• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.167-174
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• 2011

Acute ischemic stroke results from sudden decrease or loss of blood supply to an area of the brain, resulting in a coinciding loss of neurological function. The antioxidant action of melatonin is an important mechanism among its known effects to protective activity during ischemic/reperfusion injury. The focus of this research, therapeutic efficacy of melatonin on recovery of neurological function following long term treatment in ischemic brain injured rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=40; 8 weeks old) were divided into the control group, and MCAo groups (Vehicle, MT7 : MCAo+ melatonin injection at 7:00, MT19 : MCAo+melatonin injection at 19:00, and MT7,19 : MCAo+melatonin injection at 7:00 and 19:00). Rat body weight and neurological function were measured every week for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, the rats were anesthetized with a mixture of zoletil (40 mg/kg) and xylazine (10 mg/kg) and sacrificed for further analysis. Tissues were then collected for RNA isolation from brain tissue. Also, brain tissues were analyzed by histological procedures. We elucidated that melatonin was not toxic in vital organs. MT7,19 was the most rapidly got back to mild symptom on test of neurological parameter. Also, exogenous melatonin induces both the down-regulation of detrimental genes, such as NOSs and the up-regulation of beneficial gene, including BDNF during long term administration after focal cerebral ischemia. Melatonin treatment reduced the loss of primary motor cortex. Therefore, we suggest that melatonin could be act as prophylactic as well as therapeutic agent for neurorehabilitative intervention.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.195-202
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• 2009

Abnormal development and fetal loss during the post-implantation period are key concerns in the production of cloned animals by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). We hypothesized that the problems in cloned porcine offspring derived from SCNT are related to interactions between the conceptus and the endometrial environment. In the present study, we investigated expression patterns in the formation of placenta-related genes (Cdx2 and GATA6) in whole in vivo normal porcine embryos (from single cell to blastocyst) and each tissue of a normal fetus at Days 25, 35 and 55 by quantitative mRNA expression analysis using real-time PCR. The expression of Cdx2 and GATA6 mRNA increased to around the blastocyst stage. These genes were gradually decreased from the peri-implantation to post-implantation stage. Moreover, we examined the expression patterns of Cdx2 and GATA6 in Day 35 normal and SCNT cloned fetuses by the same methods. And, the level of Cdx2 and GATA6 gene expression in the extraembryonic tissue of SCNT was significantly higher than that of control tissues. From the present results, it can be postulated that the aberrant expression of Cdx2 and GATA6 genes in the endometrial and extraembryonic tissues at pre- and peri-implantation stages may be closely related to the lower efficiency of animal cloning.

• 한국어병학회지
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.69-76
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• 1998

매년 폐사가 발생해 온 서해안 연안의 고창과 태안에서 채집한 양식 바지락에서 복합포자충류인 Perkinsus sp.가 관찰되었다. 기생충에 감염된 바지락은 육안적으로 아가미와 육질의 표면에서 유백색의 결절이 나타났다. 기생충의 영양체는 편재된 핵을 가지고 있으며, 아가미와 외투막, 간 췌장, 생식소 조직에서 이분열에 의해 증식하며, 육아종의 형성과 혈구의 침윤을 유발하였다. 감염된 바지락을 FTM에 배양한 결과 영양체의 크기가 커지면서 루골용액에 의해 검게 염색된 구형의 유주자낭들 형성하였다. Perkinsus sp.의 평균 감염율은 9개월의 조사 기간 동안 고창이 73.1%, 태안이 94.8%로 나타났으며, 감염율은 각장의 크기가 클수록 증가하는 경향을 나타내었다. Hemacolor kit는 바지락의 대량폐사와 밀접한 연관이 있는 Perkinsus sp.의 영양체의 신속진단에 유용한 것으로 나타났다.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• 제1권2호
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• pp.269-275
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• 1998

Spider crabs, Libinia emarginata, were eyestalk-ablated unilaterally and bilaterally to manipulate endogenous methyl farnesoate (MF) to increase during the embryogenesis. Endogenous MF were measured weekly over the embryogenesis of the crab, using HPLC with the aids of GC/MS and MS database (CAS 010485-70-8) for the identification of the hormone. Initial MF titers both in the hemolymph and embryos of intact control were at bottom levels and the hormone concentrations kept unchanged (p<0.05), reflecting physiological unnecessaries of the hormone in the embryogenesis. Eyestalk ablation significantly stimulated the crabs to increase endogenous MF in both tissues (p<0.0l). In the response of the embryos to the increased MF, no growth stimulations were observed, at least, in the first part of embryogenesis. The increased mortalities and immature sheddings of embryos resulted from the crabs under the influence of elevated MF in both tissues, instead, suggesting that the elevated MF against the crab's requirement blocked the normal developmental process of the crab embryos. These data can give crustacean endocrinologists some insights to understand the effects of the hormone on the crustacean reproduction studied previously in which JH analogs ambiguously affected the crustacean reproduction depending on the reproductive stages. The data also can give shrimp aquaculturists some implication of a possible generation of unfavorable shrimp seeds attributed to elevated egg MF originated from their eyestalk-ablated mother shrimp.

• BMB Reports
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• 제55권8호
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• pp.370-379
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• 2022

Human pregnancy is a delicate and complex process where multiorgan interactions between two independent systems, the mother, and her fetus, maintain pregnancy. Intercellular interactions that can define homeostasis at the various cellular level between the two systems allow uninterrupted fetal growth and development until delivery. Interactions are needed for tissue remodeling during pregnancy at both fetal and maternal tissue layers. One of the mechanisms that help tissue remodeling is via cellular transitions where epithelial cells undergo a cyclic transition from epithelial to mesenchymal (EMT) and back from mesenchymal to epithelial (MET). Two major pregnancy-associated tissue systems that use EMT, and MET are the fetal membrane (amniochorion) amnion epithelial layer and cervical epithelial cells and will be reviewed here. EMT is often associated with localized inflammation, and it is a well-balanced process to facilitate tissue remodeling. Cyclic transition processes are important because a terminal state or the static state of EMT can cause accumulation of proinflammatory mesenchymal cells in the matrix regions of these tissues and increase localized inflammation that can cause tissue damage. Interactions that determine homeostasis are often controlled by both endocrine and paracrine mediators. Pregnancy maintenance hormone progesterone and its receptors are critical for maintaining the balance between EMT and MET. Increased intrauterine oxidative stress at term can force a static (terminal) EMT and increase inflammation that are physiologic processes that destabilize homeostasis that maintain pregnancy to promote labor and delivery of the fetus. However, conditions that can produce an untimely increase in EMT and inflammation can be pathologic. These tissue damages are often associated with adverse pregnancy complications such as preterm prelabor rupture of the membranes (pPROM) and spontaneous preterm birth (PTB). Therefore, an understanding of the biomolecular processes that maintain cyclic EMT-MET is critical to reducing the risk of pPROM and PTB. Extracellular vesicles (exosomes of 40-160 nm) that can carry various cargo are involved in cellular transitions as paracrine mediators. Exosomes can carry a variety of biomolecules as cargo. Studies specifically using exosomes from cells undergone EMT can carry a pro-inflammatory cargo and in a paracrine fashion can modify the neighboring tissue environment to cause enhancement of uterine inflammation.

• 한국동물생명공학회지
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• 제37권4호
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• pp.255-265
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• 2022

The cellular communication network factor (CCN) family proteins regulate many biological events such as angiogenesis, tumor growth, placentation, implantation, and embryogenesis. The expression and function of CCN1, CCN2, and CCN3 at the maternal-conceptus interface are established in humans and rodents, but little is known about the role of CCN4 to CCN6 in the reproductive organs in any other species. Several studies in transcriptome analysis in pigs have shown that the expression of CCN4 and CCN6 increases in the endometrium during early pregnancy. However, their expression, regulation, and function in the endometrium throughout the estrous cycle and pregnancy have not been fully understood in pigs. Thus, we determined the expression, localization, and regulation of CCN4 and CCN6 during the estrous cycle and at the maternal-conceptus interface in pigs. We found that the levels of CCN4, but not CCN6, changed during the estrous cycle. The levels of CCN4 were greater during mid- to late pregnancy than in the early stage, and the levels of CCN6 were greatest on Day 15 of pregnancy. CCN4 and CCN6 were detected in conceptus tissues during early pregnancy and in chorioallantoic tissues during the later stage of pregnancy. CCN4 mRNA was mainly localized to epithelial cells, CCN6 mRNAs to epithelial and stromal cells in the endometrium. In endometrial explant cultures, CCN4 expression was increased by progesterone, and CCN6 expression by interferon-𝛾. These results suggest that CCN4 and CCN6 may play roles in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy by regulating the endometrial epithelial cell functions in pigs.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제65권4호
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• pp.698-719
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• 2023

Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) is caused by a systemic inflammation after porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection. It was one of the most economically important pathogens affecting pig production worldwide before PCV2 vaccine was first introduced in 2006. After the development of a vaccine against PCV2a type, pig farms gradually restored enormous economic losses from PMWS. However, vaccine against PCV2a type could not be fully effective against several different PCV2 genotypes (PCV2b - PCV2h). In addition, PCV2a vaccine itself could generate antigenic drift of PCV2 capsid. Therefore, PCV2 infection still threats pig industry worldwide. PCV2 infection was initially found in local tissues including reproductive, respiratory, and digestive tracks. However, PCV2 infection often leads to a systemic inflammation which can cause severe immunosuppression by depleting peripheral lymphocytes in secondary lymphoid tissues. Subsequently, a secondary infection with other microorganisms can cause PMWS. Eleven putative open reading frames (ORFs) have been predicted to encode PCV2 genome. Among them, gene products of six ORFs from ORF1 to ORF6 have been identified and characterized to estimate its functional role during PCV2 infection. Acquiring knowledge about the specific interaction between each PCV2 ORF protein and host protein might be a key to develop preventive or therapeutic tools to control PCV2 infection. In this article, we reviewed current understanding of how each ORF of PCV2 manipulates host cell signaling related to immune suppression caused by PCV2.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.49-59
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• 2015

이 연구에서는 바지락의 성 성숙이 활발한 봄철에 경기만 선재도, 전북 곰소만, 및 남해 완도 등, 연중 수온 분포가 다른 지역에 분포하는 바지락 채집하여 P. olseni 감염이 번식에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. 바지락의 산란은 연중 수온이 곰소나 선재도보다 높은 완도 바지락이 서해안 곰소 및 선재도 바지락보다 빠른 성 성숙 및 산란 활동을 보였다. P. olseni 감염이 바지락의 번식에 미치는 영향은 감염도가 다른 지역에 비해 세 배 이상 높은 완도에서 관찰되었으며, 완도 바지락은 여포 크기, 여포 내 성숙 난의 수 및 번식량 등이 타 지역보다 유의적으로 낮았다. 따라서 P. olseni 감염은 폐사 이외에도 다른 연구에서 밝혀진 바와 같이 번식 활동에 부정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 확인되었다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.217-229
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• 2010

목 적: 영양막세포의 과도한 세포자멸사는 태반의 발달뿐 아니라 산과 질환을 유발하는 요인으로 알려져 있다. X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP)은 임신 기간 동안 영양막세포의 세포자멸사와 관련되어 있다고 알려져 있으나, 자간전증을 유발하는 인자인 저산소성과의 관계에 관한 연구는 미흡한 실정이다. 본 연구의 목적은 XIAP가 정상 태반과 자간전증 산모의 태반에서 발현 양상의 차이를 분석하고, 저산소 상태에 노출된 HTR-8/SVneo 영양막세포주에서의 XIAP 기능을 분석하고자 하였다. 연구방법: XIAP 발현을 분석하고자, 정상 태반 (n=15), 중기 자간전증 태반 (n=11), 그리고 말기 자간전증 태반 (n=15) 조직을 수집하여 RT-PCR, 면역조직화학법, 그리고 Western blot 등을 실시하였다. 저산소성 상태에서 XIAP의 기능을 확인하고자 HTR-8/SVneo 영양막세포주에 1% 산소가 공급되는 hypoxia 상태에 노출시킨 뒤 12시간, 24시간 후에 각 세포자멸사 관련 유전자들의 발현을 fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)와 Western blot 분석 등을 실시하였다. 결 과: XIAP는 태반의 합포영양막세포와 포합체결절에서 발현이 관찰되었으며, 정상 태반보다 자간전증 태반에서의 발현이 현저히 감소됨이 관찰되었다 (p<0.05). 또한, 저산소 상태에 노출된 HTR-8/SVneo 영양막세포주에서 감소된 XIAP 발현은 세포질에서 핵으로의 이동에 따라 세포자멸사를 유발하는 단백질들의 발현이 증가됨이 관찰되었다. 결 론: XIAP의 발현은 태반 발달 및 자간전증 태반에서 XIAP 유전자의 발현은 감소되었으며, XIAP의 저하로 인한 caspase-9의 증가가 자간전증 태반에서의 세포자멸사는 더 많이 유도되었음을 확인할 수 있었다. 또한, 저산소 상태에 의해 XIAP의 발현이 감소되었으며, XIAP 단백질의 세포질에서 핵으로의 위치 변화는 영양막세포의 세포자멸사에 중요한 역할을 하는 것이 관찰되었고, 이는 자간전증의 진단에 유용한 마커로써의 활용되기 위한 기본적인 자료로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

• Applied Microscopy
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• 제34권4호
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• pp.295-303
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• 2004

식물체에 여러 유기성분을 함유하는 발향성 식물인 토마토는 표피조직에 여러 형태의 이형세포가 발달한다. 유용식물인 토마토에 대하여는 많은 영역에서 활발하게 집중 연구되고 있으나, 표피조직에 발달하는 이형세포에 촛점을 두고 구조적으로는 자세히 연구되어 있지 않고 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 토마토 표피조직, 특히 생식기관의 표피조직에 발달하는 이형세포들의 구조 및 분화 발달양상을 주사전자현미경적 방법으로 연구하였다. 토마토 표피조직에는 불규칙형 기공과 방사형 돌출기공의 두 유형의 기공이 발달하였으며, 모용은 분비성과 비분비성의 다양한 4가지 형태로 분화하였다. 분비성 모용은 peltate 형과 capitate형 분비모로 대별되었고, 비분비성 모용은 단상모와 원좌형 기저세포의 장상모로 발달하였다. 특히, 화경에는 돌출기공의 발달이 현저하였고, peltate형 분비모는 꽃받침과 자방 표피조직에 뚜렷하였다. 이후 분비모용과 돌출기공에 대한 세포학적 측면에서의 구조적인 연구가 병행되어 본 결과와 접목되면 구조와 기능간의 관계규명에 많은 도움을 줄 것이며, 유용성분의 자원화 및 기능물질 개발에 있어 더욱 의미있는 연구가 될 것이다.