• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.168-179
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• 2020

Objective: This study investigated testicular oxidative stress status and physiomorphological function in Wistar rats fed with yaji and cadmium chloride (CdCl₂). Methods: Sixty male albino Wistar rats (12 per group) were randomly assigned to five groups: group I (control), group II (300 mg/kg.bw of yaji), group III (500 mg/kg.bw of yaji), group IV (2.5 mg/kg.bw of CdCl₂), and group V (2.5 mg/kg.bw of yaji+4 mg/kg.bw omega-3). Each group was evenly subdivided into two subgroups and treatment was administered for 14 days and 42 days, respectively. Semen quality (sperm count, progressive motility, normal morphology, and gonadosomatic index), hormones (testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone), testicular oxidative stress markers (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and malonaldehyde) and testicular histomorphological features were examined. Results: Yaji caused significant (p< 0.05) dose- and duration-dependent reductions in semen quality, the gonadosomatic index, testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone. Yaji also caused significant (p< 0.05) dose- and duration-dependent decreases in superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activity, as well as increased testicular malonaldehyde levels. Yaji induced distortions in the testicular histological architecture. CdCl₂ damaged testicular function by significantly (p< 0.05) reducing semen quality, reproductive hormone levels, and oxidative stress markers in albino Wistar rats. CdCl₂ also altered the histology of the testis. Conclusion: This study shows that yaji sauce has similar anti-fertility effects to those of CdCl₂, as it adversely interferes with male reproduction by impairing oxidative stress markers and the function and morphological features of the testis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.755-764
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• 2017

The current review seeks to highlight the concerns that have been raised on pre-slaughter stress, contributing factors and its consequent effects on cattle behavioural responses and the quality of beef; inter-linking the activities involved from birth to slaughter. Such information is crucial in light of the consumer concerns on overall animal welfare, quality of meat and food security. Slaughter animals are exposed to different conditions during production and transportation to abattoirs on a daily basis. However; the majority of studies that have been done previously singled out different environments in the meat production chain, while conclusions have been made that the welfare of slaughter animals and the quality of meat harvested from them is dependent on the whole chain. Behaviour is a critical component used to evaluate the animals' wellbeing and it has been reported to have an effect on product quality. Apart from the influence of on-farm, transportation and abattoir conditions, the genetic background of the animal also affects how it perceives and responds to certain encounters. Stress activates the animals' hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity, triggering release of various stress hormones such as catecholamines and cortisol, thus glycogen depletion prior slaughter, elevated ultimate pH and poor muscle-meat conversion. Pre-slaughter stress sometimes results to cattle attaining bruises, resulting to the affected parts of the carcass being trimmed and condemned for human consumption, downgrading of the carcass and thus profit losses.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.1009-1014
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• 2012

Environmental stress boosts the levels of stress hormones and accelerates energy expenditure which subsequently imbalance the body's homeostasis. L-ascorbic acid (L-AA) has been recognized to mitigate the negative impact of environmental stress on production performances in birds. The present investigation was carried out to elucidate the effect of different dietary levels of L-AA on production performance, egg quality traits and fertility in Japanese quail at low ambient temperature. Sixty matured females (15 wks) were equally divided into three groups (20/group) based on the different dietary levels of L-AA (0, 250 and 500 ppm) and coupled with an equal number of males (1:1) obtained from the same hatch. They were managed in uniform husbandry conditions without restriction of feed and water at 14 h photo-schedule. Except for feed efficiency, body weight change, feed consumption and hen-day egg production were recorded highest in 500 ppm L-AA supplemented groups. Among the all egg quality traits studied, only specific gravity, shell weight and thickness differed significantly (p<0.05) in the present study. Fertility was improved significantly ($p{\leq}0.01$) to a dose dependent manner of L-AA. The findings of the present study concluded that dietary L-AA can be a caring management practice at least in part to alleviate the adverse effect of cold induced stress on production performance in Japanese quail.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.305-317
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• 2016

Purpose: Recent studies demonstrated disruption of the circadian clock gene is associated with the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Obesity is often caused by the high calorie intake, In addition, the chronic stress tends to contribute to the increased risk for obesity. To evaluate the molecular mechanisms, we examined the expression of circadian clock genes in high fat diet-induced mice models with the chronic stress. Methods: C57BL/6J mice were fed with a 45% or 60% high fat diet for 8 weeks. Daily immobilization stress was applied to mice fed with a 45% high fat for 16 weeks. We compared body weight, food consumption, hormone levels and metabolic variables in blood. mRNA expression levels of metabolic and circadian clock genes in both fat and liver were determined by quantitative RT-PCR. Results: The higher fat content induced more severe hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and hyperinsulinemia, and these results correlated with their relevant gene expressions in fat and liver tissues. Chronic stress had only minimal effects on metabolic variables, but it altered the expression patterns of metabolic and circadian clock genes. Conclusion: These results suggest that the fat metabolism regulates the function of the circadian clock genes in peripheral tissues, and stress hormones may contribute to its regulation.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.161-167
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• 2020

Objective: Oxidative stress has been suggested as a possible mechanism for the adverse effects of heavy metal toxicity on male reproduction. Cichorium intybus L. is used in Iranian folk medicine as a hepatoprotective agent as well as for its supposed fertility-enhancing properties. The present study was performed to investigate whether the ethanolic extract of C. intybus leaves could protect male rats against lead-induced testicular oxidative stress. Methods: In this experimental study, adult Wistar rats were treated with 0.1% lead acetate in drinking water alone or with 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg body weight of C. intybus extract via gavage once daily for 70 days. The weight of their reproductive organs, levels of serum hormones, histometric parameters of the seminiferous tubules, epidydimal sperm quality, and oxidative stress status were evaluated. Results: The testis weight, seminiferous tubule diameter, epididymal sperm count, serum testosterone level, and testicular levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase were significantly reduced (p< 0.05) in the lead-treated rats. Moreover, significantly (p< 0.05) higher levels of malondialdehyde were observed in the lead-exposed group compared to the control. However, the co-administration of C. intybus ethanolic extract in lead-treated rats was associated with a significant improvement in reproductive parameters. Conclusion: We conclude that C. intybus leaf extract has the potential to prevent lead-induced testicular toxicity and to suppress the adverse effects of lead on male reproductive health.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.62 no.6
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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.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.71-82
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• 2018

Stress involves changes in behavior, autonomic function and the secretion of hormones. Autonomic nervous system (ANS) contributes to physiological adaptive process in short durations. In particular, heart rate variability (HRV) analysis is commonly used as a quantitative marker depicting the ANS activity related to mental stress. The aim of this study is to investigate correlations between psychological responses to stress and HRV indices induced by the cognitive stressor. Thirty-three participants rated their mental and physical symptoms occurred during the past two weeks on Stress Response Inventory (SRI), which is composed of seven stress factors that may influence the status of mental stress levels. Then, they underwent the psychophysiological procedures, which are collected electrocardiogram (ECG) signals during a cognitive stress task. HRV indices, the standard deviation of R-R interval (SDNN), root mean square of successive R-R interval difference (RMSSD) and low frequency (LF)/high frequency (HF) ratio were extracted from ECG signals. Physiological responses were calculated stress responses by subtracting mean of the baseline from the mean of recovery. Stress factors such as tension, aggression, depression, fatigue, and frustration were positively correlated to HRV indices. In particular, aggression had significant positive correlations to SDNN, RMSSD and LF/HF ratio. Increased aggressive responses to stress correlated with the increases of all HRV indices. This means the increased autonomic coactivation. Additionally, tension, depression, fatigue, and frustration were positively associated with RMSSD reflecting increases in parasympathetic activation. The autonomic coactivation may represent an integrated response to specific cognitive reactions such as the orienting response.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.227-234
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• 2023

It has been addressed that heat stress due to high atmospheric temperature during summer in Korea induces impaired release of reproductive hormones, followed by occurring abnormal ovarian cyclicity, lower pregnancy ratio, and reduced litter size. Therefore, the present study attempted to compare seasonal change (spring versus summer) of the ovarian aromatase expression, an enzyme for converting testosterone into estrogen. While serum estrogen level in summer group was significantly lower than that of spring group, testosterone was not different between groups. Consistent with estrogen level, the ovarian aromatase expression in summer at follicular phase was significantly lower than the counterpart of spring. The ovarian aromatase expression was positively related with serum estrogen level significantly (r=0.689; P=0.008) and strongly negative correlation was identified (r=-0.533; P=0.078) with atmospheric temperature. The ovarian aromatase expression was not detected in immature ovarian follicles but specifically localized in the granulosa cell layers in both seasons. However, the aromatase intensity in the granulosa cell layers was stronger in spring than summer. Because testosterone level was not different between groups, it could be concluded that the lower level of estrogen during summer might be derived by not lack of substrate but lower expression of ovarian aromatase by heat stress.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2022.10a
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• pp.229-229
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• 2022

Rapeseed is a crop that is waterlogging sensitive, and it is necessary to breed waterlogging tolerance varieties. Our study presents the comparative transcriptome changes in two rapeseed lines, i.e., waterlogging-tolerant (tJ8634-B-30,) and - sensitive ('EMS26') lines under control and waterlogging stress treatments at the flowering stage. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed 13,279 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for 'J8634-B-30' and 8,682 DEGs for 'EMS26' under waterlogging stress condition compared to control. Among DEGs of 'J8634-B-30', 6,818 were up-regulated and 6,461 were down-regulated. On the other hand, among the DEGs of 'EMS26', the number of down-regulated genes (5,240) were higher than that of up-regulated genes (3,442). Gene ontology enrichment analysis showed that DEGs related to glucan metabolic, cell wall, and oxidoreductase activity were significantly changed in 'J8634-B-30'. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG)-based analysis in 'J8634-B-30' identified up-regulated DEGs being involved in MAPK signaling pathways. In addition, the DEGs belonging to mechanisms responding to waterlogging stress, i.e., plant hormones, carbon metabolism, Reactive oxygen species (ROS), Nitric oxide (NO) etc. were compared in rapeseed lines. Several DEGs including ethylene-responsive transcription factor (ERF), constitutive triple response (CTR) (in ethylene signaling pathway), monodehydroascorbate Reductase (MDAR), NADPH oxidase (in ROS pathway), cytochrome c oxidase assembly protein (COX) (in NO pathway) up-regulated in 'J8634-B-30'. These outcomes provided the valuable information for further exploring the genetic mechanism of waterlogging tolerance in rapeseed.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.108-114
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• 2007

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade is critical for regulating plant defense systems against various kinds of pathogen and environmental stresses. One component of this cascade, the MAP kinase kinases (MAPKK), has not yet been shown to be induced in plants following biotic attacks, such as those by insects and fungi. We describe here a gene coding for a blast (Magnaporthe grisea)- and insect (Nilaparvata lugens)-responsive putative MAPK kinase, OmMKK1 (Oryza minuta MAPKK 1), which was identified in a library of O. minuta expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Two copies of OmMKK1 are present in the O. minuta genome. They encode a predicted protein with molecular mass 39 kDa and pI of 6.2. Transcript patterns following imbibition of plant hormones such as methyl jasmonic acid (MeJA), ethephone, salicylic acid (SA) and abscisic acid (ABA), as well as exposure to methyl viologen (MV), revealed that the expression of OmMKK1 is related to defense response signaling pathways. A comparative analysis of OmMKK1 and its O. sativa ortholog OsMKK1 showed that both were induced by stress-related hormones and biotic stresses, but that the kinetics of their responses differed despite their high amino acid sequence identity (96%).