• Title/Summary/Keyword: endocrine gland

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Living Cell Functions and Morphology Revealed by Two-Photon Microscopy in Intact Neural and Secretory Organs

  • Nemoto, Tomomi
    • Molecules and Cells
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    • v.26 no.2
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    • pp.113-120
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    • 2008
  • Laser light microscopy enables observation of various simultaneously occurring events in living cells. This capability is important for monitoring the spatiotemporal patterns of the molecular interactions underlying such events. Two-photon excited fluorescence microscopy (two-photon microscopy), a technology based on multiphoton excitation, is one of the most promising candidates for such imaging. The advantages of two-photon microscopy have spurred wider adoption of the method, especially in neurological studies. Multicolor excitation capability, one advantage of two-photon microscopy, has enabled the quantification of spatiotemporal patterns of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ and single episodes of fusion pore openings during exocytosis. In pancreatic acinar cells, we have successfully demonstrated the existence of "sequential compound exocytosis" for the first time, a process which has subsequently been identified in a wide variety of secretory cells including exocrine, endocrine and blood cells. Our newly developed method, the two-photon extracellular polar-tracer imaging-based quantification (TEPIQ) method, can be used for determining fusion pores and the diameters of vesicles smaller than the diffraction-limited resolution. Furthermore, two-photon microscopy has the demonstrated capability of obtaining cross-sectional images from deep layers within nearly intact tissue samples over long observation times with excellent spatial resolution. Recently, we have successfully observed a neuron located deeper than 0.9 mm from the brain cortex surface in an anesthetized mouse. This microscopy also enables the monitoring of long-term changes in neural or glial cells in a living mouse. This minireview describes both the current and anticipated capabilities of two-photon microscopy, based on a discussion of previous publications and recently obtained data.

Pre-validation of the OECD Enhanced Test Guideline 407 Protocol on Screening and Testing for Endocrine Disrupters (Propylthiouracil을 이용한 OECD enhanced TG407의 내분비계 장애 물질검색을 위한 유효화 실험)

  • 강경선;김대용;제정환;김태원;김형섭;박지은;윤준원;김경배;이지해
    • Toxicological Research
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    • v.17 no.3
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    • pp.203-213
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    • 2001
  • We investigated the toxic effects of propylthiouracil (PTU) In Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats to develop and validate an enhanced Protocol for Test Guideline 407 as OECD Project. Twenty male and female SD rats,7 weeks old, were treated with PTU in corn oil at levels of 0, 0.1, 1 and 10 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks orally. Clinical observation, body weight changes, food uptake, water consumption, urinalysis, estrus cycle and sperm analysis, serum chemist교, autopsy findings and histopathological findings were evaluated in this study. No clinical signs and mortality were observed in the study. The body weights and food uptakes in the group treated with 10 mg/kg/day were reduced from 3 weeks after the initiation of the treatment. The levels of 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4, 3,5,3',5'-tetraiodothyrosine) were also significantly decreased in the group treated with 10 mg/kg/day. Also, the relative and absolute organ weights of thymuses were decreased. Thyroid glands of rats in the group treated with PTU 10 mg/kg/day were bigger than those of rats in the control group. In the histopathological examination, diffuse hyperplasia and hypertrophy of thyroid follicular cells were observed in all treatment groups, leading to the reduction of lumen size and papillary enfolding of lining epithelium. The degree of lesion was increased in a dose-dependent manner. The results suggested that PTU would cause toxicity in thyroid gland and decrease the levels of T3 and T4 in SD rats. However there were no effects on the other organ including testis and uterus especially in spermatogenesis and estrus cycle. On the basis of the results, enhanced protocol for Test Guideline (TG) 407 may be sensitive and reliable to detect endocrine-active substances like PTU.

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Testosterone Regulates NUCB2 mRNA Expression in Male Mouse Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland

  • Seon, Sojeong;Jeon, Daun;Kim, Heejeong;Chung, Yiwa;Choi, Narae;Yang, Hyunwon
    • Development and Reproduction
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    • v.21 no.1
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    • pp.71-78
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    • 2017
  • Nesfatin-1/NUCB2 is known to take part in the control of the appetite and energy metabolism. Recently, many reports have shown nesfatin-1/NUCB2 expression and function in various organs. We previously demonstrated that nesfatin-1/NUCB2 expression level is higher in the pituitary gland compared to other organs and its expression is regulated by $17{\beta}-estradiol$ and progesterone secreted from the ovary. However, currently no data exist on the expression of nesfatin-1/NUCB2 and its regulation mechanism in the pituitary of male mouse. Therefore, we examined whether nesfatin-1/NUCB2 is expressed in the male mouse pituitary and if its expression is regulated by testosterone. As a result of PCR and western blotting, we found that a large amount of nesfatin-1/NUCB2 was expressed in the pituitary and hypothalamus. The NUCB2 mRNA expression level in the pituitary was decreased after castration, but not in the hypothalamus. In addition, its mRNA expression level in the pituitary was increased after testosterone treatment in the castrated mice, whereas, the expression level in the hypothalamus was significantly decreased after the treatment with testosterone. The in vitro experiment to elucidate the direct effect of testosterone on NUCB2 mRNA expression showed that NUCB2 mRNA expression was significantly decreased with testosterone in cultured hypothalamus tissue, but increased with testosterone in cultured pituitary gland. The present study demonstrated that nesfatin-1/NUCB2 was highly expressed in the male mouse pituitary and was regulated by testosterone. This data suggests that reproductive-endocrine regulation through hypothalamus-pituitary-testis axis may contribute to NUCB2 mRNA expression in the mouse hypothalamus and pituitary gland.

The Parathyroid Gland: An Overall Review of the Hidden Organ for Radiologists (부갑상선: 부갑상선 영상에 익숙하지 않은 영상의학과 의사들을 위한 전반적인 검토)

  • Suho Kim;Jung Hee Shin;Soo Yeon Hahn;Haejung Kim;Myoung Kyoung Kim
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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    • v.85 no.2
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    • pp.327-344
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    • 2024
  • Parathyroid glands are small endocrine glands that regulate calcium metabolism by producing parathyroid hormone (PTH). These are located at the back of the thyroid gland. Typically, four glands comprise the parathyroid glands, although their numbers may vary among individuals. Parathyroid diseases are related to parathyroid gland dysfunction and can be caused by problems with the parathyroid gland itself or abnormal serum calcium levels arising from renal disease. In recent years, as comprehensive health checkups have become more common, abnormal serum calcium levels are often found incidentally in blood tests, after which several additional tests, including a PTH test, ultrasonography (US), technetium-99m sestamibi parathyroid scan, single-photon-emission CT (SPECT)/CT, four-dimensional CT (4D-CT), and PET/CT, are performed for further evaluation. However, the parathyroid gland remains an organ less familiar to radiologists. Therefore, the normal anatomy, pathophysiology, imaging, and clinical findings of the parathyroid gland and its associated diseases are discussed here.

Development of a Novel, Anti-idiotypic Monoclonal Anti-prolactin Antibody That Mimics the Physiological Functions of Prolactin

  • Wang, Meng;Zhang, Dian-Cai;Wang, Shen-Tian;Li, Ming-Long
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.29 no.4
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    • pp.571-579
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    • 2016
  • In this work, we prepared a panel of monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies to ovine prolactin (oPRL) by the hybridoma technique. Among these antibodies, one anti-idotypic antibody (designated B7) was chosen for further characterization by a series of experiments. We first demonstrated that B7 behaved as a typical $Ab2{\beta}$ based on a series of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Subsequently, the results of a competitive receptor-binding assay confirmed that B7 could specifically bind to the prolactin receptor (PRLR) expressed on target cells. Finally, we examined its biological activities in CHO-PRLR and Nb2 cells and observed that B7 could activate Janus kinase 2-signal transducer and activator of transcription signalling in CHO-PRLR and Nb2 cells and induce BaF3 proliferation. The present study suggests that i) B7 can serve as a PRLR agonist or PRL mimic and has potential applications in regulating mammary gland development, milk production and maintenance of lactation in domestic animals and ii) B7 may be a biological reagent that can be used to explore the mechanism of PRLR-mediated intracellular signalling.

An immunohistochemical study of the endocrine cells on the gastro-entero-pancreatic system of the African clawed toad, Xenopus laevis (아프리카발톱두꺼비(Xenopus laevis)의 위장췌내분비세포의 면역조직화학적 연구)

  • Lee, Hyeung-sik;Lee, Jae-hyun
    • Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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    • v.32 no.4
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    • pp.523-529
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    • 1992
  • The GEP endocrine cells of the African clawed toad, Xenopus laevis, were studied immunohistochemically. Five kinds of the endocrine cells were identified in this study A moderated number of 5-HT-immunoreactive cells were detected throughout the gastro intestinal tract, being almost uniform frequency. Gas/CCK -immunoreactive cells were restricted to the basal portion of the pyloric gland and among the duodenal mucosa. A rare glucagon-immunoreactive cells were weakly reacted in the fundic region of the stomach and observed in the exocrine portions of the pancreas. Somatostatine-immunoreactive cells were distributed throughout the gastrointestinal tract with except for the rectum, and not only the periphery of the islets but also the exocrine portions in the pancreas. No CGs- and insulin-immunoreactive cells were found in the gastrointestinal tract, whereas in the pancreas, the later was seen in the central region of the islets and the exocrine portions.

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Immunohistochemical study of the gastrointestinal endocrine cells in the Mongolian Gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus (몽골리안 저빌(Meriones unguiculatus)의 위장관 내분비 세포에 대한 면역조직화학적 연구)

  • Lee, Jae-hyun;Lee, Hyeung-sik;Ku, Sae-kwang;Park, Ki-dae;Kim, Kil-soo
    • Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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    • v.40 no.4
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    • pp.653-660
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    • 2000
  • In order to study the regional distribution and relative frequency of the immunoreactive endocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract of the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus, the gastrointestinal tract was divided into 9 portions (cardia, fundus, pylorus, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon and rectum) and immunostained by immunohistochemical (PAP) method using 8 types of specific antisera against cholecystokinin (CCK)-8, gastrin, secretin, pancreatic polypeptide(PP), somatostatin, serotonin, glucagon and insulin. CCK-8-, gastrin-, somatostatin- and serotonin-immunoreactive cells were demonstrated in this study. These immunoreactive cells were found in the gastric gland regions of the pylorus or between parietal and chief cells of the fundus with round to spherical shaped, and in the interepithelial regions of the intestinal tract with spherical to spindle shaped except for jejunum where some of immunoreactive cells were also observed in the intestinal glands with round to spherical shaped. CCK-8-immunoreactive cells were restricted to the pylorus and duodenum with numerous and a few frequency, respectively. Gastrin-immunoreactive cells were restricted to the pylorus with numerous frequency. Similar to those of gastrin-immunoreactive cells, somatostatin-immunoreactive cells were restricted to pylorus with moderate frequency. Serotonin-immunoreactive cells were detected throughout whole gastrointestinal tract except for cardia and cecum with moderate or numerous frequency. However, no secretin-, PP-, glucagon- and insulin-immunoreactive cells were observed in this study. From these results, the appearance type, regional distribution and relative frequency of immunoreactive endocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract of the Mongolian gerbils were somewhat lowered or restricted compared to those of other mammals and these differences were might be caused by feeding habits and species specification.

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Identification of Novel Metabolic Proteins Released by Insulin Signaling of the Rat Hypothalmus Using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS)

  • Chin, Chur
    • Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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    • v.42 no.6
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    • pp.470-474
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    • 2007
  • Objective : The brain is dependent on glucose as an energy source. Intricate homeostatic mechanisms have been implicated in maintaining the blood glucose concentration in the brain. The aim of this study is to find the way to identify the metabolic proteins regulating the glucose in rat hypothalamus. Methods : In this study, we analysed the secretome from rat hypothalamus in vivo. We introduced 500 nM of insulin into the rat hypothalamus. The chromatographic patterns of the secretome were identified, after which Mass Spectrometry-Mass Spectrometry (MS-MS) analysis was performed. Results : In Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis, 60 proteins were identified in the secretome. Among them, 8 novel proteins were unveiled and were associated with the energy metabolism of insulin signaling in mitochondria of rat hypothalamic neuron. Nineteen other proteins have unknown functions. These ligands were confirmed to be secreting from the rat hypothalmus on insulin signaling by western blotting. Conclusion : The hypothalamus is the master endocrine gland responsible for the regulation of various physiological and metabolic processes. Proteomics using LC-MS analysis offer a efficient means for generating a comprehensive analysis of hypothalamic protein expression by insulin signaling.

유우의 번식장해에 미치는 Trypanosoma의 영향

  • Kim, Chang-Gi
    • The Science & Technology
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    • v.8 no.3 s.70
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    • pp.31-39
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    • 1975
  • SUMMERY 1. The length of trypanosoma can be shown 17-25μ on the korean dairy cattles. 2. Crjthida of trypanosoma was is found out in depresed Tabanid flies head and about 60% in Tabanid flies head. 3. Trypanosoma in the tryptose blood agar base was variated afrer about 6 weeks. 4. Infectional rate of trypanosoma is same tate about 52%. 5. Mild production in multltlic infected dairy cattles is delow thbn non inflected daily cattes. and fat rate is about 3.1% in Holstein. 6. Injected trypanosoma rate in summer is higher than in winter about 10%. 7. Calfs in winter wasnot infected for trypanosoma. 8. Erythrocyte number decrease and Leucocyte number increase in a lot of infected trypanosoma of dairy cattles. 9. There is degeneration is genital organs. endocrine gland.

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Monocrotophos induced inhibition of the activities of testis and accessory reproductive organs in male mice

  • Patill, Saraswati B;Malashetty, Vijaykumar B
    • Advances in Traditional Medicine
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    • v.7 no.3
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    • pp.304-310
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    • 2007
  • Monocrotophos was administered orally to adult male albino mice at dose level of 3.0 mg/kg body weight/day/mice for 50 days. The treatment has found to affect spermatogenesis as well as the endocrine functions of the testis as indicated by gravimetric, histopathological and biochemical changes. The treatment has caused degenerative changes in the seminiferous tubules and Leydig cells of the testis and regression of the epididymis, seminal vesicle, vas deferens, prostate, Cowper's gland and levator ani. Similarly, cauda epididymal sperm count and sperm motility have shown significant reduction. There was a significant reduction in the protein, glycogen, sialic acid, acid and alkaline phosphatase and increase in cholesterol in the testis of monocrotophos treated mice compared with the control. The causative factors for these changes due to monocrotophos administration were discussed.