Immunostimulatory effects of the anionic alkali mineral complex Barodon on equine lymphocytes.

Previous studies have shown that the anionic alkali mineral complex BARODON has an immunoenhancing effect on pigs as an adjuvant and as a nonspecific immunostimulant. Likewise, the equine immune system has been defined with various monoclonal antibodies specific to equine leukocyte differentiation antigens to determine the possibility of enhancing equine resistance to respiratory diseases and promoting other immunostimulatory effects with the application of BARODON. Compared with the control group, after 3 weeks of treatment, BARODON-treated groups showed higher proportions of cells (P < 0.05) expressing major histocompatibility complex class II and CD2, CD4(+), CD4(+) CD25(+), CD8(+), and CD8(+) CD25(+) T lymphocytes, dendritic cells, and surface immunoglobulin M(+) B lymphocytes in peripheral blood, as well as enhanced cell proliferative responses with phytohemagglutinin and increased phagocytic activity against Streptococcus equi and Staphylococcus aureus strains with high antibiotic resistance, the bacteria frequently identified as etiologic agents of equine respiratory diseases at the Seoul Race Park in Seoul, Korea. This study shows that BARODON may act as an immunostimulator and can be an effective alternative to antimicrobial feed additives for nonspecific improvements in equine immune responses, particularly against respiratory diseases.

Isolation and identification of Escherichia coli O157:H7 using different detection methods and molecular determination by multiplex PCR and RAPD.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is recognized as a significant food-borne pathogen, so rapid identification is important for food hygiene management and prompt epidemiological investigations. The limited prevalence data on Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and E. coli O157:H7 in foods and animals in Korea made an assessment of the risks difficult, and the options for management and control unclear. The prevalence of the organisms was examined by newly developed kit-E. coli O157:H7 Rapid kit. For the isolation of E. coli O157:H7, conventional culture, immunomagnetic separation, and E. coli O157:H7 Rapid kit were applied, and multiplex PCR and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) were performed for the molecular determination. There was high molecular relatedness among 11 Korean isolates and 17 U.S. strains at 63% level. Additionally, distinct differentiation between pig and cattle isolates was determined. It implied that RAPD had a capacity to distinguish strains with different sources, however it could not discriminate among isolates according to their differences in the degree of virulence. In antimicrobial susceptibility tests, 45.5% of isolates showed antibiotic resistance to two or more antibiotics. Unlike the isolates from other countries, domestic isolates of E. coli O157:H7 was mainly resistant to ampicillin and tetracyclines. In summary, the application of E. coli O157:H7 Rapid kit may be useful to detect E. coli O157:H7 due to its sensitivity and convenience. Moreover, combinational analysis of multiplex PCR together with RAPD can aid to survey the characteristics of isolates.