• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.9 no.1_2
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• pp.55-68
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• 1982

The present investigation has been undertaken to understand the mechanism of implantation process, by demonstrating the role of ovarian steroids in connection with phosphatase activity in the differentiation of uterine endometrium for implantation. The results obtained are as followings: The differentiation of the uterine endometrial tissue was closely influenced by the ovarian steroid hormones; at first, 17${\beta}$-estradiol initiated the differentiation of the uterine luminal and glandular epithelial cells, and then progesterone induced differentiation of stromal cells, and thereby two steroids maintain decidualization of the uterine tissues. We observed that the phosphatase activities seem to be dependent upon the ovarian steroids; that is the activity showed higher level in progesterone treated group than in estradiol treated one, and the highest activity was found in the group treated with both estradiol and progesterone. Acid phosphatase showed the highest activity whereas alkaline phosphatase showed the lowest in the rat uterine endometrium during early pregnancy.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.24-31
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• 2008

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a special class of plant steroid hormones that are essential for normal growth and development. Part of confusion is whether BRs are unique to plants, because they have overlapping physiological roles with other better-studied hormones and with physiological responses caused by light. In systems designed to assay for cytokinins, the effects of BRs vary. We measured hypocotyl length for testing the ability of brassinolide (BL) to rescue double mutant between det2 and the photoreceptor null mutant phytochrome B (phyB). PHYB involved in controlling hypocotyl elongation in increased concentration of BL whereas phyBdet2 double mutant just partially rescue to phyB in white and red light indicated the involvement of BRs in PHYB regulated cell elongation. BRs regulated hypocotyl growth was delayed by BAP, a cytokinin treatment but inhibitory effects of BAPs on hypocotyl growth was slightly recovered by BL. The result indicated that the mode of action of BR and cytokinin is independent or sequential in the downstream light-regulated response control on hypocotyl elongation and also light modulated the action of BR and cytokinin in some extent.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.94-101
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• 2020

In the early development of parthenogenetic embryo, cytoplasm and nucleic acid fragmentation may be a cause of lower embryo development. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether embryonic development and apoptosis factors can be reduced by controlling the in-vitro culture environment by the addition of hormones, pregnancy serum and uterine milk. Our study showed that the activity of Casp-3 increased within the cytoplasm when artificially used hormones to induce the incubation environment, and PCNA's manifestation was low. However, the addition of pregnant serum appeared to lower the Casp-3 activity compared to the other groups. In addition, MMP-9 activity was increased and early embryo development and cytoplasmic fidelity were also increased. Therefore, the results of the present study showed that the use of gestational serum in the development of parthenogenetic embryo inhibit apoptosis and increases cytoplasmic reorganization by natural environmental control in in vitro culture.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.172-177
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• 2007

Thyroid hormones play an important role in regulating metabolism and can affect homeostasis of fat depots. The gene encoding thyroglobulin (TG), producing the precursor for thyroid hormones, has been proposed as a positional and functional candidate gene for a QTL with an effect on fat deposition. The SNP occurs in the 5' promoter region of the TG gene and is widely used in marker assisted selection (MAS) programs to improve the predictability of marbling level and eating quality in beef cattle. In this study, we identified three SNPs at the 5' promoter region of the TG gene in Korean cattle. Of the three SNPs identified in TG gene, the C257T and A335G were previously unreported new SNPs. The sequence data were submitted to GenBank (GenBank accession number: AY615525). The previously reported C422T SNP showed three genotypes, CC, CT and TT, by digestion with the restriction enzyme MflI using the PCR-RFLP method. A new allelic variant corresponding to the C${\rightarrow}$T and A${\rightarrow}$G mutations at positions 257 and 335, respectively, could be detected by the SSCP analysis. The gene-specific SNP marker association analysis indicated that the C422T SNP marker was significantly associated (p<0.05) with marbling score. Animals with the CC and CT genotypes had higher marbling score than those with the TT genotype. Results from this study suggest that TG gene-specific SNP may be a useful marker for meat quality traits in future MAS programs in Korean cattle.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.83-98
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• 1985

In order to study the mechanism of follicular atresia, the follicles of the porcine ovary were isolated according to the presence or absence of the corpus luteum and their size, and then classified to the normal? or atretic?follicle on the morphological observation such as the transparency, the vascularization of follicle, the nuclear phase of oocyte, and the homogeneity of the granulosa cell layer. The viability of granulosa cells was examined. The concentrations of progesterone ($P_4$), testosterone (T), and estradiol-17 beta ($E_2$) in each follicular fluid were estimated by the radioimmunoassay. The viability of granulosa cells in the atretic follicle was much lower than that of the normal one. The concentration of each steroid hormone increased as the follicular size was increased, was not different in quantity between the normal- and the atretic follicle of which diameter was below 3mm, and were much higher in the atretic follicle than those in the normal one of which diameter was above 7mm. The ratio of the concentration of E2 to T in the large atretic follicle valued higher than that in the normal one, but smaller in the small and medium atretic follicle than that in the normal one. The present study suggests that the mechanism of atresia of the large follicle may be different from that of the small and the medium follicle and that the amount of steroid hormones regarded as the one of the criteria for the atretic follicles.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.5937-5946
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• 2012

The term endocrine disruptors is used to describe a variety of natural and manmade substances that have the capacity to potentially interfere with and modify the normal physiology of endocrine system either by mimicking, blocking or modulating the actions of natural endogenous hormones. The rising incidence of breast cancer over the last 50 years and the documented higher incidence in urban as compared to rural areas suggest a relationship to the introduction and increased use of xenoestrogens in our environment. The literature has developed over the last decades where initial experiments on endocrine disruptors did not support an involvement in breast cancer, and then evidence mounted implicating various environmental factors including hormones, endocrine disrupting chemicals and non-endocrine disrupting environmental carcinogens in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. Available data support the hypothesis that exposure to endocrine disruptors in utero leaves a signature on mammary gland morphogenesis so that the resulting dysgenic gland becomes more predisposed to develop tumors upon exposures to additional insults later on during life. Exceptionally, exposure to phytoestrogens could be beneficial to human health. Most of the available data are from well developed countries while the developing countries are still understudied regarding these issues. Here, we raise a note of caution about potential role of environmental toxins including endocrine disruptors in breast cancer development and call for serious measures to be taken by all involved parties in the developing world.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.38-42
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• 1997

Human growth hormone is known as one of the peptide hormones which is consisted of 191 amino acids derived from the pituitary gland in humans. The objectives of this study were to supply inexpensive recombinant methionyl human growth hormones (rHGH) synthesized by the DNA technology in a yeast cell line and followed by the establishement of protein purification techniques. The next steps of the research were to study its physic-chemical properties and biological properties, and to evaluate various preclinical aspcts including pharmacokinetics sutdy, general pharmacology study, general toxicity test, and specific toxicity tests. Clinical phase I, II, III studies were also done against growth hormone dficient children to reveal that growth promoting effects were similar compared with the natural HGH extracted from pituitary glands and commercially available rHGHs. The results could be summarized that (I) this yeast dervied rHGH have had excellent physico-chemical and biological properties in comparison with a natural HGH and other synthesized rHGHs, (2) we could not see any toxic side effects when very high doses were administered to the experimental animals, and (3) this growth hormone showed effectiveness in the growth stimulating to growth hormone deficient patients.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.243-252
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• 2015

The pregnancy and abortion process involves a complex mechanism with various immune cells present in the implantation sites and several hormones associated with pregnancy, such as leptin, ghrelin and nesfatin-1. However, the mechanism underlying spontaneous abortion by maternal T helper 17 (Th17) present in the implantation sites and nesfatin-1, which is of anorexigenic hormones, is not fully understood so far. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the possible roles of Th17 cells present in the implantation sites and nesfatin-1 expressed in the uterus on spontaneous abortion using the $CBA/j{\times}DBA/2$ mouse model. Th17 transcription factor, ROR-${\gamma}t$ mRNA expression was significantly increased in the abortion sites compared with the implantation sites of abortion model mice on day 14.5 and 19.5 of pregnancy. In addition, the expression levels of IL-17A mRNA were significantly higher in abortion sites than in implantation sites on day 14.5 and 19.5. Moreover, the nesfatin-1/NUCB2 protein and mRNA levels were increased in abortion sites compared with levels in implantation sites of both normal pregnant and abortion model mice on day 14.5 of pregnancy. Interestingly, nesfatin-1/NUCB2 serum levels were not changed throughout the whole pregnancy in abortion model mice, but its serum level was dramatically increased on day 14.5, and then rapidly decreased on day 19.5 in normal pregnant mice. In this study, we showed for the first time the expression of nesfatin-1/NUCB2 mRNA and protein in implantation sites during pregnancy. The present results suggest that Th17 cells in the uterus may play an important role in the period of implantation and for maintenance of pregnancy. Furthermore, the present results suggest that Th17 cells in implantation sites may be a key regulator for maintenance of pregnancy and provides evidence that activation of these cells may be regulated by nesfatin-1/NUCB2. Further study is needed to elucidate the role of nesfatin-1 expressed in the uterus during pregnancy.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2012

The safety of human exposure to an ever-increasing number and diversity of electromagnetic field (EMF) sources both at work and at home has become a public health issue. To date, many in vivo and in vitro studies have revealed that EMF exposure can alter cellular homeostasis, endocrine function, reproductive function, and fetal development in animal systems. Reproductive parameters reported to be altered by EMF exposure include male germ cell death, the estrous cycle, reproductive endocrine hormones, reproductive organ weights, sperm motility, early embryonic development, and pregnancy success. At the cellular level, an increase in free radicals and $[Ca^{2+}]i$ may mediate the effect of EMFs and lead to cell growth inhibition, protein misfolding, and DNA breaks. The effect of EMF exposure on reproductive function differs according to frequency and wave, strength (energy), and duration of exposure. In the present review, the effects of EMFs on reproductive function are summarized according to the types of EMF, wave type, strength, and duration of exposure at cellular and organism levels.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.199-206
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• 2007

Hypoglycemic efficacy of natural functional mixture(FM) and level of the diabete related hormones in streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rats were investigated. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups (normal, diabetic fed diets with/without FM). Supplement of FM did not affect the body weight and feed intake of STZ-induced diabetic rats. The increase in the weight of liver of STZ-induced diabetic rats was weakened by supplement of FM, whereas the weight of kidney and heart was not affected. Blood glucose level was slightly, and glucose tolerance of post-feeding was significantly improved by functional mixture. The mixture significantly reduced the elevated HbA1C level of diabetic rats by 15%, and it increased the level of insulin and C-peptide in blood and decreased glucagon level. Therefore, we conclude that FM in this study has a potency of prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus.