• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.149-155
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• 2013

Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS) is a member of the TGF-${\beta}$ (transforming growth factor-${\beta}$) family whose members play key roles in development, suppression of tumour growth, and feedback control of the pituitary-gonadal hormone axis. MIS is expressed in a highly tissue-specific manner in which it is restricted to male Sertoli cells and female granulose cells. The serum levels of MIS in prenatal and postnatal ICR mice were measured using the enzyme-linked immuno-solvent assay (ELISA) using the MIS/AMH antibody. Mice were grouped by age: the significant periods were at the onset of development. During sex organ differentiation, no remarkable difference between female and male foetus MIS serum levels (both<0.1 ng/ml) was observed. However, MIS serum levels in pregnant mice markedly changed (4.5~12.2 ng/ml). After birth, postnatal female and male mice serum MIS levels changed considerably (male: <0.1~138.5 ng/ml, female: 5.3~103.4 ng/ml), and the changing phase were diametrically opposed (male: decreasing, female: fluctuating). These findings suggest that MIS may have strong associations with not only develop-ment but also puberty. For further studies, establishing the standard MIS serum levels is of importance. Our study provides the basic information for the study of MIS interactions with reproductive organ disability, cancer, and the effect of other hormone or menopause. We hypothesise that if MIS is regularly injected into middle-age women, meno-pause will be delayed. We detected that serum MIS concentration curves change with age. The changing phase is different between males and females, and this difference is significant after birth. Moreover, MIS mRNA is expressed during the developmental period (prenatal) and also in the postnatal period. This finding indicates that MIS may play a significant role in the developmental stage and in growth after birth.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.585-590
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of oral-administered sex hormone for hybrid sturgeon, bester juvenile. The bester juveniles (2 months after hatching) were received a diet containing various doses of $17\alpha$-methyltestosterone (MT) or estradiol-$17\beta$ ($E_2$) for 6 months. Somatic growth of bester sturgeon juvenile did not show significant differences between experimental and control groups (27.9-30.5 cm; 125.1-161.7 g), although survival percentages showed a decreasing tendency in MT-treated animals. By histological examination, germ cells were recorded as smooth type in MT-treated fish and uneven type of germinal epithelium in $E_2$-treated animals. Their sex ratios were 5:4:1 (male: female: undifferentiation) in control and low dose of MT-treated fish (1 mg/kg), and 9:1:0 in fish treated with high dose of MT (10 mg/kg), whereas the ratios were reversed by both low and high doses of $E_2$ treatment, recorded as 2:8:0. Gonadal areas were not significantly differed in all trials (424,600.4 - 1,039,656.3 ${\mu}m^2$). Total number of germ cells, number of germ cells per gonadal areas and number of germ cells per area were significantly higher to 144.7-148.7 cells/section, 374.0-408.5 $cells/mm^2$ and 1,599.5-1,670.9 $cells/mm^2$ in $E_2$ treatment than those of others (30.4-63.9 cells/section, 148.4-226.9 $cells/mm^2$ and 850.0-1,050.6 $cells/mm^2$), respectively. And somatic growth according to their gender was not significantly differed between male and female.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.sup1
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• pp.121-124
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• 2016

Turner syndrome (TS) is a genetic disorder in phenotypic females that has characteristic physical features and presents as partial or complete absence of the second sex chromosome. Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a condition caused by insufficient release of growth hormone from the pituitary gland. The concomitant occurrence of TS and GHD is rare and has not yet been reported in Korea. Here we report 2 cases of TS and GHD. In case 1, GHD was initially diagnosed. Karyotyping was performed because of the presence of the typical phenotype and poor response to growth hormone therapy, which revealed 45,X/45,X+mar. The patient showed increased growth velocity after the growth hormone dose was increased. In case 2, a growth hormone provocation test and chromosomal analysis were performed simultaneously because of decreased growth velocity and the typical TS phenotype, which showed GHD and a mosaic karyotype of 45,X/46,XX. The patient showed spontaneous pubertal development. In female patients with short stature, it is important to perform a throughout physical examination and test for hormonal and chromosomal abnormalities because diagnostic accuracy is important for treatment and prognosis.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.261-266
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• 2008

In the present study, we investigated in vivo effects of Manchurian trout recombinant gonadotrophin hormone (mt-rGTH) on the induction of maturation in female eel, Anguilla japonica. The brood stock, female eel (450$\pm$50 g) were weekly injected intramuscularly with different doses of 0.1, 1, 10 ${\mu}g\m{\ell}$/fish (mt-rFSH or mt-rLH) for 10 week. The effects of r-mtGTH were analyzed by gonadosomatic index (GSI), ovarian follicle diameter and sex steroid levels. All groups did not exhibit significant differences in the GSI values. Whereas plasma testosterone (T) and estradiol-17$\beta$ (E2) levels did not change significantly in control group, plasma levels of T and E2 by injection of the r-mtFSH or r-mtLH were increased at 2 or 4 week after injection. In addition, injection of the mt-rFSH (1, 10 ${\mu}g/m{\ell}$/fish) or mt-rLH (0.1, 1, 10 ${\mu}g/m{\ell}$/fish) significantly increased follicle diameters comparing to the control group. These results demonstrate that the recombinant hormone may affect early ovary development and maturation in female eel. Taken together, these results suggest that the recombinant Manchurian trout FSH and LH are effective for reproductive activities in female eel.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.331-341
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• 2019

Cancer is one of the common causes of death with a high degree of mortality, worldwide. In many types of cancers, if not all, sex-biased disparities have been observed. In these cancers, an individual's sex has been shown to be one of the crucial factors underlying the incidence and mortality of cancer. Accumulating evidence suggests that differentially expressed genes and proteins may contribute to sex-biased differences in male and female cancers. Therefore, identification of these molecular differences is important for early diagnosis of cancer, prediction of cancer prognosis, and determination of response to specific therapies. In the present review, we summarize the differentially expressed genes and proteins in several cancers including bladder, colorectal, liver, lung, and nonsmall cell lung cancers as well as renal clear cell carcinoma, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The sex-biased molecular differences were identified via proteomics, genomics, and big data analysis. The identified molecules represent potential candidates as sex-specific cancer biomarkers. Our study provides molecular insights into the impact of sex on cancers, suggesting strategies for sex-biased therapy against certain types of cancers.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.31-35
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• 2002

The major urinary proteins(MUPs) of mice that bind hydrophobic molecules known as pheromones are regulated in part by the actions of growth hormone. The expression of the MUPs was therefore investigated in transgenic mice that express a human growth hormone-releasing factor gene from a metallothionein gene promoter(MT-GRF) and as a result have elevated growth hormone levels. MUPs were severely down-regulated in the urine of these animals compared to normal mice or to control transgenic mice expressing another gene(the inhibin a subunit) from the same metallothionein promoter(MT-Inh) and more MUPs disappeared in male mice than female ones. MUPs were also down-regulated in the urine of the UT-GRF-injected mice. In addition, it was observed that the urine of the MT-GRF mice included a high molecular weight protein that co-migrates with the major serum protein albumin, indicating an impairment in glomerular filtration within the kidney. The urinary loss of serum proteins was more severe in male MT-GRF mice than female ones. Thus the overexpression of human GRF mimics changes observed in MUP protein expression and glomerular function in other models of growth hormone hypersecretion with sex-dependent differential effects.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.451-461
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• 2000

The locus coeruleus(LG) is known to be observed a sexual dimorphism in rat CNS. LC is the largest collections of norepinephrine(NE)-containing neurons in the mammalian brain. Especially in rat, all LC neurons contained NE unlike other mammalians, so that specific reactions were found in the tyrosine-hydroxylase(TH) immunoreactive neurons. Sexual dimorphism of rat LC has affected by genes before sex hormone appeared, thereafter affected by sex hormones. In these day, many scientists founded morphological differences between male and female LC morphology, but differences of entire structure was not founded. Thus we investigated sex differences of the LC neuron's morphology in rat by three-dimensional(3-D) reconstruction using Confocal laser scanning microscopy(CLSM). We reported that neuron's shape was relatively-large multipolar neurons and neuron's processes in dorsal LC proceeded to ventral direction in the male and female rat. Male had a longer anterior-posterior length than female had in dorsal LC. In addition to middle-LC, male rat's LC had a more thicker posterior region but had not viewed in a previous study. In reverse, female rat's LC had a thicker anterior region like a previous study. This results using 3-D reconstruction by CLSM showed that the male's LC was more wide-ranging than female's relatively.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.423-426
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• 2013

Females are more often affected by constipation than males, especially during pregnancy, which is related to the menstrual cycle. Although still controversial, alterations of progesterone and estrogen may be responsible. Therefore, this study was conducted in order to determine whether the female sex steroid hormone itself is responsible for development of constipation in both female and male mice. Administration of estrogen resulted in a decrease in weight of accumulated feces on days 2, 3, 4, and 5 in male mice and on day 5 in female mice, compared with the control group, but progesterone administration did not. Administration of estrogen resulted in a decrease in gastrointestinal movement, compared to normal; however, no significant change was observed by administration of progesterone. In conclusion, estrogen, rather than progesterone, may be a detrimental factor of constipation via decreased bowel movement in mice.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.72-76
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• 2015

$17{\alpha}$-hydroxylase and 17,20-lyase are enzymes encoded by the CYP17A1 gene and are required for the synthesis of sex steroids and cortisol. In $17{\alpha}$-hydroxylase deficiency, there are low blood levels of estrogens, androgens, and cortisol, and resultant compensatory increases in adrenocorticotrophic hormone that stimulate the production of 11-deoxycorticosterone and corticosterone. In turn, the excessive levels of mineralocorticoids lead to volume expansion and hypertension. Females with $17{\alpha}$-hydroxylase deficiency are characterized by primary amenorrhea and delayed puberty, with accompanying hypertension. Affected males usually have female external genitalia, a blind vagina, and intra-abdominal testes. The treatment of this disorder is centered on glucocorticoid and sex steroid replacement. In patients with $17{\alpha}$-hydroxylase deficiency who are being raised as females, estrogen should be supplemented, while genetically female patients with a uterus should also receive progesterone supplementation. Here, we report a case of a 21-year-old female with $17{\alpha}$-hydroxylase deficiency who had received inadequate treatment for a prolonged period of time. We also include a brief review of the recent literature on this disorder.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.33-37
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• 2021

[Purpose] Sex hormones deficiency leads to dramatically bone loss in particular postmenopausal women. Royal jelly has anti-osteoporosis effect due to maintain bone volume in that condition. We hypothesized that royal jelly protein (RJP, a latent residue after extracting royal jelly) also prevents bone deficient in ovariectomized (OVX) female rats, the animal model of postmenopausal women. [Methods] Female Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 30, 6 weeks age old) were sham operated (Sham; sham operated group, n = 7), OVX control group (OC, n = 7), OVX with low RJP intake group (ORL, n = 8), and OVX with high RJP intake group (ORH, n = 8) during 8 weeks experimental periods. In the end point of this experiment, the bone samples (lumbar spine, tibia, and femur) were surgically removed under anesthesia. These bone samples were evaluated bone mineral density (BMD) and bone strength. [Results] BMD of lumbar spine in RJP intake groups (ORL, ORH) were higher than that in OC group (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) in RJP intake volume dependent manner. BMD of tibial proximal metaphysis and diaphysis in RJP intake groups were also higher than these in OC group (p < 0.01 and p < 0.01 / p < 0.05 and p < 0.001). In addition, breaking force of femur in RJP intake groups were significantly increase compared with that in OC group (p < 0.001 respectively). [Conclusion] These findings indicate that RJP contribute to prevent sex hormone related bone abnormality.