Effect of potential multimicrobe probiotic product processed by high drying temperature and antibiotic on performance of weanling pigs

In this study, the effect of a potential multimicrobe probiotic subjected to high-temperature drying was investigated. Potential multimicrobe probiotics produced by solid substrate fermentation were dried at low (LT, 40°C for 72 h) or high (HT, 70°C for 36 h) temperature. In Exp. 1, 288 weaned pigs (BW, 6.43 ± 0.68 kg) were allotted to 4 treatments on the basis of BW (4 pens per treatment with 18 pigs in each pen). Dietary treatments were negative control (NC; basal diet without any antimicrobial), positive control (PC; basal diet + 0.1% chlortetracycline), basal diet with 0.3% probiotic LT, and basal diet with 0.3% probiotic HT. Diets were fed in 2 phases, phase I (d 0 to 14) and phase II (d 15 to 28); and growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD, d 28), and fecal microflora (d 14 and 28) were evaluated. Over the 28-d trial, pigs fed PC and probiotic diets had greater ADG (P < 0.001), ADFI (P < 0.05), and G:F (P < 0.01) than pigs fed NC diet. The ATTD of DM and GE was greater (P < 0.05) in pigs fed probiotic diets when compared with pigs fed the NC diet. At d 28, fewer Clostridia (P < 0.01) were identified in the feces of pigs fed PC and probiotic diets than pigs fed the NC diet. However, the performance, ATTD of DM and GE, and fecal Clostridia population were similar among pigs fed probiotic LT and HT diets. In Exp. 2, 288 weaned pigs (initial BW, 5.84 ± 0.18 kg) were allotted to 4 treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement on the basis of BW. The effects of 2 levels of probiotic HT (0.30 or 0.60%), each with or without antibiotic (chlortetracycline, 0 or 0.1%), on performance, ATTD, intestinal morphology, and fecal and intestinal microflora were investigated. Feeding of 0.60% probiotic HT diet improved (P < 0.05) overall ADG, ATTD of DM and GE, and Lactobacillus population in the feces and intestine, and reduced the population of Clostridium and coliforms in feces (d 14) and ileum. Inclusion of antibiotic improved (P < 0.05) the overall ADG, ADFI, and ATTD of DM at d 14 and reduced fecal Clostridium population at d 28. Increased (P < 0.05) villus height at jejunum and ileum, and villus height:crypt depth at the ileum was noticed in pigs fed 0.60% probiotic HT and antibiotic diets. In conclusion, high drying temperature had no effect on the efficacy of potential multimicrobe probiotic product. However, the probiotic product dried at high temperature was more effective at 0.60% inclusion, whereas inclusion of an antibiotic improved pig performance but did not show any interaction with probiotics.

Biologic characteristics of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells from a patient with thalassemia syndrome

INTRODUCTION

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are capable of self-renewal and differentiating morphologically and functionally into several mesenchymal tissues. There have been contrasting data on whether MSCs are altered in various hematologic disorders.

METHODS

We isolated bone marrow (BM)-derived MSCs from a patient with thalassemia syndrome to compare phenotypic and functional characteristics to those from normal healthy donor.

RESULTS

No differences were observed between MSCs from thalassemia syndrome (T-MSCs) and those from normal healthy donor in terms of morphology, phenotype, karyotype, multidifferentiation capacity. In mixed lymphocyte reaction, T-MSCs strongly inhibited the proliferation of allogeneic T cells in association with reduced proportion of CD3(+), CD4(+), and CD8(+) cells. Furthermore, the fraction of Treg cells was increased under the culture with T-MSCs, suggesting that T-MSCs exert normal immunomodulatory function. In addition, T-MSCs expressed hematopoietic cytokines and supported hematopoiesis, which was comparable to those from normal BM-derived MSCs.

CONCLUSION

T-MSCs exhibited normal phenotype, karyotype as well as normal immunomodulatory function, and autologous MSCs from patients with thalassemia syndrome may be an attractive source of stem cell in terms of hematopoietic support as well as immunomodulatory activity.

Characterization of congenital lymphatic and blood vascular malformations in the head and neck using blood pool scintigraphy and spect

The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness and diagnostic efficacy of blood pool (BP) scintigraphy and SPECT for characterizing congenital vascular malformations (CVMs) in the head and neck area. A total of 154 patients suspected of having head and neck CVMs underwent whole-body BP scintigraphy and head and neck BP SPECT using 99mTc-labeled red blood cells. Based on SPECT findings, CVMs were classified into lymphatic malformation/ non-(blood) vascular disease (LM/NVD, no distinct uptake), arterio-venous malformation (AVM, abnormal uptake in lesions and asymmetrically increased jugular vein uptake on ipsilateral side), venous malformation (VM, strong uptake in lesions with symmetric jugular vein uptake), and veno-lymphatic malformation (VLM, no or mild uptake on lesions with symmetric jugular vein uptake). The sensitivities and specificities of BP SPECT for diagnosing each subtype of head and neck CVM were 100% (13/13) and 97.1% (137/141) for LM/NVD, 61.1% (22/36) and 99.1% (117/118)for AVM, 91.7% (88/96) and 79.3% (46/58) for VM, and 55.6% (5/9) and 93.7% (136/145) in VLM, respectively. The overall accuracy for characterizing CVMs by head and neck BP SPECT was 83.1% (128/154). In conclusion, BP SPECT is a useful method for classifying CVMs in the head and neck area due to its high diagnostic efficacy.

Functional analysis and molecular characterization of two acetylcholinesterases from the German cockroach, Blattella germanica

Two acetylcholinesterases (AChEs; BgAChE1 and BgAChE2) from Blattella germanica were functionally expressed using the baculovirus system. Kinetic analysis demonstrated that BgAChE2 had higher catalytic efficiency but lower substrate specificity than BgAChE1. With the exceptions of paraoxon and propoxur, BgAChE1 was generally less sensitive to inhibitors than BgAChE2. Western blot analysis using anti-BgAChE antibodies revealed that BgAChE1 was far more abundant in all examined tissues compared to BgAChE2, which is only present in the central nervous system. Both BgAChEs existed in dimeric form, covalently connected via a disulphide bridge under native conditions. Most fractions of BgAChE1 had a glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor, but a small fraction comprised a collagen-like tail. BgAChE2 appeared to have a collagen-GPI-fused tail. Based on the kinetic and molecular properties, tissue distribution and abundance, BgAChE1 was confirmed to play a major role in postsynaptic transmission.

The culprit lesion score on multi-detector computed tomography can detect vulnerable coronary artery plaque

Vulnerable plaques are characterized by large lipid cores, positive remodeling and small coronary calcium deposits. Multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) has recently been shown to be able to characterize coronary artery plaques. The aim of this study was to evaluate culprit coronary lesions for differentiating acute coronary syndrome (ACS) from stable angina pectoris (SAP) using MDCT. 64-slice MDCT was conducted on 71 patients (ACS: 35, SAP: 36). The culprit coronary lesions were assessed according to the type and plaque attenuation (PA) of the plaque and the remodeling index (RI) as the ratio of the lesion and the reference area. The culprit lesion score (CLS) was defined as the sum of every score as 1.2 for a PA ≤ 60 Hounsfield units (HU), 1.1 for a RI ≥ 1.05 and 1.2 for a non-calcified or spotty calcification. More spotty calcification (95.0% vs. 23.1%, P < 0.001), a lower PA (40.17 ± 20.08 HU vs. 96.96 ± 58.19 HU, respectively, P < 0.001) and a higher RI (1.44 ± 0.43 vs. 0.90 ± 0.44, respectively, P < 0.001) were observed in the ACS patients. Also, the CLS of the ACS patients was significantly higher than that of the SAP patients (3.07 ± 0.63 vs. 1.18 ± 1.12, respectively, P < 0.001). A CLS more than 2.0 helped us to differentiate ACS from SAP with a sensitivity of 97.1% and a specificity of 67.6%. The CLS might be a useful tool for differentiating ACS from SAP.

Polymorphisms in the Matrilin-1 gene and risk of mandibular prognathism in Koreans

Previous linkage analysis of an Asian population proposed possible candidate genes for mandibular prognathism, such as Matrilin-1 (cartilage matrix protein). To investigate the association between the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Matrilin-1 and mandibular prognathism, we investigated three sequence variants (-158 T>C, 7987 G>A, 8572 C>T) in 164 mandibular prognathism patients and 132 control individuals with a normal occlusion. The results showed that the 8572 TT genotypes in Matrilin-1 showed increased risk of mandibular prognathism (OR = 9.28, 95% Cl = 1.19~197.57, P < 0.05), whereas the 7987 AA genotype showed a protective effect for mandibular prognathism (OR = 0.16, 95% Cl = 0.05~0.47, P < 0.05). Genotyping results showed that the Matrilin-1 polymorphism haplotype TGC (ht4; 158T, 7987G, and 8572C alleles) had a pronounced risk effect for mandibular prognathism compared with controls (OR = 5.16, 95% Cl = 2.03~13.93, P < 0.01). The results suggest that polymorphisms in Matrilin-1 could be used as a marker for genetic susceptibility to mandibular prognathism.

Suppression of tumor growth in xenograft model mice by programmed cell death 4 gene delivery using folate-PEG-baculovirus

Cancer gene therapy using tumor suppressor genes is considered to be an attractive approach for arresting cell growth and inducing apoptosis. Programmed cell death 4 (Pdcd4) is a tumor suppressor gene, which prevents tumorigenesis and tumor progression. To address the issue of whether expression of PDCD4 protein induces apoptosis in cancerous cells, the Pdcd4 gene was delivered using folate-PEG-baculovirus. Folate-PEG-baculovirus containing Pdcd4 gene (F-P-Bac-Pdcd4) was constructed by attachment of F-PEG to the baculovirus surface using chemical modification. The F-P-Bac-Pdcd4 showed enhanced transduction efficiency, efficiently expressed PDCD4 protein, and induced apoptosis in human epidermal carcinoma (KB) cells as compared with an unmodified baculovirus. In a tumor xenograft study, injection of F-P-Bac-Pdcd4 into tumors established from the KB cell line by subcutaneous implantation significantly suppressed tumor growth and induced apoptosis. Thus, this study shows a new baculovirus-mediated tumor suppressor gene delivery system for cancer therapy.

Reference values for the augmentation index and pulse pressure in apparently healthy korean subjects

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Arterial stiffness is a precursor to premature cardiovascular disease. The augmentation index (AI) and pulse pressure (PP) are cardiovascular risk factors. The aim of this study was to define the diagnostic values of the AI and PP from the peripheral arterial and central aortic waveforms in healthy subjects.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

We recruited 522 consecutive subjects (mean age 46.3+/-9.6 years, 290 males) who came to our facility for a comprehensive medical testing. We measured the body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, peripheral and central PP, and a pulse wave analysis that included the central and peripheral AI.

RESULTS

The peripheral and central AIs in the female subjects were significantly higher than that in the male subjects (p<0.001). The peripheral and central PPs in the subjects with hyperlipidemia were significantly higher than subjects with normal lipid profiles (p<0.001). The peripheral and central PPs and peripheral and central AIs significantly increased with age.

CONCLUSION

Pending validation in prospective outcome-based studies, a peripheral PP of 70 mmHg, central PP of 50 mmHg, peripheral AI of 100%, and central AI of 40% may be preliminary values in adult subjects.

HLA-DPB1 and DPB2 are genetic loci for systemic sclerosis: a genome-wide association study in Koreans with replication in North Americans

OBJECTIVE

To identify systemic sclerosis (SSc) susceptibility loci via a genome-wide association study.

METHODS

A genome-wide association study was performed in 137 patients with SSc and 564 controls from Korea using the Affymetrix Human SNP Array 5.0. After fine-mapping studies, the results were replicated in 1,107 SSc patients and 2,747 controls from a US Caucasian population.

RESULTS

The single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs3128930, rs7763822, rs7764491, rs3117230, and rs3128965) of HLA-DPB1 and DPB2 on chromosome 6 formed a distinctive peak with log P values for association with SSc susceptibility (P=8.16x10(-13)). Subtyping analysis of HLA-DPB1 showed that DPB1*1301 (P=7.61x10(-8)) and DPB1*0901 (P=2.55x10(-5)) were the subtypes most susceptible to SSc in Korean subjects. In US Caucasians, 2 pairs of SNPs, rs7763822/rs7764491 and rs3117230/rs3128965, showed strong association with SSc patients who had either circulating anti-DNA topoisomerase I (P=7.58x10(-17)/4.84x10(-16)) or anticentromere autoantibodies (P=1.12x10(-3)/3.2x10(-5)), respectively.

CONCLUSION

The results of our genome-wide association study in Korean subjects indicate that the region of HLA-DPB1 and DPB2 contains the loci most susceptible to SSc in a Korean population. The confirmatory studies in US Caucasians indicate that specific SNPs of HLA-DPB1 and/or DPB2 are strongly associated with US Caucasian patients with SSc who are positive for anti-DNA topoisomerase I or anticentromere autoantibodies.

Effects of green tea extract administration on the pharmacokinetics of clozapine in rats

The pharmacokinetic interaction between clozapine, an atypical antipsychotic with metabolic complications, including weight gain, and green tea consumption has not been evaluated, although green tea is responsible for beneficial effects, including weight reduction, and is widely consumed in the world. Commercial green tea extract (175 mg kg−1) or saline was administered orally for 4 days before the oral administration of clozapine (20 mg kg−1) to rats. Plasma concentrations of clozapine were measured up to 5 h after clozapine administration, and then hepatic CYP1A2 expression and activity were determined. There was no significant difference in the elimination half-life of clozapine between the green tea extract and saline groups. However, the time to reach peak concentration (Tmax) was significantly increased by green tea extract. The mean total area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC0-∞) and maximal peak plasma concentration (Cmax) of clozapine in the green tea extract group were significantly lower than those of controls. Green tea extract induced a ∼2-fold increase in hepatic CYP1A2 levels, while the activity increased slightly (by 10% of control). Because of this reduction in AUC and Tmax of clozapine by green tea extract pretreatment, we suggest that both the rate and amount of absorption of clozapine may be reduced by green tea extract, although the hepatic elimination phase may not be significantly altered. Therefore, the clinical implications of the effects of green tea on the bioavailability of clozapine in patients should be further evaluated.

Benefit of downsizing hepatocellular carcinoma in a liver transplant population

BACKGROUND

Long-term results after downstaging hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prior to liver transplantation (LT) remain unknown.

AIMS

To investigate dropouts and post-transplant outcome among patients with downstaged HCC by transarterial chemo-lipiodolization (TACL).

METHODS

Between 2000 and 2007, 386 patients with HCC initially exceeding Milan criteria underwent TACL for tumour downstaging and were consecutively enrolled.

RESULTS

Overall, 160 (41.5%) patients achieved successful downstaging of HCC to within Milan criteria. During the follow-up, 82 eventually dropped off the waiting list for LT, with estimated dropout rates at 1, 2 and 5 years of 46.7%, 70.2%, and 87.2%, respectively. The overall post-transplant survival rates at 1, 2 and 5 years were 89.2%, 70.3% and 54.6% and the corresponding rates for recurrence-free survival were 74.7%, 71.8% and 66.3% respectively. Multivariate analysis indentified alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels > or = 100 ng/mL at LT (P = 0.003), maximum tumour size > or = 7 cm (P = 0.002) and the lack of complete necrosis by TACL (P = 0.048) as independent predictors of HCC recurrence after LT. Patients with none of these risk factors had an excellent post-transplant outcome, with an 87.5% probability of recurrence-free survival up to 6 years.

CONCLUSIONS

These long-term results may contribute to the database for optimizing management of LT candidates with downstaged HCC. Based on our data, patients with a maximum tumour size <7 cm who achieve complete necrosis together with AFP levels <100 ng/mL at LT may be the best candidates for LT following downstaging using TACL.

Evaluation of myocardial bridge with multidetector computed tomography

BACKGROUND

The myocardial bridge (MB) is an intramural segment of coronary artery that is covered with myocardial tissue. The current diagnostic methods are coronary angiography, intravascular ultrasound and intracoronary Doppler, which are all invasive modalities. In this study, multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) was used to detect and evaluate the anatomical properties of the MB.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The 607 patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease underwent 64-slice MDCT. MB was diagnosed when an intramural segment of coronary artery was visualized on axial and multiplanar reconstruction images. The prevalence, length, myocardial thickness, and location were evaluated. Of the 607 patients, 39 (6.42%) had a MB. In 20 patients (52.6%), the MB was located in the mid left anterior descending artery. The length of tunneled artery was a mean 16.3 mm, from 6.9 mm to 30 mm, and the maximum thickness of the myocardial tissue was between 0.5 mm and 3.9 mm, with a mean of 1.8 mm. The length of the MB correlated significantly with thickness (P=0.049).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of MB and its anatomical properties can be evaluated with MDCT, which might be a useful and noninvasive method of detecting this variant. (Circ J 2010; 74: 137 - 141).

Impact of posterior communicating artery on basilar artery steno-occlusive disease

BACKGROUND

Acute brainstem infarction with basilar artery (BA) occlusive disease is the most fatal type of all ischaemic strokes. This report investigates the prognostic impact of the posterior communicating artery (PcoA) and whether its anatomy is a safeguard or not.

METHODS

Consecutive patients who had acute brainstem infarction with at least 50% stenosis of BA upon CT angiography (CTA) were studied. The configuration of PcoA was divided into two groups upon CTA: "textbook" group (invisible PcoA with good P1 and P2 segment) and "fetal-variant of PcoA" group (only visible PcoA with absent P1 segment). Baseline demographics, radiological findings and stroke mechanisms were analysed. A multiple regression analysis was performed to predict clinical outcome at 30 days (modified Rankin disability Scale (mRS<or=2)).

RESULTS

Among all 95 patients, 58% (n = 55) had good prognoses (mRS<or=2). Interestingly, 44 patients (46.3%) had at least one fetal-variant PcoA (26 bilateral, 18 unilateral). By multiple logistic regression analysis, the atherosclerotic mechanism (OR 18.0; 95% CI 3.0 to 107.0) and presence of fetal-variant PcoA (OR 5.1; 95% CI 1.4 to 18.8) were independent predictors for good prognosis and initial NIH stroke scale score (OR 1.24 per one-point increase; 95% CI 1.1 to 1.4) for poor prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Fetal-variant PcoA appears to act as a safeguard against ischaemic insult in acute stroke victims involving the brainstem with BA occlusive disease. This result can be explained by the fact that patients with fetal-variant PcoA have a smaller area of posterior circulation and a possibility of retrograde filling into the upper brainstem through the fetal-variant PcoA.

Deferred modification of antiretroviral regimen following documented treatment failure in Asia: results from the TREAT Asia HIV Observational Database (TAHOD)

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to examine the rates and predictors of treatment modification following combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) failure in Asian patients with HIV enrolled in the TREAT Asia HIV Observational Database (TAHOD).

METHODS

Treatment failure (immunological, virological and clinical) was defined by World Health Organization criteria. Countries were categorized as high or low income by World Bank criteria.

RESULTS

Among 2446 patients who initiated cART, 447 were documented to have developed treatment failure over 5697 person-years (7.8 per 100 person-years). A total of 253 patients changed at least one drug after failure (51.6 per 100 person-years). There was no difference between patients from high- and low-income countries [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.02; P=0.891]. Advanced disease stage [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) category C vs. A; adjusted HR 1.38, P=0.040], a lower CD4 count (>or=51 cells/microL vs. <or=50 cells/microL; adjusted HR 0.61, P=0.022) and a higher HIV viral load (>or=400 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL vs. <400 copies/mL; adjusted HR 2.69, P<0.001) were associated with a higher rate of treatment modification after failure. Compared with patients from low-income countries, patients from high-income countries were more likely to change two or more drugs (67%vs. 49%; P=0.009) and to change to a protease-inhibitor-containing regimen (48%vs. 16%; P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In a cohort of Asian patients with HIV infection, nearly half remained on the failing regimen in the first year following documented treatment failure. This deferred modification is likely to have negative implications for accumulation of drug resistance and response to second-line treatment. There is a need to scale up the availability of second-line regimens and virological monitoring in this region.

Early energy and protein reduction: effects on growth, blood profiles and expression of genes related to protein and fat metabolism in broilers

1. A total of 320-d-old Ross broilers were used in a 6-week study to investigate the effects of feeding lower energy and protein diets from d 8 to 14 on growth performance, blood profiles, and gene expression of leptin and myostatin. 2. Broilers were randomly allotted to 4 treatments, each treatment applied to 4 pens with 20 birds in each. During first week, all the birds were fed on a common starter diet (13.4 MJ ME/kg, 230 g/kg CP and 11.0 g/kg lysine). The birds were then subjected to their respective treatment diets from d 8 to 14. Treatment diets comprised two ME levels, 13.4 and 12.0 MJ/kg, each with two levels of CP, 230 and 184 g/kg. This was followed by feeding common starter and finisher diets for the last 4 weeks. 3. Dietary protein reduction resulted in poor performance and feed efficiency while energy reduction resulted in poor feed efficiency between d 8 and 14. From d 14 to 42 birds previously fed diets lower in energy and protein showed similar body weight gain and feed intake to well-fed birds. Moreover from d 8 to 14, birds fed on energy and protein-reduced diets had lower nutrient metabolisability coefficients. 4. The blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and relative weights of heart and breast muscle were lower in birds fed protein-reduced diets while energy reduction resulted in lower plasma glucose, abdominal fat and intestinal weight at d 14. At d 42, birds fed on the protein-reduced diets had lower BUN, breast muscle weight and small intestine length, while feeding on the energy-reduced diets resulted in lower abdominal fat. 5. Upregulated myostatin mRNA expression in breast muscle and downregulation of leptin mRNA expression in abdominal fat were observed in birds fed on protein and energy-reduced diets, respectively. 6. In conclusion, early nutrient reduction affected growth performance and produced lesser abdominal fat in broilers. Moreover, early energy and/or protein reduction could change muscle and fat metabolism by regulating the expressions of myostatin and leptin.

Characterization of congenital vascular malformation in the extremities using whole body blood pool scintigraphy and lymphscintigraphy

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical usefulness of combined whole body blood pool scintigraphy (WBBPS) and lymphscintigraphy (LS) in the characterization of patients with congenital vascular malformations (CVMs) of the extremities. Subjects included 134 patients who underwent Tc-99m RBC WBBPS and Tc-99m filtered tin colloid (or antimony sulfur colloid) LS on initial diagnosis. Scintigraphic results were interpreted as arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), venolymphatic malformations (VLMs), lymphatic malformations (LMs), and venous malformations (VMs). Final diagnosis of the type of vascular malformation was determined by physical examination, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), angiography, duplex ultrasonography, and/or biopsy results. The final diagnosis demonstrated that 14 of the study subjects had an AVM, 29 had a HLM, 20 had a LM, and 71 had a VM. The sensitivity of WBBPS and LS in the characterization of CVM was 85.7% (12/14) for AVMs, 96.6% (28/29) for VLMs, 95.0% (19/20) for LMs, and 88.7% (63/71) for VMs. The specificity was 100% for AVMs (120/120), 91.4% for VLMs (96/105), 99.1% for LMs (113/114), and 98.4% for VMs (62/63). The overall accuracy of WBBPS and LS was 91.0% (122/134). Our results show that combination of WBBPS with LS can characterize extremity CVMs in patients with high diagnostic accuracy, and may thus be useful for making optimal treatment decisions.

Assessment of non-calcified coronary plaques using 64-slice computed tomography: comparison with intravascular ultrasound

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Non-invasive detection and characterization of plaque composition may constitute an important step in risk stratification and monitoring of the progression of coronary atherosclerosis. Multislice computed tomography (MSCT) allows for accurate, non-invasive detection and characterization of atherosclerotic plaques, as well as determination of coronary artery stenosis. The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of MSCT for characterizing non-calcified coronary plaques previously classified by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS).

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Seventy-one plaques were evaluated in 42 patients undergoing MSCT and IVUS. Coronary plaques were classified as hypoechoic or hyperechoic based on IVUS echogenicity. On MSCT, CT attenuation was measured using circular regions of interest (ROI) and represented as Hounsfield units (HU).

RESULTS

MSCT attenuation in hypoechoic plaques was significantly lower than it was in hyperechoic plaques (52.9+/-24.6 HU vs. 98.6+/-34.9 HU, respectively, p<0.001). When comparing CT attenuation between hypoechoic and hyperechoic plaques, 60.2 HU was the cut-off value for differentiating between the two, with a 90.7% sensitivity and a 78.6% specificity.

CONCLUSION

MSCT might be a useful tool for non-invasively evaluating the characteristics of coronary artery plaques.

Effects of metabolizable energy and lysine restrictions on growth performance, blood profiles, and expression of myostatin and leptin genes in broilers

To investigate the effects of metabolizable energy and lysine restriction on performance, and gene expression of leptin and myostatin, three hundred twenty day-old Ross broiler chicks were randomly allotted to four treatments. Birds were subjected to their respective diets comprising two levels of ME (3200; 2880 kcal kg-1) and two levels of lysine (1.10; 0.88%) during days 8 to 21. The dietary crude protein levels were reduced with the proportion to the lysine levels, while ratios of essential amino acids relative to lysine were similar for all diets. During restriction, weight gain, breast muscle and abdominal fat yield were lower in birds fed lysine-restricted diets. Relative myostatin mRNA abundance was increased in breast muscle of lysine-restricted birds, while expression of leptin mRNA in abdominal fat was downregulated by energy and lysine restriction. During realimentation, birds previously fed with energy and/or lysine-restricted diets had comparable performance as birds fed unrestricted diets. At day 42, energy and lysine restriction increased relative myostatin mRNA expression in breast muscle and birds previously fed diet restricted in both energy and lysine had the highest relative myostatin mRNA expression (energy × lysine interaction, P < 0.001). The relative leptin mRNA abundance was significantly lower in birds previously fed energy-restricted diets. These results indicated that early energy and lysine restriction from day 8 to 21 exhibited growth compensation during realimentation. In addition, myostatin and leptin mRNA expression in breast muscle and abdominal fat were modulated by nutritional treatments and were closely associated with changes in breast muscle yield and abdominal fat deposition. Key words: Metabolizable energy, lysine, myostatin, leptin, broiler

The land use plan and water quality prediction for the Saemangeum reclamation project

As the final closure of the world's longest sea dike of 33 km, the use of the Saemangeum reclaimed land becomes an issue in Korea. The Korean government has proclaimed that the Saemangeum Reclamation Project will be handled in an environmentally friendly manner but its effect on the water quality of reservoirs has always been controversial. This study was conducted to estimate the water quality of the Saemangeum reservoir using WASP5 according to the new land use plan adopted in 2007. Predictions on water quality shows that Dongjin reservoir would meet the standards for COD, T-P, and Chl-a if the wastewater from the Dongjin region was properly managed. However, T-P and Chl-a in Mangyeong reservoir would exceed the standards even without releasing the treated wastewater into the reservoir. With further reductions of 20% for T-P and Chl-a from the mouth of Mangyeong river, the water quality standards in the reservoir were achieved. This means that additional schemes, as well as water quality management programs established in the Government Master Plan in 2001, should be considered. Although the Saemangeum reservoir would manage to achieve the standards, it will enter a eutrophic state due to the high concentration of nutrients.