• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.106-118
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• 2018

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate anti-obesity effects of Zingiberis Rhizoma on ovariectomized rats in order to determine the possibility of the clinical use in preventing and treating post-menopausal obesity. Methods: To investigate how menopause affects obesity in woman, rats were treated with Zingiberis Rhizoma extracts. We measured various biomarkers including GOT,GPT, leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin, $PPAR-{\gamma}$ mRNA, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, liver weight, estradiol, uterine weight, and calcitonin, which are linked with obesity and menopause. Results: There was a significant decrease in group which was given Zingiberis Rhizoma extracts 100 mg/kg and lipid level found in blood(total cholesterol, triglyceride). Fat accumulation of liver cells was repressed, liver function was improved and leptin and adipomectin levels were significantly normalized. In addition, expression of $PPAR-{\gamma}$ was significantly increased. Conclusions: The results indicated that Zingiberis Rhizoma extracts have anti-obesity effects on ovariectomized rats through improving liver function and lipid metabolic function.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.1 no.1
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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.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.12.1-12.7
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• 2017

Background: Despite the widespread use of dexamethasone in veterinary and human medicine, it is reported to cause some severe pregnancy related side effects like abortion in some animals. The mechanism of the response is not clear but seems to be related to interspecies and/or breed difference in response which may involve alterations in the concentrations of some reproductive hormones. Methods: Twenty Sahel goats comprising 18 does and 2 bucks were used for this study. Pregnancies were achieved by natural mating after synchronization. Repeated dexamethasone injections were given at 0.25 mg/kg body weight. Blood samples were collected biweekly for hormonal assay. Uterine biopsies were harvested at days 28 and day 78 of gestation through caesarean section for immunohistochemical analysis using 3 pregnant does randomly selected from each group at each instant. Data were expressed as Means ${\pm}$ Standard Deviations and analyzed using statistical soft ware package, GraphPad Instant, version 3.0 (2003) and progesterone receptor (PR) were scored semi-quantitatively. Results: Dexamethasone treatments had no significant (p > 0.05) effect on progesterone and estrogen concentrations in pregnant Sahel goats but up regulated PR from 2+ to 3+ in second trimester. Conclusion: As dexamethasone adverse effect on placenta is an established fact, the lack of effect on progesterone level in this study may be due to the fact that unlike other species whose progesterone production during pregnancy is placenta - dependent, in goats is corpus luteum - dependent. Consequently dexamethasone adverse effect on placenta reported in literatures did not influence progesterone levels during pregnancy in Sahel goat. The up regulation of progesterone receptor (PR) in Sahel goat gravid uterus is a beneficial effects and that dexamethasone can safely be used in corpus luteum - dependent progesterone secreting pregnant animal species like Sahel goat and camel. Therefore source of progesterone secretions during pregnancy should be considered in clinical application of dexamethasone in pregnancy.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.151-156
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• 2017

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is widely used as sweetener, and its overconsumption is become a major health problem. In the present study, we used adult female rats and applied a 28 days HFCS feeding model to monitor the estrous cycle and changes in tissue weights and histology. Adult female rats were divided into three groups. Animals were fed with ad libitum normal chow and (1) 24 hours tap water (Control group), (2) 12 hours HFCS access during dark period and 12 hours tap water (12H group), and (3) 24 hours HFCS only access (24H group). Total exposure period was 28 days. There is no significant change in body weight between control and HFCS-fed animals. Both absolute and relative weights of ovary in 24H animals were significantly heavier than those in control or 12H animals. The absolute and relative weights of the kidney and liver in 24H groups were significantly heavier than those in control or 12H animals. The estrous cycles of the 24H animals were significantly longer. Histological analyses revealed that 24H ovaries were relatively bigger and possessed more corpus lutea than control ovaries. Uterine sections of 12H and 24H animals showed a well-developed stratum vasculare between inner and outer myometrial layers. The number of endometrial glands were decreased in 12H uteri, and recovered in 24H uteri compared to control. Numbers of convoluted tubule in distal region increased in 12H and 24H kidney samples. Liver specimens of 12H and 24H showed the increased number of fat containing vacuoles. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that HFCS treatment for 28 days could induce (1) changes in length of estrous cycle with extended estrous and diestrous stages, (2) altered ovarian and uterine histology, and (3) liver and renal lipid accumulation. These findings reveal the adverse effects of HFCS drinking on the reproductive function and lipid metabolism of female rats.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.258-262
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• 2006

To investigate additive effects of endocrine disruptors, we have histopathologically studied the exchanges of the reproductive organ to ovariectomized ICR mice. Female ICR mice were ovariectomized and then treated with endocrine disruptors after two weeks. Macroscopic exchanges, which were body weight, feed and water intake, of all groups were not seen during experiment period. Histopathological changes of uterine epithelial cells, vaginal epithelial cells, mammary glands and the diameter in uterine tubles were observed. In the results, the histopathological sensitivity to endocrine disruptors effect was more seen to the vaginal epithelial cell height than others. The additive estrogenic effects of endocrine disruptors, which were combinations of DEHP, DBP and BPA, were seen with E2 and BPA treatments. These results offers a sysmatic and mechanistically informative approach to assessing estrogenicity. It provides a useful profile of activity using a reasonable amount of resources and is compatible with the study of individual chemicals as well as the investigation of interactions among combinations of chemicals.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.85-95
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• 2024

Objectives : We proposed the hypothesis that administering Trigonella foenum-graecum seed extract (TSE) could alleviate menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis resulting from estrogen deficiency. Methods : Ovariectomized (OVX) rats were administered TSE at doses of 300 or 600 mg/kg body weight for 8 weeks, followed by measurement of serum lipid profile and serum bone markers using ELISA kits. Additionally, analysis of related genes in the femur and uterus was performed using Western blot and real-time PCR. Additionally, micro-CT analysis was performed to investigate the protective effect of TSE against bone loss due to oophorectomy. Results : The administration of TSE led to significant reductions in triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and glucose levels in the serum of OVX rats. Furthermore, TSE increased estradiol levels in the serum and notably improved the levels of biochemical markers associated with bone metabolism. Additionally, TSE exerted significant regulatory effects on the mRNA levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL)-genes closely associated with bone metabolism in the femur. TSE also demonstrated pronounced effects on uterine tissue, with improvements observed in gene expression related to estrogen receptors. Conclusion : Our findings confirm the efficacy of TSE in ameliorating menopause symptoms by modulating elements associated with both bone and lipid metabolism in the serum, uterine tissue, and femur of OVX rats. The present findings suggest that TSE may offer potential therapeutic effects for symptoms related to menopause and osteoporosis in females.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.1580-1591
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• 2024

Menopause is induced by spontaneous ovarian failure and leads to life quality deterioration with various irritating symptoms. Hormonal treatment can alleviate these symptoms, but long-term treatment is closely associated with breast and uterine cancer, and stroke. Therefore, developing alternative therapies with novel anti-menopausal substances and improved safety is needed. In our study, heat-killed Bifidobacterium breve HDB7040 significantly promoted MCF-7 cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner under estrogen-free conditions, similar to 17β-estradiol. This strain also triggered ESR2 expression, but not ESR1, in MCF-7 cells. Moreover, administrating HDB7040 to ovariectomized (OVX) Sprague-Dawley (SD) female rats reduced estrogen deficiency-induced weight gain, fat mass, blood triglyceride, and total cholesterol levels. It also recovered collapsed trabecular microstructure by improving trabecular morphometric parameters (bone mineral density, bone volume per tissue volume, trabecular number, and trabecular separation) and decreasing blood alkaline phosphatase levels with no significant changes in uterine size and blood estradiol. HDB7040 also significantly regulated the expression of Tff1, Pgr, and Esr2, but not Esr1 in uteri of OVX rats. Heat-killed B. breve HDB7040 exerts an anti-menopausal effect via the specific regulation of ERβ in vitro and in vivo, suggesting its potential as a novel substance for improving and treating menopausal syndrome.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.1-14
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• 2009

Objectives & Methods : The purpose of this study is to observe the effects of herbal-acupuncture with Epimedii Herba extract (EH-HA) at $KI_{10}$ (Eumgok) on osteoporosis in ovariectomized (OVX) ddY mice. We carried out several experimental items to analyze the changes in body weight, uterine weight, uterus index, tibial length, the ash bone weight, tibial BMD, serum ALP, serum osteocalcin, serum Ca, and the levels of Ca, P, Ca/P ratio in tibia, and we performed histological and histomorphological analysis as well. Results: 1. The tibial length and ash bone weight were insignificant, while BMD was significantly increased by in EH-HA in comparison with control group. 2. Serum ALP and serum osteocalcin were decreased and serum Ca was increased by in EH-HA in comparison with control group, But all were insignificant. 3. Ca and P level in tibia were significantly increased in EH-HA in comparison with control group, while Ca/P ratio was insignificant. 4. Osteoclast like cell in tibia was significantly decreased in EH-HA in comparison with control group. 5. In the histological study in tibia, TBV was significantly increased, TBT was insignificantly increased and GPL was significantly decreased in EH-HA in comparison with control group. Conclusions: These results suggest that EH-HA at $KI_{10}$ has a therapeutic effect on osteoporosis in OVX mice.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.5-10
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• 2000

The chloroform extract of the seeds of Carica papaya has been screened for the hormonal properties using ovariectomized female rats for estrogenicity, estrogen primed immature rats for progestogenicity and castrated adult male rats for androgenicity. The results revealed that the extract lacks progestogenicity and androgenicity as evident from the failure of the extract treated animals to mimic progestogen and androgen related changes in the target tissues. The increased weight of vagina and uterus, open status of vagina, cornified and epithelial cells in the vaginal smears and hypertrophy in the uterine epithelium, endometrium and stroma with increased glycogen and sialic acid content in the uterus of the chloroform extract treated animals, which are comparable to those of the ovariectomized estrogen treated animals, suggest that the chloroform extract possesses mild estrogenic activity.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2003

Osteoporosis is characterized by bone loss and mobidity with osteoporotic fracture. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of on the bone mass and its related factors in estrogen-deficient animal model. The model rats of osteoporsis showed a significant decrease in bone density, bone ash density, calcium content of femur bone. At the 14th day after ovariectomy-surgery, rats were administered with DBE, extract of Dioscorea batatas, per orally, and continued for 10 weeks. And osteoporosis related parameters were determined to investigate the effect of DBE. Osteoporetic rats showed lower serum estrogen level, higher body weight than normal rats, and showed atrophy of uterine horns. DBE showed inhibitory effect on bone loss in osteoporetic condition, and reduced the increase of ALP activity and osteocalcin level in serum, and reduced the increase of OH-proline level in urine. But, DBE had no effect on cell proliferation and ALP activity in rat calvarial cell culture.