• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.385-403
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• 2023

Male fertility is affected by multiple endogenous stressors, including reactive oxygen species (ROS), which greatly deteriorate the fertility. However, physiological levels of ROS are required by sperm for the proper accomplishment of different cellular functions including proliferation, maturation, capacitation, acrosomal reaction, and fertilization. Excessive ROS production creates an imbalance between ROS production and neutralization resulting in oxidative stress (OS). OS causes male infertility by impairing sperm functions including reduced motility, deoxyribonucleic acid damage, morphological defects, and enhanced apoptosis. Several in-vivo and in-vitro studies have reported improvement in quality-related parameters of sperm following the use of different natural and synthetic antioxidants. In this review, we focus on the causes of OS, ROS production sources, mechanisms responsible for sperm damage, and the role of antioxidants in preserving sperm fertility.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.1044-1054
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• 2023

Growing evidence indicates a crucial role of the gut microbiota in physiological functions. Gut-brain axis imbalance has also been associated with neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Studies have suggested that probiotics regulate the stress response and alleviate mood-related symptoms. In this study, we investigated the effects of the probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus IDCC3201 (L3201) on the behavioral response and fecal metabolite content in an unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) mouse model. Our study shows that chronic stress in mice for three weeks resulted in significant changes in behavior, including lower locomotor activity, higher levels of anxiety, and depressive-like symptoms, compared to the control group. Metabolomic analysis demonstrated that disrupted fecal metabolites associated with aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis and valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis by UCMS were restored with the administration of L3201. Oral administration of the L3201 ameliorated the observed changes and improved the behavioral alterations along with fecal metabolites, suggesting that probiotics play a neuroprotective role.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.4.1-4.19
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• 2024

TNF, a pleiotropic proinflammatory cytokine, is important for protective immunity and immunopathology during Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, which causes tuberculosis (TB) in humans. TNF is produced primarily by phagocytes in the lungs during the early stages of Mtb infection and performs diverse physiological and pathological functions by binding to its receptors in a context-dependent manner. TNF is essential for granuloma formation, chronic infection prevention, and macrophage recruitment to and activation at the site of infection. In animal models, TNF, in cooperation with chemokines, contributes to the initiation, maintenance, and clearance of mycobacteria in granulomas. Although anti-TNF therapy is effective against immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, it carries the risk of reactivating TB. Furthermore, TNF-associated inflammation contributes to cachexia in patients with TB. This review focuses on the multifaceted role of TNF in the pathogenesis and prevention of TB and underscores the importance of investigating the functions of TNF and its receptors in the establishment of protective immunity against and in the pathology of TB. Such investigations will facilitate the development of therapeutic strategies that target TNF signaling, which makes beneficial and detrimental contributions to the pathogenesis of TB.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.615-621
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• 2023

Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) plays a key role in heme oxygenase (HO)-1 induction under physical and moderate oxidative stress conditions. The transient and mild induction of HO-1 is beneficial for cell protection, mitochondrial function, regeneration, and intercellular communication. However, chronic HO-1 overexpression is detrimental in severely injured regions. Thus, in a chronic pathological state, diminishing HO-1-mediated ferroptosis is beneficial for a therapeutic approach. The molecular mechanisms by which KRG protects various cell types in the central nervous system have not yet been established, especially in terms of HO-1-mediated mitochondrial functions. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the multiple roles of KRG in the regulation of astrocytic HO-1 under pathophysiological conditions. More specifically, we discuss the role of the KRG-mediated astrocytic HO-1 pathway in regulating mitochondrial functions in acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases as well as physiological conditions.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.182-187
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• 2015

Zerumbone is a major component of the essential oils of Zingiber zerumbet Smith and is known to have a number of effects on the functions of various cells, including immune cells. Many reports present the zerumbone's functions in various biological environments including cancer and inflammation. In this report, using a transwell system, we confirmed that zerumbone decreased the stromal cell-driven factor-$1{\alpha}$ (SDF-$1{\alpha}$), induced migration of Jurkat cells; about a 25% decrease in the case of 100 ng/mL SDF-$1{\alpha}$ treatment, 17% decrease in the case of 200 ng/mL. Whereas, no significant changes of basic cellular proliferation were observed after zerumbone treatment. These results are novel and promising functions of zerumbone on T cell physiology. At the same time, there is a great need to confirm the results using more physiological T cells and to proceed with cellular and biochemical mechanism studies, measuring apoptosis, CXCR4 expression and phosphorylation of ZAP-70 and Erk1/2.

• Journal of Korean Dental Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.45-52
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• 2017

Calcium has versatile roles in diverse physiological functions. Among these functions, intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ plays a key role during the secretion of salivary glands. In this review, we introduce the diverse cellular components involved in the saliva secretion and related dynamic intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ signals. Calcium acts as a critical second messenger for channel activation, protein translocation, and volume regulation, which are essential events for achieving the salivary secretion. In the secretory process, $Ca^{2+}$ activates $K^+$ and $Cl^-$ channels to transport water and electrolyte constituting whole saliva. We also focus on the $Ca^{2+}$ signals from intracellular stores with discussion about detailed molecular mechanism underlying the generation of characteristic $Ca^{2+}$ patterns. In particular, inositol triphosphate signal is a main trigger for inducing $Ca^{2+}$ signals required for the salivary gland functions. The biphasic response of inositol triphosphate receptor and $Ca^{2+}$ pumps generate a self-limiting pattern of $Ca^{2+}$ efflux, resulting in $Ca^{2+}$ oscillations. The regenerative $Ca^{2+}$ oscillations have been detected in salivary gland cells, but the exact mechanism and function of the signals need to be elucidated. In future, we expect that further investigations will be performed toward better understanding of the spatiotemporal role of $Ca^{2+}$ signals in regulating salivary secretion.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.10
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• pp.866-875
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• 2015

COPI vesicles are essential to the retrograde transport of proteins in the early secretory pathway. The COPI coatomer complex consists of seven subunits, termed ${\alpha}-$, ${\beta}-$, ${\beta}^{\prime}-$, ${\gamma}-$, ${\delta}-$, ${\varepsilon}-$, and ${\zeta}$-COP, in yeast and mammals. Plant genomes have homologs of these subunits, but the essentiality of their cellular functions has hampered the functional characterization of the subunit genes in plants. Here we have employed virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and dexamethasone (DEX)-inducible RNAi of the COPI subunit genes to study the in vivo functions of the COPI coatomer complex in plants. The ${\beta}^{\prime}-$, ${\gamma}-$, and ${\delta}$-COP subunits localized to the Golgi as GFP-fusion proteins and interacted with each other in the Golgi. Silencing of ${\beta}^{\prime}-$, ${\gamma}-$, and ${\delta}$-COP by VIGS resulted in growth arrest and acute plant death in Nicotiana benthamiana, with the affected leaf cells exhibiting morphological markers of programmed cell death. Depletion of the COPI subunits resulted in disruption of the Golgi structure and accumulation of autolysosome-like structures in earlier stages of gene silencing. In tobacco BY-2 cells, DEX-inducible RNAi of ${\beta}^{\prime}$-COP caused aberrant cell plate formation during cytokinesis. Collectively, these results suggest that COPI vesicles are essential to plant growth and survival by maintaining the Golgi apparatus and modulating cell plate formation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.91-102
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• 1995

The role of neurohumoral mechanisms in the regulation of cardiovascular functions and the effects of ethanol (EOH) on these mechanisms were examined in hemorrhaged conscious Wistar rats. The rats were bled at a constant rate (2 ml/kg/min) through the femoral artery until mean arterial pressure (MAP) was reduced by 30 mmHg. We studied the responses to hemorrhage 1) under normal conditions (Normal), and after pretreatments with 2) neural blockade (NB), pentolinium, 3) arginine vasopressin V1-receptor antagonist (AVPX) + NB, 4) angiotensin II ATI-receptor antagonist (AngIIX) + NB, 5) combined humoral blockade (HB), and 6) neurohumoral blockade. Intravenous administration of 30% EOH (6.3 ml/kg) attenuated the baroreceptor reflex sensitivity, and enhanced the depressor action of AngIIX. During hemorrhage, NB produced a faster fall ill MAP than Normal both in the saline and EOH groups. However, HB accelerated the rate of fall in MAP only in the EOH group. The recovery from hemorrhagic hypotension was not different between NB and Normal rats, but was attenuated in HB rats in the saline group. Under NB, AngIIX, but not AVPX, retarded the recovery rate compared with NB alone. EOH attenuated the recovery of MAP after hemorrhage in Normal rats, but completely abolished the recovery in HB rats. We conclude that 1) the maintenance of MAP during hemorrhage is mediated almost entirely by the autonomic functions, 2) angiotensin II plays an important role in the recovery from hemorrhagic hypotension, but AVP assumes little importance, 3) AVP release largely depends on the changes in blood volume, whereas renin release depends on the changes in blood pressure rather than blood volume, and 4) EOH increases the dependence of cardiovascular regulation on angiotensin II and impairs the recovery from hemorrhagic hypotension through the attenuation of autonomic functions.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.79-88
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• 1986

In an attempt to observe the effects obtained by the regular physical training, nine soldiers performed regularly the rope-skipping for nine weeks. All subjects were healthy and did not experience any special military training Programs. During the course of the training, their cardiopulmonary functions were measured in the resting and the Post-exercise recovery periods, and the values were compared with ones of the pre-trained. The test exercises loaded to the subjects were rope-skipping and step-rising & falling. The results obtained were as follows: 1) By the training, heart rates decreased very significantly in the resting and post-exercise recovery periods. And the effects began to bring out at the early stage, about the 7th day. 2) As the duration of the training increased, the systolic blood pressures decreased meaningfully in the resting and recovery periods. 3) Only in the early recovery phase after the exercise of the rope·skipping, the respiration rates decreased significantly by the training. 4) The lighter the intensity of the test exercise loaded was, the more prominent the effect of the physical training on the cardiopulmonary functions was. The above results suggest that the 9 week training of the rope-skipping would bring about the enhancement of the cardiopulmonary functions.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.225-233
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• 2014

In this study, we investigated the changes in the physiological and histological traits of a sea squirt (Halocynthia roretzi) with the emergence of the soft tunic syndrome induced by the water temperature control (6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24 and $27^{\circ}C$). It was observed that the induction rate of the soft tunic syndrome was highest at $15^{\circ}C$, but lowest at $24^{\circ}C$. Based on the tunic color condition and contraction strength, the whole process were classified into 4 stages as S0, S1, S2 and S3. Interestingly, there were significant differences in oxygen consumption and filtration rate were observed during S0-S3. The most distinctive aspects were change of blood cell composition at stage S3, whereas multi-vacuole cell ratio was decreased by 1/2 and morula cell ratio expanded about 10 times during S0-S3. Further, change of organ structure started following the syndrome such as degeneration of epithelial cells, microfilaments, increment in hemocytes and damage in muscle fiber have been detected in tunic, siphon, branchial sac, body wall musculature and pyloric gland. Briefly, our study results indicated that the normal physiological functions of the sea squirt can be affected due to the soft tunic syndrome induced by water temperature.