• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.117-139
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• 1987

The present experiments were carried out to investigate the mode of cAMP regulation of cumulus expansion in pig. Intracellular level of cAMP in the cumulus cells was modulated by culturing porcine cumulus oocyte complexes (COC's) with forskolin, an adenylate cyclase stimulator and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), a phosphodiesterase inhibitor. The role of calcium in the hormone induced cumulus expansion process was also studied. Forskolin in the medium stimulated cumulus expansion from the concentration of 0.01 $\mu$M and induced full expansion at l-10 $\mu$M In contrast, IBMX in the medium (20-180 $\mu$M) failed to induce the expansion. Verapamil, a calcium ion transport blocker, suppressed follicle stimulating hormone(FSH)-induced cumulus expansion in a dose dependent fashion (0.002-0. 2 mM) when the COC's were exposed to the drugs during culture period (32 hr). But verapamil did not interfere with the triggering action of FSH during early four hours of culture period. The data presented here showed that adenylate cyclase in the porcine cumulus cells may play a key role in the regulation of the intracellular cAMP level and calcium ion may be involved in the later period of cumulus expansion process.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.37-47
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• 2022

Photoperiod has well been established to regulate testicular activities in golden hamsters. These animals breed actively around summer but become infertile in winter. In males, testicles are full of multistep germ cells including spermatozoa in summer. But in winter only fundamental cells consisting of the testicles are detected. The testicular degeneration is accompanied by the reduced levels of blood gonadotropins and testosterone. In this study, the expressions of gonadotropin subunit genes were investigated in the reproductive active and inactive testicles. And parts of sequences of the gonadotropin subunits were identified and compared with those of other rodents. As results, common gonadotropin alpha (CGa), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) β, and luteinizing hormone (LH) β genes were equivalently detected in pituitaries of both sexually active and inactive animals. In considering low concentrations of gonadotropin hormones determined in pituitary, the present findings imply that the processes involved in translation and/or formation of functional hormones could be impeded in the sexually inactive hamsters. All the nucleotide sequences of gonadotropin subunits identified in this study were same as those reported previously except for one base in CGa. An unsure amino acid deduced from the CGa sequence was confirmed from mRNA sequencing. The outcomes mentioned above suggest that animals with regressed testes prepare for the sexually active period forthcoming in the future.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.748-758
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• 2023

This study was conducted to investigate the change in activity and mounting behavior in Hanwoo (Korean Native Cattle) during the peri-estrus period and its application to estrus detection. A total of 20 Hanwoo cows were fitted with a neck-collar accelerometer device, which measured the location and acceleration of cow movements and recorded the number of instances of mounting behavior by the altitude data. The data were analyzed in three periods (24-, 6-, and 2-h periods). Blood samples were collected for 5 days after the prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) injection, and the concentrations of estradiol, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Activity and mounting behavior recorded over 2-h periods significantly increased as estrus approached and were more efficient at detecting estrus than over 24- and 6-h periods (p < 0.05). Endocrine patterns did not differ with the variation of individual cows during the peri-estrus period (p > 0.05). Activity was selected as the best predictor through stepwise discriminant analysis. However, activity alone is not enough to detect estrus. We suggest that a combination of activity and mounting behavior may improve estrus detection efficiency in Hanwoo. Further research is necessary to validate the findings on a larger sample size.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.117-126
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• 2023

Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment option for obesity, but its effects on reproductive hormones are not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the impact of bariatric surgery on estrogen and progesterone levels in women with obesity. This was a prospective study that included 87 women with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery and 87 control women with obesity who did not. Blood samples were collected at baseline and at 3-month and 6-month follow-up periods to measure reproductive hormones and Adiponectin as well as medical history and physical examination for endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The study found that sleeve gastrectomy significantly increased follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels in the bariatric surgery group compared to the control group at 3 and 6-month follow-up. There was no significant difference in the mean levels of estrogen and progesterone between the two groups at the 3-month follow-up period. Bariatric surgery leads to significant weight loss in women with obesity, but it does not seem to have a significant impact on estrogen and progesterone levels in the short-term. Future studies with longer follow-up periods are needed to investigate the long-term effects of bariatric surgery on reproductive hormones.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.47-54
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• 1975

난포자극호르몬(HFSH)을 클로라민 티를 사용하여 방사성요오드로 표지하였으며 평균 표지수율은 대략 65%이었다. 표지호르몬을 방사면역측정용으로 사용하기 위하여 전분젤 전기영동과 젤여과법으로 분리정제하고 그 분리정제효과를 분석한 결과 젤 여과법이 분리시간, 간편성, 항체와의 결합력 등으로 보아 우수함을 알 수 있었다. 한편 유리표지호르몬과 항체와 결합한 표지호르몬의 비율를 결정하기 위하여 이중항체법을 크로마토전기영동법과 비교하여 본 결과 이중항체법에 의해서만 효과적 비율결정이 가능하였다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.110-110
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• 2006

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.80.2-80.2
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• 2001

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2015

Objectives: Taraxaci Herba (TH) have been used in oriental medicine for many centuries as a heat-clearing, detoxifying and stimulating milk secretion drug. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of TH on the sex hormone changes and lipid metabolism in the experimental model. Methods: The experimental model of menopause was induced by bilateral ovariectomy in rats. We used TH extract with freeze-dried and $200{\pm}20g$ female Sprague-dawley rats for this Study. The level of serum total cholesterol, serum triglyceride, serum HDL-cholesterol, serum total estrogen, serum progesterone, serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and body weight were measured. Results: The results of this study were obtained as follows; 1. Sample A and Sample B significantly decreased body weight and level of serum total cholesterol, and significantly increased level of serum total estrogen as compared with control group. 2. Sample A decreased level of serum triglyceride, and was increased level of HDL-cholesterol, serum progesterone, serum FSH as compared with control group. 3. Sample B significantly increased level of HDL-cholesterol, serum FSH as compared with control group. 4. Sample B decreased level of serum triglyceride, and was increased level of serum progesterone as compared with control group. Conclusions: These results suggest that TH could be applied effectively on the treatment of menopausal syndrome.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.97-105
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• 2008

Vinclozolin (VCZ) is a systemic fungicide commonly used in fruits, vegetables and the wine industry. VCZ and its metabolites, butenoic acid (M1) and enanilide (M2) derivatives, act as anti-androgens through actions on the androgen receptor. Although there is growing body of evidence that VCZ's action as an endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) in male reproductive physiology and pathphysiology, no evidence on the VCZ's EDC action in female is available yet. Previously we found that the prepubertal VCZ exposures could effectively delay the onset of puberty in female rats, suggesting the postponed or weakened activities of hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary (H-P-O) reproductive hormonal axis. The present study was performed to examine whether the VCZ administration affects the transcriptional activities of reproductive hormone-related genes in the same animal model. VCZ (10 mg/kg/day) was administered daily from postnatal day 21 (PND 21) through the day when the first vaginal opening (V.O.) was observed. To determine the transcriptional changes of reproductive hormone-related genes in hypothalamus and pituitary, total RNAs were extracted and applied to the semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). As a result, treatment with VCZ significantly lowered the transcriptional activity of nitric oxide synthase-2 (NOS-2) which is known to adjust gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion in the hypothalamus (p<0.01). Similarly, the mRNA levels of KiSS-1, G protein-coupled receptor 54 (GPR54) and GnRH were significantly decreased in hypothalamus (p<0.01) from VCZ-treated group. As expected, the transcriptional activities of luteinizing hormone-${\beta}$ (LH-${\beta}$) and follicle stimulating hormone-${\beta}$ (FSH-${\beta}$) in the anterior pituitary from VCZ-treated group were also significantly lower than those from the control group. The present study indicates that(i) the inhibitory effect of VCZ exposure on the onset of puberty in immature female rats could be derived from the reduced transcriptional activities of gonadotropin subunits and their upstream modulators such as GnRH and KiSS-1 in hypothalamus-pituitary neuroendocrine axis, and (ii) these inhibitory effects could be mediated by NO signaling pathway.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.93-102
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• 1998

Normal and abnormal follicular growth and steroidogenesis depend on gonadotropins as well as intraovarian peptides, which may mediate or potentiate gonadotropin action. Inhibin also affect follicular development and steroidogenesis and may play a role in dominant follicle selection and follicular atresia. Therefore, we studied the differences of serum inhibin, gonadotropin and androgen levels in the women with only the ultrasound findings and no disorder, and polycystic ovary (PCO) with ovulatory disturbance. We prospectively analysed forty-three women with PCO. The diagnosis of PCO was based on typical appearance of the ovaries on TVS. Twelve women with regular menstrual cycle and normal ovarian morphology were selected as control. Basal levels of inhibin, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol $(E_2)$, testosterone (T), androstenedione (ADD), dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DS), prolactin and TSH in serum were determined. There were significant differences in basal LH levels and LH/FSH ratio between the control and the women with PCO. The basal levels of inhibin and $E_2$ in the oligo-amenorrheic PCO (N=34) were significantly higher than those in the control. There was higher negative correlation between the inhibin and T levels in the oligo-amenorrheic PCO, but, not in the regular cycling PCO. Also, there was higher positive correlation between the LH and T levels in the oligo-amenorrheic PCO, but not in the regular cycling PCO. These data presume that the initial event of PCO is elevated pituitary LH secretion. Elevated levels of LH may down-regulate LH receptors on granulosa cells and also cause hypertrophy of the thecal layer. High level of androgen secreted by the hypertrophied thecal layer may stimulate inhibin secretion from granulosa cells and can be converted to estrogen by extraovarian tissues and could serve to augment pituitary sensitivity to GnRH with a resultant secretion of more LH than FSH. Inhibin may inhibit FSH action on granulosa cell in the PCO follicle, impairing follicular development and dominant follicle selection resulted in ovulatory disturbance.