• 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.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.374-382
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• 2017

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains unexplained and untreated despite the high attention of research in recent years. Aside from its various characteristics is the baffling male preponderance over the female population. Using a validated animal model of ASD which is the telomerase reverse transcriptase overexpressing mice (TERT-tg), we conducted ASD-related behavioral assessments and protein expression experiments to mark the difference between male and females of this animal model. After statistically analyzing the results, we found significant effects of TERT overexpression in sociability, social novelty preference, anxiety, nest building, and electroseizure threshold in the males but not their female littermates. Along these differences are the male-specific increased expressions of postsynaptic proteins which are the NMDA and AMPA receptors in the prefrontal cortex. The vGluT1 presynaptic proteins, but not GAD, were upregulated in both sexes of TERT-tg mice, although it is more significantly pronounced in the male group. Here, we confirmed that the behavioral effect of TERT overexpression in mice was male-specific, suggesting that the aberration of this gene and its downstream pathways preferentially affect the functional development of the male brain, consistent with the male preponderance in ASD.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.193-200
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• 2016

Male reproductive organs are strongly affected by estrogen signaling mediated via the estrogen receptor. In this study, propyl pyrazole triol (PPT), an estrogen receptor alpha agonist, was subcutaneously injected in adult male mice every 2 days for a total duration of 8, 16, or 24 days. Histological changes in the reproductive organs, including the testes, efferent ductules, and epididymides, were observed. The weight of the reproductive organs decreased in the PPT group. In addition, the diameter of the seminiferous tubules decreased in the PPT group compared with the control group. The epithelial cell height decreased in the initial segment of the epididymis, whereas the luminal diameter increased in the efferent ductules of the PPT group. PPT induced irregular morphology of stereocilia in the luminal region of the initial segment. Therefore, PPT treatment at high concentrations had inhibitory effects in the reproductive organs of adult male mice. These findings suggest that short-term treatment with estrogen receptor agonist causes histological changes in the testes, efferent ductules, and epididymis, which are similar to those caused by estrogen receptor antagonist treatment. Therefore, the estrogen receptor may have functional roles in male reproductive organs, implying that treatment with an estrogen receptor agonist can affect male fertility.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2002.06a
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• pp.4-4
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• 2002

Male germ cell apoptosis has been extensively explored in rodent. In contrast, very little is known about their susceptibility to apoptosis stimuli of developing germ cell stages at the time when germ cell depletion after busulfan treatment occurs. Furthermore, it is still unanswered how spermatogonial stem cells are resistant to busulfan treatment. Spontaneous apoptosis of germ cells was observed in the testis of adult mice and experimentally induced busulfan treated mice increased this apoptosis to such an extent that there was a decrease in the weight of the testis. (omitted)

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.75-80
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• 1994

The effects of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) were studied on the hepatotoxicity induced by several hepatotoxicants such as carbonte trachloride, thioacetamide and 1-naphthylisothiocyanate in ICR male mice. UDCA (50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg) decreased the elevated serum bilirubin in carbon tetrachloride intoxicated mice, the elevated serum AST, alkaline phosphatase in thioacetamide intoxicated mice, the elevated serum AST and bilirubin in 1-naphthylisothiocyanate intoxicated mice.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.351-357
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• 1999

Hair growth effects of Sangmosu have been evaluated in C57BL/6 mice. Animals were topically treated with Sangmosu (50 or $100{\;}{\mu}l/mouse$) for 40 days on the back of shaved area. Twenty days after treatment, hair growth effects were significantly observed in both female and male mice. There was no sex difference although 30 days after treatment female mice were shown to be more effective at the dose of $50{\;}{\mu}l/mouse$ than males. These data demonstrate that Sangmosu is very effective in hair growth effects in animals and thus it may be applicable to humans.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.167-174
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• 2018

Alterations in sulfur amino acid metabolism are associated with an increased risk of a number of common late-life diseases, which raises the possibility that metabolism of sulfur amino acids may change with age. The present study was conducted to understand the age-related changes in hepatic metabolism of sulfur amino acids in 2-, 6-, 18- and 30-month-old male C57BL/6 mice. For this purpose, metabolite profiling of sulfur amino acids from methionine to taurine or glutathione (GSH) was performed. The levels of sulfur amino acids and their metabolites were not significantly different among 2-, 6- and 18-month-old mice, except for plasma GSH and hepatic homocysteine. Plasma total GSH and hepatic total homocysteine levels were significantly higher in 2-month-old mice than those in the other age groups. In contrast, 30-month-old mice exhibited increased hepatic methionine and cysteine, compared with all other groups, but decreased hepatic S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), S-adenosylhomocysteine and homocysteine, relative to 2-month-old mice. No differences in hepatic reduced GSH, GSH disulfide, or taurine were observed. The hepatic changes in homocysteine and cysteine may be attributed to upregulation of cystathionine ${\beta}-synthase$ and down-regulation of ${\gamma}-glutamylcysteine$ ligase in the aged mice. The elevation of hepatic cysteine levels may be involved in the maintenance of hepatic GSH levels. The opposite changes of methionine and SAM suggest that the regulatory role of SAM in hepatic sulfur amino acid metabolism may be impaired in 30-month-old mice.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.485-491
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• 2010

With an increase in the number of people suffering from ageing-related diseases in our rapidly aging society, interests in natural products such as maca(Lepidium meyenii), which has properties of enhancing cognition and sexual performance, have increased. This study was conducted to assess the effects of 7 weeks of maca extract supplementation(0.5~2.0 g/kg BW) on scopolamine-induced amnesia in mice and on sperm count in male mice. All doses of maca supplementation significantly protected against scopolamine-induced amnesia as determined by a Morris water maze, but not according to passive avoidance tests. Maca supplementation did not affect acetylcholinesterase activity in the whole brain, nor the testicular sperm count of male mice. This study suggests that maca may have some neuroprotective properties in mice, which will be further examined by future studies.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.182-193
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• 1999

In order to establish basic data of SAMP6 as an animal model for osteoporosis, present study has been designed to concentrate on the various biological aspects of SAMP6 such as growth index, hematology, blood biochemistry, biochemical characteristics, and bone and cortical thickness. Investigation period was for 15 months (3 months to 18 months of age) and biological characteristics have been examined throughout the study period. The results were summarized as follows : Decreased body weight of male SAMP6 was noticed from 7 months of age compared to from 18 months of age in female. Although there were no significant differences in organ weights, generally those of male mice were greater than those of females, especially in liver, kidney and lung. According to the analysis of blood biochemistry and hematology, the number of leukocytes in male mice was greater than that of female mice. There was a decrease in bone thickness in both male and female mice starting around from 7 months of age. Peak cortical thickness index was noticed at 5 months of age in both sexes. In femur, the highest $Ca^{2+}$ content for both sexes was noticed at 5 months of age, whereas the highest P$^{3+}$ content was noted at the age of 5 and 7 months in male and female mice, respectively. The contents of both elements were gradually decreased with age after peaks for both sexes. In summary, SAMP6 mice in KRICT colony show osteoporotic characteristics starting from 5 to 7 months of age, suggesting that at least 5 months of old animals should be used for studying the mechanism of osteoporosis or screening anti-osteoporosis drugs. This study also suggests that the cortical index thickness, $Ca^{2+}$ and P$^{3+}$ contents, and alkaline phosphatase activities can be used as indexes for drug screening.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.369-378
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• 2005

An herbal water extract of Bojungikkeehapdaechilkitang(BDT) was prepared to test it for single-dose and repeated-dose toxicity, genotoxicity and reproductive toxicity, and to obtain a 50% lethal dose$(LD_{50})$, approximated lethal dose(ALD), and approximated target organs for BDT. The extract was tested on female and male ICR mice according to KFDA Guideline 1999-61 at doasge level of 2000, 1000, 500, 250 and 125mg/kg/10mL In this study, clinical signs, mortalities and gross findings of principal organs were observed for 14 days of single dosing, and afterwards in some cases. The ALD and $LD_{50}$ of BDT extract obtained in this study was>2000mg/kg for both male and female ICR mice. Also, any possible digestive toxicity of BDT extract was found to be above 1000mg/kg in both male and female ICR mice. The results of this study strongly suggest that BDT extract has no toxic effect at dosage level below 500mg/kg.