• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.1403-1406
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• 2005

The present study was undertaken to study the effect of thermal stress on sexual behaviour of superovulated ewes. Fourteen adult Bharat Merino ewes with an average body weight of 29.4${\pm}$2.34 kg were randomly allocated into two groups of 7 each. All the animals were grazed on natural pasture in the morning and evening hours and housed in shed during night. Animals of Group-1 were housed in shed from 10:00 to 16:00 h while the animals of Group-2 were exposed to thermal stress in a hot chamber ($40^{\circ}C$ /6 h/day). All the animals were offered drinking water once a day at 16:30 h. Meteorological observations i.e. dry bulb, wet bulb, minimum and maximum temperature were recorded daily inside the shed as well as in hot chamber throughout the experimental period. For superovulation of animals, standard protocol developed at the Institute, using FSH (Ovagen 5.4 mg in eight injections) and PMSG (200 IU) was followed. Various sexual behaviour parameters (circling, tail fanning, head turning, standing and approaching to ram) and estrus incidence (onset of estrus and estrus duration) were observed in both the groups. The different estrus symptoms were graded subjectively on arbitrary scale of 0-5 where 0 representing no sexual behaviour (0%) and 5 representing maximum intensity in sexual behaviour (100%). Estrus was detected with the help of a marked aproned ram of proven vigor at six hourly intervals. The average percent values for sexual behaviour parameters recorded in Group-1 and Group-2 animals were 53.7${\pm}$3.76 vs. 41.1${\pm}$2.18 for circling, 71.8${\pm}$5.42 vs. 49.0${\pm}$4.41 for tail fanning, 64.7${\pm}$3.30 vs. 44.5${\pm}$4.34 for head turning, 90.1${\pm}$3.16 vs. 75.8${\pm}$4.02 for standing and 63.8${\pm}$4.8 vs. 41.9${\pm}$4.58 for approaching to ram. Animals exposed to thermal stress had significantly lower values of these sexual behaviour parameters. The animals kept in shed exhibited estrus earlier (25.4${\pm}$1.12 h) and duration was higher (37.7${\pm}$1.59 h) as compared to animals exposed to thermal stress i.e. 30.6${\pm}$1.16 h and 31.7${\pm}$3.57 h, respectively. The findings of the study indicate that thermal stress reduces the intensity of sexual behaviour in ewes and may result in failure of the animal to mate and conceive.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.263-268
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• 2014

The etiology of most psychiatric disorders is still incompletely understood. However, growing evidence suggests that stress is a potent environmental risk factor for depression and anxiety. In rodents, various stress paradigms have been developed, but psychosocial stress paradigms have received more attention than non-social stress paradigms because psychosocial stress is more prevalent in humans. Interestingly, some recent studies suggest that chronic psychosocial stress and social isolation affects mainly anxiety-related behaviors in mice. However, it is unclear whether chronic non-social stress induces both depression- and anxiety-related phenotypes or induces one specific phenotype in mice. In the present study, we examined the behavioral consequences of three chronic non-social stress paradigms: chronic predictable (restraint) stress (CPS), chronic unpredictable stress (CUS), and repeated corticosterone-HBC complex injection (RCI). Each of the three paradigms induced mild to severe depression/despair-like behaviors in mice and resulted in increased immobility in a tail suspension test. However, anxiety-related phenotypes, thigmotaxis and explorative behaviors, were not changed by the three paradigms. These results suggest that depression- and anxiety-related phenotypes can be dissociated in mouse stress models and that social and non-social stressors might affect brain circuits and behaviors differently.

• 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.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.1083-1089
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• 2007

The HAP complex has been found in many eukaryotic organisms. HAP recognizes the CCAAT box present in the promoters of 30% of all eukaryotic genes. The HAP complex consists of three subunits - HAP2, HAP3 and HAP5. In this paper, we report the biological function of the AtHAP3b gene that encodes one of the HAP3 subunits in Arabidopsis. Compared with wild-type plants, hap3b-1 and hap3b-2 mutants exhibited a delayed flowering time under long-day photoperiod conditions. Moreover, the transcription levels of FT were substantially lower in the mutants than in the wild-type plants. These results imply that AtHAP3b may function in the control of flowering time by regulating the expression of FT in Arabidopsis. In a subsequent study, AtHAP3b was found to be induced by osmotic stress. Under osmotic stress conditions, the hap3b- 1 and hap3b-2 mutants flowered considerably later than the wild-type plants. These results suggest that the AtHAP3b gene plays more important roles in the control of flowering under osmotic stress in Arabidopsis.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.170.1-170.1
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• 2001

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.213-221
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• 2010

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the primary endocrine system to respond to stress. The HPA axis may be affected by increased level of corticotrophin-releasing factors under chronic stress and by chronic administration of monosodium glutamate (MSG). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether chronic MSG administration aggravates chronic variable stress (CVS)-induced behavioral and hormonal changes. Twenty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 200~220 g, were divided into 4 groups as follows: water administration (CON), MSG (3 g/kg) administration (MSG), CVS, and CVS with MSG (3 g/kg) administration (CVS＋MSG). In addition, for the purpose of comparing the effect on plasma corticosterone levels between chronic stress and daily care or acute stress, 2 groups were added at the end of the experiment; the 2 new groups were as follows: naive mice (n=7) and mice exposed to restraint stress for 2 h just before decapitation (A-Str, n=7). In an open field test performed after the experiment, the CVS＋MSG group significant decrease in activity. The increase in relative adrenal weights in the CVS and CVS＋MSG group was significantly greater than those in the CON and/or MSG groups. In spite of the increase in the relative adrenal weight, there was a significant decrease in the plasma corticosterone levels in the CVS＋MSG group as compared to all other groups, except the naive group. These results suggest that impaired HPA axis function as well as the decrease in the behavioral activity in adult rats can be induced by chronic MSG administration under CVS rather than CVS alone.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.44 no.8
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• pp.569-579
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• 2021

Cyclase-associated protein 2 (CAP2) has been addressed as a candidate biomarker in various cancer types. Previously, we have shown that CAP2 is expressed during multi-step hepatocarcinogenesis; however, its underlying mechanisms in liver cancer cells are not fully elucidated yet. Here, we demonstrated that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induced CAP2 expression, and which promoted migration and invasion of liver cancer cells. We also found that the ER stress-induced CAP2 expression is mediated through activation of protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε) and the promotor binding of activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2). In addition, we further demonstrated that CAP2 expression promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through activation of Rac1 and ERK. In conclusion, we suggest that ER stress induces CAP2 expression promoting EMT in liver cancer cells. Our results shed light on the novel functions of CAP2 in the metastatic process of liver cancer cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2023.04a
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• pp.71-71
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• 2023

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.173-182
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• 2019

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of heat stress on the status of physiological responses, blood parameter, serum T3 and cortisol, and heat shock proteins (HSP 27, 70, and 90) of Hanwoo cattle. Six Hanwoo steers (242.8 ± 7.2 kg of BW) were housed in the climate-controlled respiration chambers. The experiment consisted of 7 days (control; 0 day) at thermoneutral (air temperature (Ta) of 15℃ and relative humidity (RH) of 60%; temperature-humidity index (THI) = 64), and by 3 and 6 days (treatment groups) at heat stress (Ta of 35℃ and RH of 60%; THI = 87). Body temperature of each parts (frank, rump, perineum and foot) and rectal temperature elevated in heat stress groups (3 days and 6 days) than the control group (0 day). Respiration rates increased in 3 days and 6 days (88.5 ± 0.96 bpm and 86.3 ± 0.63 bpm, respectively) from 0 days (39.5 ± 0.65 bpm). Feed intake significantly decreased in heat stress groups (3 days and 6 days, 3.7 ± 0.14 kg and 4.0 ± 0.15 kg, respectively) than the control group (0 day, 5.0 ± 0.00 kg). In addition, final BW significantly decreased in heat stress groups (3 days and 6 days, 211.8 ± 4.75 kg and 215.5 ± 3.50 kg, respectively) than the control group (0 day, 240.0 ± 25.00 kg). However, heat stress has no significant effect on blood parameter, serum T3 and cortisol. Nevertheless, heat stress increased HSPs mRNA expression in liver tissue, and serum concentration of HSPs. Despite Hanwoo cattle may have high adaptive ability to heat stress, our results suggested that heat stress directly effect on body temperature and respiration rate as well as serum and tissue HSPs. Therefore, we are recommended that HSPs could be the most appropriate indicators of Hanwoo cattle response to heat stress.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.397-400
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• 1994

The effect of xylazine administration on plasma cortisol, prolactin, glucose and packed cell volume (PCV) responses to immobilization and heat stress was investigated. Immobilization of rats for 2 hours by ligation of the fore and hind legs strongly caused approximately two-fold increase in plasma cortisol and prolactin levels. Plasma glucose and PCV were not significantly changed. Pretreatment of immobilized rats with xylazine (20 mg/kg body weight i.m.) resulted in approximately 20% reduction in both plasma cortisol and prolactin concentrations. A marked hyperglycemia and increase in the PCV value was observed. On the other hand, rats exposed to acute heat stress ($40^{\circ}C$, and 60% relative humidity) for 2 hours, also developed two fold increase in both plasma cortisol and prolactin concentrations and the pretreatment with xylazine caused a 20% reduction in the levels of both hormones. Plasma glucose level was not significantly changed in heat stressed rats but it was markedly increased after pretreatment with xylazine. PCV was significantly incrcased under heat stress and pretreatment with xylazine induced a pronounced elevation in this value. It was suggested that stimulation of cortisol and prolactin secretion in response to immobilization or heat stress can be partially reduced by an alpha 2-adrenergic agonist.