Epidemiological Investigation of Tick Species from Near Domestic Animal Farms and Cattle, Goat, and Wild Boar in Korea.

This study aimed to investigate the tick species and give background for tick-borne investigations in Korea. Ticks were collected from the area within 2 km radius of the 4 domestic animal farms, where they were located in mountainous areas and raising animals on pasture, and from animal bodies in 2014 and 2015. In total, 7,973 nymphal and adult ticks were collected from the farms - 7,758 Haemaphysalis longicornis, 198 Haemaphysalis flava, and 17 Ixodes nipponensis, and 1,763 were collected from animals - 729 H. longicornis from cattle; 569 H. longicornis from goats; and 297 H. longicornis, 118 H. flava, 1 I. nipponensis, and 49 Amblyomma testudinarium from wild boars. As more species of ticks were collected from wild boars than domesticated animals and their habitats, various animal hosts should be considered while investigating tick species.

The natural history of fetal diagnosed isolated ventricular septal defect.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to clarify the natural course of ventricular septal defect, and to find an index that would help in prenatal counseling. METHODS: Between January 2010 and December 2014, 18 188 fetuses underwent echocardiographic examinations. Of these, 228 isolated ventricular septal defect cases were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: In this retrospective study, the incidence of isolated ventricular septal defect was 1.25% (228/18 188). There were 146 patients who underwent echocardiography after delivery in order to confirm the natural course of patients with isolated ventricular septal defect. Of the 146 cases, 64 cases (43.84%) had the ventricular septal defect naturally closed in the fetal period. Of the 82 patients with ventricular septal defect at birth, 25 patients showed natural closure during follow-up. However, four patients (2.74%) required surgical treatment for ventricular septal defect. In case of perimembranous defects, natural closure is more frequent in the fetal period than in the postnatal period. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that 60.96% (89/146) of isolated ventricular septal defects diagnosed during the fetal life are closed naturally. Perimembranous type defect, small defect (<2 mm) and maternal age less than 35 years are the good prognostic factors for the natural closure during fetal life. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Characterization of estrogen-responsive transgenic marine medaka Oryzias dancena germlines harboring red fluorescent protein gene under the control by endogenous choriogenin H promoter.

Transgenic marine medaka (Oryzias dancena) germlines were generated by the microinjection of the red fluorescent protein (RFP) reporter gene (rfp) driven by the endogenous choriogenin H gene (chgH) promoter. The selected transgenic lines contained multiple copies of the transgene (3-42 copies per cell) in their genomes. Although all the founders were mosaic, the transgene was stably transmitted from the F1 generation to all subsequent generations following a Mendelian pattern. Different transgenic lines showed different responsiveness to estradiol-17ß (E2) exposure at the mRNA and protein levels, and the expression efficiency was dependent upon the transgene copy number. The induction of RFP was significantly affected by the developmental stage of transgenic larvae: later-stage larvae (older than 7 days post-hatching) showed higher sensitivity to E2 exposure than earlier-stage larvae. The response of transgenic expression to E2 was fairly dependent upon the E2 dose (200-3,200 ng/L) and exposure period (1-7 days), according to both a microscopic examination of RFP intensity and a qRT-PCR assay. The transgenic marine medaka showed similar transgenic responses to E2 under freshwater, brackish, and seawater conditions. In addition to E2, the transgenic RFP signal was also successfully induced during 1-week exposure to various other natural (1 µg/L estrone and 10 µg/L estriol) and synthetic (xeno)estrogens (0.1 µg/L 17α-ethynylestradiol, 1 µg/L diethylstilbestrol, and 10 mg/L bisphenol A). The efficiency of transgene expression varied greatly among the chemicals tested. The results of this study suggest that the chgH-rfp transgenic marine medaka species will be useful in the in vivo detection of waterborne estrogens under a wide range of salinity conditions.

Characterization of stable fluorescent transgenic marine medaka (Oryzias dancena) lines carrying red fluorescent protein gene driven by myosin light chain 2 promoter.

Stable transgenic germlines carrying the red fluorescence protein (RFP) gene (rfp) driven by fast skeletal myosin light chain-2 gene (mlc2f) promoter were established in a truly euryhaline fish species, the marine medaka (Oryzias dancena; Beloniformes). Transgenic lines contained transgene copy numbers varying from a single copy to more than 230 copies per genome. Although the transgenic founders displayed mosaic and/or ectopic expression of the RFP signal, the resultant F1 transgenics and their progeny showed consistently stable transmission of the transgenic locus and uniform RFP signal through several subsequent generations. In adult transgenics, an authentic brilliant red fluorescence was achieved over the skeletal muscles of the transgenic individuals, which might be sufficient for ornamental display. Expression analysis of the transgenic mRNAs indicated that rfp transcripts were predominantly expressed in the skeletal muscles. Different transgenic lines displayed different levels of transgene expression at the mRNA, protein, and phenotypic levels. However, the efficiency of transgene expression was independent of the transgene copy number. The RFP protein levels were consistently stable in the transgenic fish muscles through several generations, up to F5. The results of this study suggest that transgenic marine medaka that acquire strong fluorescent signals in their skeletal muscles can be developed as a promising, novel ornamental fish for display in both freshwater and seawater aquaria.

Modulation of warm-temperature-acclimation-associated 65-kDa protein genes (Wap65-1 and Wap65-2) in mud loach (Misgurnus mizolepis, Cypriniformes) liver in response to different stimulatory treatments.

Two paralogous isoform cDNAs of warm-temperature-acclimation-associated 65-kDa protein (Wap65-1 and Wap65-2) were isolated from the cypriniform species, mud loach (Misgurnus mizolepis), and characterized. The deduced amino acid sequences of the two mud loach Wap65 isoforms (mlWap65-1 and mlWap65-2) share moderate levels of sequence homology with their corresponding orthologues from teleosts and with human hemopexin, a possible mammalian homologue. Both isoforms display conserved features, including essential motifs and/or residues that are important for the protein structure of hemopexin. In overall, mlWap65-2 is more homologous to human hemopexin than is mlWap65-1. Both mud loach Wap65 transcripts are predominantly expressed in liver, although the transcripts are ubiquitously detectable in most tissues with variable basal expression. Both mlWap65 isoforms are differentially regulated during embryonic development, and the changes in transcript levels during embryogenesis are greater for mlWap65-2 than for mlWap65-1. The transcription of the mlWap65 genes is differentially modulated by various stimuli, including thermal changes, immune challenge (lipopolysaccharide injection or bacterial infection), and heavy metal exposure (cadmium, copper, or nickel). The isoform mlWap65-1 is more responsive to warm temperature treatments than mlWap65-2, whereas mlWap65-2 is much more strongly stimulated by immune and heavy metal challenges than is mlWap65-1. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that mud loach Wap65 isoforms are potentially involved in multiple cellular pathways and that the two mud loach Wap65 isoforms undergo functional partitioning or subfunctionalization.

Changes to Gut Microbiota Following Systemic Antibiotic Administration in Infants.

Long-term antibiotic use can have consequences on systemic diseases, such as obesity, allergy, and depression, implicating the causal role of gut microbiome imbalance. However, the evaluation of the effect of antibiotics in early infancy on alterations to the gut microbiome remains poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the gut microbiome state in infancy following systemic antibiotic treatment. Twenty infants under 3 months of age who had received antibiotics for at least 3 days were enrolled, and their fecal samples were collected 4 weeks after antibiotic administration finished. Thirty-four age-matched healthy controls without prior exposure to antibiotics were also assessed. The relative bacterial abundance in feces was obtained via sequencing of 16 S rRNA genes, and alpha and beta diversities were evaluated. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Escherichia/Shigella and Bifidobacterium increased (p = 0.03 and p = 0.017, respectively) but that of Bacteroides decreased (p = 0.02) in the antibiotic treatment group. The microbiome of the antibiotic treatment group exhibited an alpha diversity lower than that of the control group. Thus, systemic antibiotic administration in early infancy affects the gut microbiome composition even after a month has passed; long-term studies are needed to further evaluate this.

Functional ability of cytoskeletal ß-actin regulator to drive constitutive and ubiquitous expression of a fluorescent reporter throughout the life cycle of transgenic marine medaka Oryzias dancena.

Marine medaka Oryzias dancena, a candidate model organism, represents many attractive merits as a material for experimental transgenesis and/or heterologous expression assay particularly in the field of ecotoxicology and developmental biology. In this study, cytoskeletal ß-actin gene was characterized from O. dancena and the functional capability of its promoter to drive constitutive expression of foreign reporter protein was evaluated. The O. dancena ß-actin gene possessed a conserved genomic organization of vertebrate major cytoplasmic actin genes and the bioinformatic analysis of its 5'-upstream regulatory region predicted various transcription factor binding motifs. Heterologous expression assay using a red fluorescent protein (RFP) reporter construct driven by the O. dancena ß-actin regulator resulted in stunningly bright expression of red fluorescence signals in not only microinjected embryos but also grown-up transgenic adults. Although founder transgenics exhibited mosaic patterns of RFP expression, transgenic offspring in subsequent generations displayed a vivid and uniform expression of RFP continually from embryos to adults. Based on the blot hybridization assays, two transgenic lines established in this study were proven to possess high copy numbers of transgene integrants (approximately 240 and 34 copies, respectively), and the transgenic genotype in both lines could successfully be passed stably up to three generations, although the rate of transgene transmission in one of the two transgenic lines was significantly lower than expected Mendelian ratio. Significant red fluorescence color could be ubiquitously observable in all the tissues or organs of the transgenics. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR represented that the expression pattern of transgene under the regulation of ß-actin promoter would resemble, in overall, the regulation of endogenous ß-actin gene in adult tissues, although putative mechanism for competitive or independent regulation between transgene and endogenous gene could also be found in several tissues. Results from this study undoubtedly indicate that the O. dancena ß-actin promoter would be powerful enough to fluorescently visualize most cell types in vivo throughout its whole lifespan. This study could be a useful start point for a variety of transgenic experiments with this species concerning the constitutive expression of living fluorescent color reporters and other foreign proteins.

Molecular characterization of hepcidin gene from mud loach (Misgurnus mizolepis; Cypriniformes).

The gene encoding hepcidin, an antimicrobial peptide, was isolated and characterized in the mud loach Misgurnus mizolepis (Cypriniformes). Mud loach hepcidin shows a considerable degree of structural homology to other vertebrate hamp1 orthologues at both the gene and protein levels, particularly with respect to its tripartite genomic organization, typical transcription-factor-binding motifs in its promoter, and conserved cysteine residues in the mature cationic peptide. The mud loach possesses at least two allelic forms of hamp1, which are expected to be translated into the same hepcidin preproprotein. The two alleles are transmitted from parental fish to offspring with a Mendelian inheritance pattern, as demonstrated with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) genotyping. Southern blot hybridization analysis showed a high degree of polymorphisms in the restriction patterns of individuals. Mud loach hamp1 mRNA is predominantly expressed in the liver, although many other tissues showed detectable levels of hamp1 transcripts in RT-PCR assay. Lipopolysaccharide and bacterial challenges induced significant hamp1 expression, whereas hamp1 was not clearly stimulated by polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid [poly(I:C)] injection. Iron overload and Cu exposure also elevated hamp1 transcripts in various tissues. The transcriptional activation of mud loach hamp1 in response to these stimuli varied among tissue types, and the liver appears predominantly involved in hepcidin-mediated iron regulation. However, hepcidin expression in the kidney and spleen was preferentially modulated by inflammation-mediated signals produced by immune challenges. Our results suggest that mud loach hepcidin has two basic functions, in iron regulation and antimicrobial activity, and that its transcription is also modulated by other environmental perturbations, including heavy metal exposure.

Is High Milk Intake Good for Children's Health? A National Population-Based Observational Cohort Study.

Milk is widely considered as a beneficial product for growing children. This study was designed to describe the milk consumption status of Korean children aged 30-36 months and to investigate its association with the risk of obesity and iron deficiency anemia (IDA). This nationwide administrative study used data from the Korean national health insurance system and child health screening examinations for children born in 2008 and 2009. In total, 425,583 children were included, and they were divided into three groups based on daily milk consumption: low milk group (do not drink or drink <200 mL milk per day, n = 139,659), reference group (drink 200-499 mL milk per day, n = 255,670), and high milk group (drink ≥500 mL milk per day, n = 30,254). After adjusting variable confounding factors, the consumption of a large amount of milk of ≥500 mL per day at the age of 30-36 months was associated with an increased risk of obesity at the age of 42-72 months and IDA after the age of 30 months. These results may provide partial evidence for dietary guidelines for milk consumption in children that are conducive to health.

Genomic organization and mRNA expression of manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) from Hemibarbus mylodon (Teleostei, Cypriniformes).

The genomic structure of manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) was characterized in Hemibarbus mylodon (Teleostei, Cypriniformes), an endangered freshwater fish species, and changes in Mn-SOD mRNA expression in response to various stimuli, such as challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), bacteria, or heavy metals, were examined. H. mylodon Mn-SOD possesses well-conserved features of vertebrate Mn-SODs, including its homologous quinquepartite gene structure (five exons interrupted by four introns) and high sequence identity with vertebrate orthologs in coding regions, including a typical eukaryotic Mn-SOD signature. The 5'-regulatory upstream region of the H. mylodon Mn-SOD gene lacked a canonical TATA sequence; however, it displayed various transcription factor binding elements that may be involved in immune and stress responses, as well as the modulation of enzymes that mediate the metabolism of metals and other xenobiotics. Bioinformatic analysis of Mn-SOD genes from fish and mammalian genome databases revealed chromosomal synteny of the Mn-SOD locus in the vertebrate lineage. Mn-SOD transcripts were ubiquitously detected in diverse tissues with variable levels of basal expression using an RT-PCR assay. Mn-SOD expression in the liver and kidney were significantly modulated by injection of LPS (1, 5, or 10 microg g(-1) body weight), Edwardsiella tarda challenge (5 x 10(3) or 5 x 10(5) cells/fish), and heavy metal exposure (Cd, Cu, or Zn at 5 microM). Results from this study suggest that Mn-SOD plays an important role in the host defence against oxidative damage caused by infection-mediated inflammation and/or toxicant related stress in this species.

Gene structure and expression of metallothionein during metal exposures in Hemibarbus mylodon.

Metallothionein gene was characterized in Hemibarbus mylodon, an endangered fish species. H. mylodon MT shared a high homology with other vertebrate MTs, including (1) tripartite exon/intron structure, (2) typical regulatory elements such as MREs and GC boxes in the 5'-flanking region, and (3) high proportion of Cysteines (33.3%) in its amino acid sequence. MT mRNA was ubiquitously detected in various tissues. Basal level of MT mRNA was the highest in ovary while the lowest in heart. Transcription of MT was highly inducible by exposures to waterborne cadmium (0.1-10 microM), copper (2-10 microM) or zinc (2-10 microM), based on real-time RT-PCR. Cadmium was more potent for the stimulation of MT transcripts than copper and zinc. Liver was more responsive to heavy metals than kidney and gill. In overall, the transcriptional activation of MT gene by metal exposures followed a dose- and/or time-dependent fashion.

Characterization and phylogeny of two beta-cytoskeletal actins from Hemibarbus mylodon (Cyprinidae, Cypriniformes), a threatened fish species in Korea.

Complementary DNA and genomic sequences representing two different beta-actins were isolated from a threatened freshwater fish species Hemibarbus mylodon. The beta-actin 1 and 2 encoded an identical number of amino acids (375 aa), and shared 88.8 and 99.7% of identity at coding nucleotide and amino acid levels, respectively. Genomic open reading frame (ORF) sequences of both isoforms contained five translated exons interrupted by four introns with conserved GT/AG exon/intron boundary rule. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed that the two isoform mRNAs were ubiquitously detected in all tissues tested, but transcript levels were variable across tissues. Phylogenetic analysis showed that H. mylodon beta-actin 1 and 2 were clustered into two distinct major and minor branches of Cypriniformes, respectively. Comparisons of the 5'-upstream region and 3'-UTR of H. mylodon beta-actin 1 also showed a high degree of homology with those of the major teleost beta-actins and warmblooded vertebrate beta-cytoskeletal actins, suggesting their more recent common origin.

Isolation and characterization of cDNA sequences of L-gulono-gamma-lactone oxidase, a key enzyme for biosynthesis of ascorbic acid, from extant primitive fish groups.

Most advanced teleosts lack L-gulono-gamma-lactone oxidase (GULO), a key enzyme required for the biosynthesis of ascorbic acid. However, extant representatives of primitive species including sturgeon and many cartilaginous fishes, are exceptional in their ability to synthesize ascorbic acid de novo. In the present study, full-length GULO cDNAs were isolated from white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) and two shark species belonging to the Triakidae (Triakis scyllium and Mustelus manazo). The open reading frames from all three species contained 440 amino acids and the deduced polypeptides had similar hydropathy profiles, predicted molecular masses and theoretical pI values. These GULO sequences exhibited high amino acid identity (67-97%) with each other, and also shared 61-71% identity with mammalian GULOs. Based on the GULO sequences obtained from these species, we developed degenerate primers for the isolation of partial GULO sequences by RT-PCR from other primitive species including another shark (Mustelus griseus, Triakidae), a spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias, Squalidae), two ray species (Raja kenojei, Rajidae and Dasyatis akajei, Dasyatidae) and four sturgeons (Acipenser baeri, A. gueldenstaedtii, A. naccarii and A. ruthenus, Acipenseridae). Overall, sequence identities of these amplified GULO segments among primitive species were 63-99% at the nucleotide level and 67-100% at the amino acid level. Considerable numbers of amino acid residues were unique to either fish or mammals, and Acipenseriform species occupied an intermediate position, sharing several residues with either fish or mammalian GULOs. Phylogenetic analyses based on parsimony, distance and likelihood methods of both nucleotide and amino acid sequences resulted in trees that were in agreement with known taxonomy. The transcription and enzyme activity of GULO were kidney-specific when measured by biochemical assay and reverse transcription-PCR.

Occurrence of toxigenic Staphylococcus aureus in ready-to-eat food in Korea.

Toxigenic Staphylococcus aureus contamination in ready-to-eat (RTE) food is a leading cause of foodborne illness in Korea. To monitor food contamination by S. aureus, a total of 3332 RTE food samples were selected from nationwide wholesale marts between 2003 and 2004 and examined. A total of 285 (8.6%) of the overall samples were contaminated by S. aureus. According to the analysis, 31.6% of the tested cream-cakes, 19.8% of the raw fish, and 19.3% of the rice cakes with filling were contaminated with S. aureus. Forty-seven percent of the strains isolated from the contaminated food were enterotoxigenic S. aureus. The phenotypic result of the strain isolated from food showed that 48% of the strains produced one or more toxins, such as staphylococcal enterotoxins A, B, and C (SEA, SEB, and SEC). At least one SEA was produced by over 90% of the toxigenic strains. Other toxins, such as SEB, SEC, SED, SEA+SEC, and SEC+SED, were each detected. Toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1), a causative agent of toxic shock syndrome, was detected in 13 strains of the toxigenic isolates from the food. As the result of genotyping, 22 strains with a toxin gene that was not detected in the phenotypic analysis were also detected. Sixty-nine percent of the toxigenic strains had at least one sea gene, and the most prevalent genotype was sea+seh (34.4%), followed by sea (18.8%) and sea+seg+sei (15.6%). The tst gene encoding TSST-1 was found in 13 strains (13.5%). The genes (eta and etb) encoding exfoliative toxins A and B were not detected in any of the samples.

Outcomes of Left Ventricular Function According to Treatment Response for a Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Preterm Infants.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the outcomes of left ventricular (LV) function according to treatment response for a hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) in preterm infants. METHODS: Echocardiograms of 21 preterm infants born at gestational age < 31 weeks obtained at term-equivalent age were retrospectively studied. Among preterm infants with a hsPDA, 9 underwent ligation after failure of pharmacological closure (ligation group) and 6 experienced successful pharmacological closure (medication group). Six preterm infants without hsPDA (no-hsPDA group) were studied as controls. LV peak longitudinal systolic strain (ε) of each infant was retrospectively obtained from echocardiograms using velocity vector imaging, along with neonatal outcomes. RESULTS: Pharmacological closures were attempted at postnatal day 2-3. In the ligation group, the median postnatal age at ligation was 20 days. In the ligation group, LV peak longitudinal systolic ε was significantly decreased at term-equivalent age compared to the other groups. Between the medication and no-hsPDA groups, LV peak longitudinal systolic ε did not differ significantly. Among the neonatal outcomes, infants who experienced necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) showed significantly decreased LV peak longitudinal systolic ε compared to the infants who did not experience NEC . CONCLUSION: We speculate that in preterm infants with an hsPDA, in cases of medical treatment failure, early PDA ligation at less than 20 days of postnatal age would be beneficial for preserving LV systolic function.

Molecular detection of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) in feral cats from Seoul, Korea.

This study tested serum samples of feral cats from a highly urbanized habitat, Seoul, Korea to determine the infection to severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV). From 126 samples tested, SFTSV was detected by RT-PCR in 22 (17.5%) cats from various sites of Seoul. Sequences identified from this study were grouped with clusters from China and Japan. Our result provides data that SFTSV may have been circulating in settings that were suspected to have relatively low risk, such as highly urbanized habitats. Thus it warrants further study to investigate the ecology of SFTSV in urban-dwelling animals including ticks, human and other potential host species.

Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein plasma levels as a biomarker of obesity-related insulin resistance in adolescents.

PURPOSE: Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) is a 65-kDa acute phase protein, derived from the liver, which is present in high concentrations in plasma. Data regarding the association between circulating plasma LBP levels and obesity-related biomarkers in the pediatric population are scarce. We aimed to determine whether there was a difference in plasma LBP levels between overweight/obese and normal-weight adolescents and to assess the correlation of circulating LBP levels with anthropometric measures and obesity-related biomarkers, including insulin resistance, liver enzyme levels, and lipid profiles. METHODS: The study included 87 adolescents aged 12-13 years; 44 were overweight/obese and 43 were of normal-weight. We assessed anthropometric and laboratory measures, including body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, insulin resistance, liver enzyme levels, and lipid profiles. Plasma LBP levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 12.9±0.3 years. Circulating plasma LBP levels were significantly increased in overweight/obese participants compared with those in normal-weight participants (7.8±1.9 µg/mL vs. 6.0±1.6 µg/mL, P<0.001). LBP levels were significantly and positively associated with BMI, systolic blood pressure, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, fasting glucose and insulin, and insulin resistance as indicated by the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (all P<0.05). In multivariate linear regression analysis, BMI and HOMA-IR were independently and positively associated with plasma LBP levels. CONCLUSION: LBP is an inflammatory biomarker associated with BMI and obesity-related insulin resistance in adolescents. The positive correlation between these parameters suggests a potentially relevant pathophysiological mechanism linking LBP to obesity-related insulin resistance in adolescents.

Shark (Scyliorhinus torazame) metallothionein: cDNA cloning, genomic sequence, and expression analysis.

Novel metallothionein (MT) complementary DNA and genomic sequences were isolated from a cartilaginous shark species, Scyliorhinus torazame. The full-length open reading frame (ORF) of shark MT cDNA encoded 68 amino acids with a high cysteine content (29%). The genomic ORF sequence (932 bp) of shark MT isolated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) comprised 3 exons with 2 interventing introns. Shark MT sequence shared many conserved features with other vertebrate MTs: overall amino acid identities of shark MT ranged from 47% to 57% with fish MTs, and 41% to 62% with mammalian MTs. However, in addition to these conserved characteristics, shark MT sequence exhibited some unique characteristics. It contained 4 extra amino acids (Lys-Ala-Gly-Arg) at the end of the beta-domain, which have not been reported in any other vertebrate MTs. The last amino acid residue at the C-terminus was Ser, which also has not been reported in fish and mammalian MTs. The MT messenger RNA levels in shark liver and kidney, assessed by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase PCR and RNA blot hybridization, were significantly affected by experimental exposures to heavy metals (cadmium, copper, and zinc). Generally, the transcriptional activation of shark MT gene was dependent on the dose (0-10 mg/kg body weight for injection and 0-20 microM for immersion) and duration (1-10 days); zinc was a more potent inducer than copper and cadmium.

Acute hyponatremia with seizure and mental change after oral sodium picosulfate/magnesium citrate bowel preparation.

Sodium picosulfate/magnesium citrate (Picolight Powder), which is used as a bowel preparation for the colon and the rectum, can cause a severe electrolyte imbalance like hyponatremia. When hyponatremia gets severe or occurs rapidly, it can lead to death due to associated complications. We have experienced a case of hyponatremia associated with seizure and loss of consciousness in a 76-year-old woman, who took sodium picosulfate/magnesium citrate as a bowel preparation for colonoscopy. She was taking thiazide and synthroid for the treatment of hypertension and hypothyroidism, respectively, and she had other underlying medical conditions such as a history of seizure and dementia. Following the diagnosis of hyponatremia, we used an intravenous injection of 3% NaCl to normalize the sodium level in her serum, and her associated symptoms soon disappeared.