• Title/Summary/Keyword: far body

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Impact Tensile Properties and Intergranular Fracture Behavior with Strain Rate Variations of Al-M g-X (X = Cr,Si) Alloy

  • Chang-Suk Han;Min-Gyu Chun;Sung-Soon Park;Seung-In Lim
    • Korean Journal of Materials Research
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    • v.34 no.7
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    • pp.330-340
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    • 2024
  • Al-Mg-Si alloys are light weight and have excellent corrosion resistance, and are attracting attention as a liner material for high-pressure hydrogen containers in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Because it has excellent plastic hardening properties, it is also applied to car body panel materials, but it is moderate in strength, so research to improve the strength by adding Si-rich or Cu is in progress. So far, the authors have conducted research on the intergranular fracture of alloys with excessive Si addition from the macroscopic mechanical point of view, such as specimen shape. To evaluate their impact tensile properties, the split-Hopkinson bar impact test was performed using thin plate specimens of coarse and fine grain alloys of Al-Mg-X (X = Cr,Si) alloy. The effect of the shape of the specimen on the characteristics was studied through finite element method (FEM) analysis. As a result, it was found that the intergranular fracture of the alloy with excessive Si depended on the specimen width (W)/grain size (d), which can be expressed by the specimen size and grain size. As W/d decreases, the intergranular fracture transforms into a transgranular fracture. As the strain rate increases, the fracture elongation decreases, and the fracture surface of the intergranular fracture becomes more brittle. It was confirmed that intergranular fracture occurred in the high strain rate region even in materials with small grain sizes.

A Study on the Environment and Human Tritium Radiation Monitoring around the Heavy Water Nuclear Power Plant (중수로 원전 주변 환경 및 인체 삼중수소 방사능 모니터링에 관한 고찰)

  • SangJun Han;HongYeon Lee;BoGil Kim;HyeKyung Ha;YongJu Sin
    • Journal of Radiation Industry
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    • v.17 no.4
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    • pp.427-436
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    • 2023
  • As a result of evaluating the level of tritium emitted from the nuclear power plant in the environment and the human body, it was confirmed that tritium was detected in the environmental media and human urine samples to be investigated. It was found that the tritium was clearly detected. After the operation of the Tritium Removal Facility (TRF), which was operated for the purpose of removing tritium from the Wolsong nuclear power plant, the tritium emission showed a decreasing trend, and the tritium level in the environmental media also showed a tendency to decrease accordingly. However, for precise evaluation, it was necessary to select and investigate points by distance, season, and wind direction from the nuclear power plant, but it also showed characteristics that did not reflect this. As the cycle, etc., implemented the previous environmental monitoring program as it is, there was also a limitations in not being able to reflect the changing environment. Therefore, it is necessary to review and supplement the environmental monitoring investigation plan and results so far, and by applying the supplemented investigation plan to secure valid and reliable investigation results, it is judged that it will be an appropriate measure for environmental conservation and human protection in the vicinity of the nuclear power plant.

A study on the origination and Transmission of Yu in Northeast Asia. -from the 4th Century to the 8th Century- (동북(東北)아시아 유의 기원(起源)과 그 교류(交流)에 관(關)한 연구(硏究) -$4{\sim}8$세기(世紀)를 중심(中心)으로-)

  • Cho, Sun-Hee;Park, Kyung-Ja
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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    • v.17
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    • pp.29-43
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    • 1991
  • Yu was a type of dress worn on the upper part of the body which was commonly used in Northeast Asia. It was originally used by the Northern race for the need of courtesy as well as protecting cold. It was believed that Yu in Northeast Asia, which was called Kaftan, was came from Scythai lived in North Eurasian land around the Black sea. Scythians were the first-formed horse-riding race in the world and their civilization influenced those of far Asiatic sector along the steppe route. As their power expanded, their costume culture transmitted to the East(China, Korea, Japan). The upper garment, Yu, was characterized by the left-sided collars, narrow sleeves belted at the waist to the length of the hip line and the tight trouser on the lower part, which we commonly called HoBok(胡服) style. 1. Yu in Northeast Asia was originated from the Eurasians, Scythian Culture. Being exchanged, active style costumes were widely used among Chinese, Koreans and Japanese throughout centuries' including $4{\sim}8$ century. 2. Chinese Yu had a style of wide-sleeves and right-sided collars. The traditional costumes of Han race are consisted of wide-sleeved Yu on the upper and long-skirt on the lower part of the body. Before the adoptation of HoBok during reign of King Jo Mooryung in 307. B.C., HoBok style had already found in the remains since the Sang period. There were various names among Yu during the Han period. Seup, Sean Eui, Kye, Kyu were one of the styles and several names were meant for collar and sleeves. During $4{\sim}8$ centuries, clothes of right-sided collar were found, superior to that of left-sided and narrow sleeves were widely used both the royal and the humble. Various styles of decoration were seen in Yu around neck, back and sleeves comparing other nations. 3. Yu, in Korea, was typical style of Northern-bound HoBok. Both men and women had similarity in Yu style, narrow sleeves, left-sided collar, belted at the waist and to the length of hip line. Influenced by Han race, in the $4th{\sim}8th$ centuries, dual system of collar was found. But we cannot see major change in Yu and finally was connected to the present. 4. The original design of the Japanese costumes was not similar to that of Northern nomadic hunting race, which was suitable for horse-riding activities. Owing to the climates along the island, we could see various conditions ranging from the cold and to the warm. Influenced by the climates, pulling over the neck(Pancho style) were major design in Japan. As Korea was advanced earlier than Japan, Korean landed Japanese territory showing clothes. So primitive costumes had changes in style. During the $4th{\sim}8th$ period. The Korean mode was found in Haniwa (which was built to make sacrifices to the dead King) and costumes in Jeong Chang Won. Among the costumes in Jeong Chang Won, we put 3 or more costumes to the category of Yu characterizing elements of Korea and Tang period. From the $4th{\sim}8th$ century, China, Korea, Japan fell into the same cultural category, Scythai. Styles in Yu among three nations, we saw little differences, basically along times. Originated from the West Asia, Yu was transmitted to the far East changing Chinese costumes, Koreans melted it into the traditional elements and then influenced Japan.

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A Comparative Study of the Oriental and the Occidental Medical Literature on the Etiologies & Treatments for Palmoplantar Hyperhidrosis (수족한(手足汗)의 원인(原因)과 치료법(治療法)에 대한 동(東).서의학적(西醫學的) 고찰(考察))

  • Ko, Young-Chul;Shin, Jo-Young
    • The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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    • v.18 no.2
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    • pp.268-295
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    • 1997
  • Sweating is natural phenomenon necessary for the regulation of an individual's body-temperature. The secretion of sweat is mediated by a portion of our vegetative nervous system(the sympathetic nervous system). In some people, this system is working at a very high activity level, far higher than needed to keep a constant temperature. This condition is referred to as hyperhidrosis. Especially excessive sweating of the hands and the feet is palmoplantar hyperhidrosis or volar hyperhidrosis. This is by far the most distressing condition. It was founded that the first important cause of this was emotional factor. The hands are much more exposed in social and prefessional activities than any other part of our body. Many individuals with palmoplantar hyperhidrosis are limited in their choice of proffession, because unable to manipulate materials sensitive to humidity or reluctant to shake hands; some patients arrive to the point to avoid social contact. The occidental medical treatments for palmoplantar hyperhidrosis include application of topical agents(chemical antiperspirants such as aluminum chloride), iontophoresis(treatment with electrical current), or surgery(thoracic sympathectomy). It was reported that the most effective treatment was thoracic sympathectomy. So this study was started to find the easy and effective oriental medical treatments against the occidental medical treatments through the oriental medical literature. The occidental medical idea for palmoplantar hyperhidrosis is only limited in neurologic system, so surgery is the best treatment. But the oriental medical idea for palmoplantar hyperhidrosis is much wider, so the oriental medical causes and treatments for this are able to be veriety. And the oriental medical teatment is freely in treating the patients of palmoplantar hyperhidrosis, because entire idea including pulse, facial color, mental condition, constitution and other symptom exists in the oriental medicine. The results of a bibliographic study of causes and treatments for palmoplantar are as follows; 1. The main causes of pa1moplantar hyperhidrosis are heat in the stomach, damp-heat in the spleen and the stomach, insufficiency of the spleen-qi and the stomach-qi, deficiency of the spleen-yin and the stomach-yin, and the others are the stomach-cold syndrome, stasis of blood and dyspepsia in the stomach, disorder of the liver-qi, deficiency of the heart-yin and the kidney-yin, deficiency of the heart-yang and the kidney-yang, stagnated heat in the liver and the spleen, the lung channel-heat etc. 2. The main methods of medical treatments for palmoplantar hyperhidrosis are clearing out the stomach-heat, eliminating dampness and heat in the spleen and the stomach, invigorating the spleen-qi and the stomach-qi, reinforcing the spleen-yin and the stomach-yin, warming the stomach, relaxing the liver and alleviating of mental depression and tonifying the heart and the kidney etc. 3. The main prescriptions of palmoplantar hyperhidrosis are Taesihotang, Palmultang-kakam, Samyeongbaechusan, Chongbisan, Sasammaekmundongtang, the others are Leejungtang, Hwangkikonjungtang, Seungkitang, Boyumtang, Baekhotang, Chongsimyonjayum, Moyrosan, etc. 4. Local medicine for external use are liquid after boiling alum in water for about 1 or 2 hours, liquid after boiling alum and pueraria root in water and liquid after boiling stragalus root, pueraria root, ledebouriella root and schizonepeta in water, etc. 5. The methods of acupuncture therapy include invigorating Bokyru, Yumkuk and purgating Hapkouk, or invigorating Bokyru, Kihae and purgating Hapkouk, or steadying Hapkouk, Nokung.

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A Study on The Content of Liver Protein, Nucleic Acids, and Guanine Deaminase Activity of Mouse During Acute Starvation (급성(急性) 기아(饑餓)마우스의 간단백질(肝蛋白質), 핵산(核酸) 및 Guanine Deaminase 활성(活性)에 관(關)한 연구(硏究))

  • Park, Seung-Hee;Kim, Seung-Won
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
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    • v.1 no.2
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    • pp.107-115
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    • 1968
  • Number of aspects, not only nutritional but social as well as political involved in human starvation pose nowadays global problems. In order to help establish the minimum nutritional requirements in the daily life of a man and to free people as well from either undernourishment, malnutrition or even starvation many workers have devoted themselves so far on the research programs to know what and how number of metabolic events take place in animals in vivo. It is the purpose of the present paper to examine in effect to what extent both of the protein and nucleic acids (DNA & RNA) together with an enzyme, guanine deaminase, which converts guanine into xanthine and in turn ends up to uric acid as an end product, undergo changes, quantitatively during acute starvation, using the mouse as an experimental animal. The mouse was strictly inhibited from taking foods except drinking water ad libitum and was sacriflced 24, 48, and 72 hours following starvation thus acutely induced. The animals consisted of two experimental groups, one control and another starvation groups, each being consisted of 6-24 mice of whose body weights ranged in the vicinity of 10 g. The animals were sacriflced by a blow on the head, followed by immediate excision of their livers into ice-cold distilled water, washing adherent blood and other contaminant tissues. The liver was minced foramin, by an all-glass homogenizer immersing it in an ice-bath, followed by subsequent fractionatin of the homogenate (10% W/V in 0.25M sucrose solution made up with 0.05M phosphate buffer of pH 7.4). For the liver protein and guanine deaminase assay, the 10% homogenate was centrifuged at 600 x g for 10 minutes to eliminate the nuclear fraction; and for the estimation of DNA and RNA, the homogenate was prepared by the addition of 10% trichloroacetic acid in order to free the homogenate from the acid-soluble fraction, the remaining residue being delipidate by the addition of alcohol and dried in vacuo for later KOH (IN) hydrolysis. The changes in body and liver wegihts during acute starvation were checked gravimetrically. Protein contents in the liver were monitored by the method of Lowry et al; and guanine deaminase activities were followed by the assay of liberated ammonia from the substrate utilizing the Caraway's colorimetry. The extraction of both DNA and RNA was performed by the Schmidt-Thannhauser's method, which was followed by Marmur's method of purification for DNA and by Chargaff's method of purification for RNA. The determinations of both DNA and RNA were carried out by the diphenylamine reaction for the former and by the orcinol reaction for the latter. The following resume was the results of the present work. 1. It was observed that the body as well as liver weights fall abruptly during starvation, and that the loss of body weight showed no statistical correlation with the decreases in the content of liver protein. 2. The content of liver protein and activity of liver guanine deaminase activity as well decline dramatically, and the specific activities of the enzyme (activity/protein), however, decreased gradually as starvation proceeded. 3. Both of the nucleic acids, DNA and RNA, showed decrements in the liver of mouse during acute starvation; the latter, however, being more striking in the decline as compared to the former. 4. The decreases in the liver protein content as resulted from the acute starvation had no statistically significant correlation with the decrements of DNA in the same tissue, but had regressed with a significant statistical correlation with the fall of RNA in the tissue. 5. The decrease in the activity of guanine deaminase in the liver of mouse during acute starvation was functionally more proportional to the decrease in RNA than DNA, and moreover correlated with the changes in the content of the liver protein. 6. The possible mechanisms involved during in this acute starvation as bring the decreases in the contents of DNA, protein, and guanine deaminase were discussed briefly.

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Recent Advancement in the Stem Cell Biology (Stem Cell Biology, 최근의 진보)

  • Harn, Chang-Yawl
    • Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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    • v.33 no.3
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    • pp.195-207
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    • 2006
  • Stem cells are the primordial, initial cells which usually divide asymmetrically giving rise to on the one hand self-renewals and on the other hand progenitor cells with potential for differentiation. Zygote (fertilized egg), with totipotency, deserves the top-ranking stem cell - he totipotent stem cell (TSC). Both the ICM (inner cell mass) taken from the 6 days-old human blastocyst and ESC (embryonic stem cell) derived from the in vitro cultured ICM have slightly less potency for differentiation than the zygote, and are termed pluripotent stem cells. Stem cells in the tissues and organs of fetus, infant, and adult have highly reduced potency and committed to produce only progenitor cells for particular tissues. These tissue-specific stem cells are called multipotent stem cells. These tissue-specific/committed multipotent stem cells, when placed in altered environment other than their original niche, can yield cells characteristic of the altered environment. These findings are certainly of potential interest from the clinical, therapeutic perspective. The controversial terminology 'somatic stem cell plasticity' coined by the stem cell community seems to have been proved true. Followings are some of the recent knowledges related to the stem cell. Just as the tissues of our body have their own multipotent stem cells, cancerous tumor has undifferentiated cells known as cancer stem cell (CSC). Each time CSC cleaves, it makes two daughter cells with different fate. One is endowed with immortality, the remarkable ability to divide indefinitely, while the other progeny cell divides occasionally but lives forever. In the cancer tumor, CSC is minority being as few as 3-5% of the tumor mass but it is the culprit behind the tumor-malignancy, metastasis, and recurrence of cancer. CSC is like a master print. As long as the original exists, copies can be made and the disease can persist. If the CSC is destroyed, cancer tumor can't grow. In the decades-long cancer therapy, efforts were focused on the reducing of the bulk of cancerous growth. How cancer therapy is changing to destroy the origin of tumor, the CSC. The next generation of treatments should be to recognize and target the root cause of cancerous growth, the CSC, rather than the reducing of the bulk of tumor, Now the strategy is to find a way to identify and isolate the stem cells. The surfaces of normal as well as the cancer stem cells are studded with proteins. In leukaemia stem cell, for example, protein CD 34 is identified. In the new treatment of cancer disease it is needed to look for protein unique to the CSC. Blocking the stem cell's source of nutrients might be another effective strategy. The mystery of sternness of stem cells has begun to be deciphered. ESC can replicate indefinitely and yet retains the potential to turn into any kind of differentiated cells. Polycomb group protein such as Suz 12 repress most of the regulatory genes which, activated, are turned to be developmental genes. These protein molecules keep the ESC in an undifferentiated state. Many of the regulator genes silenced by polycomb proteins are also occupied by such ESC transcription factors as Oct 4, Sox 2, and Nanog. Both polycomb and transcription factor proteins seem to cooperate to keep the ESC in an undifferentiated state, pluripotent, and self-renewable. A normal prion protein (PrP) is found throughout the body from blood to the brain. Prion diseases such as mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) are caused when a normal prion protein misfolds to give rise to PrP$^{SC}$ and assault brain tissue. Why has human body kept such a deadly and enigmatic protein? Although our body has preserved the prion protein, prion diseases are of rare occurrence. Deadly prion diseases have been intensively studied, but normal prion problems are not. Very few facts on the benefit of prion proteins have been known so far. It was found that PrP was hugely expressed on the stem cell surface of bone marrow and on the cells of neural progenitor, PrP seems to have some function in cell maturation and facilitate the division of stem cells and their self-renewal. PrP also might help guide the decision of neural progenitor cell to become a neuron.

Studies on the Embryo Transfer of In Vitro Matured/ In Vitro Fertilized Embryo in Hanwoo (한우 체외성숙.체외수정란의 수정란이식에 관한 연구)

  • 황환섭;장현용;김성곤;김종택;박춘근;정희태;김정익;양부근
    • Journal of Embryo Transfer
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    • v.19 no.1
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    • pp.1-10
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    • 2004
  • These studies were carried out to improve the reproductive efficiency through embryos transfer of Hanwoo IVM/IVF embryos. Following routine IVM/IVF procedure, oocytes and zygotes were cultured far 40 to 44 h in CRlaa medium with BSA. Then 2 to 8-cell embryos were removed the cumulus cell and were cultured in CRlaa medium containing 10% fatal bovine serum and 2.5 mM taurine in 5% $O_2$ and 5% $CO_2$ at 38.5$^{\circ}C$. The fresh embryos of the morulae and blastocysts cultured for 6 to 9 days in vitro or the frozen-thawed embryos were transferred into recipients. The pregnancy rates of the blastocyst produced for 6, 7, 8, and 9 days in vitro culture were 59.4, 68.2, 66.0 and 100%, respectively. In the developmental stage, pregnacy rates of early blastocysts (61.1%), blastocysts(64.7%) and expanded blastocysts(69.5%) were higher than that of morulae stage(20.0%). The pregnancy rates according to the corpus luteum grades of A, B and C in recipients were 73.6, 62.9 and 50.0%, respectively. Effects of donor-recipients synchrony of after day 2, 1 and 0, before day 1 and 2 on the pregnancy rates were 35.7, 65.5, 72.6, 67.9 and 60.0%, respectively. Pregnancy rates of the body condition score of recipients $\leq$2(71.3%) were higher than those of $\geq$3.0 score(40.0%). The pregnancy rates according to the parity of recipients when embryo was transferred to cow(70.6%) was higher than in heifer(59.1%). The pregnancy rates according to hormone treatment before embryo transfer were 69.9% in hCG + GnRH administration group and 63.0% in control group. Fresh and frozen-thawed embryos on the pregnancy rates were 70.6 and 36.4%, respectively. Pregnancy rates in single and AI+single was 90.0% and 64.8%. Pregnancy rates in twin induction was better than in single. These results indicate that pregnancy rates after transfer were affected on the embryo ages, donor-recipient synchrony, body condition score of recipients, corpus luteum status, parity and hormone treatment to recipients.

A Study on the Physical Growth and Health Status of the Freshmen in a Private University (일부사립대학교(一部私立大學校)의 학생(學生)의 성장(成長).발육(發育) 및 건강상태(健康狀態)에 관(關)한 조사연구(調査硏究))

  • Park, Yang-Won;Lee, Pyong-Kap;Park, Soon-Young;Kim, Hyong-Suk;Kim, Jae-Myung
    • Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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    • v.5 no.1
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    • pp.97-104
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    • 1972
  • For the purpose of ascertaining the status of physical growth and health status of the University Students, an intensive survey was conducted by the authors towards a total of 1,250 (Male 792, Female 458) who passed the written entrance examination at the Kyung Hee University in 1972. The items included the measurements on physical growth, various physical and nutritional indices, status of visual distourbance, dental status and tuberculosis. The findings and results cad be summarized as follows; 1. Physical Growth and Develspment. i) The average of body height by anthropometric was $169.39{\pm}5.05cm$ in male and $157.45{\pm}4.43cm$ in female. ii) The averages of body weight by sex were $59.42{\pm}6.47Kg\;and\;51.81{\pm}5.21Kg$, respectively. iii) The averages of chest-girth were $87.18{\pm}5.30cm\;and\;80.51{\pm}4.53cm$. iv) The averages of sitting-height were $92.21{\pm}2.79cm\;and\;86.28{\pm}2.57cm$. In all cases the male measurements were higher than female. 2. Various ludices about Physical Growth and Development; i) Relative body weights by sex were 35.08 and 32.91, relative chestgirth 51.47 and 51.13, and relative sitting-height 54.43, 54.79, respectively. ii) Rohrer index was 1.222 in males and 1.327 in females, Kaup index 2.071 and 2.089, Verveck index 86.54 and 84.04, and Pelidisi index 91.15 and 93.08, respectively 3. Status of visual distourbance The vision of the students under 0.8 with Landolt's testing chart was 45.4% in left eye and 46.6% in right eye(male: 44.4% and 45.7%, female: 47.2% and 48.0%), while under 0.6 in both visions was 41.0% and 40.5% (male: 40.8% and 40.7%, female: 41.5% and 40.2%), respectively. 4. Dental Status Out of total 19.4% (male 19.2%, female 19.6%) had gingivitis, the female incidence rate of gingivitis was higher than male. Average number of teeth in each subject was 29.6 teeth: male had 29.9 teeth and female had 29.1 teeth. The caries rate was 78.9%(male 75.6%, female 84.5%), the female caries rate was higher than male. Total filing per subject was 35.6% (male 34.0%, female 37.1%), female incidence was higher shan male. The average number of i) Caries per tooth rate was 8.5% in male and 9.2% in female, ii) Missing per tooth rate was 0.3% and 0.2%, iii) Filling per tooth rate was 3.9% and 4.2%. in all cases, the female incidences were higher than the male. The average number of D.M.F. was 3.8 teeth in male and 4.0 teeth in female, female was higher than male. The average rate of D.M.F. was 12.7% in male and 13.7% in female, female was higher than male. 5. Pulmonary infiltration Among the total, 53 students were diagnosed as pulmonary infiltration (tuberculosis), of whom 51 were minimal cases, one were moderately advanced case and one were far advanced case.

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Geochemical exploration for REE occurrence in Nghe An Area within Northern Vietnam (베트남 북부 네안 희토류 산출지의 지구화학탐사)

  • Heo, Chul-Ho;Chung, Ho Tien;Lee, Jae-Ho
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.45 no.6
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    • pp.599-622
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    • 2012
  • The phase I soil geochemical exploration was carried out targeting around Chau Binh area far from about 14 km with southeastern direction from Quy Chau within Nghe An province. The interval of sampling are horizontal 300 m with 14 line and longitudinal 500 m with 15 line, resulting in 194 soil samples. Based on the result of the phase I soil geochemical exploration, the phase II detailed pitting survey was carried out targeting the grid point with high TREO content, resulting in 56 soil samples within 7 pits. The geology of survey area are consisted of Ban Chieng biotite granite complex and Dai Loc gneissic granite complex intruding Bu Khang formation comprising of schist, gneiss and limestone. Main mineralization in the study area have the characteristics of occurrence with tin, ruby and REE-bearing monazite(about 300 g/t) and xenotime(about 10 g/t) to be thought as occurring at the alteration zone of granite complex. In order to elucidate the source rock of monazite and xenotime confirmed from heavy sand, soil geochemical exploration was carried out. As a analysis result with ICP-MS on the soil samples from the phase I soil geochemical exploration, total REE oxide content of background amount to about 2 times of crustal abundance, enriching the heavy rare earth(about 2 times) and light rare earth(about 1.84 times). As a analysis result with ICP-MS on the soil samples from the phase II soil detailed pit survey, we identified outcrop considering as economic ore body at the grid point 4-7 pit with N40W attitude. As a synthetic consideration on the phase I soil geochemical exploration and phase II detailed pit survey, we tentatively designated areas considering as the extension of economic ore body with REE anomaly. In the near future, we have the plan to carry out the geophysical exploration and test drilling targeting the interval anticipated to the economic ore body.

Role of Ghrelin in the Control of Reproductive Endocrine Function (포유류 생식 내분비 기능 조절에서 Ghrelin의 역할)

  • Lee, Sung-Ho
    • Development and Reproduction
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    • v.13 no.4
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    • pp.207-215
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    • 2009
  • Numerous factors can affect the activities of hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad (HPG) hormonal axis, resulting in alteration of reproductive capacity or status such as onset of puberty and menopause. Soon after the finding of leptin, a multifunctional hormone secreted from adipocytes, a close relationship between reproduction and body energy balance have been manifested. Ghrelin, another multifunctional hormone from gastrointestinal tract, is an endogenous ligand of growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), and is thought to be a counterpart of leptin in the regulation of energy homeostasis. As expected, ghrelin can also modulate the reproductive capacity through the modulation of activities of HPG axis. This paper summarizes the current knowledge on the discovery, gene structures, tissue distribution and roles of ghrelin and GHSRs in mammalian reproduction in particular modulation of reproductive hormone secretion in HPG axis. Like POMC gene expression in pituitary gland, preproghrelin gene can generate a complex repertoire of transcripts which further undergo alternative splicing and posttranslational modifications. Concerning the roles of preproghrelin gene products in the control of body physiology except energy homeostasis, limited knowledge is available so far. Several lines of evidence, however, show the interplay of ghrelin between metabolism and reproduction. In rat and human, the distribution of ghrelin receptor GHSRs (GHSR1a and GHSR1b) has been confirmed not only in the hypothalamus and pituitary which were originally postulated as target of ghrelin but also in the testis and ovary. Expression of the preproghrelin gene in the brain and gonads was also verified, suggesting the local role (s) of ghrelin in HPG axis. Ghrelin might play a negative modulator in the secretions of hypothalamic GnRH, pituitary gonadotropins and gonadal steroids though the action on pituitary is still questionable. Recent studies suggest the involvement of ghrelin in regulation of puberty onset and possibly of menopause entry. It is now evident that ghrelin is a crucial hormomal component in 'brain-gut' axis, and is a strong candidate links between metabolism and reproduction. Opposite to that for leptin, ghrelin signaling is likely representing the 'hunger' state of body energy balance and is necessary to avoid the energy investment into reproduction which has not a top priority in maintaining homeostasis. Further researches are needed to gain a deep insight into the more precise action mechanism and role of ghrelin in reproduction, and to guarantee the successful biomedical applications.

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