• Applied Microscopy
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2006

The pregnant rats were given a drinking water administration of the sodium fluoride and normal saline for control animals. The sodium fluoride produced cellular changes of odontoblast with consistent response. Compare to control group, the odontoblasts that were administrated by sodium fluoride, showed significantly ultrastructural differences including large number of free ribosomes and swelled mitochondria in dose-dependent manner (300 ppm). From fine structural and morphological investigations of the changes in odontoblast, there were three distinctive structural changes: (1) destruction of the endoplasmic reticulum, (2) swelling of the mitochondria, and (3) severe cellular derangement of the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. From this consecutive structural change, we observed that sodium fluoride temporarily affects the cell organelles in odontoblasts (100, 200 ppm), suggesting it is important that optimal concentration of the sodium fluoride in developing fetus of the rat.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.285-288
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• 2000

Nine immature 30-day-old female rats were injected sc at 0800 hr with pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin(PMSG) to induce ovulation and mating. Fifty-six hours later the animals were placed with mature male rats overnight (one female and one male). Five of 9 immature female rats treated with PMSG were pregnant and allowed to maintain the pregnancy to term. Three of 5 pregnant rats were failed to maintain pregnancy to term. Two of 5 pregnant rats seemed to be developed normally and increased abdominal enlargement as pregnancy progresses, but did not occurred parturition on day of 43 or 48 of pregnancy, respectively. On day 44 or 49, pregnant rats were killed and examined uterus and ovaries. There was no fetus but approximately 50∼60ml. of mucopurulent fluids were accumulated in the uterine cavity and 40 or 42 corpora lutea persisted in the ovaries. Pyometra was developed after coitus in PMSG-treated immature female rat.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.27-34
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• 2003

Bisphenol A is used in the manufacture of epoxy, polycarbonate, and corrosion-resistant unsaturated polyester-styrene resins required for food packaging materials in industrial processing. Some reports indicated the possibility of harmful effects on rats. In this study was used a method for the determination of bisphenol A in blood according to the OSHA High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) guideline. The method involved blood extraction using methylene chloride. And it was evaluated developmental and teratogenic effects in pregnant rats and second generation. The results obtained were as follows. There was a significant increase in the body weights and treated groups F1 female in liver, spleen, kidney, but according to dose-response. F1 female rat's relative body weight and absolute body weight are not different. There was a significant increase liver, spleen, kidney organ weight and reproductive organ weight epididymis, prostate gland in F1 male rats. There was a proestrous in pregnant rat, group 200 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg, 2000 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg, 20,000 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg. The effect on rat treated with bisphenol A decrease organ weight and reproductive organ weight. Identification and quantitation were performed with using HPLC C18 column and using at retention time 5.5 min. The results of the detection of bisphenol A were at 20,000 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg in average 1 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml, 200 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg average in 0.9 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml blood samples. From those results, it could be concluded that the effects of pregnant rat and second generation(F1) by bisphenol A treatment during lactational period were estrogenic and bisphenol A was remained in serum at low level.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.157-165
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• 1994

This experiment was examined the effect of splenectomy on the hematology in pregnant wistar rat. Only animals that had been shown regular 4-day estrous cycles for more than two cycles were used. The day after mating with the same male animal ws designated Day 0 of pregnancy. Spleen was removed from Day 0(early), 6(middle) and 13(late) of pregnant rat, respectively. Blood sample was collected at Day 1, 7, 14 and 21 of the pregnancy. 1. RBC was increased significantly(P<0.05) to the progress of pregnancy in control rat. The late splenectomized rats were decreased significantly(P<0.05) at Day 21 of pregnancy than control rats. 2. Hb was increased significantly (P<0.05) at 21th day of pregnancy in late splenectomized groups than others group. 3. In the late splenectomized rats, Ht was decreased significant (P<0.05) due to the progress of pregnancy and decreased significantly (P<0.05) at Day 21 of pregnancy in all splenectomized groups. 4. WBC was increased significantly (P<0.05) at Day 1 of pregnancy in splenectomized groups compared with control. 5. In differential leukocyte rate, the Basophils and Monocytes was not significantly changed. Neutrophils was increased significantly(P<0.05) at Day 14 and 21 than Day 1 and 7 of pregnancy in control. Lymphocytes was decreased significantly(P<0.05) in control due to progress of pregnancy. Neutrophils was increased and Lymphocytes was decreased significantly(P<0.05) in splenectomized groups compared with control.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 2009

The expression of c-Fos and c-Jun represents neuronal activity and plays a crucial role in the shaping of the development of brain. During the late pregnancy, exercise is known to influence neuronal activity of offspring. In the present study, the effect of swimming during pregnancy on the expression of c-Fos and c-Jun in the CA1, CA2, CA3 regions, and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus of rat offspring was investigated using immunohistochemistry. Pregnant rats in the swimming group were forced to swim for 10 min once a day from 15 days after pregnancy until delivery. The expression of c-Fos and c-Jun in the CA1, CA2, CA3 regions, and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus of pups was significantly increased by maternal swimming during late pregnant period. The present results show that prenatal swimming may enhance the neuronal activity of pups and affect the neonatal brain development.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.187-208
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• 2000

By the activation of ovary hormone, many morphological changes occur in the epithelial cell lines and muscle cells in rat uterus. These two cells in uterus are important to the implantation of embryo, maintaining pregnancy and starting parturition. One important change associated with the morphological change of these two cells in uterus is the change on prostaglandin(PG) metabolism. Its presence and synthesis in endometriurn and myometrium in uterus affects estrous cycle and the start of embryo implantation in uterus. It also performs as an important modulator in parturition. So the abnormally weak expression of PG causes difficulty during labor and over-expression causes pre-term labor. PG biosynthesis starts from either free or liberated arachidonic acids from membrane phospholipid by phospholipase. Such arachidonic acids are converted into PG catalyzed by Cyclooxygenase. Under normal physiological condition, Cyclooxygenase-1(COX-1) having 602 units of amino acids controls the synthesis of PG. It acts as a local hormone regulating vasomodulation of blood flow, flexible muscle movement, increasing the blood permeability and contributing the protective role in preserving integrity of the stomach lining and Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is induced by the inflammation, pregnancy and increased its expression until parturition. Lipid metabolite like PG is located in uterine and expression of COX-2 increased with pregnancy. Increased expression of COX proteins in epithelial cells and myometrial cells are told to increase the muscle contractility in uterus but decreased right after the labor in rat. It is a good sign indicating that COX proteins are deeply related to the start of labor. Currently, Several studies report the use of PG and COX-2 inhibitor as medication for controlled abortion or to prevent pre-term labor but they entail various side-effects. Our study proposed to suggest use of acupuncture as an another mediator to control abortion or pre-term labor without causing unnecessary side-effects by those medicines. Two acupuncture sites, LI-4 & SP-6 were selected due to their known efficacy. From the immunohistochemical staining of COX-2, normal expression of COX-2 protein in nonpregnant SD rat's uterus revealed that COX-2 protein was primarily detected in the lumina epithelial lining and in the epithelial cell lining contacting the stromal cells. High resolution optical microscopic scanning revealed distinguishable staining in the myometrial mucosa. LI-4 acupuncture administered nonpregnant rat's uterus showed strong expression for COX-2 in endometrium contacted with lumina epithelial lining of rat uterus and in myometrial mucosa. Stromal cells showed more staining than untreated nonpregnant rat's uterus and stronger staining in stromal cells contacting myometrial layer compared to untreated nonpregnant rat's uterus. SP-6 acupuncture administered nonpregnant rat's uterus showed weak expression for COX-2 in myometrial layers and stromal cells but no staining was visible in lumina epitheliai and glandular epithelial cells. Few stromal cells and myometrial mucosa were positively stained for COX-2. Pregnant SD rat's uterus was also immunostained for COX-2 expression after 18 days of pregnancy. Unlike to untreated nonpregnant rat's uterus, luminal epithelial cells were not positively stained for COX-2 but stronger staining for COX-2 was revealed in stromal cells. LI-4 acupunctured SD rat's uterus had very strong expression of COX-2 in luminal epithelial lining. Few stromal cells showed stronger positive COX-2 staining and myometrial layers also showed more expression than untreated pregnant rat. SP-6 acupuncture administered pregnant SD rat's uterus showed positive expression of COX-2 in epithelial cells of luminal mucosa layer but weaker than that of LI-4 acupuncture treatment's case. However, strong positive staining was revealed in stromal mucosa and myometrial layers. Virgin SD rat's uterus motility index during LI-4 acupuncture was 66.52 % (Prob〉T = 0.0197) compared to its motility before the acupuncture treatment but the motility index was slighdy elevated up to 79.58 % (Prob〉T = 0.1175) after the acupuncture. During the SP-6 acupuncture treatment for 30 minutes, uterus motility index was 90.52 % (Prob〉T = 0.1832) showing lesser decrement but consequently reached similar motility index decreasal to 79.95 % (Prob〉T = 0.0215) after the acupuncture treatment as LI-4 showed. LI-4 acupuncture tend to be a quick treatment to reducing the uterus motility in a virgin rat but eventually both two acupuncture administration created very similar reduction of uterus motility seeing the index after the both acupunctures. The uterus movement monitored during the LI-4 acupuncture administered for 30 minutes, Pregnant SD rat showed decreased motility down to 77.90 % (Prob〉 T = 0.0076) compared to uterus motility before the acupuncture and it continuously decreased down to 71.81 %(Prob〉T = 0.0214) after the removal of needle. The statistical analysis using paired t-test showed significance difference for both two motility indexs at =0.05. SP-6 acupuncture administered to pregnant SD rat also had similar pattern of decreasing uterus motility index down to 74.70 % (Prob〉T = 0.1730) during the initial 30 minutes acupuncture administration and it was continuously lowered to 71.52 % (Prob〉T = 0.0155) after the acupuncture. The paired t-test resuit for SP-6 suggest prompt response of uterus motility index to the SP-6 acupuncture treatment but consequently reached same level of inducing the motility reduction as LI-4 at =0.05 level.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2001.08a
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• pp.7-9
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• 2001

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.152.1-152.1
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• 2001

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.319-330
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• 1995

The influence of normal late pregnancy on insulin action and insulin secretion was studied in the Sprague-Dawley female rats. On 20th day after mating, intravenous glucose tolerance test(IVGTT) was performed in non pregnant control and pregnant rats. As results of IVGTT, glucose disappearance rate was not significantly different in both groups, but secretory response of insulin was significantly(p<0.05) increased in pregnant rat. And the ratio of insulin/glucose was significantly higher in pregnant rats, which means existence of insulin resistance. These insulin resistance was overcomed by increased secretory response of pancreatic insulin. Insulinogenic index(${\Delta}$ insulin/glucose - 5 min) was highly significantly (r=0.62, p<0.01) correlated with progesterone concentration. Glycogen level and amounts of $^{14}C$-glucose incorporated into glycogen after IVGTT were significantly(p<0.05) decreased in the liver, but were not changed significantly in soleus. Glycogen synthase activity of soleus and liver was not differ significantly in the both groups. Insulin binding at varying concentrations of insulin to crude membrane of pregnant liver was not significantly different from control. In conclusions, although these pregnant rats were normal glucose tolerance due to increased secretory response of insulin, that was correlated with progesterone concentration, pregnant rat had insulin resistance. The mechanisms of insulin resistance were not related to defect of insulin binding phase and glycogen synthase, but suggest pre-receptor and/or postreceptor phase.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.167-174
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• 1994

This experiment was undertaken to investigate the effect of splenectomy on the hematology and maintenance of pregnant rats. Those animals that had shown regular 4 or 5 day estrous cycles for more than two cycles were used. The day after mating ws designated Day 0 of pregnancy. Spleen was removed from Day 0(early), 6(middle) and 13(late) of pregnant rat, respectively. Blood was collected on Day 1, 7, 14 and 21 of the pregnancy. 1. The total serum protein was increased significantly (P<0.05) to the progress of pregnancy in control rat. All rats that splenectomized groups were decreased significantly(P<0.05) at Day 21 of pregnancy than control rats. 2. Albumin was not significantly changed. 3. Globulin was decreased significantly(P<0.05) between contol and middle treatment at Day 7, 14 of pregnancy. 4. Glucose was increased for the due to the pregress of pregnancy. It was no significance differences among the each groups. 5. Rate of abortion was increased in groups of early and middle of splenectomy compared with control. 6. Period of pregnancy was delayed in middle and late splenectomized gruops companed with control. 7. Litter size was lowed significantly (P<0.05) in early and middle splenectomized groups compared with control.