• Development and Reproduction
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2003

This report aimed at investigating the differential gene expressions of the adhesion receptors between ovariectomized (OVX) and estrus stage rat uteri (OVX vs. estrus pair) using the cDNA expression away analysis. In addition, this report aimed at confirming of the differential gene expressions of the adhesion receptors between OVX and progesterone (P$_4$) injected OVX rat uteri (OVX vs. OVX+P$_4$ pair). RNA samples were extracted from the uterus and reverse-transcribed in the presence of [$\alpha$$^{32}$ P]-dATP. Membrane sets of Rat Atlas array 1.2 II (Clontech) were hybridized with CDNA probe sets. RT-PCR was employed to validate the relative gene expression patterns obtained by the cDNA array. The results were well consistent to cDNA array analysis data except the fold changes of gene expression. Among a total of 1176 cDNAs, 5 genes of adhesion receotor including embigin protein, activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule, afadin, neuroligin 2, semaphorin Z showed significant (more than 2-fold) changes in the OVX vs. late estrus pair. All of these genes were up regulated in estrus stage than OVX rat uterus. In the OVX vs. OVX+P$_4$ pair, 4 genes including osteonectin, afadin, neuroligin 2, semaphorin Z showed significant changes. All of these genes were also up regulated in OVX+P$_4$ injected rat uterus than OVX control. Three genes including afadin, neuroligin 2, semaphorin Z which were up regulated in estrus and OVX+P$_4$ injected rat uteri of both experimental pairs than OVX rat uteri. These genes seem to be under the control of P$_4$.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.237-242
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• 2000

Growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH), the major hypothalamic stimulus of GH secretion from the anterior pituitary gland, has been found to be present in several extrahypothalamic sites including placenta testis, ovary and anterior pituitary gland. The present study was performed to elucidate the role of pituitary GHRH on proliferation of cells derived from rat anterior pituitary gland. The GHRH content of pituitary tissue, cultured pituitary cells, and the conditioned media was evaluated by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Primary cultures of pituitary cells derived from adult rats were prepared by enzymatic dispersion. Significant amounts of GHRH-like molecules were detected in both pituitary tissue and cell cultures by GHRH RIA. Competition curves with increasing amounts of tissue extracts and conditioned media were parallel with those of standard peptide, indicating that the pituitary GHRH-like material is similar to authentic GHRH. To analyze specific cell types responsible for producing GHRH in anteroior pituitary, cell fractionation technique combined with GHRH RIA was performed. In cell fractionation experiment, the highest level of GHRH content was found in gonadotrope enriched-fraction and followed by somatotrope-, lactotrope- and thyrotrope-fraction. Treatment of pituitary cells with GHRH resulted in a dose-dependent increase in [$^3$H] thymidine incorporation. The mitogenic effect of GHRH could be mediated by typical oncogenic activation since the GHRH induced transient increase in c-fos mRNA levels with peak response at 30 minutes. The present study demonstrated that i) the pituitary GHRH expressed in the rat anterior pituitary gland can be secreted, ii) among the various cell types, gonadotropes and somatotorpes are the major GHRH source, and iii) the GHRH treatment increased the [$^3$H] thymidine incorporation and c-fos transcriptional activity in the pituitary cell culture. These findings suggested that GHRH could participated in the paracrine and/or autocrine regulation of cell proliferation, as well as promoting growth hormone secretion.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.283-288
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• 1992

To observe the transmission patterns of karyotype of Pneumocystis carinii (Pc) by rat colonies, three strains of rats, Sprague-Dawlcy(SD), Wistar(W) and Fisher (F) from various animal vendors, were suppressed of their immunity by injection of methyl prednisolone. They were kept for 5 to 13 weeks in 3 different animal rooms, A, B, and C. The purified organisms were prepared in low melting point agarose gel by embedded Iysis method for pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Field inversion gel electrophoresis showed 2 patterns of the kart·otype of Pc. The rooms A and C contained SD rats from the source p, and also the room A was used for F and W rats. However, Pc from all of the SD and F rats in the room A showed same karyotypes, the pattern I. The SD rats from difFerent vendors, M and 5, were reared in the room B, and shared the same Pc karyotypes, the pattern II . The rats of W strain were from the vendor M, and immune-suppressed in the animal room A. Five weeks after the expe- riment, the Pc showed the karyotype pattern II but the pattern became mixed with the type I after 7 to 8 weeks. The Bindings revealed that the animals born and reared in the same animal quarter harbored Pc with same karyotypes. If the animals were kept under immune-suppression in the same room with heavily infected hosts, they could be infected by Pc from their neighbors. The present experimental findings suggest that Pc is transmitted among rats through the air.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.119-130
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• 1989

An experimental pathological study was performed to observe the effect of prasiquantel treat- ment on the pulmonary lesions of the rat lung cuke, Paragonimus ilektsuenensis. The metacercariae were obtained from the freshwater crab, Sesarma dehaani, and 40 rats (wistar) were fed each with 10 metacercariae. On 20 rats prasiquantel treatment ($100mg/kg/day{\times}5$ days) was done at 5 weeks after the infection while remaining 20 rats were kept untreated for use as controls. The drug.treated rats and the untreated ones were sacrificed 3, 7, 14, 21 or 28 days later for the observation of lung pathology. The rats infected with P. iloktsuenensis showed remarkable pulmonary changes; gross features of hemorrhagic and nodular worm capsules protruded on to the surface of the lung, and histologically local atelectasis, inflammatory cell infiltration, and egg granuloma around the worm capsules each containing one or two worms. Praziquantel treatment of the rats was shorn to be highly effective in killing the worms and to lead them to degenerate, as early as in 3 days post-treatment. Almost all worms in the lung were dead and absorbed by the host cells in 21 days post-treatment, except a few living ones seen in a rat of 14-day post-treatment group. In most of the rats treated the pulmonary lesions showed the signs of resolution; regression of worm capsules with mummification of worms, decrease of inflammatory cell infiltration, improvement in the degree of atelectasis, and decreases in the frequency and size of the egg granuloma. From the results it is concluded that prasiquantel is highly effective for the treatment of rat P. iloktsuenensis infection in the lung, not only by its direct killing effect of the worms but also due to the excellent resolution capacity of the pulmonary tissues.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.79-89
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• 1999

This study was conducted to investigate the antitoxic component in aqueous extract of Houttuynia cordata $T_{HUNB}$. The results were as follows: Generally, detoxication effects by Houttuynia cordata $T_{HUNB}$ extract increased in proportion to the extract concentrations. When 40mg/kg dosage of Houttuynia cordata $T_{HUNB}$ extract was administered, it showed the highest antitoxic effects in metallothionein induction. After the extract treatment, body weights increased in proportion to the extract concentration. However, after 3 weeks, the body weight decreased insignificantly. From the above results, Houttuynia cordata $T_{HUNB}$ extract increased metallothionein concentration and decreased the toxicity of cadmium in rats.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.13-22
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• 1989

To investigate the effect of diazepam on the contractility of the intestinal smooth muscle, longitudinal muscle strip isolated from rat ileum was prepared for myography in isolated organ bath. 1) Basal tone of ileal muscle was reduced by diazepam concentration-dependently. 2) Higher concentrations(30 and 100 microM) of diazepam inhibited(p<0.05, p<0.001) the carbachol-induced contraction in a concentration-dependent manner ; but lower concentration of diazepam(10 microM) enhanced(p<0.05). 3) Histamine-induced contraction was inhibited by pretreatment with diazepam in a concentration-dependent manner. 4) $Ca^{++}$-induced tension recovery in calcium-free solution was inhibited in the presence of diazepam concentration-dependently. These results suggest diazepam reduces the contractility of the longitudinal muscle isolated from rat ileum via interference with influx of calcium into the muscle cells.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.363-374
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• 1994

The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics or the potassium channels existing in the rat urinary bladders. Smooth muscle strips of rat detrusor urinae were examined by isometric myography. Relaxation responses of detrusor muscle strips to the three potassium channel openers pinacidil, a cyanoguanidine derivative, BRL 38227, a benzopyran derivative and RP 52891, a tertrahydrothiopyran derivative were examined. The potassium channel openers reduced the basal tone, and the rank order of potency was RP 52891>pincidil>BRL 38227. Procaine, an inhibitor of the voltage-sensitive potassium channel tended to increase the basal tone, but it did not affect the relaxant effects of the calcium-activated potassium channel opener did not antagonize the relaxant effects, but it reduced the Emax of RP 52891 and BRL 38227. Glibenclamide, an inhibitor of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel, antagonized the relaxant effects of pinacidil, RP 52891 and BRL 38227 reducing the Emax of RP 52891 and BRl 38227. Galanin which inhibits secretion of insulin through opening the ATP-sensitive potassium channels in pancreatic ${\beta}$-cells rather increased the basal tone of the isolated detrusor strips. These results suggest that the urinary bladder of the rat has mainly the ATP-sensitive, glibenclamide sensitive potassium channel, which is a different type from that in the pancreatic ${\beta}$-islet cells..

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.125-134
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• 1988

A single i.v. dose of streptozotocin (65 mg/kg) given to rats has produced a marked hyper-glycemia (>500 mg serum glucose/dl). Since the Atractylodis Rhizoma is known to have hypo-glycemic action, the water extracts of Atractylodis Rhizoma (ARWE) was given to the streptozotocin-induced (SZ) hyperglycemic rats. To determine whether ARWE has the anti-hyperglycemic effects, two different daily doses of ARWE (i.e.0.2 g/kg and 2.0 g/kg) were given orally to the SZ rats for up to 8 days. Thereupon, serum levels of glucose, insulin, amylase and cholesterol were determined on days 1, 3 and 8, following the initial and repeated daily administrations of ARWE. On day 8, glycogen content and glucose-6-phosphatase activity in the liver were assayed. Results showed that ARWE decreased the serum glucose levels, which had been markedly elevated by the SZ pre-treatment. In support of this, the serum insulin level, which had been quickly lowered by the SZ pre-treatment $(20{\mu}U/ml)$, was quickly elevated in the ARWE dose dependent manner that, at 2.0 g/kg ARWE, the serum insulin level was increased $(20{\mu}U/ml)$ above the normal level $(42{\mu}U/ml)$. Also, the serum amylase level, which was steadily decreasing after the SZ pre-treatment, was restored to the normal level folowing 8 day of ARWE (2.0 g/kg) treatment. Hepatic glycogen content and glucose-6-phosphatase activity, which decreased and increased, respectively in the 52 treatment group, were restored toward the normal level in SZ plus ARWE group.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.668-673
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• 2006

The effects of Acanthopanacis cortex water extract on allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in Sprague-Dawley male rats treated with 2.5% 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) on the dorsal skin were evaluated. The concentration of TBARS in plasma and liver was increased in ACD rats and was significantly decreased in Acanthopanacis cortex fed group (ACFG) compared to CG (control group). Serum Ig E level was significantly increased in CG compared to normal group, while that of ACFG was significantly decreased. The epidermal thickness of CG was significantly increased compared to that of normal group, while that of ACFG was significantly decreased compared to that of CG These results indicated that the Acanthopanacis cortex water extract administration improved lipid preoxidation, antioxidative activity, serum Ig E level and epidermal thickness in rats with ACD.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.979-985
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• 2004

Effects of green tea, buckwheat, and grape leaf extracts on factors related to blood circulation were studied using rats fed high-cholesterol diet for 4 weeks. Rats were randomly divided into five groups, and plant extracts were orally administered. Green tea extract increased bleeding time in rat tails, suggesting it could prevent platelet aggregation. Administration of green tea, buckwheat, and grape leaf extracts decreased total cholesterol level in liver. Grape leaf extracts decreased thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in plasma, whereas buckwheat and grape leaf extracts decreased the substances in liver. These results showed extracts of green tea, buckwheat, and grape leaf were effective for improving lipid composition in blood and liver and inhibiting lipid peroxidation in animal tissue, suggesting they may have potential to prevent cardiovascular diseases.