• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.279.2-280
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• 2002

Ascorbic acid is very well known as one of various ntioxidants and is used very popular in man. Melatonin. an endogenous compound secreted by the pineal gland in human brain has been reported to act as an antioxidant nowadays. The present study was performed to obtain the differences of the radioprotective function of ascorbic acid and combination with melatonin according to the administration dose a day on radiation induced DNA damage in mouse spleen and blood. (omitted)

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.69-78
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• 2001

목적 : 본 연구는 최근 임상에서 많이 사용하는 자하차(紫河車) 약침액(藥鍼液)이 과산화수소($H_2O_2$)로 야기된 송과선 세포의 apoptosis에 있어서 세포 보호에 미치는 영향과 그 기전을 분석하였다. 방법 및 결과 : MTT assay를 이용하여 분석한 결과 처리 시간 및 농도에 따른 세포 독성의 효과가 $H_2O_2$ 투여로부터 관찰되었다. 또한 자하거 약침액은 세포 증식 효과를 나타내었고 자하거 약침액을 전처치하고 $H_2O_2$를 처치하였을 때 세포 독성이 크게 감소되었다. DAPI staining에서 자하거 약침액 투여군은 $H_2O_2$ 투여군에 비해 fragmentation이 억제되었다. TUNEL assay를 통하여 자하거 약침액 투여군은 $H_2O_2$ 투여군에 비하여 TUNEL 양성세포의 발현이 감소되었다. Flow cytometry를 통하여 자하거 약침액 투여군은 $H_2O_2$ 투여군에 비하여 세포주기 중 sub G1 분획의 증가가 억제되었다. 결론 : 이상의 결과를 통하여 자하거 약침액이 $H_2O_2$로 유발된 apoptosis에서 세포보호 효과가 있음이 확인되었다.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.111-119
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• 2013

Golden hamsters reproduce in a limited time of a year. Their sexual activities are active in summer but inactive in winter during which day length does not exceed night time and environmental conditions are severe to them. The reproductive activities are determined by the length of light in a day (photoperiod). Melatonin is synthesized and secreted only at night time from the pineal gland. Duration of elevated melatonin is longer in winter than summer, resulting in gonadal regression. The present study aimed at the influences of continuous melatonin treatments impinging on the gonadal function in male golden hamsters. Animals received empty or melatonin-filled capsules for 10 weeks. They were divided into long photoperiod (LP) and short photoperiod (SP). All the animals maintained in LP (either empty or melatonin-filled capsules) showed large testes, implying that melatonin had no effects on testicular functions. Animals housed in SP displayed completely regressed testes. But animals kept in SP and implanted with melatonin capsules exhibited blockage of full regression by SP. These results suggest that constant release of melatonin prohibits the regressing influence of SP.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.149-177
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• 2013

Living beings are surrounded by various changes exhibiting periodical rhythms in environment. The environmental changes are imprinted in organisms in various pattern. The phenomena are believed to match the external signal with organisms in order to increase their survival rate. The signals are categorized into circadian, seasonal, and annual cycles. Among the cycles, the circadian rhythm is regarded as the most important factor because its periodicity is in harmony with the levels of melatonin secreted from pineal gland. Melatonin is produced by the absence of light and its presence displays darkness. Melatonin plays various roles in creatures. Therefore, this review is to introduce the diverse potential ability of melatonin in manifold aspects in living organism.

• Proceedings of the KSCN Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.439.2-439
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• 2004

Melatonin in mammals, produced by the pineal gland and elsewhere, has shown antioxidant and neuroprotective properties in neuronal cells. We investigated whether melatonin would increase newly-born cells (cell proliferation) in the dentate gyrus of maternally-separated rats. To examine the effect of melatonin on cell proliferation of the dentate gyrus in maternally-separated rats, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) immunohistochemistry was performed.(omitted)

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.14-25
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• 2018

Melatonin, an indolic tryptophan-derived compound, is secreted rhythmically from the pineal gland, mainly under the regulation of the circadian clock located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus. Melatonin is widely present in nature, with biological activities in unicellular organisms, plants, and animals. A major function of melatonin is to transmit information to organisms about certain physiological functions in response to daily and seasonal variations in their environment. In this paper, we review a variety of melatonin's functional properties, its occurrence in plants, and its synthesis by yeasts. Fermented milk supplemented with melatonin-rich plants and yeasts can be used for the effective treatment of sleep disorders.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.472-474
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• 2002

Till date the phenomenon of maternal transfer of photic information was reported to regulate the fetal/neonatal growth, however its influence on neonatal immune system is still an enigma. In the present study, we observed an increase in maternal plasma melatonin level under short day length (SOL) condition with a consequent decrease in TLC and LC in their respective neonates. However, a significant decrease in maternal plasma melatonin level was noted under constant darkness (DD) with an increase in TLC and LC of their neonates. The blastogenic response (BGR) to Con A of splenocytes exhibited a significant increase in neonates of SDL females and a significant decrease in the neonates of DD females. Hence, it appears that the increase in maternal plasma melatonin under SOL condition transmitted information to decrease the immune status. Continuous exposure of females to darkness (DD) negatively regulated the maternal pineal gland activity thereby decreasing their plasma melatonin level. This information was transmitted for elevation of immune status in neonates, so that they exhibit better growth and sexual maturation. Therefore, we may suggest that the maternal photic information transmitted either prenatally through placenta or postnatally via the milk regulate the hormonal profile of Melatonin to regulate the immune status of neonates in order to influence their growth and sexual maturation.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.166-170
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• 2010

Recently some researches have established that the melatonin, secreted by pineal gland, may evoke the changes of contractile responses on smooth muscles. We examined the effects of melatonin on the motility of rat pyloric antrum and which mechanism might be involved in the effects. Pyloric antral strips from the stomach of 20 Sprague-Dawley rats were prepared for isometric tension recording in organ bath. The strips were precontracted by acetylcholine and high-KCl solutions. In precontracted conditions the tensions were increased by accumulative application of melatonin ($10^{-8}-10^{-4}$ M) dose-dependently, even in resting states. And the effects were almost disappeared when the concentrations of ACh were over than 10 ${\mu}M$. The effects of melatonin were inhibited by pretreatment of 10 mM TEA and/or 10 ${\mu}M$ 4-AP and rarely affected by pretreatment of 1 mM TEA, 10 ${\mu}M$ glibenclamide and 10 ${\mu}M$ verapamil respectively. From these results it is concluded that the contractile responses of smooth muscles of rat pyloric antrum were enhanced by melatonin application and the mechanism might be concerned with the inhibition of some voltage-dependent potassium channels.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2012

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the teleost hypothalamus contains a central circadian pacemaker, which adjusts circadian rhythms within the body to environmental light-dark cycles. It has been shown that exposure to darkness during the day causes phase shifts in circadian rhythms. In this study, we examined the effect of exposure to darkness on the mRNA expression levels of two circadian clock genes, namely, $Period2$ ($Per2$) and $Cryptochrome1$ ($Cry1$), and the rate-limiting enzyme in melatonin synthesis, arylalkylamine $N$-acetyltransferase-2 (Aanat2), in the pineal gland of olive flounder, $Paralichthys$ $olivaceus$. The expression of these genes showed circadian variations and was significantly higher during the dark phase. These changes may be involved in the mechanism of dark-induced phase shifts. Furthermore, this study suggests that olive flounder may be a teleost model to investigate the localization and function of circadian oscillators.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.309-317
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• 2017

Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is an indole synthesized from tryptophan by the pineal gland in animal. The major function of melatonin is to modulate circadian and circannual rhythms in photoperiodic mammals. Importantly, however, melatonin is also a free radical scavenger, anti-oxidant, and anti-apoptotic agent. Recently, the beneficial effects of melatonin on oocyte maturation and embryonic development in vitro have been reported in many species such as pig, cattle, sheep, mouse, and human. In this review, we will discuss recent studies about the role of melatonin in the production of porcine and bovine oocytes and embryos in vitro in order to provide useful information of melatonin in oocyte maturation and embryo culture in vitro.