• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5701-5708
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• 2012

The aim of the study was to investigate the chemopreventive potential of andrographolide in 7,12-dimethylbenz(a) anthracene (DMBA)-induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis. Oral tumors developed in the buccal pouch of golden Syrian hamsters at a 100% incidence on painting with 0.5% DMBA in liquid paraffin three times a week for 14 weeks. Marked abnormalities in the status of detoxification enzymes, lipid perxodiation and antioxidants were noticed in hamsters treated with DMBA alone. Oral administration of andrographolide at a dose of 50 mg/kg bw to hamsters treated with DMBA not only completely prevented the tumor formation but also restored the status of the above mentioned biomarkers. The present study thus demonstrates the chemopreventive potential of andrographolide in DMBA-induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis, which is probably due to its antioxidant potential as well as modulating effect on xenobiotic metabolising enzymes during DMBA-induced oral carcinogenesis.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.10
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• pp.664-669
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• 2010

The present study aimed to investigate the membrane stabilizing effect of Thymoquinone (TQ) on cell surface glycoconjugates and cytokeratin expression against DMBA induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis. 0.5% DMBA painting (three times per week) in hamster buccal pouches for 14 weeks resulted in the formation of well developed oral squamous cell carcinoma. We observed 100% tumor formation with marked abnormalities of glycoconjugates status in tumor bearing hamsters as compared to control animals. Oral administration of TQ at a dose of 30 mg/kg body weight, to DMBA painted hamsters on alternate days for 14 weeks, reduced the tumor formation as well as protected the levels of cell surface glycoconjugates in DMBA painted hamsters. The present study thus suggests that TQ has potent chemopreventive efficacy as well as protected the abnormalities on cell surface glycoconjugates during DMBA induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17
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• pp.79-82
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• 2001

The infection of liver flukes, Clonorchis sinensis (CS) and Opisthorchis viverrini (OV), has been known as a risk factor to induce cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCC) in human living in the endemic area, providing promoting effect on the liver initiated by chemical carcinogens. The present study evaluated the relationship between the dosage level of dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) and the infection load of CS in the neoplastic development by histopathological examination of the treated hamsters. To evaluate the effects of DMN, different doses of DMN ranging from 0 to 25 ppm were administered to hamsters with 20 CS metacercariea. For the risk assessment of the infection load, 0, 5, 15, 50 CS metacercariae were respectively infected with 12 ppm DMN. The mortality was closely related to the infection load rather than the concentration of DMN. The infection of CS clearly promoted the induction of CCC even at dose level of 6 ppm DMN. Only five metacercariae were enough to promote CCC induction at the concentration of 12 ppm DMN.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.215-221
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• 2017

Bitter melon (Momordica charantia, MC) has been used in traditional Korean medicine in treating diabetes. In addition, some reports were emerged, showing the antifertility activities of MC in mammals. We investigated the effects of ethanolic MC extract on the reproductive activity of golden hamsters whose spermatogenetic capacity is controlled by their photoperiods. The animals were divided into 4 groups: long photoperiod (LP) control, short photoperiod (SP) control, and LP animals treated with MC. The animals were orally ingested with low (0.03 g/kg) or high (0.15 g/kg) concentrations of the ethanolic extracts for 8 weeks on the daily basis. The control animals received the vehicle. The animals were then mated with age-matched females, experienced pregnancy. As results, the LP control animals showed active large testes but SP control animals displayed remarkably reduced testes. The animals treated with both concentrations of MC extracts demonstrated large testes, indicating fertile activity as animals in LP. LP control animals had litters as expected, but SP controls had no litters at all. MC extract showed the same results as LP animals in generating offsprings. These results suggest that the MC extract does not change the photoperiodic influence on reproductive activity of male golden hamsters.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.5273-5279
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• 2012

The aim of the present study was to investigate the chemopreventive effect of coumarin against 7, 12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis by monitoring tumor incidence and histopathological changes as well as by analyzing the status of biochemical markers (lipid peroxidation, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, phase I and phase II detoxification enzymes). Oral squamous cell carcinomas were induced in the buccal pouch of Syrian golden hamsters by painting with 0.5% DMBA in liquid paraffin three times a week for 14 weeks. We noted 100% tumor formation with marked abnormalities in the biomarkers status in hamsters treated with DMBA alone. Oral administration of coumarin at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight (bw) to DMBA treated hamsters completely prevented the tumor formation as well as restored the staus of biochemical variables. The results of the present study thus suggest that the chemopreventive effect of coumarin is probably due to its anti-lipid peroxidative potential and modulating effect on carcinogen detoxification agents in favor of the excretion of ultimate carcinogenic metabolites of DMBA during DMBA-induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2021

The Syrian (golden) hamsters are seasonal breeders whose reproductive functions are active in summer and inactive in winter. In experimental facility mimicking winter climate, short photoperiod (SP) induces gonadal regression. The blood-testis barrier (BTB) of the sexually involuted animals have been reported to be permeable, allowing developing germ cells to be engulfed or sloughed off the epithelium of the seminiferous tubules. The expressions of genes related to the tight junction composing of BTB were investigated in the reproductive active and inactive testes. Claudin-11, occludin, and junctional adhesion molecule (JAM) were definitely expressed in the active testes but not discernably detected in the inactive testes. And spermatozoa (sperm) were observed in the whole lengths of epididymides in the active testes. They were witnessed in only cauda region of the epididymides but not in caput and corpus regions in animals with the inactive testes. The results imply that the disorganization of BTB is associated with the testicular regression. The developing germ cells are swallowed into the Sertoli cells or travel into the lumen, as supported by the presence of the sperm delayed in the last region of the epididymis. These outcomes suggest that both apoptosis and desquamation are the processes that eliminate the germ cells during the regressing stage in the Syrian hamsters.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.37-47
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• 2022

Photoperiod has well been established to regulate testicular activities in golden hamsters. These animals breed actively around summer but become infertile in winter. In males, testicles are full of multistep germ cells including spermatozoa in summer. But in winter only fundamental cells consisting of the testicles are detected. The testicular degeneration is accompanied by the reduced levels of blood gonadotropins and testosterone. In this study, the expressions of gonadotropin subunit genes were investigated in the reproductive active and inactive testicles. And parts of sequences of the gonadotropin subunits were identified and compared with those of other rodents. As results, common gonadotropin alpha (CGa), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) β, and luteinizing hormone (LH) β genes were equivalently detected in pituitaries of both sexually active and inactive animals. In considering low concentrations of gonadotropin hormones determined in pituitary, the present findings imply that the processes involved in translation and/or formation of functional hormones could be impeded in the sexually inactive hamsters. All the nucleotide sequences of gonadotropin subunits identified in this study were same as those reported previously except for one base in CGa. An unsure amino acid deduced from the CGa sequence was confirmed from mRNA sequencing. The outcomes mentioned above suggest that animals with regressed testes prepare for the sexually active period forthcoming in the future.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.151-159
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• 1996

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of all-trans retinoic acid(RA) on the development of cholangiocarcinoma in hamsters. Eighty six female Syrian golden hamsters were divided into four groups. Group I was for the induction of the cholangiocarcinoma, which was infected orally with C sinensis and given dimethylnitrosamine(DMN, 15ppm) in drinking water for 4 weeks. Group II was for evaluating the effect of all-trans RA treatment on the cholangiocarcinogenesis, which was treated the same as group I and orally given RA(1mg/kg, 5 times per week) for 15 weeks. Group III was given only RA hr 15 weeks. Control group IV was given only soybean oil which was solvent for RA treatment. More than 5 heads of hamsters in each group were sacrificed at 4, 7, 11 and 15 weeks after the begining of the experiment. The livers were examined grossly, histopathologically, and immunohistochemically. The results obtained were as follows : 1. Death of animals started from the 11 weeks after the begining of the experiment. One of the total 22 animals(5%) and 7 of the total 24 animals(29%) died in group I and group II, respectively. 2. Proliferation of oval cell was peaked at 11 weeks in group I and at 7 weeks in group II, and decreased gradually after those periods of the time. 3. Cholangiocarcinomas were found in 1 of 6 animals(17%) at 11 weeks and in 4 of 6 animals(67%) at 15 weeks in group I, respectively. But in group II, the cholangiocarcinomas occured in 1 of 5 animals(20%) at 7 weeks, in 7 of 12 animals(58%) at 11 weeks and in 2 of the rest animals(100%) at 15 weeks, respectively. 4. Expression of $\alpha$-fetoprotein(AFP) of the oval cells in the group II showed the same degree of positive reaction at that of group I at 4 weeks. But AFP postive oval cells decreased gradually and AFP negative oval cells(ductlike oval cells) increased gradually. 5. Expression of cytokeratin of the oval cells in group II was shown slightly at 4 weeks and the degree of expression increased moderately from the 7 weeks. But the expression of the oval cells in group I was shown slightly after the 7 weeks. These results suggested that all-trans RA promoted the occurrence and the rate of cholangiocarcinoma by inducing differentiation of small cells and oval cells in the liver of hamsters infected with C sinensis and treated with DMN.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2001

Golden hamsters show the reproductive activity that is determined by the photoperiod (length of light per day). Photoperiod is an environmental factor that is predictable through an entire year. The hamsters are sexually active in summer during which day length exceeds night time. The critical length is at least 12.5 hours of light in a day where reproductive function is maintained. The information of photoperiod is mediated by the pineal gland because removal of pineal gland blocks the influence of photoperiod on reproductive activity. The hamsters without pineal gland maintain sexual activity and promote it in a situation that suppresses gonadal activity. The pineal gland secretes melatonin that reflects the photoperiod. The appropriate administrations of melatonin into both pineal intact and pinealectomized hamsters lead to a gonadal reression. The results suggest that melatonin constitutes a part of control mechanism whereby environmental information is transduced to neuroendocrine signal respensible for the functional integrity of the reproductive system. Despite of the intense studies, the action site of melatonin is on the whole unknown. It is mainly due to the lack of acute efffct of melatonin on the secretion of reproductive hormones. However, sexually regressed animals display the low levelsof gonadotropins and the augmentation of the hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) content, implying that the antigonadotropic effects either by photoperiod and/or by the treatment of melatonin are mediated by the GnRH neuronal system. The action mechanism by which melatonin exerts its effect on GnRH neuron needs to be investigated. Recent cloning of melatonin receptor will contribute to examine various and putative potencies of melatonin via its anatomical identification and the action mechanism of melatonin on target tissues at the molecular level.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.37-42
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• 1974

Comparative LDH isozyme studies on normal, malignant and virus-transformed derivatives of Chinese and Armenian hamsters were illustrated. With respect to LDH isozyme patterns, there were good indications that epithelial-like cells have varying levels of LDH-1-2-3 and -4, in addition to the "standard" LDH-5 band, which was exhibited by the majority of fibroblast-like cell lines.ell lines.