Background-Saccharomyces boulardii is a non-pathogenic yeast which exerts trophic eVects on human and rat small intestinal mucosa. Aims-To examine the eVects of S boulardii on ileal adaptation after proximal enterectomy in rats. Methods-Wistar rats, aged eight weeks, underwent 60% proximal resection or transection and received by orogastric intubation either 1 mg/g body wt per day lyophilised S boulardii or the vehicle for seven days. The eVects on ileal mucosal adaptation were assessed eight days after surgery. Results-Compared with transection, resection resulted in mucosal hyperplasia with significant decreases in the specific and total activities of sucrase, lactase, and maltase. Treatment of resected animals with S boulardii had no eVect on mucosal hyperplasia but did upgrade disaccharidase activities to the levels of the transected group. Enzyme stimulation by S boulardii was associated with significant increases in diamine oxidase activity and mucosal polyamine concentrations. Likewise, sodium dependent D-glucose uptake by brush border membrane vesicles, measured as a function of time and glucose concentration in the incubation medium, was significantly (p<0.05) increased by 81% and three times respectively in the resected group treated with S boulardii. In agreement with this, expression of the sodium/glucose cotransporter-1 in brush border membranes of resected rats treated with S boulardii was enhanced twofold compared with resected controls. Conclusion-Oral administration of S boulardii soon after proximal enterectomy improves functional adaptation of the remnant ileum. (Gut 1999;45:89-96)

Previous studies from this laboratory showed that high levels of guanidinoacetate methyltransferase are present in mouse testis and epididymis, whereas guanidinoacetate methyltransferase mRNA and protein are not detected in seminal vesicles where large amounts of creatine (Cr) and phosphocreatine are found (Lee et al., Biol Reprod 1994; 50:152-162). To further investigate the origin(s) of Cr in the male reproductive tract, the expression patterns of the three enzymes and a transporter involved in Cr metabolism were examined with rat reproductive tissues. Western blot analysis showed that expression of L-arginine:glycine amidinotransferase was limited to the kidney. On the other hand, high levels of the mRNAs for both guanidinoacetate methyltransferase and Sadenosylhomocysteine hydrolase were expressed in the testis and epididymis as well as the liver and kidney. Cr transporter mRNA was highly expressed in the seminal vesicle and vas deferens. These results suggest that the source of Cr in the male reproductive tract varies depending on the tissue; in the testes and epididymides, Cr is synthesized from guanidinoacetate, while in the seminal vesicles, Cr is transported from blood. Previous and present findings suggest the importance of Cr metabolism and/or transport for reproductive functions.

To investigate the population structure of five dog breeds in South Korea and to validate polymorphic microsatellite markers for the parentage test, microsatellite loci analyses were conducted for two Korean native dog breeds, Poongsan and Jindo, and three imported dog breeds, German Shepherd, Beagle and Greyhound. Overall genetic diversity was high across all dog breeds (expected heterozygosity range: 0.71 to 0.85), although breeds differed in deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). Significant reduction of heterozygosity in the Poongsan and Greyhound breeds was caused by non-random mating and population substructure within these breeds (the Wahlund effects). The close relationship and high degree of genetic diversity for two Korean native dog breeds were substantial. The mean polymorphism information content value was highest in Jindos (0.82) and Poongsans (0.81), followed by Beagles (0.74), Greyhounds (0.72), and German Shepherds (0.66). Accumulated exclusion power values, as an indication of marker validity for parentage tests, were varied but very high across breeds, 0.9999 for Jindos, Poongsans, and Beagles, 0.9997 for Greyhounds, and 0.9995 for German Shepherds. Taken together, the microsatellite loci investigated in this study can serve as suitable markers for the parentage test and as individual identification to establish a reliable pedigree verification system of dog breeds in South Korea. This study also stresses that the population subdivision within breeds can become an important cause of deviation from HWE in dog breeds.

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