• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.245-254
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• 2010

For the studies of germ cell development and maturation in the ovary, the gametogenic cycle and the number of spawning seasons per year in female Ruditapes philippinarum were investigated by quantitative statistical analysis using an Image Analyzer System. Compared with the results by qualitative and quantitative analyses, monthly variations in female gonad indice by qualitative histological analysis showed a pattern similar to that of the female gametogenic cycle calculated by quantitative statistical analysis. The number of spawning seasons occurred once per year, from June to October. In quantitative statistical analysis using an image analyzer system, monthly changes in the portions (%) of the ovary area to total tissue areas in females increased in March and reached a maximum in May, and then showed a rapid decrease from June to October when spawning occurred. And also monthly changes in portions (%) of follicle areas to the ovary area and in portions of oocyte areas to ovarian tissue areas in females began to increase in March and reached a maximum in May, and then. rapidly dropped from June to October when spawnig occurred. From these data, it is apparent that the number of spawning seasons occurred once per year, from June to October. Monthly changes in the number of the oocyte per $mm^2$ and in mean diameter of the oocyte in captured image which were calculated for each female slide showed a maximum in May and reached the minimum from December to February. Therefore, female R. philippinarum showed a unimodal gametogenic cycle during the year.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.85-93
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• 2005

Estrogens are known as the steroid hormones and essential regulators of developments, differentiations, and fertility in animals including humans. Recently, classic focus on estrogens which are considered as female hormone is changing in the whole field of reproductive endocrinology. Especially, interest in estrogen functions in male reproduction is increasing more and more, as numerous studies about the endocrine disruptors, interrupting the endocrine system, are being carried out. To understand exactly the function of estrogen in a male reproductive system, a summary for estrogen receptors upon developmental distributions in testis will be useful. In addition to the regulatory roles of estrogen in male, unexpected exposure to exogenous estrogens causes defects of differentiation of male reproductive system and an injury of spermatogenesis. Also, this review highlights the indicator of exogenous estrogens to perturb male fertility. These approaches would give tile practical information about estrogen roles in male development and reproduction.

• BMB Reports
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• v.51 no.11
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• pp.557-562
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• 2018

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are major sources of cellular oxidative stress. Specifically, cancer cells harbor genetic alterations that promote a continuous and elevated production of ROS. While such oxidative stress conditions could be harmful to normal cells, they facilitate cancer cell growth in multiple ways by causing DNA damage and genomic instability, and ultimately by reprogramming cancer cell metabolism. This review provides up to date findings regarding the roles of ROS generation induced by diverse biological molecules and chemicals in representative women's cancer. Specifically, we describe the cellular signaling pathways that regulate direct or indirect interactions between ROS homeostasis and metabolism within female genital cancer cells.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.197-204
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• 2001

Endocrine disruption in crucian carp (Carassius auratus) living in the branch of Han River were examined. Vitellogenin level in plasma was measured using ELISA system and aromatase mRNA level in brain was observed using RT-PCR technique. In all female fish, vitellogenin levels were in the range of 20∼40 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml and aromatase mRNA expression could be detected on the agarose gel after RT-PCR. However, in case of males, vitellogenin level was elevated in only one fish, while vitellogenin was hardly detected in others. Aromatase was expressed in all males although the levels were relatively lower than the level in female fish. Testis-ova and any other histological changes of reproductive organ were not shown in both sexes.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.29-33
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• 2009

This study devised and tested a histological staging system for gonadal development in the trumpet shell, Charonia sauliae, which was collected along the south coast of Jeju Island, South Korea. This paper details for the first time the gonadal development characteristics of C. sauliae. Ovary and testis development in C. sauliae can be roughly divided into five stages: growing, mature, spent, degenerative, and resting. The trumpet shelll has multiple fecundation and fertilization during the spawning season for out-of-step gonadal development in high-temperature and low-salinity environments. Female trumpet shell tended to have larger shells and were more abundant than males (64.26% of all animals collected were female).

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.50-59
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• 2018

Background: Duodichogamy is the rarest form of dichogamy in angiosperms, which is characterized by flowering in the sequence of male${\rightarrow}$female${\rightarrow}$male. Disentangling factors promoting duodichogamy require the discovery of more duodichogamous species in angiosperms. However, extremely limited information on duodichogamous species makes it difficult to make general conclusions. Given the inflorescence morphology and flowering characteristics, the Meliaceae family is highly likely to contain duodichogamous species. Methods: We selected 48 individuals from 20 populations in Korea and investigated their flower morphology, arrangement of flowers by sexual condition within inflorescences, and flowering phases and duration of male and female flowers of Toona sinensis (Meliaceae) for 5 years (2011-2015) to determine if the species shows duodichogamous flowering. Results: Toona sinensis belonging to Meliaceae possessed functionally unisexual flowers with rudimentary parts of the opposite sex. The floral organs in male were larger than those in female, except for ovary length and width. In dichasium, male flowers were observed on primary or lateral branches, whereas female flowers were borne only on lateral branches. Overall, individuals from six different populations flowered in the male${\rightarrow}$female${\rightarrow}$male sequence, thereby male is blooming far longer than female flowers at the level of individual trees (male vs. female = 17-20 days vs. 2-4 days). Conclusions: This is the first study to report a duodichogamously flowering species, T. sinensis, within Meliaceae. Several flowering characteristics observed from T. sinensis may be important clues used to discover additional duodichogamous Meliaceae species. Short flowering period and relatively small number of female flowers, which is analogous to reduced ovule numbers observed in other duodichogamous species, may intensify male-male competition in T. sinensis. This study contributed to narrowing down potential candidates of duodichogamy based on their geographic distributions and flowering time.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.127-145
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• 2000

The objectives of this study are to identify health behaviors and health problems. and the relations between health behaviors and health problems of female workers in the retail business. The number of subjects were 200 female workers of 6 department stores in Seoul and Kyonggi area, whose jobs last more than 6 months as retail employees. The data was collected during 2 months from July 1 to August 30, 1998. The Cornell Medical Index Health Questionnaire(CMI) was used to measure their health problems, while health behaViorn were investigated in terms of 'smoking', 'alcohol', exercise', 'diet', and 'sleeping'. The data were analyzed with frequency. percentage, t-test, ANOVA test, and $X^2-test$ by SPSS PC+ program. The results of this study are as follows: 1. Out of health problems. Digestive symptoms occupied the highest percent number. nervous ones the second and cardiovascular ones the third among physical health problems of retail female workers. The most frequent mental health problem was 'adequacy' and the next, 'tension' and 'anger', 2, Health problems according to general characteristics of subjects were shown that the younger or the unmarried complained more than the older or the married, especially in the items of 'eye and ear', 'respiratory system', 'cardiovascular system', 'digestive tract', 'nervous system', 'adequacy', and 'depression'. The longer working duration they have had, the more they complained of 'respiratory system' and 'adequacy'. The lower academic careers complained of 'nervous' than the higher ones with statistical significance. 3. The analysis of daily health clinic notes showed that respiratory complaints were the highest percent, successively followed by digestive tract, nervous one, external injury, musculoskeletal system, urinary-reproductive system and others. 4. The level of their health practice was generally low in smoking, diet habit and alcohol intake, exercise, sleeping, very low especially in smoking, diet, alcohol intake, and exercise among them all. 5. Present smokers and ones with past experience complained of physical and mental health problems of 'respiratory system', 'digestive tract', 'skin', 'nervous', 'urinary-reproductive system', 'fatigability', adequacy', 'depression', 'anxiety', 'anger' and 'tension', than non smokers, with statistical difference. Workers without having breakfast and with irregular diet had more complaints on 'digestive tract', 'adequacy' and 'tension', than those who had regular dietary habit. The less the subjects slept, the more they complained of eye and ear, cardiovascular system. The subjects who drank alcohol complained more digestive problem. However, whether they exercise or not did not affect physical and mental health problems in a significant manner. 6. The subjects' age and marital status were statistically significant relating to health behaviors, as the younger or unmarried recorded a low level of health practice in smoking, drinking, dietary habit. Based on the results, the suggestions are made as follows: 1. Health education program on smoking, alcohol intake, diet habit is needed to improve health problems and health behavior of female retail workers. 2. The unmarried workers of late teen and twenties, who are transitional period from teenagers to adulthood are important targets for health promotion program especially for maternal health. 3. Better working environment with sufficient time and facilities for workers to relax is required to promote female sales workers' health. 4. Further research is required to identify the relation between workers' visual fatigue and intense lights for the display of goods.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.207-213
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• 2010

Thousands of new chemicals have been introduced to environment during last decades. Many of them and common consumer products have been shown to be the endocrine disrupting chemicals. One such chemical group is the phthalates, used in soft poly vinyl chloride (PVC) material and in a huge number of consumer products. The prevalence of these modem chemicals have a remarkable increase. Approximately 3.5 million tons of the main phthalate, di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), are produced annually worldwide and indeed, DEHP is considered a ubiquitous environmental contaminant. It has been demonstrated that high doses of phthalate can adversely affect adult and developing animals. In this review, we critically discuss the conclusions of recently original research papers and provide an overview of studies on reproductive disrupting effects of phthalates. In addition, we review the reproductive toxicity data of phthalates in some in vitro research and in both male and female reproductive systems in experimental and domestic animals. Finally, we point out some critical issues that should be addressed in order to clarify the implication of phthalates for human reproduction.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.383-387
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• 1999

Objective: There is increasing evidence for the expression of rat in gene in several extrapituitary sites including testis and ovary. We also have demonstrated that the local LH expression in the rat epididymis and uterus, the major accessory sex organs in male and female reproductive system, respectively. Design: The present study was undertaken to elucidate whether the gene for LH receptor is expressed in rat uterus and whether the expressions of uterine LH and its receptor are differentially regulated during estrous cycle. Presence of the transcripts for rat LH receptor in the rat uterine tissue were confirmed by touchdown reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: In $LH{\beta}$ semi-quantitative RT-PCR, the highest expression level was shown in estrus stage. The level of ill receptor transcripts was also fluctuated during estrous cycle. In ovariectomized rats (OVX + Oil), the expressions of both uterine LH and LH-R were markedly reduced when compared to those from normal rats. Supplement with estradiol $17{\beta}$ to the ovariectomized rats (OVX + $E_2$) restored the expression levels of LH and its receptor to the levels in uteri from normal rats. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that 1) LH and its receptor gene are expressed in the rat uterus from cycling rats, 2) the expression of uterine LH and its receptor is mainly, if not all, under the control of ovarian sex steroid(s). These results suggested that the uterine LH may act as a local regulator with auto and/or paracrine manner, though the posibility that the pituitary LH may act directly on the regulation of uterine functions could not be discarded.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.175-184
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• 2022

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impacts of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and conditioned medium (CM) derived from endometrial stromal cells on mouse preantral follicle culture in a two-dimensional system to produce competent mature oocytes for fertilization. Methods: In total, 240 preantral follicles were isolated from female mouse ovarian tissue and divided into four groups. The preantral follicles were isolated three times for each group and then cultured, respectively, in the presence of alpha minimum essential medium (control), PRP, CM, and PRP+CM. The in vitro growth, in vitro maturation, and cleavage percentage of the preantral follicles were investigated. Immunocytochemistry (IHC) was also conducted to monitor the meiotic progression of the oocytes. Additionally, the mRNA expression levels of the two folliculogenesis-related genes (Gdf9 and Bmp15) and two apoptosis-related genes (Bcl2 and Bax) were investigated using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: In the PRP, CM, and PRP+CM groups, the preantral follicle maturation (evaluated by identifying polar bodies) were greater than the control group. The cleavage rate in the CM, and PRP+CM groups were also greater than the control group. IHC analysis demonstrated that in each treatment group, meiotic spindle was normal. In the PRP+CM group, the gene expression levels of Bmp15, Gdf9, and Bcl2 were greater than in the other groups. The Bax gene was more strongly expressed in the PRP and control groups than in the other groups. Conclusion: Overall, the present study suggests that the combination of CM and PRP can effectively increase the growth and cleavage rate of mouse preantral follicles in vitro.