• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.171-177
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• 2014

Purpose: Eosinophilia is common in premature infants, and its incidence increases with a shorter gestation period. We investigated the clinical significance of eosinophilia in premature infants born at <34 weeks gestation. Methods: We analyzed the medical records of premature infants born at <34 weeks gestation who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital between January 2003 and September 2010. Eosinophilia was defined as an eosinophil percentage of >3% of the total leukocytes. Perinatal parameters and clinical parameters were also analyzed. Results: Of the 261 infants born at <34 weeks gestation, 22.4% demonstrated eosinophilia at birth. The eosinophil percentage peaked in the fourth postnatal week at 7.5%. The incidence of severe eosinophilia increased after birth up to the fourth postnatal week when 8.8% of all patients had severe eosinophilia. Severity of eosinophilia was positively correlated with a lower gestational age, birth weight, and Apgar score. Respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, nephrocalcinosis, intraventricular hemorrhage, and sepsis were associated with a higher eosinophil percentage. The eosinophil percentage was significantly higher in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia from the first postnatal week and the percentage was the highest in the fourth postnatal week, with the maximal difference being 4.1% (P<0.001). Conclusion: Eosinophilia is common in premature infants and reaches peak incidence and severity in the fourth postnatal week. The eosinophil percentage was significantly higher in bronchopulmonary dysplasia patients from the first postnatal week. Severe eosinophilia was significantly associated with the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia even after adjusting for other variables.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.91-101
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• 1995

A perinatal and postnatal study of KTC-1, a new semisyntheitic rifamycin antituberculous drug, was conducted in Sprague-Dawley rats. Dosages of KTC-1 0, 12, 27.6, and 63.5 mg/kg/day were administered to dams orally by gavage from day 17 of gestation to day 21 of lactation. All pregnant rats were allowed to deliver naturally for postnatal examination of their offspring. At 63.5 mg/kg/day, weakness, dark-red discharge around eyes, a loss in body weight, and a decrease in food and water consumption were observed in dams. An increase in the weight of adrenal gland and spleen, and a decrease in the weight of kidney and heart were also found. An increase in neonatal deaths during the lactation period, a loss in body weight, a delay in physical development, a decrease in traction ability, an increase in the number of errors and the time required for the multiple T-maze trial were found in F1 offspring. In addition, an increase in the incidence of visceral variations and retarded ossification were observed in F1 4 day old rats. An increase in the incience of skeletal anomalies was seen in F2 fetuses. There were no sings of maternal toxicity or embryotoxicity at 12 and 27.6 mg/kg/day. From the results mentioned above, it can be concluded that the no-effect dose levels(NOELs)for dams, F1 offspring, and F2 fetuses are 27.6 mg/kg/day.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.213-221
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• 2019

The epididymal fat of mouse is a part of visceral fat deposit and is divided into the distal or proximal part based on its histochemical characteristics. Even though the formation of the epididymal fat pad begins before the birth, a detailed adipogenic procedure of the epididymal fat has not been revealed. The epididymal fat pad becomes enlarged and expended with age, and expressional changes of numerous genes are associated with the maturation of fat tissues. In the present research, expressional patterns of adipose tissue-related genes in the distal epididymal fat of mouse at 2, 5, 8, and 12 months of postnatal age were determined by a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. The lowest transcript levels of fatty acid binding protein 4 (Fabp4), lipoprotein lipase (Lpl), delta like non-canonical Notch ligand 1 (Dlk1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (Pparg), leptin (Lep), adiponectin (Adipoq), and resistin (Retn) were detected at 2 months of age, except fatty acid synthase (Fasn) showing the lowest level at 5 months of age. Even though expression of Lep and Fabp4 were gradually increased until 12 months of age, significant increases of Pparg and Adipoq transcript levels were continued until 8 months of age. The transcript levels of Lpl, Rent, Dlk1, and Fasn were significantly increased at 8 months of age, compared with those at 2 months of age. The current findings suggest that the expansion of the distal epididymal fat of mouse during postnatal period would be companied with differential expression of various adipocyte-associated molecules.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.91-99
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• 2019

Objectives The loss of maternal care during early postnatal period may increase development of mood-related disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. In this study, the effect of acupuncture on depression in relation with cell proliferation in the hippocampal gyrus dentatus was investigated using maternal-separated rat pups. Methods On the postnatal 14th day, rat pups from six dams were grouped into following groups: maternal care group, maternal separation group, maternal separation and non-acupoint-acupunctured group, maternal separation and Zusanli-acupunctured group, and maternal separation and fluoxetine-treated group. Acupuncture was performed from postnatal 28th day to postnatal 37th day. The rat pups that belong in the maternal separation and fluoxetine-treated group were injected subcutaneously with 5 mg/kg fluoxetine hydrochloride once a day for the same period of time. To evaluate activity of the rat pups, open field test was performed. Immunohistochemistry for serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) in the dorsal raphe and for 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) in the hippocampal gyrus dentatus was conducted. Results The present results reveal that the activity was decreased by maternal separation. In contrast, acupuncture at Zusanli overcame maternal separation-induced hypoactivity. Maternal separation suppressed TPH expression and 5-HT synthesis in the dorsal raphe and decreased cell proliferation in the hippocampal gyrus dentatus of rat pups. In contrast, acupuncture at Zusanli alleviated maternal separation-induced decrease of 5-HT synthesisand TPH expression. Conclusions The present results demonstrate that acupuncture at Zusanli ameliorated depressive state through increasing cell proliferation and enhancing 5-HT synthesis.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.46 no.11
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• pp.672-674
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• 2023

Schematic diagram of the interaction between the intestinal muscularis externa (MMΦ) macrophages and the enteric nervous system (ENS) neurons during different developmental periods. At the early postnatal stage, MMΦs play a critical role in ENS maturation and refinement through synaptic pruning and enteric neuron phagocytosis. In addition, during the adult stage, a specific MMΦ subset named neuron-associated (NA)-MMΦ, supports enteric neuronal survival and functions. Conversely, enteric neurons promote the phenotypic MMΦ changes by secreting transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ), transitioning them from a phagocytic phenotype in the early postnatal period to a neuroprotective and immune-surveillant phenotype in the young adult period. Disruptions in these interactions could lead to alterations in the enteric neuron numbers, ultimately resulting in reduced gut motility.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.29-32
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• 2016

Purpose: Congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract (CAKUT) are the most common anomalies identified in newborns. This study aims to demonstrate the prevalence of CAKUT including hydronephrosis diagnosed by antenatal and postnatal ultrasound over a five-year period. Methods: The records of births between May $1^{st}$, 2009 and April $30^{th}$, 2014 at our hospital were collected. The number of infants who underwent renal ultrasound after birth for the detection of CAKUT was counted. The incidence of each type of CAKUT such as hydronephrosis, size abnormality, horseshoe kidney, and Multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK) was retrospectively evaluated for antenatal screening and postnatal follow-up examination. Results: During the study period, 33,276 infants were born and 521 neonates underwent postnatal renal ultrasound. 183 cases of CAKUT were detected prenatally and 140 postnatally using ultrasonographic examinations at the following time: (i) 3-7 days postnatally in 123 newborns (87.9%), (ii) during 1-3 months in 11 newborns (7.9%), and (iii) later than 3 months in 6 newborns (4.3%). Among diagnosed CAKUT, hydronephrosis was the most common anomaly with 113 newborns diagnosed prenatally and 46 postnatally. Duplex kidney was the second most common anomaly followed by horseshoe kidney, simple cysts in the kidney and so on. Conclusion: The detection of CAKUT is an important part of the prenatal ultrasound. This study analyzed the prevalence of CAKUT detected on prenatal screening and compared the results to those detected postnatally. Prenatal ultrasound screening fulfills the needs of postnatal examinations and therefore, both antenatal and postnatal sonographic investigations are of vital importance for diagnosis of renal and urinary tract anomalies.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.510-522
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• 2008

Our earlier studies showed that estrogen was involved in the regulation of fluid reabsorption in adult mouse efferent ductules (ED), through estrogen receptor (ER) ${\alpha}$ and $ER{\beta}$ by modulating gene expression of epithelial genes involved in ion homeostasis. However, little is known about the importance of $ER{\alpha}$ in the ED during postnatal development. Based on previous findings, we hypothesized that there should be a difference in the expression of epithelial ion transporters and anion producers in the ED of postnatal wild type (WT) and estrogen receptor ${\alpha}$ knockout (${\alpha}ERKO$) mice. Using absolute, comparative and semi-quantitative RT-PCR along with immunohistochemistry, we looked at expression levels of several genes in the ED across postnatal development. The presence of estrogen in the testicular fluid was indirectly ascertained by immunohistochemical detection of the P450 aromatase in the testis. There was no immunohistochemically detectable difference in the expression of P450 aromatase in the testes and ER${\beta}$ in the ED of WT and ${\alpha}$ERKO mice. ER${\alpha}$ was only detected in the ED of WT mice. The absence of ER${\alpha}$ in the ED of postnatally developing mice resulted in differential expression of mRNAs and/or proteins for carbonic anhydrase II, $Na^+/H^+$ exchanger 3, down-regulated in adenoma, cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator, and $Na^+/K^+$ ATPase ${\alpha}$. Our data indicate that the absence of ER${\alpha}$ resulted in altered expression of an epithelial ion producer and transporters during postnatal development of mice. We conclude that the presence of ER${\alpha}$is important for regulation of the ED function during the prepubertal developmental and postpubertal period.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2012

Histochemical patterns of lectin binding during development of the rat vomeronasal organ (VNO) were studied to determine whether glycoconjugates are differently expressed after birth. Three types of lectins, Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA), wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), and Ulex europaeus agglutinin I (UEA-I), were studied histochemically in the rat VNO at various stages post-birth: postnatal days 1 and 7, the preweaning period (4 weeks after birth), and at sexual maturity (8 weeks after birth). The free border of the vomeronasal sensory epithelium was positive for both WGA and UEA-I in rats of all ages; whereas, VNO receptor cells and supporting cells were positive only for both WGA and UEA-I from 4 weeks after birth. DBA reactivity was detected in the free border but less so in receptor cells and supporting cells. WGA and UEA-I, but not DBA, showed similar patterns in various ages. In the Jacobson's gland, WGA, UEA-I and DBA were detected in some acini from 4 weeks after birth but not at postnatal days 1 or 7. Collectively, reactivity for three lectins, WGA, UEA-I and DBA, increased in receptor cells and gland acini during postnatal development, possibly contributing to the enhanced chemoreception in rats.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.411-416
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• 2006

This study was carried out to investigate the spaciotemporal plasticity of intergeniculate leaflet in postnatal mongolian gerbil using genetically modified pseudorabies virus recombinant, which was a kind of excellent neurotracer with the ability to transpass the neuronal synaptic cleft. In addition, we tried to evaluate the special role of intergeniculate leaflet as a signal controler of circardian rhythm by expression of various nourotransmitters in suprachiasrnatic nucleus. The PRV-BaBlu, a genetically modified strain of PRV-Bartha with lac-Z gene, was injected into vitreous body of postnatal mongolian gerbil, and immunostained. The PRV-Bablu infected the neurons in intergeniculate leaflet of postnatal mongolian gerbil, and the degree of viral infection in postnatal period of experimental animals had tendency to increase with time consuming. This results showed that the mutant PRV-Bar-tha strain with lac-Z gene, PRV-BaBlu, was a very excellent neurotracer to localize the retinogeniculate tract with infection of neurons in intergeniculate leaflet specially.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.183-189
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• 2016

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation, according to postnatal age, between plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and echocardiographic parameters for the assessment of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants with respiratory distress. Methods: We enrolled 42 preterm infants with respiratory distress who underwent serial echocardiographic evaluation with simultaneous plasma BNP measurements until ductal closure. The correlations between BNP levels and the following 4 representative echocardiographic parameters were studied: diameter of the ductus arteriosus (DA), ratio of the left atrial diameter to the aortic diameter (LA/Ao), ratio of the PDA diameter to the infant's left pulmonary artery diameter (PDA/LPA), and the antegrade diastolic flow of LPA (DFLPA). Results: BNP levels were significantly correlated to the magnitude of the ductal shunt, comprising the DA diameter, PDA/LPA ratio, LA/Ao ratio, and antegrade DFLPA for the overall study period. The earliest significant correlation, starting from postnatal day 2, was observed between the LA/Ao ratio and BNP levels. The PDA/LPA ratio and the antegrade DFLPA showed significant correlations with BNP levels postnatal day 3 onward, and with the DA diameter, postnatal day 5 onward. Conclusion: BNP levels and echocardiographic parameters showed a positive correlation, but the significance of the correlations differed according to the postnatal age, especially during the first few days of life.