The primary determinant of influenza virus infectivity is the type of linkage between sialic acid and oligosaccharides on the host cells. Hemagglutinin of avian influenza viruses preferentially binds to sialic acids linked to galactose by an α-2,3 linkage whereas hemagglutinin of human influenza viruses binds to sialic acids with an α-2,6 linkage. The distribution patterns of influenza receptors in the avian respiratory tracts are of particular interest because these are important for initial viral attachment, replication, and transmission to other species. In this study, we examined the distribution patterns of influenza receptors in the respiratory tract of chickens, ducks, pheasants, and quails because these species have been known to act as intermediate hosts in interspecies transmission. Lectin histochemistry was performed to detect receptor-bearing cells. Cell-specific distribution of the receptors was determined and expression densities were compared. We observed species-, site-, and cell-specific variations in receptor expression. In general, receptor expression was the highest in quails and lowest in ducks. Pheasants and quails had abundant expression of both types of receptors throughout the respiratory tract. These results indicate that pheasants and quails may play important roles as intermediate hosts for the generation of influenza viruses with pandemic potential.

BackgroundThe potential therapeutic values of Korean Red Ginseng extract (KRGE) in autoimmune disorders of nervous system have not been fully investigated.MethodsWe used an acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis animal model of multiple sclerosis and determined the effects and mechanism of KRGE on spinal myelination.ResultsPretreatment with KRGE (100 mg/kg, orally) for 10 days before immunization with myelin basic protein (MBP)68–82 peptide exerted a protective effect against demyelination in the spinal cord, with inhibited recruitment and activation of immune cells including microglia, decreased mRNA expression of detrimental inflammatory mediators (interleukin-6, interferon-γ, and cyclooxygenase-2), but increased mRNA expression of protective inflammatory mediators (insulin-like growth factor β1, transforming growth factor β, and vascular endothelial growth factor-1). These results were associated with significant downregulation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor-κB signaling pathways in microglia/macrophages, T cells, and astrocytes.ConclusionOur findings suggest that KRGE alleviates spinal demyelination in acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis through inhibiting the activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase/nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway. Therefore, KRGE might be used as a new therapeutic for autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, although further investigation is needed.

In August 2008, forty dogs out of 400 developed oral warts in a breeding farm in Korea. Canine oral papilloma infection is a common disease in dogs. However, there has been no report of an outbreak of canine oral papillomavirus (COPV) in a group of dogs or in dog breeding farms in Korea, and the genetic analysis of COPV in Korea has yet to be performed. This study diagnosed canine oral papilloma from the oral samples of these dogs based on histopathological examination and immunohistochemistry. Polymerase chain reaction was applied to amplify the corresponding products using pre-existing primer sets for COPV and a universal human papillomavirus targeting L1 gene. Further genetic analysis of the major viral capsid gene L1 confirms the sequences of Korean COPV, which shows a close relationship to previously reported COPV. This study describes the histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics of canine oral papilloma in a group of breeding dogs in Korea and discloses the complete L1 gene sequences of Korean COPV.

Alcoholism is a social and economic problem that is global in scope. Alcohol is the most frequently abused drug throughout the world and has a long history of use. Alcoholism can also be considered one of the costliest diseases of the modern era in terms of life years lost, 1) even costlier than tobacco use. Alcohol-laden blood then travels to the liver via the veins and capillaries of the digestive tract, which affects nearly every liver cell. The liver cells are the only cells in the body that can produce sufficient amounts of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase to oxidize alcohol at an appreciable rate.2)The impairment of bodily functions and the damage caused by the consumption of alcohol works mainly in two ways: 1) indirectly, by interfering with the body's normal processing of food, thereby causing malnutrition; and 2) through direct toxic effects causing organ pathology, the effects of which focus particularly upon the liver.3) The liver is the body's largest internal organ. The functions of the liver (filtration of circulating blood, removal and breakdown of toxic substances) are essential to life and play a critical role in the body's metabolic processes.4) Ameliorating the effects of long-term alcohol consumption has long been a focus for many researchers and clinicians. There have been various efforts to develop compounds to ameliorate or treat alcohol-related pathology 5-7) however, these chemically derived compounds can have harmful and unforeseen side effects. Therefore there has been a focus on natural or herbal treatments for alcohol-induced diseases. There are a number of studies that have researched the nutritional and physiologic benefits of the soybean. Soybeans are a good source of carbohydrates, fat, protein, fiber, and calcium, making them a nutritionally valuable food source. Recently, the FDA has accepted the health claim that soy protein helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels, further highlighting the importance of the soybean. The nutritional, economic, and health benefits of this legume make it an important focus for future research. Besides the general positive nutritional factors, various compounds of the soybean are being researched for their beneficial effects. Those most relevant to this study are the lowering of serum cholesterol levels, protection of hepatocyte membranes and structures, amelioration of nutritional deficiencies (focused in the liver), and the prevention and/or breakdown of hepatic fibrosis. A meta-analysis of 38 studies on human subjects confirmed this line of thought. Lovati found that the ingestion of diets containing the soy protein was associated with significant reductions in serum concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides, accompanied by a non-significant increase in serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) concentrations. 8)Dietary supplementation with soy phospholipids may also help patients with liver disease, alcoholism, or chronic parenteral nutrition to reduce their risk of linoleic acid (LA) deficiency. Phosph...

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