• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.137-141
• /
• 1996

A teratological study was performed using New Zealand White rabbits to examine the teratological potential of Ginkgo biloba extract(EGb 761), which is a known strong platelet activating factor antagonist. Ginkgo biloba extract(EGb 761) was administered per intravenously during the organogenesis period (day 6th to 18th of gestation) of rabbits at dose levels of 7.5, 15, and 30 mg/kg/day. All pregnant females were sacrificed on day 29 of gestation and teratological abnormalities of their fetuses was examined. No statistically significant difference of body weight change between control and treated groups during experimental periods was noted. There was no statistically signifiant difference of numbers of corpus lutes and implantations, fetal death ratio, fetal sex ratio, and placental weight between control and rabbits exposed to three different concentration ranges of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761). No marked external, visceral and skeletal abnormalities related to Ginkgo biloba extract(EGb 761) were observed in the fetuses. In conclusion Ginkgo biloba extract(EGb 761) does not show any effect on implantation or embryonic development.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.44 no.4
• /
• pp.523-532
• /
• 2004

The present study was carried out to investigate the potential adverse effects of amitraz on pregnant dams after maternal exposure during the gestational days (GD) 1 through 19 in Sprague-Dawley rats. The test chemical was administered orally to pregnant rats at dose levels of 0, 3, 10, or 30 mg/kg/ day. During the test period, clinical signs, mortality, body weights, food consumption, serum biochemistry, gross findings, organ weights and reproductive findings on GD 20 were examined. In the 30 mg/kg group, an increase in the incidence of abnormal clinical signs and death, a suppression in the body weight gain, and a decrease in the food consumption were observed. A decrease in the liver weight and increases in the kidneys, adrenal glands and heart weights were also found. Serum biochemical investigations revealed increases in the aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin, and chloride. In addition, an increase in the fetal death and decreases in the litter size and fetal body weight were seen at caesarean section. Inthe 10 mg/kg group, an increase in the incidence of abnormal clinical signs, decreases in the food consumption and liver weight, increases in the total bilirubin and chloride, and a decrease in the fetal body weight were observed. There were no adverse effects on clinical signs, mortality, body weights, food consumption, serum biochemistry, gross findings, organ weights and reproductive findings in the 3 mg/kg group. Based on the results, it was concluded that the 19-day repeated oral dose of amitraz to pregnant rats caused increases in the clinical signs, kidneys, adrenal glands and heart weights, AST, total bilirubin and chloride and decreases in the body weight gain, food consumption and liver weight at the dose levels of above 10 mg/kg/day. Under the present experimental conditions, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of amitraz was considered to be 3 mg/kg/day.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.85-93
• /
• 2003

Objective : To evaluate the safety and efficacy of selective fetal reduction (SFR) and compare the outcome of twin pregnancy after SFR in multiple pregnancy induced by assisted reproductive technology (ART) with that of natural twin pregnancy. Methods : From September 1995 to March 2002 in Ajou University Hospital, SFR was performed in 79 patients whose gestational sacs were more than 3. Of these 79 patients, 47 patents resulted in twin pregnancy after SFR. SFR was performed using transvaginal intracardiac KCl injection at gestational age of $6{\sim}9$ weeks. Control group was composed of 264 patients with natural twin pregnancy, who delivered after intrauterine pregnancy at 24 weeks, from June 1994 through December 2002. We compared Obstetric and perinatal outcomes between SFR group and natural twin group. Results: Among 47 patients with twin pregnancy after SFR, 2 spontaneous abortion were occurred at intrauterine pregnancy at 8 and 19 weeks. Obstetrical and perinatal outcomes were available in 43 patients. Single intrauterine fetal death was occurred in 1 of 43 (2.3%) patients in SFR group. Incidence of preterm labor, premature rupture of membrane, preeclampsia and placenta previa were similar, but gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was occurred more frequently in SFR group (3 (7.0%) vs 4 (1.5%), p=0.02). Mean gestational age, mean birth weight, incidence of discordancy, use of intubation and ventilation, incidence of fetal anomaly, low (<7) Apgar score and intrauterine growth restriction were similar in both groups. Conclusion: Twin pregnancy after SFR has the increased incidence for GDM but other obstetric and perinatal outcome was similar compared with natural twin pregnancy. So SFR is a safe and effective procedure, so we suggest SFR is needed in multifetal pregnancy more than triplet.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.11 no.6
• /
• pp.239-246
• /
• 2007

Expressions of endoplasmic reticulum stress response (ERSR) genes were examined during the neuronal differentiation of rat fetal cortical precursor cells (rCPC) and rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. When rCPC were differentiated into neuronal cells for 7 days, early stem cell marker, nest in, expression was decreased from day 4, and neuronal markers such as neurofilament-L, -M and Tuj1 were increased after day 4. In this condition, expressions of BIP, ATF6, and phosphorylated PERK as well as their down stream signaling molecules such as CHOP, ATF4, XBP1, GADD34, Nrf2 and $p58^{IPK}$ were significantly increased, suggesting the induction of ERSR during neuronal differentiation of rCPC. ERSR was also induced during the differentiation of PC12 cells for 9 days with NGF. Neurofilament-L transcript was time-dependently increased. Both mRNA and protein levels of Tuj1 were increased after the induction, and the significant increase in NeuN was observed at day 9. Similar to the expression patterns of neuronal markers, BIP/GRP78 and CHOP mRNAs were highly increased at day 9, and ATF4 mRNA was also increased from day 7. These results strongly suggest the induction and possible role of ERSR in neuronal differentiation process. Further study to identify targets responsible for neuronal induction will be necessary.

• Korea journal of population studies
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.67-90
• /
• 2001

Korea National Statistical Office(KNSO) estimated period birth rates, period death rates, and probability of dying for infant(q$q_{0}$) at period life table, considering the unregistered infant deaths. As Ministry of Health and Welfare(MHW) conducted 1993 and 1996 birth cohort infant death surveys. KNSO re-estimated infant mortality levels(especially q$q_{0}$). For the re-estimation, reference data were derived from death registration. MHW surveys, death registration of developed countries. Model Life Tables, and Life Table for Japan. Seventeen simulations were made by the combination of estimation methods and reference data. The final $q_{0}$ was estimated based on the relationship between $q_{0}$ of MHW 1993 survey and $q_{1-4}$ of registered deaths for the period of 1971~1997. For 1993, $q_{0}$ was calculated directly from the 1993 MHW survey and interpolation and extrapolation were made for 1995 and 1997 using the relative decrease rates of $q_{0}$ between 1993 and 1996 MHW surveys. Utilizing the formular of Coale-Demeny North Model, $q_{0}$ was transformed into $m_{0}$ for the period 1971~1997. Finally, cremation data are found to be very useful for the estimation of 1998 infant mortality level by supplementing unregistered infant deaths, especially neonatal deaths. Furthermore, they are found to be very useful to produce fetal and perinatal death statistics.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.224-228
• /
• 2004

Background: The expression of BRG1 associated factors (BAF) 155 and BAF 170 in response to $IFN-{\gamma}$ or $TNF-{\alpha}$ was studied in astrocytoma cell lines and primary astrocytes. BAFs are complexed with BRG1 and are also associated with activated glucocorticoid for glucocorticoid trans-activation. Methods: $IFN-{\gamma}$ was pretreated for 18 hrs and cells were incubated with IL-1 or $TNF-{\alpha}$ for 72 hrs or 96 hrs with different concentrations of steroid. Cell death was measured by LDH assay. BAF expression was assayed by RT-PCR. Results: $IFN-{\gamma}$ increased cell death by dexamethasone in LN215 cells but not in LN319 cells. The $IFN-{\gamma}$ increased the expression of BAF 155 and BAF 170 in adult astrocytes and LN215 cells, but $IFN-{\gamma}$ decreased the expression of BAF 155/170 in LN319 cells. The effect of $IFN-{\gamma}$ on the expression of BAF was not as clear in fetal astrocytes as it was in adult astrocytes. Conclusion: Our results suggest cytokines produced during immune reaction or immunotherapy may modulate steroid susceptibility of astrocytes and astrocytoma cells by influencing the expression of BAFs.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.46 no.6
• /
• pp.452-458
• /
• 2002

Dehydroevodiamine-HCl (DHED), which is a component separated from Evodia rutaecarpa Bentham, has novel anticholinesterase and antiamnesic activities in a scopolamine-induced amnesia model. Several studies suggest that DHED might be an effective drug for Alzheimer's disease and a vascular type of dementia. DHED was at dose levels of 0, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day administered intraperitoneally to Sprague-Dawley male rats for 60 days before mating and to females from 14 days before mating to 7 days after mating. Effects of the DHED on general symptom and reproductive performance of parent animals and embryonic development were examined. In male parents, whereas no death was observed, reduction in the increase rate of body weight was found at 200 mg/kg. In female parents, both of the mating performance and the fertility of parent animals were decreased at 200 mg/kg, but not significantly. In 200 mg/kg treated group, the fetal death rate was increased but total fetuses showed no changes compared to the control group. There were no malformed F1 fetuses in all groups.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.301-305
• /
• 2001

Objective : To analyze the antithrombin II deficiency in patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion. Material and Method: The blood samples were tested by chromogenic assay to evaluate the activity of antithrombin III. Results: There was only one case of antithrombin III deficiency. This patient experienced one neonatal death after delivery and one FDIU (fetal death in utero). And also this patient showed a lupus anticoagulant and the prolongation of PTT. Conclusions: Women with recurrent miscarriage who have no obvious identified cause should consider hematologic screening. Antithrombin III deficiency could be a cause of recurrent spontaneous abortion. But the incidence is very rare in Korean patients.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.81-88
• /
• 2015

We investigated factors affecting primary cultures of Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai ovary-dissociated cells to identify general aspects of their early-phase culture. Ninety-seven cell populations derived from 30 individuals were cultured in different media with varying compositions of medium supplements, and initial attachment, subculture, and survival for ${\geq}10$ weeks were assessed according to medium composition and individual. We also examined the time required for subculture and the rate of cell death according to both culturing period and passage number within 10 weeks. A lack of fetal bovine serum (FBS) and hemolymph significantly inhibited the growth of cultured cells, while we detected no significant effect of medium composition on initial cell attachment. Through data reallocation, with the omission of data from cell populations cultured in FBS-free and hemolymph-free media, we showed that growth inhibition was also affected by individual differences among the abalones used. During the culture, we observed four different types of cell morphology. Moreover, considerable time was required for subculture-18.4 and 19.5 days for first and second subcultures, respectively-and cell death did not occur within 30 days or for passage 0. Our results will provide valuable information for developing universal cell culturing guidelines in abalone species and suggest the feasibility of culturing abalone ovary-dissociated cells.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.358-364
• /
• 2006

To investigate the possible mechanism of Drynariae Rhizoma extracts as a candidate of anti-cancer drug, I examined the effects of Drynariae Rhizoma extracts on the apoptosis of U937 cell line. MTT assay, flow cytometric analysis, SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Western blot analysis, and RT-PCR were performed. Drynariae Rhizoma extracts treatment reduced the cell viablilty of U937 cells in a dose-dependent manner, which was associated with induction of apoptotic cell death. Drynariae Rhizoma extracts treatment also reduced the levels of Bcl-xL anti-apoptotic protein expression and increased the levels of caspase-3, p53, pro-apoptotic protein, in U937 cells. RT-PCR data revealed that the level of bcl-2, bcl-xL mRNA expressions decreased in a dose-dependent manner. These findings suggest that Drynariae Rhizoma extracts may have induction of apoptotic cell death via regulation of several growth regulatory gene products. The abbreviations used are: FBS, fetal bovine serum; PBS, phosphate buffered saline; PI, propidium iodide; OD, optical density; DiOC6, 3,3-dihexyloxa carbcyanine iodide; MTT, 3 [4-5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl] -2-diphenyltetrazolium bromide.