• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.437-445
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• 2021

Roughscale sole (Clidoderma asperrimum) is only wild caught because basic reproductive research on this species is lacking and gamete production in an artificial setting has not been successful. Exogenous hormone treatment has been used to induce gonadal maturation and final spermiation in wild-caught individuals. In this study, the effects of an exogenous hormone on spermiation in roughscale sole was investigated by implanting different concentrations of a salmon gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analog (sGnRH; 0, 25, 50, and 100 ㎍/kg body weight) into male fishes. The control group did not produce sperm after 21 days post-implantation, and the duration of spermiation was shorter compared to the other groups. The spermiation period and milt amount differed among the hormone-treated groups according to the hormone concentration used. Milt volumes in the groups treated with 25 and 100 ㎍/kg sGnRH increased compared to the control group, whereas exogenous hormone treatment had no effect on the movable sperm ratio. The spermatocrit was high at the beginning of spermiation in all groups and then tended to decrease gradually over time except in the experimental group treated with 100 ㎍/kg sGnRH. Plasma levels of testosterone, 11-ketotestosterone, 17α, 20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one were not significantly affected by the sGnRH treatments. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to prolong the spermiation period and increase milt volume by treating male roughscale soles with an exogenous hormone. In addition, the artificial hormone treatment did not affect sperm motility.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.101-111
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• 2021

Objectives : Steroids are often administered to atopic patients as hormone preparations, often causing side effects. This study is intended to present the possibility of Korean medicine treatment for patients who have had side effects due to steroids in atopic dermatitis by relieving side effects and improving symptoms through Korean medicine such as Hwangryounhaedok-tang and Siryeong-tang. Methods : 2 patients who had atopic dermatitis and rebound phenomenon after steroids treatment were treated by herbal medicine, herbal acupuncture, acupuncture and external preparations. Photographs of the lesions, SCORAD(Scoring atopic dermatitis) index were used to evaluate the changes in symptoms. Results : The SCORAD index of the first patient improved from 55.6 to 24.3 in 4 months. The SCORAD index of the second patient improved from 44.7 to 21.3 in 3 months. Conclusions : In the situation where symptoms of atopic dermatitis patients due to steroid rebound phenomenon have worsened, Korean medicine treatments played a important role in alleviating symptoms and improving SCORAD index scores.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.58 no.6
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• pp.224-229
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• 2015

Purpose: Thyroid dysfunction is common in preterm infants. Congenital hypothyroidism causes neurodevelopmental impairment, which is preventable if properly treated. This study was conducted to describe the characteristics of thyroid dysfunction in very low birth weight infants (VLBWIs), evaluate risk factors of hypothyroidism, and suggest the reassessment of thyroid function with an initially normal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) as part of a newborn screening test. Methods: VLBWIs (January 2010 to December 2012) were divided into two groups according to dysfunction-specific thyroid hormone replacement therapy, and associated factors were evaluated. Results: Of VLBWIs, 246 survivors were enrolled. Only 12.2% (30/246) of enrolled subjects exhibited thyroid dysfunction requiring thyroid hormone replacement. Moreover, only one out of 30 subjects who required thyroid hormone treatment had abnormal thyroid function in the newborn screening test with measured TSH. Most of the subjects in the treatment group (22/30) exhibited delayed TSH elevation. Gestational age, Apgar score, antenatal steroids therapy, respiratory distress syndrome, patent ductus arteriosus, sepsis, intraventricular hemorrhage, postnatal steroids therapy, and duration of mechanical ventilation did not differ between the two groups. Birth weight was smaller and infants with small for gestational age were more frequent in the treatment group. Conclusion: Physicians should not rule out suggested hypothyroidism, even when thyroid function of a newborn screening test is normal. We suggest retesting TSH and free thyroxine in high risk preterm infants with an initially normal TSH level using a newborn screening test.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.649-658
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• 2010

Myogenic satellite cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells that activate and differentiate into myotubes. These stem cells are multipotent as they transdifferentiate into adipocyte-like cells, nerve cells and osteocytes. The effects of steroid hormones ($E_2$ and testosterone) were studied as a further step toward understanding the mechanism of MSCs proliferation and differentiation. In this study, MSCs were grown continuously for 87 days, implying that there may be a group of MSCs that continue to proliferate rather than undergoing differentiation. Isolated MSCs were cultured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium supplemented with adult male, female or castrated bovine serum to observe the effect of steroid hormones on MSC proliferation. Cell proliferation was the highest in cultures supplemented with male serum followed by female and castrated serum. The positive effect of male hormone on MSC proliferation was confirmed by the observation of testosterone-mediated increased proliferation of cells cultured in medium supplemented with castrated serum. Furthermore, steroid hormone treatment of MSCs increased lipid accumulation in myotubes. Oil-Red-O staining showed that 17${\beta}$-estradiol ($E_2$) treatment avidly increased lipid accumulation, followed by $E_2$+testosterone and testosterone alone. To our knowledge, this is the first report of lipid accumulation in myotubes due to steroids in the absence of an adipogenic environment, and the effect of steroid hormones on cell proliferation using different types of adult bovine serum, a natural hormonal system. In conclusion, we found that sex steroids affect MSCs proliferation and differentiation, and lipid accumulation in myotubes.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.189-196
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• 1991

Long-term administration of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone(LHRH) agonists, through a process of pituitary desensitization and down-regulation of receptors, inhibits the secretion of gonadotropin and sex-steroids and induces a reversible suppression of gonadal activity. This approach can be used as an effective endocrine therapy for some hormone-dependent tumors. We have used D-Trp6-LHRH, a long acting LHRH agonist, for the treatment of eleven patients with uterine leiomyomas, thereafter myomectomy was performed in seven cases and observed the ultrastructural changes of leiomyoma with an electron microscope. The use of LHRH agonist may be effective in reducing the size of a myoma considerably by primarily inducing medical hypophysectomy and would allow easier surgical removal. Electron microscopic findings of myoma cells after the use of LHRH agonist included the following: loss of cristae and swelling nuclear chromatin, perinuclear vacuolation in cytoplasm. Bone mineral density was slightly decreased, however, the difference was not statistically significant.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.279-286
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• 2001

Objective: To elucidate 1) whether there are any differences in the urine concentrations of steroid hormone metabolites between patients with leiomyoma and normal controls 2) the correlation between urinary profiles of steroid hormones and leiomyomas of the uterus according to their type, location, volume, and weight. Materials of Methods : The study population consisted of 37 premenopausal patients with uterine leiomyoma and the control group consisted of 25 premenopausal normal volunteer women without uterine leiomyoma. Confirmation of the existence of uterine leiomyoma was done by ultrasonography and histopathological examination after surgery. The volume of the leiomyoma was estimated by trans-abdominal and/or trans-vaginal ultrasonography. The Leiomyomas were divided into 3 types (subserosal, intramural and submucosal). Seventeen patients had subserosal type of leiomyoma, 10 with the intramural type and 10 with the submucosal type. The locations of the leiomyoma were also divided into 3 groups (fundus, body and isthmus). Seventeen patients showed a fundus location, 10 in body, and 10 in isthmus. We compared urinary profiles of the endogenous steroids between patients with leiomyomas and normal controls, and also investigated the relationship between urinary profiles of the endogenous steroids and leiomyomas according to their type, location, volume and weight by using highly sensitive Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) system. Results: The mean ages of the patients with leiomyomas and the control group were $43.1{\pm}5.6$ and $40.6{\pm}7.2$ years, the weights were $63.4{\pm}7.3$ and $59.4{\pm}8.1\;kg$, and their heights were $155.4{\pm}4.8$ and $159.3{\pm}4.8\;cm$ respectively. Seventeen patients had subserosal, 10 had intramural, and 10 had submucosal leiomyomas. There were 17 patients with leiomyoma located in fundus, 10 in body and 10 in isthmus. $17{\beta}$-estradiol, 5-AT, 11-keto ET, $11{\beta}$-hydroxy An, $11{\beta}$-hydroxy Et, THS, THA, THE, a-cortolone, a-cortol, $\beta$-cortol, $11{\beta}$-OH Et/$11{\beta}$-OH An and E2/E1 were significantly increased in patients with leiomyoma than in the control group. $17{\beta}$-estradiol was significantly increased in the intramural and the submucosal types than in the subserosal type. There was no significant difference in the concentrations of urinary steroids according to the locations of leiomyomas. There was no significant relationship between the concentration of urinary steroids and the volume of the leiomyomas. $17{\beta}$-estradiol significantly decreased as the weight of uterus increased (r=-0.322, p=0.04). Conclusion: The concentrations of steroid hormone metabolites were generally increased in patients with leiomyoma but were not significantly related to the volume and weight of the leiomyomas. Our study suggests that steroid hormones may be involved in the initiation of leiomyomas but may not be involved in their progression. In addition, the concentrations of steroid hormone metabolites are not related to the leiomyoma type and location.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Fisheries Technology Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.187-188
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• 2003

Conadotropin releasing hormono analogs (GnRHa) have now been tested successfully a range of marine and freshwater species and been shown to be an effective strategy for improving milt quantity and quality (Mylonas and Zohar, 2001; Zohar and Mylonas, 2001; Lim et at, , 2002). Greenback flounder (Rhombosolea tapirina) is currently under consideration as a potential culture species in south-eastern Australia. (omitted)

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2002

Embryonic stem cells(ES cells) are derived from the inner cell mass(ICM) of blastocysts, which have the potentials to remain undifferentiated, to proliferate indefinitely in vitro, to differentiate into the derivates of three embryonic germ layers. ES cells are an attractive model system for studying the initial developmental decisions and their molecular mechanisms during embryogenesis. Additionally, ES cells of significant interest to those characterizing the various gene functions utilizing transgenic and gene targeting techniques. We investigated the effects of reproductive hormones, gonadotropins(GTH) and steroids on the induction of differentiation and expressions of their receptor genes using the newly established mouse ES cells. We collected the matured blastocysts of inbred mice C57BL/6J after superovulation and co-cultured with mitotically inactivated STO feeder cells. After 5 passages, we confirmed the expression alkaline phosphatase(Alk P) activity and SSEA-1, 3, 4 expressions. The protocol devised for inducing ES differentiation consisted of an aggregation steps, after 5 days as EBs in hormone treatments(FSH, LH, E$_2$, P$_4$, T) that allows complex signaling to occur between the cells and a dissociation step, induced differentiation through attachment culture during 7 days in hormone treatments. Hormone receptors were not increased in dose-dependent manner. All hormone receptors in ES cells treated reproductive hormones were expressed lower than those of undifferentiated ES cell except for LHR expression in E$_2$-treated ES cells group. After hormone induced differentiation, at least some of the cells are not terminally differentiated, as is evident from the expression of Oct-4, a marker of undifferentiated. To assess their differentiation by gene expression, we analyzed the expression of 7 tissue-specific markers from all three germ layers. Most of hormone-treated group increased in the expression of gata-4 and $\alpha$ -fetoprotein, suggesting reproductive hormone allowed or induced differentiation of endoderm.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.65-71
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• 2001

The key targets of endocrine disruptors are nuclear hormone receptors, which bind to steroid hormones and regulate their gene transcription. A yeast-based steroid hormone receptor gene trascription assay was previously developed for the evaluation of chemicals with endocrine modulating activity. The yeast transformants used in this assay contain the human estrogen receptor along with the appropriate steroid response elements upstream of the $\beta$-galactosidase reporter gene. We tried to evaluate several natural and synthetic steroids of their potential to interact directly with the steroid receptor. Some putative endocrine disruptors, including nonylphenol, are weakly estrogenic. But the combined treatment oj these chemicals with di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) significantly increased the $\beta$-galactosidase activity in the yeast transformant. These results suggest that we also have to consider the synergistic effects of endocrine disruptors. In this study, we showed that yeast-based bioassay is a valuable tool for screening potential endocrine disruptors and quantitative determination of estrogenicity. And the possibility that the estrogen receptor binds multiple environmental chemicals adds another level of complexity to the interaction between the endocrine disruptors and the human hormone system.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.155-161
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• 1995

The present investigation has been undertaken to elucidate the differentiation mechanism the uterus which is the environment of the embryo development, by demonstrating the role of ovarian steroids hormone in the decidualization of the pseudopregnant rat uterus. To determine the effect of ovarine steroids and artificial stimulation (trauma) on the differenciation of the uterine endometrium and decidualization for implantation, attempt was made to measure concentrations of serum estradiol($E_2$), progesterone($P_4$) and nuclear $P_4$ receptor in the traumatized and non-traumatized uterine tissue of the pseudopregnant rat. The results obtained are as followings : The concentration of serum $E_2$ on day 9(implantation stage) was similar in both of intact pseudopregnant rat(47.63pg/ml) and normal pregnant rat(40.71pg/ml). And among the treated groups, $E_2$ concentration was highest in the $E_2$ treated group in comparision with intact control group(relative value; 73.27%). The concentration of serum $P_4$ was also highest in the $P_4$ treated group(23.12pg/ml). Relative value of $P_4$ treated group in comparision with intact group(24.88pg/ml) was 92.93%. The nuclear $P_4$ receptor levels in the artificial traumatized groups were higher compared with the non-traumatized control groups. This study, therefore, clearly demonstrates that the methods for inducing pseudopregnant (vagina tapping;120/min) and inducing decidualization(oil injection; 0.1ml/uterine horn) appear to be effective, $P_4$ appears to be effective in the differenciation of the uterine endometrial tissue for the implantation process. Concentration of serum $P_4$ seems to be well correlated with the level of the nuclear $P_4$ receptor during the early embryo development. These results seem to be well correlated with ALPase activities in the normal and pseudopregnant rat uterus shown in the previous study.