• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.343-347
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• 1994

Effects of betaine on glutamate-induced neurotoxicity were examined on primary culturs of chicken embryonic brain cells and on rat cortical cultures. Betaine was found to attenuate glutamate-induced neurotoxicity both morphologically and biochemically. A 30 min exposure of chicken embryonic brain cells cultured for 12 days to 500 .mu.M glutamate produced wide-spread acute neuronal swelling and neurtic fragmentation. A 2-h pretreatment of cultured chicken embryonic brain cells with i mM betaine prior to a 30 min exposure to 500 , mu, M glutamate significantly raised the survival rate of neurons in the culture. When chicken embryonic brain cells were pretreated for 2 h with i mM betaine followed by exposure to 100 .mu.M glutamate for 42 h, lactate dehydrogenase levels within the cells remained at 62% of .mu.M untreated control values while glutamate-treated control fell to 0% lactate dehydrogenase. Betaine also exerted attenuating effects on N-methyl-D-asparte-, kainate-and quisqualate-induced neurotoxicity in a similar manner to that observed with glutamate. Similar neuroprotective effects of betaine with rat cortical cultures.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.23.1-23.8
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• 2018

Background: Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) is an emerging candidate species in the Korean aquaculture domain owing to its highly valued caviar. Although the embryonic development of this species was previously described, the complete image data on the morphological differentiation of developing embryos have not been yet fully available. Further, with the viewpoint of larval production in hatchery, the effects of temperature on embryonic viability and the temporal window of hatching event have not been extensively studied. Hence, the objective of this study was to provide a complete set of photographic image data on the embryogenesis and also to examine the effects of incubation temperatures on embryonic viability and hatching event in farm-bred Russian sturgeon. Results: Typical characteristics of embryonic development including uneven, holoblastic cleavages with unequal blastomeres, followed by the formation of germ layer, neurulation, and organogenesis until hatching, were documented. Under different temperature conditions (12, 16, or $20^{\circ}C$), viability of embryos incubated at $12^{\circ}C$ was significantly lower as relative to those of 16 and $20^{\circ}C$ incubated embryos. Hatchability of embryos was higher, and the timing of hatching event was more synchronized at $20^{\circ}C$ than at 12 and $16^{\circ}C$. Conclusion: Data from this study suggest that the incubation of Russian sturgeon embryos at $20^{\circ}C$ would be desirable in the hatchery practice with respect to the good hatchability of embryos and the synchronization of hatching events. Additionally, the updated image data for complete embryonic development could be a useful reference guide for not only developmental researches but also artificial propagation of Russian sturgeon in farms.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.17-22
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• 2002

In crustaceans, as in other arthropods, the molt cycle and the physiological process of growth are controlled by molting hormones (MH) which are steroid hormones, the ecdysteroids. Ecdysteroids are major arthropod hormones which control both development (embryonic and larval molts, metamorphosis) and reproduction. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate both fenarimol and methoprene for embryotoxicity to daphnids. The embryotoxicity associated with each compound was assessed to discern whether the embryotoxicity of methoprene might be due to ecdysone agonist and the ecdysone antagonistic effects of fenarimol on Daphnia embryo. Exposure of daphnids for three weeks to 50 M methoprene resulted in a significantly high incidence of offspring that exhibited general toxicity. This exposure concentration had significant effects on the overall number of embryo death. However, exposure to 3 or 1 $\mu$M fenarimol were no significant effects on the embryo toxicity. The incidence of both of these toxicity increased with methoprene exposure. This observation suggest that methoprene showed embryonic general toxicity during embryo development, while, only fenarimol showed weak general toxicity with early stages of embryonic development.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.47-61
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• 2014

Stored maternal factors in oocytes regulate oocyte differentiation into embryos during early embryonic development. Before zygotic gene activation (ZGA), these early embryos are mainly dependent on maternal factors for survival, such as macromolecules and subcellular organelles in oocytes. The genes encoding these essential maternal products are referred to as maternal effect genes (MEGs). MEGs accumulate maternal factors during oogenesis and enable ZGA, progression of early embryo development, and the initial establishment of embryonic cell lineages. Disruption of MEGs results in defective embryogenesis. Despite their important functions, only a few mammalian MEGs have been identified. In this review we summarize the roles of known MEGs in mouse fertility, with a particular emphasis on oocytes and early embryonic development. An increased knowledge of the working mechanism of MEGs could ultimately provide a means to regulate oocyte maturation and subsequent early embryonic development.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.301-306
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• 1998

This experiment was carrid out to know the effects of heating and serum on hydroxyl radicals in embryonic mouse forebrain (cerebrum) culture. The heating to mouse embryonic cerebrum cells in culture was done in a water bath at 43${\circ}C$ for 60min. After that, two supernatants were prepared at 20 hrs and 48 hrs respectively after heat treatment to the brain cells. To find out the heating effects on neuron cells, mouse cerebrum cells (13 embryonic day) were cultured in hydroxyl radical generation system composed of 20mU/ml glucose oxidase (GO system), using condition of normal culture media (MEM, 5% serum, 5% $CO_2$or supernatant prepared after heating at 43${\circ}C$ for 60 min in a water bath. Supernatant prepared at 20 hrs after heat treatment had a greater protective effects against hydroxyl radical than supernatant prepared at 48 hrs after heat treatment . Otherwise, the protective effect of serum against hydroxyl radicals in the cultured brain cells is higher than that in the heat treatment. These results indicated that serum in culture media reduced cytotoxicity of hydroxyl radicals in mouse forebrain culture, also that heat treatment showed the protective effects against hydroxyl radicals generated with 20mU/ml GO system in mouse forebrain culture.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.426-431
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• 2017

Some phototoxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles ($TiO_2$ NPs) has been reported in recent years in studies with fish embryos or larvae. However, it is necessary to focus on the potential effects of embryonic exposure due to irreversible abnormalities and mortalities observed in sac-fry, and to expand various fish embryos to generate multiple test species. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of $TiO_2$ NPs under different irradiation conditions in exposed Oryzias latipes (O. latipes) at the embryonic and sac-fry stages. The effects of different irradiation conditions were observed using ultra-violet (UV) and visible light, and the corresponding effects were monitored by determining cumulative mortality and abnormality. O. latipes were exposed for 8 d to 0, 1, 5, 10, or 50 mg/L $TiO_2$ NPs under UV ($4,818.86mW/m^2$ at the bottom of clear vials) or visible light, after which the embryos were transferred to NP-free embryo-rearing solution until 16 days post fertilization (dpf). Abnormalities of embryos and sac-fry increased at high $TiO_2$ NP concentrations under UV irradiation, compared to control samples treated with visible light or UV irradiation alone. This work provides information regarding the phototoxicity of $TiO_2$ NPs using O. latipes at the embryonic and sac-fry stages.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.245-251
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• 2006

We examined the radioprotection effects of acupoint (acupuncture point) stimulation during organogenesis stages of ICR mice. Pregnant mice received 1.5 Gy whole body X-irradiation on day 8 of gestation, which is the early stage of organogenesis. The embryonic death rate and teratogenesis rate by radiation were examined. Electroacupuncture to the leg acupoints and/ or transcutaneous stimulation to the back acupoints on the pregnant mice showed no protective effect against irradiation on embryonic or fetal death rate. On the contrary, the strong stimulation resulted in increase in the mortality after irradiation rather than protection. However acupoint stimulation to the pregnant mice never showed harmful effects by itself on embryos. It tended to reduce the skeletal malformations induced by X-ray irradiation. We suspect that acupoint stimulation removed the cells injured by irradiation during embryonic development, resulting in an increase in embryonic death rate and reduction in skeletal anomalies.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.48-57
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• 2024

Background: Cadmium (Cd) is toxic heavy metal that accumulates in organisms after passing through their respiratory and digestive tracts. Although several studies have reported the toxic effects of Cd exposure on human health, its role in embryonic development during preimplantation stage remains unclear. We investigated the effects of Cd on porcine embryonic development and elucidated the mechanism. Methods: We cultured parthenogenetic embryos in media treated with 0, 20, 40, or 60 µM Cd for 6 days and evaluated the rates of cleavage and blastocyst formation. To investigate the mechanism of Cd toxicity, we examined intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glutathione (GSH) levels. Moreover, we examined mitochondrial content, membrane potential, and ROS. Results: Cleavage and blastocyst formation rates began to decrease significantly in the 40 µM Cd group compared with the control. During post-blastulation, development was significantly delayed in the Cd group. Cd exposure significantly decreased cell number and increased apoptosis rate compared with the control. Embryos exposed to Cd had significantly higher ROS and lower GSH levels, as well as lower expression of antioxidant enzymes, compared with the control. Moreover, embryos exposed to Cd exhibited a significant decrease in mitochondrial content, mitochondrial membrane potential, and expression of mitochondrial genes and an increase in mitochondrial ROS compared to the control. Conclusions: We demonstrated that Cd exposure impairs porcine embryonic development by inducing oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Our findings provide insights into the toxicity of Cd exposure on mammalian embryonic development and highlight the importance of preventing Cd pollution.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2007.07a
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• pp.3-3
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• 2007

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Pathology Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.86-87
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• 2005