapsid Proteins/genetics , SwineABSTRACT
Crude ethanolic extracts of Piper betle leaves (Piperaceae), Alpinia galanga rhizomes (Zingiberaceae) and Allium ascalonicum bulbs (Liliaceae) were tested against selected zoonotic dermatophytes (Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum and Trichophyton mentagrophyte) and the yeast-like Candida albicans. A broth dilution method was employed to determine the inhibitory effect of the extracts and compared to those of ketoconazole and griseofulvin. All extracts suppressed the growth of the fungi in a concentration-dependent manner. Among the extracts tested, P. betle exhibited more effective antifungal properties with average IC(50) values ranging from 110.44 to 119.00 microg/ml. Subsequently, 10% Piper betle (Pb) cream was formulated, subjected to physical and microbial limit test and evaluated for antifungal effect. The disc diffusion assay revealed comparable zones of inhibition between discs of Pb cream containing 80 microg P. betle extract and 80 microg ketoconazole against tested fungi at 96 h after incubation. Thereafter, the inhibitory effect of Pb cream markedly decreased and completely lost effectiveness by day 7. In summary, the results supported the traditional wisdom of herbal remedy use and suggested a potential value-addition to agricultural products. It was suggested that the Pb cream has potential therapeutic value for treatment of dermatophytosis. However, clinical testing as well as improving the Pb cream formulation with greater efficacy and duration of action would be of interest and awaits further investigation.
Subject(s)
Alpinia/chemistry , Microsporum/drug effects , Piper betle/chemistry , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Shallots/chemistry , Trichophyton/drug effects , Animals , Antifungal Agents/chemistry , Antifungal Agents/pharmacology , Candida albicans/drug effects , Ethnopharmacology , Griseofulvin/pharmacology , Ketoconazole/pharmacology , Phytotherapy , Plant Extracts/chemistryABSTRACT
Latex beads agglutination (LA) for the detection of the antibody against virus infection-associated (VIA) antigen of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus was estimated using experimentally infected animals. The VIA antibody titer by the LA test were compared with the neutralization titer and the titer by agarose gel diffusion (AGD) test, which has been used as a standard method for VIA antibody titration. The latex beads were coated with VIA antigen in carbonate buffer solution (0.5 M, pH 9.6) for the test. The sensitivity of the LA test was clearly higher than that of the AGD test in the results for cattle and swine infected experimentally. The antibody was detected in the bovine serum obtained at the 13th week after inoculation by the LA but not by the AGD test. The LA test appears to be simple, rapid and sensitive for the detection of the antibody of FMD virus in the surveillance of FMD and the FMD quarantine of imported animals.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Viral/blood , Antigens, Viral/immunology , Foot-and-Mouth Disease/diagnosis , Latex Fixation Tests/veterinary , Viral Nonstructural Proteins/immunology , Animals , Antibody Formation , Aphthovirus/isolation & purification , Cattle , Cattle Diseases/diagnosis , Cattle Diseases/immunology , Foot-and-Mouth Disease/immunology , Latex Fixation Tests/methods , Swine , Swine Diseases/diagnosis , Swine Diseases/immunology , Time FactorsABSTRACT
The quantity of 140S particles in inactivated foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) vaccine samples produced in Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccine Production Center (FMD Vaccine Production Center) in Thailand was estimated by the sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation and optical density analysis by using the computer applying system. The soft ware; Chromato Data System (CDS) (Nihon Chromato Works Co., Ltd. Japan) which is prepared for the analysis of chromatography, was applied for the estimation of 140S particles in FMDV vaccine. The quantity of 140S particles in each vaccine sample measured by CDS was mostly ranged from 2-4 micrograms/ml and this quantity was consistent with the results of the other reports. This method is considered to be the available method for estimation of 140S particles in FMDV vaccine as routine assay.
