• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.161-166
• /
• 2014

Previously, we demonstrated that the shift and/or restriction of feeding time during relatively short-term period (4 weeks) could alter the pituitary gonadotropin expression and the weights of seminal vesicle and prostate in rats. We also found that the reverse feeding (RF) schedule (up to 8 weeks) might induce an adaptable metabolic stress and cause impairment of androgen-dependent reproductive tissues. In the present study, we extended the RF time regimen up to 12 weeks, and measured the reproductive tissue weights. After 4 and 8 weeks of RF, the weights of epididymis were not significantly different. After 12 weeks, however, epididymis weights of RF animals were significantly different (CON 12W : RF 12W = $48.26{\pm}0.62mg$ : $44.05{\pm}1.57mg$, p<0.05). After 4 and 12 weeks of feeding, seminal vesicle weights of RF animals were significantly decreased (CON 4W : RF 4W = $79.36{\pm}8.34mg$ : $46.28{\pm}2.43mg$, p<0.001; CON 12W : RF 12W = $72.04{\pm}3.76mg$ : $46.71{\pm}2.27mg$, p<0.001, respectively). Prostate weights were not changed by RF. Kidney and spleen weights of RF animals were significantly different on weeks 4 and 12 (Kidney, CON 4W : RF 4W = $249.72{\pm}4.20mg$ : $228.41{\pm}3.03mg$, p<0.001; CON 12W : RF 12W = $309.15{\pm}7.49mg$ : $250.72{\pm}6.13mg$, p<0.001, respectively, Spleen, CON 4W : RF 4W = $111.26{\pm}3.76mg$ : $96.88{\pm}4.69mg$, p<0.05; CON 12W : RF 12W = $123.93{\pm}10.72mg$ : $94.68{\pm}5.65mg$, p<0.05, respectively). Histology analysis of seminal vesicle revealed that the thinner epithelial cell layers, reduced complexities of swollen papilla folding in the exocrine glands on weeks 4 and 12 of RF. There was no histological difference between control and RF group on week 8. The present study indicates that up to 12 weeks RF induced differential changes in tissue weights of male mice. In particular, seminal vesicle, kidney and spleen seemed to temporarily adapted to the RF-induced metabolic stress on week 8 of feeding schedule. These results confirmed the our previous study that the RF might induce an adaptable metabolic stress and cause impairment of androgen-dependent reproductive tissues such as epididymis and seminal vesicle as well as non-reproductive tissues such as kidney and spleen. Further studies will be needed to achieve a better understanding of the how does mealtime shift affect the reproductive function and exact nature of adaptation.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.202-210
• /
• 2020

As the elderly population increases, it is becoming important to prevent and treat muscle loss caused by aging or disease. Steroidal androgen in the protein assimilation steroid (AAS) system is mainly used to induce muscle improvement, but it is well known that long-term or excessive doses of AAS result in various side effects, although they are prescribed for various muscle and weight loss treatments. Research is therefore underway to explore natural substances that promote muscle renewal with relatively few side effects. However, despite many studies on the improvement of skeletal muscle and the reduction of muscle disease using natural products, there is still a lack of significant clinical results and mechanism studies. The promotion of muscle regeneration through treatment with natural substances typically involves three mechanisms: positive control of the muscle modulating factor (MRF), activation of the protein synthesis mechanism, and inhibition of the protein breakdown mechanism. A study of plant extracts that are known to have muscle neoplasmic stimulation effects, such as black ginseng, plum, and nutmeg, as well as single substances derived from natural products, such as creatine, catechin, and several fatty acids, is therefore described. We also summarize the mechanisms that have been identified so far through which each of these extracts or single materials facilitates muscle regeneration and the signaling pathways that they mediate.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.159-172
• /
• 1991

It has been investigated what could be the selective marker distinguishing the immature from mature spermatozoa and whether fi -glucuronidase and fi -glucosidase are dependent on androgen in the luminal fluid of the epididymis or not. The contents of hexose, hexosamine and sialic acid in the epithelial cells, luminal fluid and spermatozoa of the epididymis were examined and the patterns of protein bands were compared in each group of the luminal fluid by SDS-PAGE. Lactate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphatase, Na+ -K+ -ATPase and MgNa-ATPase showed higher activities in the cauda than the caput epididymal spermatozoa but only $Mg^2$+-ATPase activity appeared to be changed significantly. When the contents of hexose, hexosamine and sialic acid were analyzed and compared quantitatively, those of hexose were significantly different in the luminal fluid of caput and cauda epididymis, those of hexosamine in the epithelial cells and those of sialic acid in the epithelial cells and luminal fluid. When SDS-PAGE has been performed in each group, the band of MW 33-37 KD which was absent in the luminal fluid of caput epididymis appeared obviously in the luminal fluid of cauda epididymis and ako apeared in the cauda sperm crude membrane fraction. In addition, $\beta$ -glucuronidase and $\beta$ -glucosidase activities and their dependence on androgen were measured and the SDS-PAGE patiems of proteins and/or glycoproteins in the luminal fluid were examined. The activities of these two enzymes in the luminal fluid of the epididymis decreased significantly from the 5th day after castration. When testosterone was injected, the activity of $\beta$ -glucuronidase began to increase significantly from the 5th day following injection and that of $\beta$ -glucosidase from the loth day. On the other hand, the band of about MW 21 KD was newly observed in the lumen of caput epididymis when testosterone was administered.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.93-102
• /
• 1998

Normal and abnormal follicular growth and steroidogenesis depend on gonadotropins as well as intraovarian peptides, which may mediate or potentiate gonadotropin action. Inhibin also affect follicular development and steroidogenesis and may play a role in dominant follicle selection and follicular atresia. Therefore, we studied the differences of serum inhibin, gonadotropin and androgen levels in the women with only the ultrasound findings and no disorder, and polycystic ovary (PCO) with ovulatory disturbance. We prospectively analysed forty-three women with PCO. The diagnosis of PCO was based on typical appearance of the ovaries on TVS. Twelve women with regular menstrual cycle and normal ovarian morphology were selected as control. Basal levels of inhibin, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol $(E_2)$, testosterone (T), androstenedione (ADD), dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DS), prolactin and TSH in serum were determined. There were significant differences in basal LH levels and LH/FSH ratio between the control and the women with PCO. The basal levels of inhibin and $E_2$ in the oligo-amenorrheic PCO (N=34) were significantly higher than those in the control. There was higher negative correlation between the inhibin and T levels in the oligo-amenorrheic PCO, but, not in the regular cycling PCO. Also, there was higher positive correlation between the LH and T levels in the oligo-amenorrheic PCO, but not in the regular cycling PCO. These data presume that the initial event of PCO is elevated pituitary LH secretion. Elevated levels of LH may down-regulate LH receptors on granulosa cells and also cause hypertrophy of the thecal layer. High level of androgen secreted by the hypertrophied thecal layer may stimulate inhibin secretion from granulosa cells and can be converted to estrogen by extraovarian tissues and could serve to augment pituitary sensitivity to GnRH with a resultant secretion of more LH than FSH. Inhibin may inhibit FSH action on granulosa cell in the PCO follicle, impairing follicular development and dominant follicle selection resulted in ovulatory disturbance.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.125-134
• /
• 2019

Background: Excessive stress causes varied physiological and psychological disorders including male reproductive problems. Here, we attempted to investigate the protective effects of Korean Red Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer; KRG) against sub-acute immobilization stress-induced testicular damage in experimental rats. Methods: Male rats (age, 4 wk; weight, 60-70 g) were divided into four groups (n = 8 in each group): normal control group, immobilization control group, immobilization group treated with 100 mg/kg of KRG daily, and immobilization group treated with 200 mg/kg of KRG daily. Normal control and immobilization control groups received vehicle only. KRG (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg) was mixed in the standard diet powder and fed daily for 6 mo. Parameters such as organ weight, blood chemistry, sperm kinematic values, and expression levels of testicular-related molecules were measured using commercially available kits, Western blotting, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results: Data revealed that KRG restored the altered testis and epididymis weight in immobilization stress-induced rats significantly (p < 0.05). Further, KRG ameliorated the altered blood chemistry and sperm kinematic values when compared with the immobilization control group and attenuated the altered expression levels of spermatogenesis-related proteins (nectin-2, cAMP responsive element binding protein 1, and inhibin-${\alpha}$), sex hormone receptors (androgen receptor, luteinizing hormone receptor, and follicle-stimulating hormone receptor), and antioxidant-related enzymes (glutathione S-transferase m5, peroxiredoxin-4, and glutathione peroxidase 4) significantly in the testes of immobilization stress-induced rats. Conclusion: KRG protected immobilization stress-induced testicular damage and fertility factors in rats, thereby indicating its potential in the treatment of stress-related male sterility.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.169-180
• /
• 2022

Streptococcus sp. is generally known as a strain that produces hyaluronic acid. In this study, we focused on ingredients other than hyaluronic acid among several metabolites produced by Streptococcus sp. during cultivation. The hair experimental sample (HAIRCLE^TM) was prepared with Streptococcus sp. culture filtrate under the condition that hyaluronic acid was not produced and the effect on the hair was identified. Tensile strength of hair was tested with a universal testing machine (UTM). Surface properties of a hair were examined with an atomic force microscope (AFM). Our results suggest that HAIRCLE^TM could prevent damage to a hair such as destroyed-cuticle, increased-faction force, and broken-hair. Furthermore, hair-related experiments confirmed that HAIRCLE^TM could promote the expression of hair growth factors VEGF, HGF, and Wnt10b and mitigate male hair loss by inhibiting androgen receptors and TGF-β2 expression. In addition, it was confirmed that the expression of barrier-related factors (INV, CLDN-1) was increased for oxidative stress, and the COX-2 expression, an inflammatory factor, was inhibited, thereby improving damaged scalp barriers and alleviating induced inflammation.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.445-454
• /
• 2023

Hair graying is the result of a malfunction in the signaling pathways that control melanogenesis, and it is activated by UV light, melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH), stem cell factor (SCF), Wnt, and endothelin-1 (ET-1). To prevent hair graying, synthetic and natural compounds can be used to stimulate melanogenesis effectively under the control of tyrosinase, tyrosine hydroxylase, tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), TRP-2, and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF). This article describes a crucial strategy to resolve the problem of hair graying, as well as recent advances in the signaling pathway related to melanogenesis and hair graying. In particular, the article reviews potentially effective therapeutic agents that promote melanogenesis, such as antioxidants that modulate catalase, methionine sulfoxide reductase, and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) activators including resveratrol, fisetin, quercetin, and ginsenoside. It also discusses vitiligo inhibitors, such as corticosteroids, calcineurin inhibitors, and palmitic acid methyl ester, as well as activators of telomerase expression and activity, including estrogen, androgen, progesterone, and dihydrotestosterone. Furthermore, it explores compounds that can inhibit hair graying, such as latanoprost, erlotinib, imatinib, tamoxifen, and levodopa. In conclusion, this article focuses on recent research trends on compounds that promote melanin production related to hair graying.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.464-469
• /
• 2008

In human beings, it is known that there is a correlation between the occurrence of acne and the ability to suppress sebum. Sebosuppression may be related to the inhibition of sebocyte proliferation, differentiation, and lipogenesis in sebaceous glands. To investigate the skin sebosuppressive activity of green tea extract, the in vivo effects of its flavonoid compounds on the androgen-dependent stimulation of pigmented macules in hamsters and performed in vitro experiments with human primary sebocytes were examined. Our results imply a dual activity of skin sebosuppression by green tea flavonoids; some catechins including epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and gallocatechin-3-gallate (GCG) may reduce the differentiation of sebocytes by inhibiting PPAR-${\gamma}1$ mRNA expression, whereas some flavonol glycosides including kaempferol may inhibit lipogenesis in sebaceous glands by decreasing levels of the mature form of sterol-sensitive response elements binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c). Therefore, green tea is a potentially effective material for use in the development of health foods or cosmetics for skin sebosuppression.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.307-315
• /
• 2017

Surgical castration (also known as orchidectomy, ORX) has been frequently performed to avoid uncontrolled breeding. However, it has some serious disadvantages. Several laboratories have developed chemical castration methods, using bilateral intratesticular injection (BITI) of simple chemical solutions. The present study was undertaken to compare the effects of ORX and of hypertonic saline BITI on the androgen-sensitive tissues such as pituitary and hypothalamus. Serum testosterone (T) levels of ORX animals and hypertonic saline BITI animals (SAL) after 4 weeks of the manipulations exhibited significantly drops as compared with the levels of intact animals ( $Intact:ORX:SAL=7.74{\pm}1.31:1.34{\pm}0.19:1.28{\pm}0.18ng/ml$, p<0.001). Both ORX and BITI method induced similar stimulatory effects on the pituitary gonadotropin subunits and hypothalamic KiSS-1 gene expressions. In contrast, the effects of ORX and hypertonic saline BITI on hypothalamic GnRH gene expression were different from these gene expressions, shown an inverse relationship between the two groups ($Intact:ORX:SAL=1:0.45{\pm}0.06:1:2.07{\pm}0.41:1.51{\pm}0.37AU$; ORX, p<0.001; SAL, p<0.05). In conclusion, we provided evidence that hypertonic saline BITI method has equivalent efficacy of T depletion to surgical castration in rats. The present study suggests the hypertonic saline BITI could be a promising substitute to conventional surgical castration.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.52-61
• /
• 2005

Transcript profiling is a particularly valuable tool in the field of steroid receptor biology, as these receptors are ligand-activated transcription factors and therefore exert their initial effects through altering gene expression in responsive cells. Also, an awareness of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and their potential screening methods to identify endocrine activity have been increased. Here we developed an in-house cDNA microarray, named KISTCHIP-400 ver. 1.0, with 416 clones, based on public database and research papers. These clones contained estrogen, androgen, thyroid hormone & receptors, sex hormone signal transduction & regulation, c-fos, c-myc, ps2 gene, metabolism related genes etc. Also, to validate the KISTCHIP-400 ver. 1.0, we investigated gene expression profiles with reference hormones, $10^{8}\;M\;17{\beta}-estradiol,\;10^{-7}\;M\;testosterone\;and\;10^{-7}\;M$ progesterone in MCF-7 cell line. As the results, gene expression profiles of three reference hormones were distinguished from each other with significant and identified 33 $17{\beta}-estradiol$ responsive genes. This study is in first step of validation for KISTCHIP-400 ver. 1.0, as following step transcriptional profile analysis on not only low concentrations of EDCs but suspected EDCs using KISTCHIP-400 ver. 1.0 is processing. Our results indicate that the developed microarray may be a useful laboratory tool for screening EDCs and elucidating endocrine disrupting mechanism.