• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.8
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• pp.794-798
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• 2007

Hepatopulmonary syndrome is a triad that includes: hepatic dysfunction, intrapulmonary vascular dilatation and abnormal arterial oxygenation. The incidence of intrapulmonary vascular dilatations, in adults with end-stage liver disease, has been reported to be 13% to 47%, however the incidence in children is unclear and the cases in Korean children have never been reported. The hepatopulmonary syndrome may occur as a result of chronic liver disease following nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in children with hypothalamic or pituitary dysfunction. We report a case of hepatopulmonary syndrome in a 13-year-old child who had rapidly progressive liver dysfunction secondary to panhypopituitarism after craniopharyngioma resection. Careful monitoring and treatment of endocrine abnormalities and metabolic status, as well as liver function, are required in all children undergoing pituitary tumor resection.

• BMB Reports
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.186-193
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• 2002

The acid-bible subunit (ALS) associates with the insulinlike growth factor (IGF)-I or II, and the IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) in order to form a 150-kD complex in the circulation. This complex may regulate the serum IGFs by restricting them in the vascular system and promoting their endocrine actions. Little is known about how ALS binds to IGFBP3, which connects the IGFs to ALS. Xenopus oocyte was utilized to study the function of ALS in assembling IGFs into the ternary complexes. Xenopus oocyte was shown to correctly translate in vitro transcribed mRNAs of ALS and IGFBP3. IGFBP3 and ALS mRNAs were injected in a mixture, and their products were immunoprecipitated by antisera against ALS and IGFBP3. Contrary to traditional reports that ALS interacts only with IGF-bound IGFBP3, this study shows that ALS is capable of forming a binary complex with IGFBP3 in the absence of IGF When cross-linked by disuccinimidyl suberate, the band that represents the ALS-IGFBP3 complex was evident on the PAGE. IGFBP3 movement was monitored according to the distribution between the hemispheres. Following a localized translation in the vegetal hemisphere, IGFBP3 remained in the vegetal half in the presence of ALS. However, the mutant IGFBP3 freely diffused into the animal half, despite the presence of ALS, which is different from the wild type IGFBP3. This study, therefore, suggests that ALS may play an important role in sequestering IGFBP3 polypeptides via the intermolecular aggregation. Studies using this heterologous model will lead to a better understanding of the IGFBP3 and ALS that assemble into the ternary structure and circulate the IGF system.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2012

Korean red ginseng (KRG) has been used worldwide as a traditional medicine for the treatment of various reproductive diseases. Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons are the fundamental regulators of pulsatile release of gonadotropin required for fertility. In this study, an extract of KRG (KRGE) was applied to GnRH neurons to identify the receptors activated by KRGE. The brain slice patch clamp technique in whole cell and perforated patch was used to clarify the effect of KRGE on the membrane currents and membrane potentials of GnRH neurons. Application of KRGE (3 ${\mu}g$/${\mu}L$) under whole cell patch induced remarkable inward currents (56.17${\pm}$7.45 pA, n=25) and depolarization (12.91${\pm}$3.80 mV, n=4) in GnRH neurons under high $Cl^-$ pipette solution condition. These inward currents were not only reproducible, but also concentration dependent. In addition, inward currents and depolarization induced by KRGE persisted in the presence of the voltage gated $Na^+$ channel blocker tetrodotoxin (TTX), suggesting that the responses by KRGE were postsynaptic events. Application of KRGE under the gramicidin perforated patch induced depolarization in the presence of TTX suggesting its physiological significance on GnRH response. Further, the KRGE-induced inward currents were partially blocked by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX; non-NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist, 10 ${\mu}M$) or picrotoxin (PIC; $GABA_A$ receptor antagonist, 50 ${\mu}M$), and almost blocked by PIC and CNQX mixture. Taken together, these results suggest that KRGE contains ingredients with possible GABA and non-NMDA glutamate receptor mimetic activity, and may play an important role in the endocrine function of reproductive physiology, via activation of $GABA_A$ and non-NMDA glutamate receptors in GnRH neurons.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.149-154
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• 2004

Objective: To assess the association with autoimmune endocrine diseases and detection rate of autoimmune antibodies and its clinical significance in patients with premature ovarian failure. Methods: Twenty eight patients with primary or secondary amenorrhea manifesting hormonal and clinical features of premature ovarian failure (primary POF: 7, secondary POF: 21) were investigated. We tested them TFT, 75 g OGTT, ACTH and S-cortisol for thyroiditis, IDDM, Addison's disease, and antithyoglobulin antibody, antimicrosomal antibody, antinuclear antibody, rheumatic factor, anti-smooth muscle antibody, anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody for non-organ specific autoimmune disorders. Results: Only one patient was diagnosed as IDDM and no patients had abnormal TFT or adrenal function test. More than one kind of autoantibody was detected in 11 patients of all (39.2%): 5 patients (71.4%) of primary POF group and 6 patients (21.4%) of secondary POF group. Eleven patients (39.3%) had antithyroglobulin antibody, 4 (14.3%) had antimicrosomal antibody, 2 (7.1%) had antinuclear antibody, 2 (7.1%) had rheumatic factor, 1 (3.6%) had anti-smooth muscle antibody, 1 (3.6%) had anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody. Conclusions: Premature ovarian failure may occur as a component of an autoimmune polyglandular syndrome, so patients should be measured with free thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, fasting glucose and electrolytes. Measurement of thyroid autoantibodies in POF patients may be important in identifying patients at risk of developing overt hypothyoidism, but other autoantibodies may not be suitable for screening test.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.305-331
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• 1997

So far we oriental medical doctors have referred to Shin(腎) as endocrine system, especially suprarenal gland, sexual gland and autonomic nervous system, thyroid etc. as well as kidney. But the sight on thyroid is weak and the relationship with Shin(腎) hasn't been suggested clearly. The purpose of this study is to find out the relationship between Shin(腎) with thyroid. The following are the results. 1. Ki Gi(氣機) of Shin(腎) is similar to the fuction of thyroid in that they are the base of human metabolism, influencing all the metabolism of human tissue. 2. Shin Yang(腎陽) and thyroid hormone are almost identical in that they are the base of Yang Gi(陽氣), the former as source of heat energy, the latter as energy hormone. 3. Shin(腎) and thyroid hormone are almost the same in that they activate growth of human body. 4. Ki Gi(氣機) of Shin(腎) such as Ju Gol(主骨), Saeng Su(生髓), Tong uh Noi(通於腦) is similar to the effects of thyroid hormone on bones, central nervous system and hair 5. The symptoms of deficiency of Shin Eum(腎陰虛) are almost identical with those of hyperthyroidism, so the process of Yang Hwa Gi(陽化氣) caused by exuberance of Yang due to deficiency of Shin Eum(腎陰虛陽亢) is similar to excessive metabolism caused by hyperthyroidism. 6. The process of Eum Seong Hyung(陰成形) caused by preponderance of Eum due to deficiency of Shin Yang(腎陽虛陰盛) is similar to the lowering of metabolism caused by hypothyroidism. 7. Deficiency of Shin Eum(腎陰虛) is similar to hyperthyroidism, deficiency of Shin Yang(腎陽虛) to hypothyroidism. But there are major difference in edema and the fuction of intestine. To conclude, Ki Gi(氣機) of Shin is similar to the function of throid in many respects. I hope that there will be further studies on the relationship beteen thyroid malfuction with deficiency of Shin Yang(腎陽虛) or of Shin Eum(腎陰虛) in the future.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.37-45
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• 2021

Objectives: Bisphenol A (BPA) is used in the electrical, mechanical, medical, and food industries. Previous studies have suggested that BPA is an endocrine disruptor. Regulation of BPA has led to increased use of bisphenol F (BPF) and bisphenol S (BPS). However, few studies have investigated the associations of BPF and BPS with thyroid dysfunction in children. Our study investigated the associations of prenatal BPA and early childhood BPA, BPF, and BPS exposure with thyroid function in 6-year-old children. Methods: Prenatal BPA concentrations were measured during the second trimester of pregnancy in an established prospective birth cohort. We measured urinary BPA, BPF, and BPS concentrations and thyroid hormone levels (thyroid-stimulating hormone, total T3, and free T4) in 6-year-old children (n=574). We examined the associations between urinary bisphenol concentrations and percentage change of thyroid hormone concentrations using multivariate linear regression. We also compared thyroid hormone levels by dividing the cohort according to BPA, BPF, and BPS concentrations. Results: The associations between prenatal BPA and total T3 levels were statistically significant in all models, except for girls when using a crude model. The associations between urinary BPA and BPS concentrations and levels of all thyroid hormones were not statistically significant. However, we observed that lower free T4 levels (-1.94%; 95% confidence interval, -3.82 to -0.03) were associated with higher urinary BPF concentrations in girls only. Conclusions: Our findings identified significant associations between prenatal BPA exposure and total T3 levels in all children and between BPF exposure and free T4 levels in girls only.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.202-215
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• 2022

The androgen receptor (AR) is an important therapeutic target for treating prostate cancer (PCa). Moreover, there is an increasing need for understanding the AR-independent progression of tumor cells such as neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). Menin, which is encoded by multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), serves as a direct link between AR and the mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) complex in PCa development by activating AR target genes through histone H3 lysine 4 methylation. Although menin is a critical component of AR signaling, its tumorigenic role in AR-independent PCa cells remains unknown. Here, we compared the role of menin in AR-positive and AR-negative PCa cells via RNAi-mediated or pharmacological inhibition of menin. We demonstrated that menin was involved in tumor cell growth and metastasis in PCa cells with low or deficient levels of AR. The inhibition of menin significantly diminished the growth of PCa cells and induced apoptosis, regardless of the presence of AR. Additionally, transcriptome analysis showed that the expression of many metastasis-associated genes was perturbed by menin inhibition in AR-negative DU145 cells. Furthermore, wound-healing assay results showed that menin promoted cell migration in AR-independent cellular contexts. Overall, these findings suggest a critical function of menin in tumorigenesis and provide a rationale for drug development against menin toward targeting high-risk metastatic PCa, especially those independent of AR.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.99-105
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• 2022

Styrene is the precursor of polystyrene. Human exposure to styrene could occur in occupational and residential settings and via food intake. Styrene is metabolized to styrene-7,8-oxide by cytochrome P450 enzyme. In the present study, we investigated the cytotoxicity mediated by styrene and styrene-7,8-oxide in TM3 testicular Leydig cells in vitro. We first monitored the nuclear fragmentation in Leydig cells after exposure to styrene or styrene-7,8-oxide. Hoechst 33258 cell staining showed that styrene exposure in TM3 Leydig cells did not exhibit nuclear fragmentation at any concentration. In contrast, nuclear fragmentation was seen in styrene-7,8-oxide-exposed cells. These results indicate that cytotoxicity-mediated cell death in Leydig cells is more susceptible to styrene-7,8-oxide than to styrene. Following styrene treatment, procaspase-3 and XIAP protein levels did not show significant changes, and cleaved (active) forms of caspase-3 were not detected. Consistent with the western blot results, the active forms of caspase-3 and XIAP proteins were not prominently altered in the cytoplasm of cells treated with styrene. In contrast to styrene, styrene-7,8-oxide induced cell death in an apoptotic fashion, as seen in caspase-3 activation and increased the expression of XIAP proteins. Taken together, the results obtained in this study demonstrate a fundamental idea that Leydig cells are capable of protecting themselves from cytotoxicity-mediated apoptosis as a result of styrene exposure in vitro. It remains unclear whether the steroid-producing function, i.e., steroidogenesis, of Leydig cells is also unaffected by exposure to styrene. Therefore, further studies are needed to elucidate the endocrine disrupting potential of styrene in Leydig cells.

• BMB Reports
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.149-154
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• 2024

The stomach has emerged as a crucial endocrine organ in the regulation of feeding since the discovery of ghrelin. Gut-derived hormones, such as ghrelin and cholecystokinin, can act through the vagus nerve. We previously reported the satiety effect of hypothalamic clusterin, but the impact of peripheral clusterin remains unknown. In this study, we administered clusterin intraperitoneally to mice and observed its ability to suppress fasting-driven food intake. Interestingly, we found its synergism with cholecystokinin and antagonism with ghrelin. These effects were accompanied by increased c-fos immunoreactivity in nucleus tractus solitarius, area postrema, and hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. Notably, truncal vagotomy abolished this response. The stomach expressed clusterin at high levels among the organs, and gastric clusterin was detected in specific enteroendocrine cells and the submucosal plexus. Gastric clusterin expression decreased after fasting but recovered after 2 hours of refeeding. Furthermore, we confirmed that stomachspecific overexpression of clusterin reduced food intake after overnight fasting. These results suggest that gastric clusterin may function as a gut-derived peptide involved in the regulation of feeding through the gut-brain axis.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.1455-1468
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• 1999

The purpose of this study was to investigate the objectives and contents of basic medical sciences at department of nursing in college of nursing, and junior college of nursing, thus ultimately providing the basic data to standardize the curriculum of the basic medical sciences in nursing education. Seventy eight professors who were in charge of teaching basic medical sciences to at 22 colleges of nursing/ department of nursing, and 20 junior colleges of nursing responded to the questionnaires that consisted of the questions regarding objectives and contents, of basic medical sciences. Based on the description of objectives, the description related to nursing, nurse, nursing science was cathegorized as on objective applicable to nursing science, the description related to medicine or clinical medicine as medical model, the description without description related to medicine was cathegorized as knowledge acquisition. The number of schools corresponding to each category were summerized in descending order. The objectives of basic medical sciences were categorized by concepts and number of schools corresponding to the categorized concept. The findings of the study are as follows ; 1. The subjects of basic medical science identified were physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, pathology, microbiology, and pharmacology in most colleges of nursing and junior colleges. Two colleges of nursing/department of nursing (9.1%) and 19 junior colleges of nursing(95%) did not offer biochemistry, 1 college of nursing /department of nursing(5%) did not offer pathology & pharmacology. 2 junior colleges of nursing (10%) did not offer pharmacology, 1 junior college of nursing(5%) did not offer pathology. The other 1 junior college of nursing did not offer microbiology. 2. Objectives of physiology were to acquire knowledge and understanding on human function in both 6 (50%) colleges and 5 junior colleges. Objectives of anatomy were to acquire knowledge on human structure in both 4 (57%) colleges and 2 (50%) junior colleges; knowledge applicable to nursing sciences in both 3 (42.8%) colleges and 2 (50%) junior colleges. Objectives of biochemistry was to obtain knowledge and understanding on biochemistry, and understanding of basic concepts about biochemistry. Objectives of pathology were to obtain knowledge and understanding on pathology in both 4 (57.1%) colleges and 5(62.5%) junior colleges. Objectives of microbiology were to acquire knowledge and understanding on microbiology in both 5(83.8%) colleges and 6(85.7%) junior colleges. Objectives of pharmacology were to acquire knowledge on pharmacology in both 7(100%) colleges and 8(100%) junior colleges. 3. Contents of physiology in 19 (100%) schools were membrane transport, digestion, circulation, nervous system and respiration. In 16(84.2%) were kidney and muscle, that in 13(68.4%) were endocrine physiology. In 11(57.9%) were introduction and that in 9(47.4%) were structure and function of cells. Contents of anatomy in 11(100%) schools were skeletal system, muscle system, digestive system, circulatory system, concepts regarding human structure. In 10(90.9%) schools were endocrine system and nervous system, and in 5(45.5%) schools were blood, urinary system and cell. Contents of biochemistry in 6(100%) schools were history of biochemistry, body regulating factor, bioenergy, health and nutrition, nutrition of cell, energy production system. In 5(83.3%) schools were metabolism of protein and carbohydrate and enzyme, and in 3(50%) schools were metabolism of energy and fat. Contents of microbiology in 13(100%) schools were environment and influenc of bacteria, virus, G(-) rods, purulent cocci, G(+) rods. In 10 (76.9%) were immunity, diphtheria, enterobacteria, and in 9(69.2%) were spirochete, rickettsia and clamydia, and that in 6(46.2%) were sterilization and disinfection. Contents of pathology in 14(100%) schools were cell injury and adaptation, inflammation, respiratory diseases, circulatory diseases. In 10(71.4%) were neurological disorders, in 8(57.1%) were immunity and disease, and in 7 (50%) were tumor and progressive changes. Contents of pharmacology in 15(100%) were cardivascular drugs, introduction to pharmacology, hypnotics, analgesics, local anesthetics, an ticonvulsants. In 12(80%) were drugs activity on sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, and in 11(73%) were sulfa drugs, antibiotics, drug abuse and addiction.