• Animal cells and systems
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• 제5권4호
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• pp.327-331
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• 2001

There is a critical developmental period during which brain sexual differentiation proceeds irreversibly under the influence of gonadal hormone. Recently, kinesin superfamily-associated protein 3 (KAP3) gene expressed during the 'critical period' of rat brain differentiation was identified by us (Choi and Lee, 1999). KAP3 functions as a microtubule-based motor that transports membranous organelles anterogradely in cells, including neurons (Yamazaki et al., 1996). mRNA level of KAP3 gene markedly increased before the initiation of puberty. Neonatal treatment of estrogen clearly inhibited the prepubertal increase in KAP3 mRNA level (Choi and Lee, 1999). In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), as endocrine disruptors (EDs) on the expression of KAP3 gene during the 'critical period' of rat brain development. In our data, PCBs significantly decreased the expression of KAP3 gene in the fetal (day 17) and the neonatal (day 6 after birth in) male and female rat brains. The body weight and the breeding ability were significantly decreased in the PCBs-exposed rats compared with the control. These results showed that PCBs affect the transcriptional level of brain sexual differentiation related gene, KAP3, in the fetal and the neonatal rat brains. The maternal exposure to the PCBs may lead to toxic response in embryonic brain sexual differentiation and breeding ability after sexual maturation. This study indicates that KAP3 gene may be useful as a gene marker to analyze the molecular mechanism of toxic response in the animal brain development and sexual maturation exposed to PCBs.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.95-100
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• 2000

환경에 방출되어 있는 많은 내분비교란물질들은 사람과 동물의 내분비계에 교란을 일으킬 수 있는 잠재력을 가진다. 뇌의 성분화는 생식소 호르몬 영향하에 비가역적으로 진행되며 흰쥐의 경우 이 시기는 임신말기에서 생후 7∼10일 가량이다. 최근에 본 연구진은 횐쥐의 뇌 성 분화의 결정적인 시기에 발현되는 KAP3유전자를 클로닝하였다 (Choi ＆ Lee, 1999). KAP3의 기능은 신경세포를 포함한 세포에서 aronal tansport를 조절하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 본 연구에서는 흰쥐 뇌 발생의 결정적인 시기에 내분비 교란물질인 Dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (DDT)가 KAP3유전자 발현과 성분화에 미치는 영향을 검토하였다. DDT에 노출된 임신 17일된 흰쥐 태아 암컷과 수컷의 뇌에서 KAP3 mRNA의 발현이 증가하였다. 그러나 출생후 DDT에 노출된 흰쥐 암컷과 수컷의 뇌에서는 KAP3 mRNA의 발현은 감소하였다. 또한 태어난 직후 DDT에 노출된 경우 체중이 현저히 감소하였으며 수정율도 DDT에 노출되지 않은 흰쥐에 비하여 크게 낮았다. 이러한 결과는 내분비 교란물질인 DDT가 뇌의 성 분화와 관련된 유전자인 KAP3의 전사에 영향을 미치며, 내분비 교란물질에 노출된 태아의 뇌 분화에서 독성을 보이는 것을 의미한다. 그리고 KAP3유전자는 동물의 신경세포의 발생에 미치는 내분비 교란 물질의 독성을 분자생물학적으로 연구하기 위한 유전자 지표로도 사용 가능하다고 생각된다.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제48권5호
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• pp.651-662
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• 2006

프탈레이트 에스테르는 플라스틱 가소제로서 이용되며 또한 유제품과 같은 음식에서 미량으로 발견되고, 종종 내분비 교란물질로 의심되고 있다. 본 연구의 목적은 DBP, DINP 또는 DEHA의 주산기 노출이 랫트에 있어 성 성숙 후, 번식기능 특히 뇌의 성분화에 어떤 영향을 끼치는 지에 대해 조사하였다. 이를 수행하기 위해서, 어미에게 식물성 에스트로겐의 함유가 낮은 분말 사료에 다음과 같은 단계적 농도의 DBP (20, 200, 2000, 10000 ppm), DINP (40, 400, 4000, 20000 ppm), DEHA (480, 2400, 12000 ppm)를 혼합한 후, 임신 15일째부터 출생 후, 21일째 (이유기)까지 섭취 시켰고, 성 성숙 후, 혈청 성호르몬 및 성선자극호르몬의 레벨과 교배행동 및 성주기 회귀를 분석하였다. 그 결과, DBP, DINP 또는 DEHA의 주산기 노출에 의한 생후 20~21주째의 암수 랫트에 있어, 성호르몬 및 성선자극호르몬의 레벨뿐만 아니라 암컷의 성주기의 회귀에 대해 어떠한 영향을 주지 않았다. 이것은 시상하부－하수체－성선축의 내분비계를 제어하는 뇌의 성분화에는 이들 화학물질이 영향을 주지 않았다는 사실을 시사한다. 하지만, 수컷의 성행동 특히, 사정 (ejaculation)과 암컷의 로도시스 반응이 억제되는 것이 관찰되었다. 이러한 결과로부터 DBP, DINP 또는 DEHA의 주산기 노출은 성선자극 호르몬의 분비에는 영향을 주지 않지만, 성행동을 제어하는 시상하부의 어떤 영역에 직접적으로 작용할 가능성 즉, 뇌의 성분화에 영향을 끼쳐 성 성숙 후, 성 특이적 행동을 억제시킬 가능성을 시사한다.

• 대한한방소아과학회지
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.105-115
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• 2001

The relation of endocrine in the western medicine and zangfu-organ functions in Korean medicine, related to growth disturbance, was studied and derived the following results. 1. The hormone most related to growth disturbance is, directly secreted from the anterior pituitary or is stimulated and secreted in the target grands, growth hormone, thyroid, adrenocortical hormone, gonadial hormone and is insulin secreted from $\beta$ cell of langerhans' slands of pancreas. 2. the pituitary has the most close relation with the kidney in the five zang-organ. Because the kidney is innate origin(先天之本) and promotes qi and blood(生化氣血), stores the essence of life(藏精), dominates the bones(主骨) and promotes the marrow(生骨髓). Especially it is connected with brain(通於腦). 3. In the children growth, the endocrine action in the pituitary has the most close relation with the kidney, As in the reports of the brain and spinal cord, bone, store essence of life, sexual maturation and decline(kidney-qi, sexual functions of both sexes(天癸)) etc, and cause of cretinism, dwarf in the main subject. 4. Somatomedin is the most important factor of the growth factors, IGF in another word. The unification of IGF and secretion is controlled firstly according to growth hormone, however is very closely related to the nutrition status in the non-hormonic causes. Also, it is affected very much by the insulin. 5. Insulin is one of the important hormone related to the growth and is secreted from the pancreas. Pancreas belongs to the functional system of spleen in oriental medicine, thus the growth disturbance, occurred due to error in insulin secretion and nutrition(in another words, the lack of postnatal essential substance from food-stuff(水穀精氣)), is closely related to the spleen. 6. From the results driven above, the hormone action of endocrine and problem in secretion, related to the growth disturbance, must be focused on the differentiation of symptoms and signs of the kidney and the spleen in oriental medicine.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권11호
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• pp.6215-6220
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• 2013

Kisspeptins (KPs) encoded by the KiSS-1 gene are C-terminally amidated peptide products, including KP-10, KP-13, KP-14 and KP-54, which are endogenous agonists for the G-protein coupled receptor-54 (GPR54). Functional analyses have demonstrated fundamental roles of KiSS-1 in whole body homeostasis including sexual differentiation of brain, action on sex steroids and metabolic regulation of fertility essential for human puberty and maintenance of adult reproduction. In addition, intensive recent investigations have provided substantial evidence suggesting roles of Kisspeptin signalling via its receptor GPR54 in the suppression of metastasis with a variety of cancers. The present review highlights the latest studies regarding the role of Kisspeptins and the KiSS-1 gene in tumor progression and also suggests targeting the KiSS-1/GPR54 system may represent a novel therapeutic approach for cancers. Further investigations are essential to elucidate the complex pathways regulated by the Kisspeptins and how these pathways might be involved in the suppression of metastasis across a range of cancers.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.247-253
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• 2006

Our previous research has identified granulin (grn) and p130 genes as sex steroid-inducible genes in the rat hypothalamus, which might be involved in sexual differentiation of the brain. Phthalate esters that are used as plasticizers and also found at low levels in foods such as dairy products are often mentioned as suspected endocrine disrupters. The purpose of the present study is to elucidate whether perinatal exposure to di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and di-2-ethylhexyl adipate (DEHA) affects hypothalamic sex steroid-inducible genes. The present study assessed the effects of perinatal exposure to DBP, DINP and DEHA on sex steroid hormones levels and hypothalamic gm and p130 mRNA expressions at postnatal day (PND) 3 and 7. Pregnant rats were fed a soy-free diet containing 20, 200, 2,000 and 10,000 ppm of DBP, 40, 400, 4,000 and 20,000 ppm of DINP, or 480, 2,400 and 12,000 ppm of DEHA from gestational day (GD) 15 to GD 3 or 7. At PND 3 and 7, perinatal exposure to these chemicals did not substantially affect serum concentrations of testosterone and estradiol. At PND 3, the expression of grn mRNA levels in males was decreased by DEHA, and that of p130 was decreased by DBP, DINP and DEHA, though the effects were not dose-dependent. At PND 7, the expression of gm gene in female pups was increased by higher doses of DBP and all the doses, except for 4,000 ppm, of DINP, while that in male pups decreased by 480 and 12,000 ppm of DEHA. Hypothalamic expression of p130 mRNA in males was increased by lower doses of DBP and all the doses of DINP, whereas that of females was decreased by 480 and 2,400 ppm of DEHA. These results suggest that these chemicals may affect the expression of gm and p130 genes by directly acting on the hypothalamus, thus leading to inappropriate expression of these genes.