• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.624-628
• /
• 1999

Annual plasma levels of vitellogenin and sex steroids were investigated in relation to the gonadal development for understanding the endocrine control of reproduction in spotted flounder, Verasper variegatus. The plasma vitellogenin level was highest, 6.36 mg/ml, in November when vitellogenesis was most active. The level, thereafter, decreased to 3.81 mg/ml in December with the initiation of spawning. On the other hand, estradiol-17 $\beta$ was highest, 2.7 ng/ml, in December, and rapidly decreased in January when spawning occurred. The decreased level of estradiol-17$\beta$, around 0.2 ng/ml, remained unchanged until May. The profiles of plasma testosterone were similar to those of estradiol-17$\beta$ in the fish, The plasma 17 $\alpha$-hydroxyprogesterone level was relatively low throughout the spawning period, but increased slightly with the initiation of ovarian development, In males, the plasma testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone were highest in December when spermiation actively proceeded, but rapidly decreased during the spawning period (January).

• Experimental and Molecular Medicine
• /
• v.50 no.12
• /
• pp.12.1-12.14
• /
• 2018

Osteoporosis develops with high prevalence in both postmenopausal women and hypogonadal men. Osteoporosis results in significant morbidity, but no cure has been established. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) critically contribute to bone homeostasis and possess potent immunomodulatory/anti-inflammatory capability. Here, we investigated the therapeutic efficacy of using an infusion of MSCs to treat sex hormone-deficient bone loss and its underlying mechanisms. In particular, we compared the impacts of MSC cytotherapy in the two genders with the aim of examining potential gender differences. Using the gonadectomy (GNX) model, we confirmed that the osteoporotic phenotypes were substantially consistent between female and male mice. Importantly, systemic MSC transplantation (MSCT) not only rescued trabecular bone loss in GNX mice but also restored cortical bone mass and bone quality. Unexpectedly, no differences were detected between the genders. Furthermore, MSCT demonstrated an equal efficiency in rectifying the bone remodeling balance in both genders of GNX animals, as proven by the comparable recovery of bone formation and parallel normalization of bone resorption. Mechanistically, using green fluorescent protein (GFP)-based cell-tracing, we demonstrated rapid engraftment but poor inhabitation of donor MSCs in the GNX recipient bone marrow of each gender. Alternatively, MSCT uniformly reduced the $CD3^+T$-cell population and suppressed the serum levels of inflammatory cytokines in reversing female and male GNX osteoporosis, which was attributed to the ability of the MSC to induce T-cell apoptosis. Immunosuppression in the microenvironment eventually led to functional recovery of endogenous MSCs, which resulted in restored osteogenesis and normalized behavior to modulate osteoclastogenesis. Collectively, these data revealed recipient sexually monomorphic responses to MSC therapy in gonadal steroid deficiency-induced osteoporosis via immunosuppression/anti-inflammation and resident stem cell recovery.

• Journal of The Korean Ophthalmological Society
• /
• v.59 no.11
• /
• pp.1097-1102
• /
• 2018

Purpose: To report a case of toxic optic neuropathy caused by chlorfenapyr ingestion accompanied by central nervous system involvement. Case summary: A 44-year-old female visited our clinic complaining of reduced visual acuity in both eyes for 7 days. She had ingested a mouthful of chlorfenapyr for a suicide attempt 2 weeks prior to the visit. Gastric lavage was performed immediately after ingestion at the other hospital. Her best-corrected visual acuity was finger count 30 cm in the right eye and hand motion in the left eye. Both pupils were dilated by 5.0 mm and the response to light was sluggish in both eyes. A relative afferent pupillary defect was detected in her left eye. Funduscopy revealed optic disc swelling in both eyes. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed a symmetric hyper-intense signal in the white matter tract including the internal capsule, corpus callosum, middle cerebellar peduncle, and brainstem. The patient was diagnosed with toxic optic neuropathy induced by chlorfenapyr ingestion, and underwent high-dose intravenous corticosteroid pulse therapy. Three days later, the best-corrected visual acuity was no light perception in both eyes. Three months later, optic atrophy was observed in both eyes. Optical coherence tomography revealed a reduction in the thicknesses of the retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer in the macular area. Conclusions: Ingestion of even a small amount of chlorfenapyr can cause severe optic nerve damage through the latent period, despite prompt lavage and high-dose steroid treatment.

• Journal of The Korean Ophthalmological Society
• /
• v.59 no.12
• /
• pp.1195-1200
• /
• 2018

Purpose: To report a case of anterior segment ischemia after superior and inferior rectus muscle surgery in a patient with superior rectus muscle enlargement. This is the first report in the Republic of Korea of anterior segment ischemia after two rectus muscles surgery. Case summary: An 80-year-old male was referred to our clinic with a 3 years history of diplopia. The patient had 30 prism diopters right eye hypertropia in the primary position and downgaze limitation. The orbital computed tomography scan revealed enlargement of the right superior rectus muscle. He underwent right superior rectus recession and inferior rectus resection. On postoperative day 2, slit lamp examination revealed diffuse corneal edema, Descemet's membrane folding, an aqueous flare and a dilated pupil. Treatment with 45 mg oral steroid was initiated, and 1% prednisolone acetate and 0.5% Levofloxacin eye drops were administered. At postoperative 1 month, the patient was orthophoric in the primary position, and there was no corneal edema, pupil abnormality or aqueous flare. Conclusions: Base on the present case, the possibility of anterior segment ischemia should be considered after even two muscles surgery, and older patients with vertical muscle surgery should be considered more carefully.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.20 no.10
• /
• pp.303-308
• /
• 2019

Non-traumatic acute myelopathy caused by cervical disc herniation is rare. To date, no case has been reported to be caused by extrusion cervical disc herniation, unrelated to patient posture during surgery. Here, we report the case of a 65-year-old male patient with cervical myelopathy who underwent subsequent arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery under general anesthesia; non-cervical spine surgery. Ed. Notes: I am unable to understand the insertion of the highlighted phrase. Please delete if not required, or revise the sentence appropriately. Patient showed acute postoperative tetraplegia in spite of optimal anesthetic management. He showed no limitation of neck movement at pre-operative airway evaluation, and had no history of trauma to the cervical spine. During surgery, there had been no overextension or twisting of the neck, including at the time of anesthetic induction by tracheal intubation. However, cervical disc herniation causing spinal canal cord compression was detected in the postoperative magnetic resonance imaging, which probably resulted in tetraplegia of the patient. Motor and sensory functions were recovered after 21 days of conservative treatment, including steroid pulse intravenous therapy without any surgical intervention. In this report, the disease is described after reviewing other reported cases; furthermore, we also discuss the pathophysiology of the disease. Based on our report, we propose that under general anesthesia, clinicians should pay attention to the possibility of pre-existing cervical disease, even in non-cervical spine surgeries of geriatric patients.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.379-391
• /
• 2018

Through the development of organic synthetic skill, chemicals that mimic signaling mediators such as steroid hormones have been exposed to the environment. Recently, it has become apparent that this circumstance should be further studied in the field of physiology. Estrogenic action of chronic low-dose nonylphenol (NP) and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in mouse uterus was assessed in this study. Ten to twelve-week-old female mice (CD-1) were fed drinking water containing NP (50 or $500{\mu}g/L$) or DEHP (133 or $1,330{\mu}g/L$) for 10 weeks. Uterine diameter, the thickness of myometrium and endometrium, and the height of luminal epithelial cells were measured and the number of glands were counted. The expression levels of the known $17{\beta}$-estradiol ($E_2$)-regulated genes were evaluated with real-time RT-PCR methodology. The ration of uterine weight to body weight increased in $133{\mu}g/L$ DEHP. Endometrial and myometrial thickness increased in 133 and $1,330{\mu}g/L$ DEHP treated groups, and in 50, $500{\mu}g/L$ NP and $133{\mu}g/L$ DEHP, respectively. The height of luminal epithelial cell decreased in NP groups. The numbers of luminal epithelial gland were decreased in NP groups but increased in $50{\mu}g/L$ DEHP group. The histological characters of glands were not different between groups. The mRNA expression profiles of the known $17{\beta}$-estradiol ($E_2$) downstream genes, Esr1, Esr2, Pgr, Lox, and Muc1, were also different between NP and DEHP groups. The expression levels dramatically increased in some genes by the NP or DEHP. Based on these results, it is suggested that the chronic low-dose NP or DEHP works as estrogen-like messengers in uterus with their own specific gene expression-regulation patterns.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.163-171
• /
• 2016

Steroid hormone, glucocorticoid (GC) has strong anti-inflammatory effects by binding to glucocorticoid receptor (GR) inhibiting the expression of inflammatory genes. Therefore, agents that activate the GR have been used for the treatment of dermatitis. However, the agents have side effects such as skin barrier dysfunction and dermal atrophy, inducing skin damage as well as skin aging. It has been reported that GC is activated by 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 ($11{\beta}$-HSD1) to increase the activity of the GR. This study aimed to identify natural materials that can effectively inhibit dexamethasone. We found that alpinetin isolated from Alpinia katsumadai extract has a significant effect on this. Alpinetin not only inhibited $11{\beta}$-HSD1 expression, but also suppressed the increase of phosphorylated GR and cortisol concentration. Alpinetin also recovered collagen expression in dexamethasone-treated dermal fibroblasts, and the reduction of dermal thickness in dexamethasnone-treated 3D skin model. These results suggest that alpinetin prevents skin aging induced by the increase of $11{\beta}$-HSD1 expression.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.59-74
• /
• 2010

Objectives : Atopic dermatitis(AD) is a chronic recurrent skin disease which usually developed in infancy or childhood. AD often repeat improvement and relapse. The cause of AD is so indefinite that many methods of therapies(moisturizer, steroid ointment, antihistamine, immunomodulator, immunosuppressant, herbal medicine, alternative medicine, etc.) are tried. Recently, a lot of studies were made. But there is no report about the effect of Samulsopungeum(SM) and Prednisolone(PN) on AD. So, author aimed to investigate the effects of SM and PN on AD of NC/Nga mice. Methods : Thirty two mice(8 Balb/c mice and 24 NC.Nga mice) were divided into four groups; Balb/c mice was normal group. NC/Nga mice were divide into three group : control, PN, SM group. AD was induced in the control, PN, SM group by spreading DNCB. Then normal saline, PN and SM were orally administered three times in a week for 8 weeks to the control, PN, SM group, respectively. We observed changes of clinical skin severity score, serum IgE, IgG1, IFN-$\gamma$, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-13, and so on. We used one-way ANOVA test statistically(p<0.01). Results : The clinical skin severity scores of PN group and SM group in 8th week were decreased compared to the control group. Serum IgE, IgGl levels of PN group and SM group were significantly decreased compared to the control group. Serum IFN-$\gamma$ in SM group was significantly increased compared to the control group. But, Serum IFN-$\gamma$ in PN group was significantly decreased compared to the control group. Serum IL-10 levels of PN group and SM group were significantly decreased compared to the control group. Serum IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 levels of PN group and SM group were significantly decreased compared to the control group. mRNA expression levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 in the dorsal skin tissues of PN group and SM group were significantly decreased compared to the control group. According to biopsy reports of the ear and skin tissues showed that the tissue damage of PN group and SM group were highly reduced compared to the control group. Creatinine, BUN, ALT, AST levels of PN group and SM group were normal. Conclusion : According to the above results, it is considered that SM is effective treatment for the AD.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.63 no.6
• /
• pp.1247-1264
• /
• 2021

Anabolic steroids are frequently used to increase the growth rate of meat-producing animals. Exposure to an anabolic-androgenic steroid, nandrolone decanoate (ND), is associated with expressional reduction of testicular steroidogenic enzymes. However, the effect of withdrawal of ND exposure on the expression of these testicular molecules has not been thoroughly explored. The current research investigated expression changes of testicular steroidogenic enzymes in rats at several recovery periods (2, 6, and 12 weeks) after the stop of ND treatment with different doses (2 and 10 mg/kg body weight) for 12 weeks. Body and testis weights were recorded, and transcript levels of molecules were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The immunohistochemistry was used to examine the changes of immuno-intensities of molecules. At 6 and 12 weeks of the recovery period, the 10 mg/kg ND-treated rats were lighter than other experimental groups. The interstitial compartment vanished by ND treatment filled up as the recovery period became longer. The expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein was returned to the control level at 12 weeks of the recovery period. Expression levels of cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage and 17a-hydroxylase were increased in 2 mg/kg ND-treated group at 6 weeks of the recovery period, and transcript levels of these molecules in 2 and 10 mg/kg ND-treated groups at 12 weeks of the recovery period were significantly lower than the control. Expression levels of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) type I and 17β-HSD type 3 in 2 mg/kg ND-treated group were comparable with those of control at 12 weeks of the recovery period, but not in 10 mg/kg ND-treated group. Expression of cytochrome P450 aromatase (Cyp19) was reverted to the control level at 2 weeks of the recovery period. Except for Cyp19, there was a visible increase of immuno-staining intensity of other testicular steroidogenic enzymes in the Leydig cells as the recovery period progressed. This research has demonstrated that the cease of ND administration could restore the expression of testicular steroidogenic enzymes close to the normal level. Nevertheless, a relatively long recovery period, compared to the ND-exposure period would be required to retrieve normal expression levels of testicular steroidogenic enzymes.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.158-162
• /
• 2018

Breast cancer related lymphedema (BCRL) is one of the most intractable complications after surgery. Patients suffer from physical impairment, as well as psychological depression. Moreover, a recent study revealed that cellulitis significantly increased the risk of BCRL, and cellulitis has been suggested as a risk factor of BCRL development. We describe a patient treated with stellate ganglion blocks (SGBs) without steroid for relief of symptoms and reduction of the arm circumference of breast cancer-related infectious lymphedema in a month. We measured the arm circumference at four locations; 10 cm and 5 cm above and below the elbow crease, numeric rating scale (NRS) score, lymphedema and breast cancer questionnaire (LBCQ) score on every visit to the pain clinic. A serial decrease of the arm circumference and pain score were observed after second injection. In the middle of the process, cellulitis recurred, we performed successive SGBs to treat infectious lymphedema. The patient was satisfied with the relieved pain and swelling, especially with improved shoulder range of motion as it contributes to better quality of life. This case describes the effects of SGB for infectious BCRL patients. SGB could be an alternative or ancillary treatment for infectious BCRL patients.