• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.227-231
• /
• 1998

A 2-year-old male pseudohermaphrodite in Korean native cattle was observed macroscopically and microscopically. The results were summarized as follows. In the female reproductive organs, the vulva and vestibule were normal size, but the vagina and uterus were shorter and smaller abnormally. The uterine tube and ovary were absent, but the small testes was located in the abdominal cavity.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.12-20
• /
• 1995

Clofibrate, a peroxisome proliferator, is hepatocarcinogenic in rats in a dose-dependent manner. A total of 70 male and female F344 rats, 5-week-old, were divided into three groups. Rats were fed clofibrate at 0, 0.25, or 0.5% in diet for 30 days. All rats were anesthetized with $CO_2$, blood samples were taken by cardiac puncture for hematology and clinical chemistry, and the rats were killed by exsanguination. Livers, kidenys, pancreas, adrenal glands, spleen, heart, lungs, thyroid gland, reproductive organs, and digestive organs were removed, weighed, later processed, and embedded with paraplast for histological examination. The relative liver and kidney weights with respect to final body weight in the clofibrate-treated group were significantly increased compared with those of control group at all dose levels (p<0.01). It has been suggested that clofibrate may influence on hepatotoxicity by increases in peroxisomal proliferation.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
• /
• 2002.10a
• /
• pp.168-168
• /
• 2002

To establish a test protocol for the rodent 20-day thyroid/pubertal assay, flutamide and diethylstilbestrol (DES) were administered to intact male Sprague-Dawley rats from postnatal day 33 for 20 days. Flutamide (1, 5, and 25 mg/kg/day) or DES (10, 20, and 40 ug/kg/day) was given once daily by oral gavage to immature male rats. Prepuce separation was significantly delayed in flutamide group and in DES group. One day after the last dose, the rats were killed and pituitary, thyroid, and reproductive organs were removed and weighed. Flutamide treatment resulted in a significant reduction in the weights of epididymides, ventral prostate, seminal vesicles plus coagulating glands and fluid (SVCGF), levator ani. bulbocarvenus muscles (LABC), Cowper's glands, and glans penis. The weight of adrenal glands decreased at % mg/kg/day, while testes and any other organ weights were unaffected. No microscopic changes were observed in the thyroid glands. Serum levels of testosterone wert significantly increased in the flutamide-treated groups and serum levels of estradiol were also increased. A significant reduction in the weights of testes, epididymides, ventral prostate, SVCGF, LABC, Cowpers glands, and glans penis of DES treated group. Serum testosterone and LH decreased significantly in DES group. Decrease of estradiol was observed, but not significant. These results indicate that flutamide and DES delay puberty in the male rat and its mode of action appears to be via altered secretion of steroids, which subsequently affect the development of the reproductive tract. (Supported by the grant from NITR/Korea FDA for Endocrine Disrupter Research.)

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.60 no.1
• /
• pp.9-14
• /
• 2020

This study describes pathological, immunohistochemical, and bacteriological findings in adult dogs and fetuses naturally infected with Brucella (B.) canis. A total of 42 dogs including 40 dogs and 2 aborted fetuses were examined. The most common gross lesions in infected dogs were swelling of lymph nodes and spleen. The testes showed marked swelling with multifocal to diffuse reddish discoloration. The most significant histopathological lesions were observed in the placenta. Placental trophoblasts were markedly hypertrophied due to the accumulation of intra-cellular gram-negative bacteria. Lymphocytic inflammation of varying severity was observed in the reproductive organs such as male testis, epididymis, and prostate gland and female uterus. Strong immunolabelling was observed in the cytoplasm of most trophoblasts in the placental tissues using immunohistochemistry. However, immunohistochemical staining did not demonstrate any organisms in other organs of dogs and fetuses. B. canis isolates were most frequently obtained from the whole blood (82.5%) and superficial inguinal lymph node (77.5%) in both sexes. In addition, the isolation rate was higher in male genital organs than in those of females. Hence, management of male dogs is most important because infected dogs can play a role as carriers.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.301-309
• /
• 2009

Estrogens induce pronounced structural and functional changes in male and female reproductive system, but the exact mechanisms of estrogen are not fully understood. In relation to estrogen's function, the present study was designed to identify effects of estrogen receptor agonist, 4,4',4"- (4-propyl-[1H]-pyrazole-1,3,5-triyl)tris phenol (PPT) in the reproductive organ of the female mouse. The PPT was subcutaneously given to adult female mice at a weekly dosage of 3 mg in a volume 0.06 mL of vehicle for 3, 5 or 8 weeks whereas controls received weekly injections of the castor oil vehicle. Effects of PPT on reproductive organs were analyzed using a light microscope. PPT induced decreases of body, ovary and adipose tissue weights with experimental time. Ovary diameter of PPT treatment group was reduced as compared with control group. The number of Graffian follicle and corpus luteum was reduced in PPT treatment group. The luminal diameter of uterus was increased in relation with decrease of myometrium and endometrium height by PPT administration. The number of uterine glands was decreased by PPT treatment. These data indicate that PPT treatment induced morphological change of female reproductive organs resulting in alteration of fertility.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2008

The testis and epididymis are important organs of the male reproductive system; the functionis to produce, mature, transport, and store sperm. It is important to understand the localization and expressionof specific proteins based for the studies of its physiological processes. In this study, we investigated theexpression and distribution of galectin-3, one of beta-galactoside-binding proteins, in the testis andepididymis of mouse using western blot and imunohistochemistry. Western blot analysis revealed that theexpression of galectin-3, 29 kDa protein, was low in the testis. In the epididymis, high expression wasdetected in the body and tail part, but moderate expression in the head part. By immunohistochemicalanalysis, we found that positive localization of galectin-3 was detected in some myoid cells and Leydigin the epithelium of epididymis, especially in the epithelium of both body and tail of epididymis. Collectively,these results suggest that galectin-3 is constitutively expressed in the testis and epididymis of mouse withvarying intensity, and the role of galectin-3 in the male reproductive organ may be involved in the specificfunction of its structures.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.53 no.1
• /
• pp.65-75
• /
• 2015

Clonorchis sinensis habitating in the bile duct of mammals causes clonorchiasis endemic in East Asian countries. Parkin is a RING-between-RING protein and has E3-ubiquitin ligase activity catalyzing ubiquitination and degradation of substrate proteins. A cDNA clone of C. sinensis was predicted to encode a polypeptide homologous to parkin (CsParkin) including 5 domains (Ubl, RING0, RING1, IBR, and RING2). The cysteine and histidine residues binding to $Zn^{2+}$ were all conserved and participated in formation of tertiary structural RINGs. Conserved residues were also an E2-binding site in RING1 domain and a catalytic cysteine residue in the RING2 domain. Native CsParkin was determined to have an estimated molecular weight of 45.7 kDa from C. sinensis adults by immunoblotting. CsParkin revealed E3-ubiquitin ligase activity and higher expression in metacercariae than in adults. CsParkin was localized in the locomotive and male reproductive organs of C. sinensis adults, and extensively in metacercariae. Parkin has been found to participate in regulating mitochondrial function and energy metabolism in mammalian cells. From these results, it is suggested that CsParkin play roles in energy metabolism of the locomotive organs, and possibly in protein metabolism of the reproductive organs of C. sinensis.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.13-19
• /
• 2003

GX-12 is a naked DNA vaccine developed by the DongA Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Genexine for the treatment of HIV infection. This study was peformed to evaluate the biodistribution and expression of GX-12 mRNA in gonadal tissues, and to investigate the histopathological changes after the repeated intramuscular injection. GX-12 (400 $\mu\textrm{g}$/head) was injected into the left anterior tibialis once a week for four weeks. On day 1, 5, 15, 30 and 45 after the final administration, gonadal tissues (testes, epididymis, seminal vesicles, penis, prostate glands, ovaries, vagina, uterus) and the injection site (muscle) were harvested and examined for the expression of mRNA by RT-PCR. In addition, histopathological examination was peformed at each time point. At the injection site, mRNA expression of GX-12 was detected only at early time points (1 ~ 15 days after injection) but not thereafter. However, in gonadal tissues, mRNA expression was not identified at all time points both in male and female rats. There were no histopathological changes in all reproductive organs and muscle. Based on these results, it is unlikely that the plasmid DNAs of GX-12 was distributed to- and expressed in gonadal tissues, suggesting that the chance of germline integration and transmission is negligible.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.24 no.10
• /
• pp.1070-1077
• /
• 2014

In this study, the estrogen receptor agonist propyl pyrazole triol (PPT), which has high-affinity with the estrogen receptor alpha, was subcutaneously injected into adult male mice every 2 days for 8, 16 and 24 days, after which histological changes in accessory genital glands, including the prostate and seminal vesicle, and the liver were observed. The body and genital gland weights decreased in the PPT group relative to those of the control group. However, the liver weight was two times greater in the PPT group. The luminal area of the prostate and seminal vesicle organs was lower in the PPT group, and the epithelial cell height of the prostate was increased relative to that of the control. There were many secretory vacuoles in the supranuclear cytoplasm of epithelial cells in the seminal vesicles of the control group, but these were not observed in the PPT group. The short sinusoidal diameter of the liver was 147.0%, 198.7%, and 223.3% greater in the PPT group than in the control group after 8, 16, and 24 days of treatment, respectively. These results suggest that PPT administration affected the reproductive organs and the liver and that the histological changes increased in accordance with a rise in the concentration of PPT. Overall, the PPT treatment caused changes in the epithelial cell height and resulted in atrophy of the luminal area of the prostate, leading to altered fertility. The sinusoidal diameter of the liver dramatically increased in response to the administration of PPT, increasing the liver weight.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.265-276
• /
• 2011

The aim of the present study is to validate the effects of treatment with different concentration of estrogen receptor alpha agonist, propyl pyrazole triol (PPT) on the weight and histological structure in the accessory reproductive organs (ventral prostate, seminal vesicle and preputial gland) of male mouse. Treated groups received different doses of PPT 0.01 mg, 0.1 mg and 1.0 mg per week respectively, for 3, 5, and 8 weeks. In general, the weight of reproductive organs was increased in PPT 0.01 mg and 0.1 mg treatment, however decreased in PPT 1.0 mg treatment. Epithelial tissues in the ventral prostate were changed from simple columnar epithelium to squamous or cuboidal epithelium in the treated groups. On week 3, PPT groups caused decrease of epithelial cell height in the ventral prostate. Lumen of the seminal vesicle was narrowed in the treated group. Epithelial cell height of seminal vesicle was reduced in the PPT treatment. Acinus tissue of preputial gland in PPT 1.0 mg treatment was dramatically atrophied than that of control group. These results are useful as a reference to determine the administration concentration of PPT in experiments for understanding the physiological functions of estrogen in the male.