• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.394-401
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• 2008

In order to access the suppressive effects of piroxicam (PX) and hydrolyzed products of Scutellariae Radix (PSH) on arthritis, we investigated whether PSH gel could suppress the progression of collagen-induced arthritis. PX, one of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has been used in the systemic and topical treatment in a variety of inflammatory conditions. Scutellariae Radix, one of the herbal medicines, was used for the purpose of anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterials. For the purpose of transdermal absorption of the hydrogel preparations, two classes of hydrogels (PX, PSH) were formulated with carbomer 940, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, polyethylene glycol-8-glyceryl caprylate/caprate and triethanolamine. In carrageenan-induced edema in rat hind paws, inhibition of foot swelling was more increased in PSH than PX hydrogel. Rheumatoid factors including serum IgG, IgM and collagen specific antibody were present much lower in PSH gel treated mice than control. Histological examination revealed that PSH hydrogel inhibited infiltration of inflammatory cells into affected paw joint, compared with control. The PSH hydrogel would be a suitable preparation to increase transdermal treatment for anti-inflammatory effects on collagen-induced arthritis.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.185-192
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• 2021

Background: It is known that some analgesics as well as pain can affect the immune system. The aim of this study was to investigate the analgesic effect and immunomodulation of pregabalin (PGB) in a mouse incisional pain model. Methods: A postoperative pain model was induced by hind paw plantar incision in male BALB/c mice. Mice were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8): a saline-treated incision (incision), PGB-treated incision (PGB-incision), sham controls without incision or drug treatment (control), and a PGB-treated control (PGB-control). In the PGB treated groups, PGB was administered intraperitoneally (IP) 30 minutes before and 1 hour after the plantar incision. Changes of the mechanical nociceptive thresholds following incision were investigated. Mice were euthanized for spleen harvesting 12 hours after the plantar incision, and natural killer (NK) cytotoxicity to YAC 1 cells and lymphocyte proliferation responses to phytohemagglutinin were compared among these four groups. Results: Mechanical nociceptive thresholds were decreased after plantar incision and IP PGB administration recovered these decreased mechanical nociceptive thresholds (P < 0.001). NK activity was increased by foot incision, but NK activity in the PGB-incision group was significantly lower than that in the Incision group (P < 0.001). Incisional pain increased splenic lymphocyte proliferation, but PGB did not alter this response. Conclusions: Incisional pain alters cell immunity of the spleen in BALB/c mice. PGB showed antinocieptive effect on mouse incisional pain and attenuates the activation of NK cells in this painful condition. These results suggest that PGB treatment prevents increases in pain induced NK cell activity.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.597-602
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• 2001

This study was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of active biotelemetry to monitor stress response, and the effects of acute stressor (raising a hind foot of a standing animal) on body temperature (BT) and heart rate (HR) in comparison heifer group (n=4) with cow group (n=3). Both parameters were recorded by active telemetry. Cortisol assay was used to compare the result of active biotelemetry. The stressor consisted in restraining the cows for hoof treatments. Body temperature and heart rate were measured at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, 180 and 360 minutes during the experiments, and also cortisol assay at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 12 and 24 hours. Base line for these animals was set in there accustomed environment at -24hrs and -30 mins before the beginning of experiments. The results obtained in this study were as follows: 1. In the BT, heifer group showed no significant difference from cow group, but were observed slightly higher BT than cow group during restraint stress for 30 minutes. 2. The both groups showed directly significant increase of HR immediately after the beginning of the restraint stress (P<0.01), but in the required time for the recovery of HR after finishing the stress, heifer group was 40 minutes and cow group 60 minutes. 3. In the cortisol assay, the both groups increased from 30 to 120 minutes after the beginning of experiment (i.e, from 0 to 90 minutes after finishing the restraint stress), showing significant difference from before the beginning of the stress (P<0.01), but heifer group showed great increase of the cortisol level from 30 to 60 minutes after the beginning of the stress, while cow group was observed at 60 minutes. In conclusion, we suppose that care is required to decrease psychological stress in cattle when they suffer from a series of procedures for diagnosis and treatment, especially in heifers rather than in cows. Also BT and HR obtained by active biotelemetry are reliable indicators of stress in cattle.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.441-449
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• 2015

This study was conducted to screen the characteristics of external and cranial characters of Crocidura shantungensis collected from Korean Peninsula, Ulleung Island and Jeju Island. There were significant differences in head-body length (HBL), tail length (TL), ear length (EL), and hind foot length (HFL) in males and HBL, TL, and HFL in females among three populations (p<0.05). The HBL and TL in the Jeju Island population were larger (8.0 mm and 4.0 mm in lengths, respectively) than those of the Korean Peninsula population. Based on skull analysis, a total of thirteen traits showed significant differences among the three populations (p<0.05). The condylo-insicive length (CIL), maximum width of brain case (MWB), mandibular length (ML), and mandibular height (MH) in the Jeju Island population were significantly larger than those of Korean Peninsula population (p<0.05). Principle component analysis (PCA) showed that two principle components (PC) identified from the PCA affected on the body size and width of the skull, respectively. Discriminant analysis revealed that these populations could be discriminated through skull traits. These findings concluded that the Jeju Island population was greater in the size than the Korean Peninsula, suggesting that the Jeju Island shrews have successfully adapted to the island environments and they had morphologically differentiated during glacial period after natural immigration into that Island. Thus, this study supports the 'Island Rule', showing that the population is well adapted to the island environments. This may provide important information for biogeographical and ecological studies on insular animals.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.389-397
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of species by comparing the external shape traits and skull size of Tscherskia triton in Jeju Island from May 2014 to November 2016. Body weight, head-body length, ear length, and hind-foot length were not statistically significant (p>0.05), but tail length was statistically significant in females compared to males (p=0.003). To examine the secondary sexual dimorphism characteristics of the collected T. triton, B_HR, T_HR, E_HR, and H_HR were calculated based on the head-body length, and only T_HR was statistically significant (p=0.003). Because of comparing male and female averages, among the 21 traits, the greatest length of skull (GLS; p=0.020) and occipitonasal length (ONL; p=0.014) were statistically significant and length of incisive foramen (LIF) was statistically significant, when the significance level was 90%. However, the other 18 traits did not show statistically significant differences between males and females (p>0.05). Other than GLS, ONL, interorbital breadth (IB), and breadth of occipital foramen (BOF), there was female-biased SSD. The results of this study are the analysis of external morphology and skull characteristics of T. triton in Jeju Island and will be used as basic data to understand the morphological characteristics of T. triton. In addition, the data can be used as a basic information to compare characteristics of T. triton, which is known as a single species, inhabited in China and Russia. The data will play an important role in biogeography and ecology research of T. triton, based on geographical conditions, climate effects, and habitat environment.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.152-165
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• 2017

The greater long-tail hamster, Tscherskia triton, is widely distributed in Northern China, Korea and adjacent areas of Russia. Except for its distribution, biological characteristics related to life history, behavior, and ecological influences for this species are rarely studied in Korea. This study was conducted to obtain biological information on breeding, growth and development that are basic to species-specific studies. The study adopted laboratory management of a breeding programme for T. triton collected in Jeju Island from March, 2015 to December, 2016. According to the study results, the conception rate was 31.67% and the mice in the large cages had a higher rate of conception than those in the small cages (56.7 vs. 6.7%). The gestation period was $22{\pm}1.6days$ (ranges from 21 to27 days), and litter size ranged from 2 to 7, with a mean of $4.26{\pm}1.37$ in the species. The minimum age for weaning was between $19.2{\pm}1.4days$ (range of 18-21 days). There were no significant differences by sex between mean body weight and external body measurements at birth. However, a significant sexual difference was found from the period of weaning (21 days old) in head and body length, as well as tail length (HBL-weaning, $106.50{\pm}6.02$ vs. $113.34{\pm}4.72mm$, p<0.05; HBL-4 months, $163.93{\pm}5.42$ vs. $182.83{\pm}4.32mm$, p<0.05; TL-4 months, $107.23{\pm}3.25$ vs. $93.95{\pm}2.15mm$, p<0.05). Gompertz and Logistic growth curves were fitted to data for body weight and lengths of head and body, tail, ear, and hind foot. In two types of growth curves, males exhibited greater asymptotic values ($164.840{\pm}7.453$ vs. $182.830{\pm}4.319mm$, p<0.0001; $163.936{\pm}5.415$ vs. $182.840{\pm}4.333mm$, p<0.0001), faster maximum growth rates ($1.351{\pm}0.065$ vs. $1.435{\pm}0.085$, p<0.05; $2.870{\pm}0.253$ vs. $3.211{\pm}0.635$, p<0.05), and a later age of maximum growth than females in head and body length ($5.121{\pm}0.318$ vs. $5.520{\pm}0.333$, p<0.05; $6.884{\pm}0.336$ vs. $7.503{\pm}0.453$, p<0.05). However, females exhibited greater asymptotic values ($105.695{\pm}5.938$ vs. $94.150{\pm}2.507mm$, p<0.001; $111.609{\pm}14.881$ vs. $93.960{\pm}2.150mm$, p<0.05) and longer length of inflection ($60.306{\pm}1.992$ vs. $67.859{\pm}1.330mm$, p<0.0001; $55.714{\pm}7.458$ vs. $46.975{\pm}1.074mm$, p<0.05) than males in tail length. These growth rate constants, viz. the morphological characters and weights of the males and females, were similar to each other in two types of growth curves. These results will be used as necessary data to study species specificity of T. triton with biological foundations.