• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제62권6호
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• pp.875-883
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• 2020

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of group-housing facility (GHF), compared to an individual confinement stall (CON), on the reproductive performance, behavior, and stress hormones of gestating sows. A total of 50 primiparous sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) were randomly allocated into either CON (n = 25) or GHF (n = 25) during the gestation period. One week before parturition, the sows were transferred into conventional farrowing crates, and cross-fostering was conducted within 1 d of delivery. Blood was collected for analyses of stress indices at 75 d of gestation and postpartum. Reproductive performance was estimated during the period of birth to weaning. Behavior patterns were identified at 90 d of gestation. Litter size was not different between the CON and GHF treatments. Weaning to estrus interval, however, tended to be lower in the GHF than in the CON (p < 0.1). Activity, treating, belly nosing, and exploring behaviors were observed only in the GHF group, whereas rubbing was shown only with the CON. Serum cortisol concentration was lower in the GHF than in the CON at 75 d of gestation (p < 0.05). Sows housed in the GHF showed lower epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations than those housed in the CON at postpartum (p < 0.05). The GHF sows demonstrated more natural behavior characteristics associated with stress relief than the CON sows with no adverse effects on reproductive performance. Therefore, these results suggest that GHF could be applied as an alternative housing facility to improve animal welfare on swine farms.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제40권3호
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• pp.238-241
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• 2023

This study determined the effect of ovarian status at the beginning of the modified Double-Ovsynch program on reproductive performance in dairy cows. In the study, 1,302 cows were treated with a modified Double-Ovsynch program at 56 days after calving. This program comprises administering gonadotropin-releasing hormones (GnRH), prostaglandin F_2α (PGF_2α) 10 days later, GnRH 3 days later, GnRH 7 days later, and GnRH 56 h later, followed by timed artificial insemination (TAI) 16 h later. At the beginning of the program, cows were categorized according to the size of the largest follicle and the presence of a corpus luteum (CL) in the ovaries as follows: 1) small follicle (<5 mm, SF group, n = 100), 2) medium follicle (8-20 mm, MF group, n = 538), and 3) large follicle (≥25 mm, LF group, n = 354) without a CL, or 4) the presence of a CL (CL group, n = 310). The pregnancies per AI after the first TAI were analyzed by logistic regression using the LOGISTIC procedure, and the logistic model included the fixed effects of the herd size, parity, body condition score (BCS) at the first TAI, TAI period, and ovarian status. A larger herd size, higher BCS at the first TAI, and TAI period with no heat stress increased (p < 0.05) the probability of pregnancy per AI after the first TAI. However, ovarian status at the beginning of the program did not affect (p > 0.05) the pregnancies per AI (ranges of 37.9% to 42.9%). These results show that the modified Double-Ovsynch program can be used effectively while maintaining good fertility regardless of the ovarian status in dairy herds.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.217-223
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• 2004

Objective: To evaluate the effects of recombinant FSH (rFSH) and urinary FSH (uFSH) on the gene expressions of human endometrial stromal cells in vitro. Methods: Endometrial tissue was obtained from a pre-menopausal women undergoing hysterectomy. Primary endometrial stromal cells were isolated and in vitro cultured with FBS-free DMEM/F-12 containing 0, 10, 100, and 1, 000 mIU/ml of rFSH and uFSH for 48 hours, respectively. Total RNA was extracted from the cultured cells and subjected to real time RT-PCR for the quantitative analysis of progesterone receptor (PR), estrogen receptor $\alpha/\beta$ (ER-$\alpha/\beta$), cyclooxygenase 2 (Cox-2), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), homeobox A10-1 and -2 (HoxA10-1/-2). Results: Both hormone treatments slightly increased (< 3 folds) the expressions of PR, ER-$\beta$ and HoxA10-1/-2 gene. However, ER-$\alpha$ expression was increased up to five folds by treatments of both FSH for 48 hours. The LIF expression by the 10 mIU/ml of uFSH for 12 hours was significantly higher than that of rFSH (p<0.01). After 24 hours treatment of two kinds of hormones, the expression patterns of LIF were similar. The 100 and 1, 000 mIU/ml of rFSH induced significantly higher amount of Cox-2 expression than those of uFSH, respectively (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study represents no adversely effect of exogeneous gonadotropins, rFSH and uFSH, on the expression of implantation related genes. We suggest that rFSH is applicable for the assisted reproductive technology without any concern on the endometrial receptivity.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.1-8
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• 2001

골든 햄스터의 생식활동은 광주기(하루 중 조명 시간)에 의해 결정된다. 광주기는 일년 동안 예측할 수 있는 환경요인이다. 주간 길이가 야간 길이보다 긴 여름에 햄스터의 생식 활동은 왕성하다. 생식 기능을 유지시키는 조명 시간은 하루에 적어도 12.5시간이다. 송과선을 제거시키면 광주기의 정보가 억제되기 때문에, 광주기의 정보는 송과선을 통하여 중재된다. 송과선을 제거 당한 핼스터는 생식 활동이 유지되고, 생식소 기능을 억제하는 상황에서도 생식 기능을 촉진시킨다. 송과선은 멜라토닌을 분비하고 멜라토닌은 광주기 정보를 반영 한다. 멜라토닌을 적절히 투입하면 송과선과 무관하게 생식소 퇴화가 유도된다. 생식체계를 기능적으로 통합하는 신경내분비 신호로 환경 정보가 전환하는 기전을 멜라토닌이 조절함을 시사한다. 광범위한 연구에도 불구하고, 멜라토닌의 작용부위는 알려지지 않았다. 이는 멜라토닌이 생식 호르몬의 분비에 미치는 즉각적인 효과가 없기 때문이다. 그러나, 성적으로 퇴화된 동물들은 생식 호르몬 수준이 낮고 시상하부 내 GnRH 양이 증가한다. 광주기 혹은 멜라토닌 처리가 생식 기능을 억제하는 효과는 GnRH 신경계에 의해 중재됨을 의미한다. 멜라토닌이 GnRH 신경에 미치는 작용 기전이 조사되어야 한다. 멜라토닌 수용체가 클로닝되어, 목적 조직에 미치는 멜라토닌의 작용 기전과 해부학적 위치를 통하여 멜라토닌의 다양하고 잠재적인 능력을 분자수준에서 연구하는데 공헌할 것이다.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.162-166
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• 1990

The climacterium is that phase in the aging precess during which a woman passes from the reproductive to the non-reporductive stage. The signals, such as hot flashes, vaso-motoric disturbances, perspiration, stiff shoulders, emotinal symptoms, are refered to as climacteric disturbances. Treatment of climacteric symptoms centers around estrogen replacement and transfuilizers, but there are many problems to be solved to use these hormones/drugs as far as dossage, duration and complications are concerned. The care of women during the climacteric years should provide relief of distressing symptoms with as high a degree of safety as possible. From this view point, we used red ginseng powder to those patients with high menopausal index successfully. We studied its mechanism of action and proved that red ginseng improved the micro-circulation system via improvement of erythrocyte reformability which enhanced sex steroidgensis consequently.

• BMB Reports
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• 제44권6호
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• pp.393-398
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• 2011

Polydnaviruses are a group of double-stranded DNA viruses and are symbiotically associated with some ichneumonoid wasps. As proviruses, the replication of polydnaviruses occurs in the female reproductive organ at the pupal stage. This study analyzed the effects of two developmental hormones, juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroid, on the viral replication of Cotesia plutellae bracovirus (CpBV). All 23 CpBV segments identified contained a conserved excision/rejoining site ('AGCTTT') from their proviral segments. Using quantitative real-time PCR based on this excision/rejoining site marker, initiation of CpBV replication was determined to have occurred on day 4 on the pupal stage. Pyriproxyfen, a JH agonist, significantly inhibited adult emergence of C. plutellae, whereas RH5992, an ecdysteroid agonist, had no inhibitory effect. Although RH5992 had no effect dose on adult development, it significantly accelerated viral replication. The results of immunoblotting assays against viral coat proteins support the effects of the hormone agonists on viral replication.

• 한국독성학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국독성학회 2003년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.122-122
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• 2003

Endometrial tissue is an interesting model for intrinsic and extrinsic factors, ie hormones and growth factors, involved in its normal pathologic development and its cyclic growth. The endometrial cells were isolated from endometrial tissue of the proliferative phase obtained by hysterectomy and separated stromal and epithelial cells.(omitted)

• 대한약학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한약학회 2003년도 Proceedings of the Convention of the Pharmaceutical Society of Korea Vol.1
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• pp.158.1-158.1
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• 2003

Carbofuran(CF) is one of the most widely used carbamate pesticides in the world applied for insect and nematode control. Due to its widespread use in agriculture and households, contamination of food, water, and air has become serious, and consequently adverse health effects are inevitable in humans, animals, wildlife and fish, it has reported that CF alone or in combination with other carbamate insecticides influences the level of reproductive and metabolic hormones such as thyroxine and corticosterone, and results in impairment of endocrine, immune behavioral functions. (omitted)

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.157-162
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• 2013

Methoxychlor (MXC) was developed to be a replacement for the banned pesticide DDT. HPTE [2,2-bis (p-hydroxyphenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane], which is an in vivo metabolite of MXC, has strong oestrogenic and anti-androgenic effects. MXC and HPTE are thought to produce potentially adverse effects by acting through oestrogen and androgen receptors. Of the two, HPTE binds to sex-steroid receptors with greater affinity, and it inhibits testosterone biosynthesis in Leydig cells by inhibiting cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme activity and cholesterol utilisation. In a previous study, MXC was shown to induce Leydig cell apoptosis by decreasing testosterone concentrations. I focused on the effects of MXC on male mice that resulted from interactions with sex-steroid hormone receptors. Sex-steroid hormones affect other organs including the kidney and liver. Accordingly, I hypothesised that MXC can act through sex-steroid receptors to produce adverse effects on the testis, kidney and liver, and I designed our experiments to confirm the different effects of MXC exposure on the male reproductive system, kidney and liver. In these experiments, I used pre-pubescent ICR mice; the puberty period in ICR mice is from postnatal day (PND) 45 to PND60. I treated the experimental group with 0, 100, 200, 400 mg MXC/kg b.w. delivered by an intra-peritoneal injection with sesame oil used as vehicle for 4 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the mice were sacrificed under anaesthesia. The testes and accessory reproductive organs were collected, weighed and prepared for histological investigation. I performed a chemiluminescence immune assay to observe the serum levels of testosterone, LH and FSH. Blood biochemical determination was also performed to check for other effects. There were no significant differences in our histological observations or relative organ weights. Serum testosterone levels were decreased in a dose-dependent manner; a greater dose resulted in the production of less testosterone. Compared to the control group, testosterone concentrations differed in the 200 and 400 mg/kg dosage groups. In conclusion, I observed markedly negative effects of MXC exposure on testosterone concentrations in pre-pubescent male mice. From our biochemical determinations, I observed some changes that indicate renal and hepatic failure. Together, these data suggest that MXC produces adverse effects on the reproductive system, kidney and liver.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.226-233
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• 2010

Different dietary cereal sources and fat types in the lactation diet were evaluated to investigate their effects on reproductive performance, milk composition, blood metabolites and hormones in multiparous sows. Twenty-four sows were randomly assigned to one of four treatments according to a 2${\times}$2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Each treatment had 6 replicates comprising 1 sow. Two cereal (corn or wheat) and two fat (tallow or soybean oil) sources were used to prepare iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous diets. Sows fed corn-based diets lost less body weight (p = 0.003) and backfat thickness (p = 0.034), consumed more feed (p = 0.032) and had shorter wean-to-estrus interval (p = 0.016) than sows fed wheat-based diets. Fewer piglets and lower body weight of piglets (p<0.05) at weaning were noted in sows fed wheat-based diets than in sows fed corn-based diets. However, no significant effects (p>0.05) of dietary fat source and its interaction with dietary cereal source on sow body condition and reproductive performance were observed during lactation. Feeding of a corn-based diet improved (p<0.05) sow milk total solid, protein and fat, increased blood urea nitrogen (p = 0.032) and triglyceride (p = 0.018), and decreased blood creatinine (p = 0.011) concentration at weaning when compared with sows fed wheatbased diets. Sows fed corn-based diets had higher concentration of insulin (p = 0.048) and LH (p<0.05) at weaning than sows fed wheatbased diets. The results indicate that feeding corn-based diets to lactating sows improved sow body condition and reproductive performance compared with wheat-based diets regardless of fat sources.