• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.317-325
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• 2017

Direct communication between neighboring cells through connexin (Cx)-based gap junction is a crucial biological manner to regulate functions of a tissue consisting of multi-cell types. The present research evaluated expressional changes of Cx isoforms in the caput epididymis of adult rat exposed to estradiol benzoate (EB) or flutamide (Flu) at the early postnatal age. A single subcutaneous administration of EB at a low-dose [$0.015{\mu}g/kg$ body weight (BW)] or a high-dose ($1.5{\mu}g/kg\;BW$) or Flu at a low-dose ($500{\mu}g/kg\;BW$) or a high-dose (5 mg/kg BW) was performed to an animal at 1 week of age. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis was employed to determine expressional changes of Cx isoforms. The transcript levels of Cxs30.3 and 37 were decreased by a low-dose EB treatment, while decreases of Cxs31, 31.1, 32, 40, and 45 transcript levels were observed with a low-dose EB treatment. The treatment of a high-dose EB resulted in expressional reduction of Cxs30.3, 31, 31.1, 37, 40, 43, and 45. The Flu treatment at a low dose caused increases of Cxs26, 37, and 40 transcript levels but decreases of Cxs31.1, 43, and 45 transcript levels. Increases of Cxs30.3, 31, 37, and 40 mRNA amounts were induced by a high-dose Flu treatment. However, exposure to a high-dose Flu produced expressional decreases of Cxs31.1, 32, and 43 in the adult caput epididymis. These observations suggest that exposure to EB or Flu at the neonatal period could lead to aberrant expression of Cx isoforms in the adult caput epididymis.

• Applied Microscopy
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.89-102
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• 1992

This research was undertaken to determine the effects of the anticancer and immunosuppressive drug cyclophosphamide (CP) on the epididymal caput of the male rat in terms of ultrastructural alteration and protein analysis by SDS-PAGE at different groups; control group, 1 week group, 3 weeks group, 5 weeks group were treated with saline (control group) or CP at doses of 20 mg/kg/week, 1 time a week, respectively. In the cytoplasm of the principal cells on the epididymis, the mitochondrial outer and inner membranes were significantly swollen or disrupted. The lumens of rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) were also swollen, and the number of Golgi vesicles were increased, respectively. It is suggested that treatment with CP alters the specific cell organelles in the epididymis. CP caused changes in protein concentrations in caput of epididymis after CP treatment. Total proteins of 32 to 37 species such as lactate dehydrogenase, carnitine acetyltransferase and succinate dehydrogenase were expressed in the caput fluid. Then the more CP was increased, the more concentration of proteins caused to decrease, synthesize or increase in epididymis. In contrast to the control group, in particular carnitine acetyltransferase and the other 9 proteins in the caput fluid were decreased or disappeared, respectively, whereas lactate dehydrogenase and the other 5 proteins in the caput fluid were increased or synthesized, respectively. The other proteins are not showed distinctive difference. These alterations could be direct mediated by toxic effects of the drug on the epithelium or be secondary to changes in the spermatozoa as a result of the CP treatment.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제51권6호
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• pp.493-502
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• 2009

Glucose is a major source of metabolic fuel and lipid and protein syntheses. Transport of glucose into the cell is regulated by an action of glucose transport.associated transporters, especially solute carriers 2A (Slc2a, protein symbol GLUT). The present study was focused on examination of mRNA expression of various Slc2a isoforms in the epididymis during postnatal development. Total RNAs isolated from different epididymal segments (caput, corpus, and caudal epididymis) were utilized for real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses. Results showed that Slc2a 1, 3, 4, 5, and 8 were expressed in the entire epididymal regions. In addition, the abundance of these Slc2a isoforms' transcripts was different within each epididymal regions. Moreover, the present study showed differential expression of these Slc2a isoforms among different epididymal segments according to postnatal ages. The current study suggests that glucose transport in the epididymis via various Slc2a isoforms would be necessary for maintenance of the epididymal functions.

• Animal cells and systems
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.205-212
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• 2009

Known as a female hormone, estrogen, performs important functions, and the activities of the hormone are mediated via the estrogen receptor. The principal objective of the present study was to assess the effects of a estrogen receptor agonist in male reproductive organs. In this study, the estrogen receptor alpha agonist, PPT, was injected subcutaneously into adult male mice. The effects of PPT on the murine reproductive system were histologically assessed at 3,5, and 8 weeks after treatment. In the treatment group, reductions were observed in the weight of the body, testis and epididymis. Microscopic examination revealed a reduction in seminiferous tubular diameter in the testis, and epithelial cell height in the epididymis during the experiment. 8 weeks after treatment, spermatogenesis was not detected, nor was the lumen of the seminiferous tubules. In the fertility test, 1 week after PPT injection, the fertilizing ability of males was decreased, and on the 2nd and 3rd weeks, complete infertility was observed. In conclusion, the injection of high concentrations of PPT into adult males induced physiological changes, including infertility, and also induced morphological changes, including a reduction in the height of epithelial cells within the reproductive system.

• 한국동물학회지
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.78-93
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• 1990

생쥐가 성숙하는 동안 부정소 상피세포의 분화와 부정소액의 분비 및 흡수와 관련된 미세구조의 변화를 알아보고자, 생후 10, 20, 35 그리고 80일 된 생쥐에서 부정소 상피세포를 전자현미경으로 관찰하였다. 생쥐 부정소의 분화과정은 미세구조의 특징에 따라 생후 20일가지의 미분화기, 생후 35일 전후의 성장 및 분화기, 그리고 성체의 성숙기로 구분되었다. 각 시기는 정소에서 세정관의 강소 형성시기 그리고 정소액과 더불어 정자가 부정소에 유입되는 시기와 밀접한 관계가 있었다. 성체의 부정소 상피세포 중 주세포는 두부 부정소 기부에서 흡수 기능을 갖는 구조였고, 두부의 말부와 체부 그리고 미부에서는 조면소포체와 골지체가 발달되어 단백질 합성과 분비가 왕성한 구조로 관찰되었다. 투명세포는 주로 체부와 미부에 존재하였으며 세포질내에 흡수과립이 많이 존재하였고, 그 속에는 정자에서 분리된 세포질 잔기로 사료되는 막구조물이 관찰되었다. 부정소 부위에 따라 상피세포의 종류와 분포가 달랐고, 동일한 종류이 상피세포라도 부위별로 미세구조가 다르게 관찰되었다.

• Applied Microscopy
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.37-45
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• 2011

암컷호르몬으로 알려져 있는 에스트로겐이 실제로는 수컷 생식기관에도 영향을 미친다. 에스트로겐은 수용체와 결합하여 그 작용을 나타낸다. Propyl pyrazole triol (PPT)은 에스트로겐 수용체 베타에 비해 상대적으로 알파에 410배 혹은 1,000배 더 높은 선택적 친화성으로 결합하는 에스트로겐 수용체 알파 촉진제이다. 본 연구에서는 성체 수컷 생쥐를 대상으로 castor oil에 각각 0.01 mg, 0.1 mg, 1 mg, 4mg의 농도로 희석한 PPT를 1주에 1회씩 8주 동안 피하주사 하였다. 대조군은 castor oil을 주 1회씩 동일한 기간 동안 생쥐에 피하주사 하였다. 정소, 수출소관, 부정소의 조직학적 변화를 현미경으로 관찰하였다. PPT 4mg의 고농도 투여군에서는 체중, 정소, 부정소의 무게가 뚜렷하게 감소되었다. 실험기간 동안 PPT에 의해 세정관의 직경, 부정소의 상피세포 높이가 감소되었다. 부정소에 붙어 있던 지방세포의 크기는 PPT에 의해 줄어들었다. PPT 4 mg 투여군의 경우, 부정소의 꼬리 부위에 저장되는 정자가 관찰되지 않았다. 결론적으로 고농도의 PPT 투여로 인해 성체 수컷 생쥐의 정자형성 억제와 같은 생리학적 변화가 유발되었고 동시에 생식기관의 조직학적 변화도 유발되었다.

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한불임학회 2006년도 The 5th Biannual Meeting of Pacific Rim Society for Fertility and Sterility
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• pp.171.1-171.1
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• 2006

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제49권4호
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• pp.279-284
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• 2009

This research aimed to investigate the time-course effect of epichlorohydrin (ECH) on epididymal histopathology in Sprague-Dawley rats. Twenty-four male rats were randomly assigned to four groups with 6 rats in each group and were administered a single oral dose of ECH (70 mg/kg) or its vehicle. Six animals each were sacrificed on days 0 (control), 1, 2, and 7 after treatment. During the study period, clinical signs, body weights, reproductive organ weights, testicular spermatid count, epididymal sperm count, motility and morphology, and histopathology were examined. No treatmentrelated effects on body weights and reproductive organ weights were noted at any time point. On the contrary, sperm motility decreased slightly on days 1 and 2 after treatment and then decreased significantly on day 7 after treatment. The first signs of histological changes were the appearance of cell debris in the ducts and vacuolization of the epithelial cells observed in the proximal caput epididymis on day 1 after treatment. The incidences and grades of the histological changes including cell debris in the ducts, epithelial vacuolization, oligospermia, and epithelial disruption increased on day 2 and then decreased slightly on day 7 after treatment. These results show that a single oral dose of 70 mg/kg ECH to male rats results in cell debris in the ducts and vacuolization of the epithelial cells in the proximal caput epididymis, followed by reversible oligospermia, epithelial disruption, and decreased sperm motility.

• Applied Microscopy
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.49-62
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• 1998

To investigate the morphological changes of epithelial cells of ductus epididymides by sperm entrance, the Korean striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius coreae was studied with light and transmission electron microscopy. 1. The diameters of the caput epididymis (Cp) and its lumen were $135\sim145{\mu}(140{\pm}0.5{\mu})$ and $115\sim120{\mu}m(117{\pm}0.1{\mu}m)$. The length and width of the epithelium were $27.0\sim28.5{\mu}m(28.0{\pm}0.1{\mu}m)$ and $4.8\sim5.4{\mu}m(5.1{\pm}0.2{\mu}m)$. 2. The diameters of the corpus epididymis (Cr) and its lumen were $160\sim170{\mu}m(166{\pm}0.2{\mu}m)$ and $140\sim150{\mu}m(145{\pm}0.3{\mu}m)$. The length and width of the epithelium were $17.4\sim18.0{\mu}m(17.6{\pm}0.5{\mu}m)$ and $8.8\sim10.4{\mu}m(9.5{\pm}0.2{\mu}m)$. 3. The diameters of the cauda epididymis (Cu) and its lumen were $270\sim280{\mu}m(275{\pm}0.2{\mu}m)$ and $265\sim275{\mu}m(268{\pm}0.3{\mu}m)$. The length and width of the epithelium were $11.2\sim13.4{\mu}m(12.3{\pm}0.3{\mu}m)$ and $9.2\sim11.2{\mu}m(10.0{\pm}0.2{\mu}m)$. Therefore, the size of diameter and lumen of the ductus epididymides and the width of the epithelium increased from Cp and Cr to Cu, but the length of epithelial cells decreased from Ca and Cr to Cu. These data suggest that the morphological changes of epithelial cells of the ductus epididymides may be the results of the sperm entrance.

• Applied Microscopy
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• 제48권3호
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• pp.62-72
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• 2018

This study investigated the anti-obesity effect of a pear (Fructus Pyri Pyrifoliae) extract fermented by lactic-acid bacteria on obesity induced by a high-fat diet in rats. Body-weight measurement, blood analysis, and light microscope observation of adipose tissue in liver and epididymis were conducted after 8 weeks. Gene expression of leptin, adiponectin, and tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$) in liver cells were also investigated. Compared to CON, PFA and PFB showed 8% weight reduction along with weight reduction of adipose tissue in liver and epididymis. Observing the microstructure of liver cells showed that lipid droplets were smaller in PFA and PFB than in CON. We confirmed that Fructus Pyri Pyrifoliae extract fermented by lactic-acid bacteria can affect gene expression of leptin, adiponectin, and $TNF-{\alpha}$ in liver cells, showing an obesity treatment effect. From the results above, it was observed that weight gain from increased gene expression in adipose cells as well as from the increased proportion of adipose cells caused by a high-fat diet can be statistically significantly reduced by taking Fructus Pyri Pyrifoliae extract fermented by lactic-acid bacteria. Therefore, Fructus Pyri Pyrifoliae extract fermented by lactic-acid bacteria can be effective for preventing and treating obesity by reducing weight and adipose cells.