• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.137-148
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• 2011

In this study, a series of experiments was conducted on the relative degradation of commonly known endocrine-disrupting compounds such as bisphenol A (BPA) and $17{\alpha}$-ethinyl estradiol (EE2) in a single-component aqueous solution using 28 and 580 kHz ultrasonic reactors. The experiments were conducted with three different types of model water: deionized water (DI), synthetic brackish water (SBW), and synthetic seawater (SSW) at pH 4, 7.5, and 11 in the presence of inert glass beads and humic acids. Significantly higher sonochemical degradation (93-97% for BPA) occurred at 580 kHz than at 28 kHz (43-61% for BPA), regardless of water type. A slightly higher degradation was observed for EE2 compared to that of BPA. The degradation rate of BPA and EE2 in DI water, SBW, and SSW after 30 min of ultrasound irradiation at 580 kHz increased slightly with the increase in pH from 4 (0.073-0.091 $min^{-1}$ for BPA and 0.081-0.094 $min^{-1}$ for EE2) to 7.5 (0.087-0.114 $min^{-1}$ for BPA and 0.092-0.124 $min^{-1}$ for EE2). In contrast, significant degradation was observed at pH 11 (0.149-0.221 $min^{-1}$ for BPA and 0.147-0.228 $min^{-1}$ for EE2). For the given frequencies of 28 and 580 kHz, the degradation rate increased in the presence of glass beads (0.1 mm and 25 g) for both BPA and EE2: 0.018-0.107 $min^{-1}$ without beads and 0.052-0.142 $min^{-1}$ with beads for BPA; 0.021-0.111 $min^{-1}$ without beads and 0.054-0.136 $min^{-1}$ with beads for EE2. A slight increase in degradation of both BPA and EE2 was found as the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC, humic acids) increased in both SBW and SSW: 0.107-0.115 $min^{-1}$ in SBW and 0.087-0.101 $min^{-1}$ in SSW for BPA; 0.111-0.111 $min^{-1}$ in SWB and 0.092-0.105 $min^{-1}$ in SSW for EE2. After 30 min of sonicating the humic acid solution, DOC removal varied depending on the water type: 27% (3 mg $L^{-1}$) and 7% (10 mg $L^{-1}$) in SBW and 7% (3 mg $L^{-1}$) and 4% (10 mg $L^{-1}$) in SSW.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.373-377
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• 2000

This study Investigated the effects of $estradiol-l7{\beta} (E_2)$, $17{\alpha}-methyltestosterone$ (MT) and high temperature (WT) on gonadal sex differentiation in black rockfish, Sebastes srhlegeli. fish were reared to oral adminstration of E, at nominal concentrations of $20, 40 and 60 {\mu}g/g diet$, and MT at nominal concentration of 20 and $50 {\mu}g/g$ diet from 56 days to 77 days after parturition. In the treatment of WT, water temperature of the breeding tanks ranged $27.0{\pm}0.5^{\circ}C$ more than $10^{\circ}C$ approximately, in comparison to the control and other experimental group, In the process of sex differentiation until 56 days after parturition, gonads were composed of mostly gonia cells, sexually undifferentiated. In contrast, 128 dal's after parturition, the ovaries were composed of ovarian cavity and lamellae, and oogonia and perinucleolus oocytes were distributed in the lamellae of ovary, and the testes were composed of a number of seminiferous tubule, and spermatogonia were distributed in the seminiferous tubule, and also melanophore scattered in the matrix layer of testis. In the sex ratio, more females than male were observed from $E_2$. treatment groups when compared to the control, but more males than females were observed from MT and WT treatment groups when compared to the control. In the results of the present study, the concentration and kinds of the sex steroid hormones, and also the rearing high temperature caused to the factor of sex determination in the process of sex differentiation of black rockfish.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.639-652
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• 2006

Objective : The etiology of chronic prostatitis is likely multifactorial, resulting from either a cascade of events after an initiating factor or from a variety of etiologic mechanisms. There is substantiating evidence to support the role of the inflammatory responses in its pathogenesis, and the clinical value in the evaluation of therapeutic efficacy. Forsythiae Frucus has been traditionally used in treatment of inflammatory diseases, including of prostatitis and urinary tract inflammation. In this study, we investigated the effects of Forsythiae Frucus on inflammatory cytokines and cyto-pathological alternation in the rat model of chronic non-bacterial prostatitis induced by castration and $17{\beta}$-estradiol treatment. Methods : Two-month-old rats were treated with $17{\beta}$-estradiol after castration for induction of experimental non-bacterial prostatitis. which is similar to human chronic prostatitis in histopathological profiles. Forsythiae Frucus as an experimental specimen, and testosterone as a positive control, were administered orally. The prostates were evaluated by histopathologlcal parameters including the epithelial score and epithelio-stromal ratio for glandular damage. and the expression of inflammatory cytokine genes including interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$, IL-5, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-$\alpha$. eotaxin, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2(cox-2). Results : While prostates of control rats revealed severe acinar gland atrophy and stromal proliferation. the rats treated with Forsythiae Frucus showed a diminished range of tissue damage. Epithelial score was improved in the Forsythiae Frucus group over that of the control (P<0.05). The epithelia-stromal ratio was lower in the Forsythiae Frucus group when compared to that of the control (P<0.05). In the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of inflammatory cytosine genes. Forsythiae Frucus inhibited the expression of IL-$1{\beta}$, TNF-$\alpha$, iNOS, cox-2 genes, while it modulated the expression of IL-5, which is an anti-inflammatory cytokine. Conclusions : These findings suggest that Forsythiae Frucus may protect the glandular epithelial cells and also inhibit stromal proliferation in association with the immune modulation including the suppression of inflammatory cytokines and increase of anti-inflammatory cytokines. From theses results. we suggest that Forsythiae Frucus could be a useful remedy agents for treating chronic non-bacterial prostatitis.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.35-46
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• 1987

It has been well known that estrogens stimulate the uterine contractility and progestins inhibit it. Then, one may expect that the uterine contractility and sensitivities to oxytocin (OT) and prostaglandin $F_{2{\alpha}}\;(PGF_{2{\alpha}})$ would be different among the estrus cycle. These hypotheses were tested using the mature female rat. Spontaneous isometric contractions of isolated uterine strips $(1{\times}0.3\;cm)$ from cyclic rats in various stages of the estrus cycle, bilateral ovarectomized rats and hypophysectomized rats were recorded in absence or presence with $estradiol-17{\beta}\;(E_2)$, progesterone $(P_4)$, OT and $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$. The results were summarized as follows: 1) The spontaneous uterine contractile force was the highest in the estrus rat and the lowest in the ovarectomized or the hypophysectomized rat. In the proestrus rat, the contractile frequency was the lowest (2.7 beats/10 min) and the contractile duration was the longest (70 sec). In the other groups, there were no any differencies in frequency (9 beats/10 min) and in duration (30 sec). 2) OT and $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ stimulated the uterine contractility in all groups tested except in the hypophysectomized rat in which OT failed to stimulate the uterine contraction. $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ was more effective in stimulating the uterine contraction than OT in all groups tested except in the estrus rat. OT-induced contraction was the highest in the estrus rat and $PGF_{2{\alpha}}-induced$ contraction was the lowest in the hypophysectomized rat. 3) Uterine contractilities were not changed by the in vitro treatments of $E_2$ or $P_4$ under the influence of endogenous steroids, however, $E_2$ and $P_4$ stimulated the uterine contraction in the ovarectomized rat in which endogenous steroids were almost abolished. 4) Increased uterine contraction by the treatment of OT was suppressed by in vitro $E_2$ or $P_4$ in the estrus rat, while it was potentiated by the $P_4$ in the proestrus rat. In other groups, exogenous $E_2$ or $P_4$ did not affect the OT-induced uterine contraction. 5) $PGF_{2{\alpha}}-induced$ uterine contraction was suppressed in the ovarectomized rat by $E_2$ and $P_4$, in the diestrus and proestrus rats by $P_4$ and in the hypophysectomized rat by $E_2$. In other groups, exogenous $E_2$ or $P_4$ was ineffective in altering the $PGF_{2{\alpha}}-induced$ uterine contraction. According to the above results, it may conclude that the mechanisms of the different uterine contractility and the different uterine sensitivity to OT or $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ according to the estrus cycle are not explicable with only the serum concentrations of steroids, OT and $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ but also other unknown factors.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.253-261
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• 2012

We investigated the reproductive capacity of starry flounder Platichthys stellatus from the Uljin (UJ) marine ranching area and compared it to that of P. stellatus from the coastal waters of Pohang (PH). In UJ, female gonadosomatic index (GSI) peaked in October ($3.14{\pm}0.87$) and male GSI was high in October and December. In PH, female GSI peaked in January ($18.64{\pm}2.15$) while male GSI began to increase in October and remained high until March. Most ovaries of UJ females were immature with perinucleus oocytes, although the testes of UJ males were ripe in January. Both the ovaries and testes of PH starry flounders were ripe from January to March. The plasma estradiol-$17{\beta}$ ($E_2$) levels of UJ females were highest in October ($4.09{\pm}1.90$ ng/mL) although the testosterone (T) levels of UJ males were highest in December ($3.81{\pm}0.78$ ng/mL) and decreased gradually until April. The $17{\alpha}$,$20{\beta}$-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one ($17{\alpha}20{\beta}P$) levels of UJ females were not detected. The E2 levels of PH females were highest in December ($36.25{\pm}33.07$ ng/mL) and $17{\alpha}20{\beta}P$ levels were highest in March ($5.51{\pm}0.95$5 ng/mL). The T levels of PH males were highest in December ($4.03{\pm}1.34$ ng/mL) and decreased gradually until October. Taken together, these results suggest that most females from UJ did not reach maturation with a spawning period that was considered to be between December and January.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.309-315
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• 2005

Changes of sex steroid hormones in the plasma of yellowfin goby, Acanthogobius flavimanus were investigated in relation to the gonadosomatic index (GSI), the hepatosomatic index (HSI) and gonadal development. The GSI in females rose rapidly in November and remained high from December to May $(7.26\pm0.89­6.62\pm0.02)$. The Male's GSI also increased gradually from November and was highest in May $(0.16\pm0.08)$. The HSI in both sexes was in reverse correlation with the GSI, and the HSI was low during the spawning season (February-May). In females, the $estradiol-17{\beta}\;(E_2)$ level increased during vitellogenesis (November and December) and reached its maximum $(8.13\pm2.87 ng/mL)$ at the maturing period, in January. $17{\alpha},\;20{\beta}$-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one$(17{\alpha}20{\beta}OHP)$ gradually increased from October $(0.063{\pm}0.02ng/mL)$ to March $(0.16{\pm}0.02ng/mL)$ and increased rapidly in May. The level of testosterone (T) showed a similar tendency of $E_2$. In males, T increased gradually during spermatogenesis from September to December $(0.14{\pm}0.06­0.26{\pm}0.10ng/mL)$ and peaked in January $(0.36{\pm}0.29 ng/mL)$ when the spermatozoa filled the testis. 11-KT also rose markedly in January and then decreased. On the other hand, $17{\alpha}29{\beta}OHP$ in males did not show any clear tendencies.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.141-150
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• 1994

Morphological features of the interaction between the hatching blastocyst and implantation in pig were studied by electron microscopy. The observations extended from late blastocyst stage to the completion of trophoblastic erosion of the epithelium and early decidual transformation of the epithelium and early decidual transformation of the stromal cells. Between day 7 and 17 of pregnancy, blastocysts from 0.3 to 12 mm in diameter were flushed from the uterine horns of Dutch Landrace pigs. On the 7th of development in the pig blastocyst, the blastocyst shedded of the zona pellucida established the tips of microvilli and with bleb-like cytoplasmic protrusions of the epithelial cells. From day 11 on in pig embryo, the bilayered trophoblast undergoes a dramatic phase of elongation so that the initially spherical expanded blastocyst becomes tubular. In pig, close apposition to the uterine wall beg-ins at about 12 $^1$/$_2$ days and then attachment occurred during the afternoon of the 16th or 18th day post coitum. At this stage, embryonic loss compared with corpus luteum number is up to 40% of ovulated oocytes. Therefore, the implantation failture of these embryos may be mainly caused by morphological abnormality and failture of zona shedding.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.845-853
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• 2012

To investigate the role of temperatures and photoperiods as environmental cues regulating reproductive rhythm in Pseudobagrus fulvidraco, rearing experiments were conducted using sveral rearing regimes conbined with photoperiods and water temperatures during gonadal degeneration periods. Gonadosomatic index (GSI) in control was $8.16{\pm}1.50%$, while in other experiment GSI levels in female were lower than that in the control. In case of experimental precinct of 9 light (L) and 15 L, GSI levels were decreased. But GSI level with $20^{\circ}C$ was no diffrence after 40 and 60 days. GSI level in male of control was $0.35{\pm}0.05%$. GSI under 9 L and $25^{\circ}C$ was similar to that in control, whereas its level in other experiments was lower than that in control. Testosterone (T) of female was $3.68{\pm}0.22$ ng/mL at experimental precinct. In case of 9 L and 15 L, concentration of T were lower than experimental precinct in all of water temperature. Estradiol-$17{\beta}$ ($E_2$) and $7{\alpha}$, $20{\beta}$-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one ($17{\alpha}20{\beta}OHP$) levels of female were $0.42{\pm}0.02$ and $0.83{\pm}0.01$ ng/mL at experimental precinct. $E_2$ levels of 9 and 15 L were higher than experimental precinct and $17{\alpha}20{\beta}OHP$ levels of 9 and 15 L were higher than experimental precinct. In case of T and 11-ketotestosterone levels were $0.69{\pm}0.11$ and $.62{\pm}0.03$ ng/mL in male. During the period of gonadal degeneration, gonadal maturation did not occur in any of the experimental regimes. However, comparatively high levels of $E_2$ observed at low temperature regimes ($20^{\circ}C$) regardless of photoperiods.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.180-185
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• 2001

Al and Cd-induced inhibition of vitellogenin (VTG) production was examined at the estrogen receptor (ER) level in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss hepatocytes. The binding of $[^3H]$ $estradiol-17\beta\;(E_2)$ to hepatocytes reached a plateau 3 days after addition of $E_2\;(2\times\;10^{-6} M)$to the medium. The binding activity was linearly reduced with the increased concentrations $(-10^{-5}\;M)$ of 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen (4-OHT) and specific binding linearly increased with the increased doses of $[^3H]\;E_2$, indicating that the radioligand bound to ER. Al $(-10^{-4}\;M)$and Cd $(10^{-6}\;M)$ as well as 4-OHT $(10^{-6}\;M)$ significantly reduced the $[^3H]\;E_2$-binding activity by $30­40\%$, while they completely inhibited VTG production. Al and Cd had no effect on $E_2-human$ $ER\alpha$ binding activity at any concentrations used $(-10^5\;nM\;each)$. These results suggested that Al and Cd inhibited VTG production in part by interfereing with the ER level. Inhibitory effects of these metals on the $E_z-dependent$ upregulation of ER activity are also discussed.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.113-123
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• 2022

Diarylpropionitrile (DPN), a selective agonist for estrogen receptor β (ERβ), has been reported to regulate various hormonal responses through activation of ERβ in tissues including the mammary gland and brain. However, the effect of DPN on melanogenesis independent of ERβ has not been studied. The aim of this study is to examine the possibility of anti-melanogenic effect of DPN and its underlying mechanism. Melanin contents and cellular tyrosinase activity assay indicated that DPN inhibited melanin biosynthesis in alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone-stimulated B16F10 melanoma cell line. However, DPN had no direct influence on in vitro tyrosinase catalytic activity. On the other hand, 17β-estradiol had no effect on inhibition of melanogenesis, suggesting that the DPN-mediated suppression of melanin production was not related with estrogen signaling pathway. Immunoblotting analysis showed that DPN down-regulated the expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), a central transcription factor of melanogenesis and its down-stream genes including tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1, and TRP-2. Also, DPN attenuated the phosphorylation of protein kinase A (PKA) and cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB). Additionally, DPN suppressed the melanin synthesis in UVB-irradiated HaCaT conditioned media culture system suggesting that DPN has potential as an anti-melanogenic activity in physiological conditions. Collectively, our data show that DPN inhibits melanogenesis via downregulation of PKA/CREB/MITF signaling pathway.