• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제39권4호
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• pp.144-152
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• 2012

Objective: Concerns are growing about the decrease in male reproductive health. Caffeine is one of the popular nutrients that has been implicated as a risk factor for infertility. In the present study, we examined whether in utero and lactational exposure to caffeine affects the reproductive function of the offspring of rats. Methods: Pregnant rats received caffeine via drinking water during gestation (26 and 45 mg/kg) and lactation (25 and 35 mg/kg). Body and reproductive organ weight, seminiferous tubule diameter, germinal epithelium height, sperm parameters, fertility rate, number of implantations, and testosterone level of the offspring were assessed from birth to adulthood. Results: Significant dose-related decreases were observed in the body and reproductive organ weight, seminiferous tubule diameter, and germinal epithelium height of the offspring. Sperm density had declined significantly in offspring of the low-dose and high-dose groups, by 8.81% and 19.97%, respectively, by postnatal day 150. The number of viable fetuses had decreased significantly in females mated with male offspring of the high-dose group at postnatal days 60, 90, 120, and 150. There were also significant reductions in testosterone levels of high-dose group offspring from birth to postnatal day 150. Conclusion: It is concluded that maternal caffeine consumption impairs gonadal development and has long-term adverse effects on the reproductive efficiency of male offspring rats.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.143-148
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• 2014

Arecoline is a major alkaloid of areca nuts which are widely chewed by southeast Asian and it manifests various toxic effects in different organs of human and animals. In this work, mature mice were treated by vitamins C plus E, arecoline, or both daily for four weeks. The results showed that arecoline significantly increased the levels of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) and significantly decreased the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the liver tissues. Additionally, the body weight, testis weight, sperm counts, motility and normal sperms also were significantly decreased. The supplement of vitamins C and E can bring the activities of ALP and GPT to normal levels and partially restore the sperm counts compared to the arecoline-treated group but have no other positive effects. In conclusion, the vitamins C and E partially attenuated the arecoline-induced hepatotoxiciy but basically had on protective effects against the arecoline-induced testicular toxicity.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.53-61
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• 1997

Seasonal variation of the population structure and the reproductive pattern of the Korean striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius, were investigated. High capture ratios in juveniles, young adult, and old adult mice were found during the period from October to November, from November to March, and from May to September, respectively, and extremely low capture ratios of old adults during the period from November to February were characteristic. It seemed that the young adults that survived during the winter might become older by summer and have been counted as the old adults. The breeding in the mice began earlier in males (from mid February or early March to late October) than in females (from mid March to late October), having a peak in August and September, and both the male and female mice weighing more than 20 g generally reached sexual maturation in general. In the breeding season, both young and old adult males had large testes with enlarged seminiferous tubules filled with numerous germ and Sertoli cells, and expanded caudal epididymides with a vast number of spermatozoa; the females had many Graafian follicles and corpora lutea in large ovaries, and developed uterine glands in the thick endometria. The lower ratios of the testis weight to the body weight in July and August in 1994 compared to 1995 seemed due to the extreme drought and considerably higher temperature in 1994, but the decrease in the ratio in mid-summer, only in the old mice, in both years might be explained partially by aging.

• 한국축산식품학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국축산식품학회 1999년도 정기총회 및 제23차 춘계학술발표회
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• pp.97-117
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• 1999

돼지고기 섭취가 카드뮴(Cd)에 중독된 흰쥐의 카드뮴 배설에 미치는 영향을 규명하고자 본 연구를 수행하였다. $CdCl_2$를 카드뮴 기준으로 AIN-76 purified diet에 다섯 수준(0, 25, 50, 100, 250 ppm)으로 혼합한 Cd 중독식이를 8주 동안 급여하여 임상적인 중독을 유발시킨 다음 다시 7주 동안 단백질 급원인 카제인을 돼지고기로 대체시킨 해독식이를 7주간 급여하여 돼지고기에 의한 해독효과를 대조구와 비교하였다. 8주 동안 Cd 중독 실험식이를 급여한 결과, 카드뮴 중독과 관련한 성장지연, 카드뮴의 표적장기인 신장무게의 증가와 헤마토크릿치(Ht)와 헤모글로빈 함량(Hb)이 감소하였다. 병리조직학적 검사 결과 육안병변에서 뚜렷한 임상적인 관찰 예가 나타났다. 카드뮴 급여를 중단하고 해독 실험 사료 급여 후 흰쥐의 체중은 급속하게 회복되었다. 즉 돼지고기 급여구의 흰쥐는 카제인 급여구의 흰쥐에 비해 평균체중이 약간 높았으나 유의적인 차이는 나타나지 않았다. 카드뮴 중독 시 Hb 함량과 Ht치는 카드뮴 농도에 상관하였으나 해독시에 모든 처리군에서 Hb 함량과 Ht치는 정상 범위의 수준으로 증가하여 처리군간에 차이가 나타나지 않았다. 간, 신장, 정소의 무게는 카드뮴 투여에 따라 점차로 낮아졌지만 체중에 따른 간의 비율과 신장의 비율은 카드뮴 투여에 의해 영향을 받지 않은 것으로 나타났다. 체중 100g 당 간의 무게는 250ppm 카드뮴 중독 후 해독 실험사료 급여시 돼지고기를 섭취한 처리군에서 가장 높았다. 카드뮴 섭취량이 높을수록 간과 신장에서의 축적량은 통계적으로 유의하게 차이가 있었고 신장에서의 축적 농도가 간에서 보다 약 2배 정도 높았다. 해독 시에는 간과 신장중의 카드뮴 함량이 감소하였으며 간에서의 Cd 제거 속도가 신장에서 보다 빠른 것으로 보여졌다. 카제인 섭취 군보다 돼지고기 섭취군에서 카드뮴의 축적이 더 낮았고 특히 신장에서의 카드뮴 축적 농도에 영향을 미치는 인자로서 카드뮴 뿐만 아니라 카드뮴과 돼지고기 섭취여부의 교호작용($Cd^{***}$, $Cd{\times}Pork^{***}$) 등이 나타났다. 카드뮴 중독시에 metallothionein(MT)는 Cd의 섭취량이 늘어남에 따라 증가하였지만 해독 시의 결과를 보면 MT합성은 돼지고기에 의해 영향을 받지 않는 것으로 나타났다. 이상의 결과에서 카드뮴의 해독과 관련하여 단백질 급원으로서 카제인을 돼지고기로 대체한 실험식이를 급여하였을 때 돼지고기 첨가군의 성장률이 높았고 Ht치 역시 정상범위로 회복되었다. 신장조직의 병리조직학적 검사 결과 Cd 50ppm 투여군에서부터 돼지고기 첨가군이 돼지고기 무첨가군에 비해 Cd에 의해 손상된 세포를 의미하는 세뇨관의 호염성이 현저하게 감소된 것으로 관찰됨으로서 돼지고기의 Cd 해독능이 유효한 것으로 평가되었다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.269-275
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• 1996

Biosynthesis and secretion of anterior pituitary hormones are under the control of specific hypothalamic stimulatory and inhibitory factors. Among them, Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH) is the major stimulator of pituitary somatotrophs activating GH gene expression and secretion. Human GHRH is a polypeptide of 44 amino acids initially isolated from pancreatic tumors, and the gene for the hypothalamic form of GHRH is organized into 5 exons spanning over 10 kilobases (kb) on genomic DNA and encodes a messenger RNA of 700-750 nucleotides. Several neuropeptides classically associated with the hypothalamus have been found in the extrahypothalamic regions, suggesting the existence of novel sources, targets and functions. GHRH-like immunoreactivity has been found in several peripheral sites, including placenta, testis, and ovary, indicating that GHRH may also have regulatory roles in peripheral reproductive organs. Furthermore, higher molecular weight forms of the GHRH transcripts were identified from these organs (1.75 kb in testis; 1.75 and >3 kb in ovary). These tissue-specific expression of GHRH gene suggest the existence of unique regulatory mechanism of GHRH expression and function in these organs. In fact, placenta-specific and testis-specific promoters for GHRH transcripts which are located in about 10 kb upstream region of hypothalamic promoter were reported. The use of unique promoters in extrahypothalamic sites could be refered in a different control of GHRH gene and different functions of the translated products in these tissues. Somatotrophs and lactotrophs have been thought to be derived from a common bipotential progenitor, the somatolactotrophs, which give origins to either phenotypes. Although the precise mechanism responsible for the lactotroph differentiation in the anterior pituitary gland has not been yet clalified, there are several candidators for the generation of lactotrophs. In human, the presence of GHRH peptides with different size from authentic hypothalamic form in the normal anterior pituitary and several types of adenoma were demonstrated. Recently our group found the existence of immunoreactive GHRH and its transcript from the normal rat anterior pituitary (gonadotroph> somatotroph> lactotroph), and the GHRH treatment evoked the increased proliferation rate of anterior pituitary cells in vitro. The transgenic mouse models clearly shown that GHRH or NGF overexpression by anterior pituitary cells induced development of pituitary hyperplasia and adenomas particularly GH-oma and prolactinoma. Taken together, we hypothesize that the pituitary GHRH could serve not only as a modulator of hormone secretion but as a paracrine or autocrine regulator of anterior pituitary cell proliferation and differentiation. Interestingly enough, the expression of Pit-1 homeobox gene (the POU class transcription factor) was confined to somatotrophs, lactotrophs and somatolactotrophs in which GHRH receptors are expressed commonly. Concerning the mechanism of somatolactotroph and lactotroph differentiation in the anterior pituitary, we have focused following two possibilities; (1) changes in the relative levels or interactions of both hypothalamic and intrapituitary factors such as dopamine, VIP, somatostatin, NGF and GHRH; (2) alterations of GHRH-GHRH receptor signaling and Pit-1 activity may be the cause of lactotroph differentiation or pituitary hyperplasia and adenoma formation. Extensive further studies will be necessary to solve these complicated questions.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제12권2호
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• pp.145-151
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• 1972

In order to investigate the effects of bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) on animals, a total of 105 mice given a ration containing different percentage of bracken fern were studied pathologically during the experimental period of 90 days. The results obtained were as follow: 1. Mice in the group, given a ration containing 15% of bracken fern, showed 85% of death rate in 90 days, and mice in the group, given a ration containing 25% of it, showed 100% in 30 days 2. The experimental mice showed decreased myeloid cells and significant reduction in erythrocytes, leukocytes, and thrombocytes. 3. Severe congestion and hemorrhages were observed in lungs, liver, kidney, spleen, stomach, intestine, brain, adrenal and testis from the ones that died during the experimental period, but the necropsies of the latter period indicated mild chanties comparatively. 4. Mice in the group, given a ration containing 15% blacken fern showed a decreasing tendency in body weight.

• 환경위생공학
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• 제16권3호
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• pp.8-13
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• 2001

This study was carried out effect of red ginseng extract(1.0g/kg) on organotin compounds (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg) which poisons against some organs like thyroid gland, liver, kindey, testis, ovary, serum immuinty and sex hormone activity of rats were examinned by gastric tubing for 3 weeks. The weight of each organ in TBTO treated group were significantly increased other organs which excepted kinedy in males and only liver in females.(p<0.05, p<0.01). In case of Immunity activity of each sex, IgM level was small change comparsion with that of control group in all sex. but IgG level was significantly decreased females rather than males comparsion with that of control group.(p<0.05, p<0.01) In case of sex hormone activity, the testosterone activity of males and the estradiol activity of females were significantly decreased rather than the control group. on the other hand, red singsong treated group was only significantly increased estradiol activity.( p<0.05, p<0.01)

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.189-195
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• 2008

The sequence of hydroxypyruvate isomerase gene was obtained in NCBI. In this study, the hydroxypyruvate isomerase gene of Bombyx.mori was identified and annotated with bioinformatics tools. The result was confirmed by RT-PCR, prokaryotic expression, mass spectrographic analysis and sub-cellular localization. The hydroxypyruvate isomerase cDNA comtains a 783bp ORF, and has 4 exons. The deduced protein has 260 amino acid residues with the predicted molecular weight of 29169.30 Da, isoelectric point of 6.10, and contains conserved PRK09997 and Hfi domains. The hydroxypyruvate isomerases of Nasonia vitripennis and Bombyx mori have a high homology. Through RTPCR analysis, we found that this transcript was present in testis, ovary, blood-lymph, fat body, midgut, silk gland and tuba Malpighii. This protein was located in cytoplasm through immunohistochemistry. We submitted the cloned gene under the accession number EU344910. The enzyme has been classified under accession number EC 5.3.1.22.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.267-272
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• 2001

This study was carried out to assess the reproductive toxicity of 2-bromopropane (S-BP) using spermatogenesis stage classification and Sertoli cell indices (SCI).Vehicle control olive oil and 2-BP doses of 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg of body weight were injected in the interaperitoneum of 12 weeks male Sprague-Dawley rats for 28 days respectively of SCI on germ cells including the spermatogonia of stages II-III, Ⅵ,Ⅹ, XII, ⅩIII, and spermatocytes of stages VIII (preleptotene), Ⅹ (leptotene), XII (leptotene), V and Ⅵ (pachytene), and the round spermatids of stage Ⅵ. Considering the process of maturation depletion in spermatonesis, spermatogonia may be the primary target cells of 2-BP toxicity.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.29-34
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• 2001

The estrogenic potency of di -2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) using reverse transcriptase-PCR respouse of liver vitellogenin mRNA in male African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) was studied. Male frogs were injected with DEHP at dose of 300$\mu\textrm{g}$/kg and 300 mg/kg body weight through the dorsal lymph sac. After 4 days, using suitable pair of RT-PCR primers, vitellogenin mRNA induction in the liver was measured and DEHP showed vitellogenin mRNA induction in only the group treated with 300 mg/kg. Any significant histological abnormalities by the exposure of DEHP was not shown in both testis and liver.