• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• 제42권2호
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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.

• Journal of Species Research
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.145-151
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• 2015

Morphological changes of flowers and insect visitors were observed to investigate pollinator of Caesalpinia decapetala. The flowers of C. decapetala are protandrous. Functionally, the flower is changed from male to female. As a male, pollen grain is released after anther dehisced while style is immature. After completed pollen grain release, the style starts to lengthen. It helps the stigma to easily touch the carpenter bee's thorax covered with pollen grain. At this time, flower functions as a female. The majority of taxa and individuals observed were Hymenoptera. The most frequent visitor was the Xylocopa appendiculata circumvolans, carpenter bee. Carpenter bees exhibited only typical pollinator behavior among flower visitors, with touching reproductive organs and seeking nectar at the same time. The pollination behavior is as follows. Soon after carpenter bees perceived guide mark, they foraged rightward and grasped style and stamens with legs and they inserted proboscis into standard petal to seek nectar. With this behavior, the pollen grains of the male flower transfer to the ventral thorax of the carpenter bee. As the carpenter bee moves to another female flower, the deposited pollen grains are delivered to the stigma.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제33권5호
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• pp.246-254
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• 2016

The objective of the present study is to determine whether blue honeysuckle lyophilized concentrated powder (BH) has favorable effects on hypothyroidism and related reproductive organ damage. Hypothyroidism was induced by 9 subcutaneous administration of propylthiouracil (PTU) for 28 days. Levothyroxine (LT4)-treated group was intraperitoneally injected with LT4 for the same period, while for BH (125, 250, and 500 mg/kg) or Flos Lonicerae lyophilized aqueous extract (LF, 250 mg/kg)-treated groups, the test materials were orally administrated for 42 days: two weeks before PTU injection and during PTU administration. The changes in serum thyroid hormone levels, serum male sex hormone levels, and testis antioxidant defense system were observed by histopathology of the thyroid gland, epididymis, prostate, and testis. The oral administrations of 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg of BH showed favorable effects compared to LF on hypothyroidism and related damages of reproductive organs through augmentation of the antioxidant defense system in the testis. In conclusion, BH is a promising new potent thyroid gland protecting agent.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제26권3호
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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.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제5권2호
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• pp.107-114
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• 2001

환경호르몬(내분비계 장애물질)이 하등동물의 생식기 및 생식 기능 이상을 초래한다는 최근보고는 포유동물도 그 영향하에 있음을 암시한다. 따라서 2-bromopropane(2-BP)이 생쥐 차산자의 성별에 미치는 영향과 성 분화 과정 중에 발현되는 유전자를 조사하였다. 생쥐를 2-BP로 3주일 동안 주입한 암수를 4종류 조합으로 교배시 킨 후 태어난 새끼들의 성별을 이유시기에 결정하였다. 성관련 유전자들은 수태 후 10일에 어미 생쥐를 희생시켜 RT-PCR 방법으로 태자들에게서 발현되는 유전자를 탐지하였고, 동정된 범위의 핵산 서열을 기존의 보고된 서열과 비교 분석하였다. 이유시기까지 살아남은 한배 차산자 평균수는 암수를 모두 2-BP로 처리한 군에서만 약간 감소하였다. 차산자의 성비에서 암컷 어미가 2-BP로 처리된 군에서만 차산자 암컷이 수컷보다 많았으며, 그 이외의 군에서는 수컷이 암컷보다 많았다. 성 분화 시기에 발현되는 유전자들인 SRY 유전자는 416 염기, DAX1 유전자는 466 염기, SF1 유전자는 326 염기, AMH 유전자는 389 염기를 동정하였다. 이 유전자들은 흰쥐와는 89～90％의 상동성을, 그리고 사람과는 81～92％의 상동성을 보였다. 이 유전자들은 성이 결정되는 시기인 수태 10 일경에 모두 발현됨을 알 수 있었다. 따라서 2-BP는 생식능력에 어느 정도 영향을 미치는 것으로 사료된다. 포유동물의 성 분화에 미치는 내분비계 장애물질의 영향을 성관련 유전자들의 발현과 관련지어 연구할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제16권4호
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• pp.295-300
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• 2012

Manganese ($Mn^{2+}$) is a trace element that is essential for normal physiology, and is predominantly obtained from food. Several lines of evidence, however, demonstrated that overexposure to $MnCl_2$ exerts serious neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity and developmental toxicity, particularly in male. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of 0, 1.0, 3.3, and 10 mg/kg/day doses of $MnCl_2$ on the reproductive organs in the immature female rats. Rats (PND 22; S.D. strain) were exposed to $MnCl_2$ ($MnCl_2{\cdot}4H_2O$) dissolved in drinking water for 2 weeks. The animals were sacrificed on PND 35, then the tissues were immediately removed and weighed. Histological studies were performed using the uteri tissue samples. Serum LH and FSH levels were measured with the specific ELISA kits. Body weights of the experimental group animals were not significantly different from those of control group animals. However, ovarian tissue weights in 1 mg and 3.3 mg $MnCl_2$ dose groups were significantly lower than those of control animals (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). Uterine tissue weights of 3.3 mg dose $MnCl_2$ groups were significantly lower than those of control animals (p<0.01), while the 1 mg $MnCl_2$ dose and 10 mg $MnCl_2$ dose failed to induce any change in uterine weight. Similarly, only 3.3 mg $MnCl_2$ dose could induce the significant decrease in the oviduct weight compared to the control group (p<0.05). Non-reproductive tissues such as adrenal and kidney failed to respond to all doses of $MnCl_2$ exposure. The uterine histology revealed that the $MnCl_2$ exposure could affect the myometrial cell proliferation particularly in 3.3 mg dose and 10mg dose group. Serum FSH levels were significantly decreased in 1mg $MnCl_2$ dose and 10 $MnCl_2$ mg groups (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). In contrast, treatment with 1 mg $MnCl_2$ dose induced a significant increment of serum LH level (p<0.05). The present study demonstrated that $MnCl_2$ exposure is capable of inducing abnormal development of reproductive tissues, at least to some extent, and altered gonadotropin secretions in immature female rats. Combined with the well-defined actions of this metal on GnRH and prolactin secretion, one can suggest the $Mn^{2+}$ might be a potential environmental mediator which is involved in the female pubertal process.

• 한국환경성돌연변이발암원학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국환경성돌연변이발암원학회 2003년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.181-181
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• 2003

• 한국환경독성학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국환경독성학회 2001년도 춘계심포지움 및 학술발표회
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• pp.129-129
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• 2001

1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), a soil fumigant against nematodes, is a genotoxic carcinogen and also is classified by World Wildlife Fund as endocrine disruptors. DBCP has been extensively studied on genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, and damage in male reproductive-related organs. However, information on precise mechanism of mutagenesis and carcinogenesis of DBCP is yet unknown. (omitted)

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.63-65
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• 2008

The tissue distribution of $TiO_2$, nanopaprticles was investigated in mice after oral administration, and skin treatment. Male mice were treated with the dose of 5 g/kg of $TiO_2$ for three consecutive days and sacrificed at 24 hours after the last administration. As results, the orally administered $TiO_2$ nanoparticels were shown to be distributed in the testis, lung, and brain at 24 hours after the last treatment. Kidney does not seem to be the main target of $TiO_2$ nanoparticle distribution. It means that $TiO_2$ nanoparticles (17 nm) are easily absorbed through entero-gastric system and may cause toxicity in brain, lung, and reproductive organs. The distribution of skin treatment showed the same pattern like oral administration.

• 한국독성학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국독성학회 2001년도 International Symposium on Dietary and Medicinal Antimutgens and Anticarcinogens
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• pp.181-181
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• 2001

1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), a soil fumigant against nematodes, is a genotoxic carcinogen and also is classified by World Wildlife Fund as endocrine disruptors. DBCP has been extensively studied on genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, and damage in male reproductive-related organs. However, information on precise mechanism of mutagenesis and carcinogenesis of DBCP is yet unknown. Thus the mutation spectrum and mechanism of DBCP was determined in lacI transgenic Big Blu $e^{R}$ Rat2 fibroblast cell lines.(omitted)d)