• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.111-124
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• 1996

The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of co-culture cells and growth factors on in vitro culture of Korean native cattle(KNC) embryos fertilized in vitro. Two-eight cell embryos were cultured in vitro using 4 types of co-culture cells and 3 growth factors singly or in combination. The results were as follows, In the co-culture of 2~8 cell embryos with bovine oviductal epithelial cell(BOEC), granulosa cell(BGC), uterine epithelial cell(BUEC) and mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) monolayers, the developing rate to blastocysts was significantly(P<0.05) higher with BUEC(32.1%) than with MEF(15.3%), BGC(13.2%) and non co-culture control(11.6%). When the morula co-cultured with BOEC for 5 days following in vitro fertilization were co-cultured with BOEC continuously or with BUEC, respectively, the developing rate to blastocysts was higher with BUEC(73.9%) than with BOEC(56.0%). To examine the effects of growth factors on in vitro development of 2~8 cell embryos, epidermal growth factor(EGF), transforming growth factor-$\beta$l(TGF-$\beta$l) and insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1) were added singly or in combination to TCM 199 maturation medium with respective concentration. In a addition of each 10, 30 and SOng /rnl EGF, the developing rate to blastocysts was the highest in lOng /ml EGF(25.3%). In addition of each 1, 2 and Sng /mi TGF-$\beta$1, the developing rate to blastocysts was the highest in lng /ml TGF-$\beta$1(28.8%). In addition of each 50, 100ng/ml JGF-l, the developing rate to blastocysts was higher in 100ng/ml IGF-l(16.5%) than in SOng/mi IGF-1(12.9%). When lOng /ml EGF and lng /ml TGF-$\beta$l was added singly or in combination, the developing rate to blastocysts was similar in groups added singly or in combination with EGF and TGF-$\beta$l (23.l~24.6%), although higher than in control(16.7%). In the co-culture of 2~8 cell embryos Wth BOEC + each 10, 30 and 5Ong /rnl EGF, the developing rate to blastocysts was significantly(p<0.05) higher in BOEC + long /ml EGF(32.3%) than in BOEC + 3Ong /ml EGF(18.9%) and BOEC + song /ml EGF(9.7%). In the co-culture of 2~8 cell embryos with BOEC + each 1, 2, Sng /ml TGF-$\beta$l the developing rate to blastocysts was higher in BOEC + Sng/rnl TGF-$\beta$l(28.2%) than in BOEC + lng /ml TGF-$\beta$l(21.7%) and BOEC + 2ng/ml TGF-$\beta$l(21.4%). In summary, higher developing rate to blastocysts were obtained with co-culture of BUEC for co-culture system, with addition of lOng /ml EGF or lng /ml TGF-$\beta$l for growth factor culture system, and with co-culture of BOEC + lOng /ml EGF or BOEC + Sng /ml TGF-$\beta$l for co-culture + growth factor culture system.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Poultry Science Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.40-46
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• 2001

The use of pluripotent stem cells has tremendous advantages for various purposes but these cell lines with proven germ-line transmission have been completely established only in the mouse. Embryonic germ (EG) cell lines are also pluripotent and undifferentiated stem cells established from primordial germ cells (PGCs). This study was conducted to establish and characterize the chicken EG cells derived from gonadal primordial germ cells. We isolated gonadal PGCs from 5.5-day-old (stage 28) White leghorn (WL) embryos and established chicken EG cells lines with EG culture medium supplemented with human stem cell factor (hSCF), murine leukemia inhibitory factor (mLIF), bovine basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), human interleukin-11 (hIL-11), and human insulin-like growth factor-I (hIGF-I). These cells grew continuously for 4 months (10 passages) on a feeder layer of mitotically active chicken embryonic fibroblasts. These cells were characterized by screening with the Periodic acid-Shiff＇s reaction, anti-SSEA-1 antibody, and a proliferation assay after several passages. As the results, the chicken EG cells maintained characteristics of undifferentiated stem cells as well as that of gonadal PGCs. When cultured in suspension, the chicken EG cells successfully formed an embryoid body and differentiated into a variety of cell types when re-seeded onto culture dish. The chicken EG cells were injected into blastodermal layer at stage X and dorsal aorta of recipient embryo at stage 14 (incubation of 53hrs) and produced chimeric chickens with various differentiated tissues derived from the EG cells. The germline chimeras were also successfully induced by using EG cells. Thus, Chicken EG cells will be useful for the production of transgenic chickena and for studies of germ cell differentiation and genomic imprinting.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.7 s.80
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• pp.1133-1140
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• 2006

Human HtrA1 (High temperature requirement protein A1) is a homologue of the E. coli periplasmic serine protease HtrA. A recent study has demonstrated that HtrA1 is a serine protease involved in processing of insulin like growth factor binding protein (ICFBP), indicating that it serves as an important regulator of IGF activity. Additionally, several lines of evidence suggest a striking correlation between proteolytic activity of HtrA1 serine protease and the pathogenesis of several diseases; however, physiological roles of HtrA1 remain to be elucidated. We used the pGEX bacterial expression system to develop a simple and rapid method for purifying HtrA1, and the recombinant HtrA1 protein was utilized to investigate the optimal conditions in executing its proteolytic activity. The proteolytically active HtrA1 was purified to approximately 85% purity, although the yield of the recombinant HtrA1 protein was slightly low $460{\mu}g$ for 1 liter E. coli culture). Using in vitro endoproteolytic cleavage assay, we identified that the HtrA1 serine protease activity was dependent on the enzyme concentration and the incubation time and that the best reaction temperature was $42^{\circ}C$ instead of $37^{\circ}C$. We arbitrary defined one unit of proteolytic activity of the HtrA1 serine protease as 200nM of HtrA1 that cleaves half of $5{\mu}M\;of\;{\beta}-casein$ during 3 hr incubation at $37^{\circ}C$. Our study provides a method for generating useful reagents to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which HtrA1 serine protease activity contributes in regulating its physiological function and to identify natural substrates of HtrA1.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.252-261
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• 2008

Two experiments were conducted to compare the effects of feeding organic acids and antibiotic growth promoters in weaned pigs. In Exp. 1, 96 nursery pigs (Large White$\times$Landrace; initial weight $7.80{\pm}0.07kg$) were randomly allotted into one of four dietary treatments. Pigs in treatment 1 were fed a complex starter diet. Treatments 2 to 4 were the same as treatment 1 but supplemented with antibiotics (200 ppm chlortetracycline plus 60 ppm Lincospectin), 0.5% potassium diformate or 0.5% dry organic acid blend ACTIVATE Starter DA (ASD). During the 4-week post-weaning period, pigs fed ASD or antibiotics had better gain (p = 0.03) and feed efficiency (p = 0.04) than pigs fed the control diet. On d 14 post-weaning, pigs fed the control diet had the lowest fecal lactobacilli count among all dietary treatments (p = 0.02), whereas pigs fed ASD or antibiotics had a trend for lower fecal E. coli count compared to the control pigs (p = 0.08). Serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) of pigs fed ASD did not differ from pigs fed the control diet (p>0.05) at d 14 after weaning. In Exp. 2, 24 weaned pigs (Large White$\times$Long White; initial weight $5.94{\pm}0.33kg$) were allotted into four groups and housed individually. Pigs were fed a control diet or diets supplemented with antibiotics (100 ppm colistin sulfate, 50 ppm Kitasamycin plus 60 ppm Olaquindox), 0.5% or 1% ASD. All pigs were orally challenged with E. coli $K88^+$ on d 5. During d 5 to 14 after challenge, pigs fed antibiotics, 0.5% or 1% ASD had better gain (p = 0.01) and feed efficiency (p = 0.03) than pigs fed the control diet. On d 14, compared to the control pigs, pigs fed 0.5% ASD had higher lactobacilli in the duodenum and pigs fed 1% ASD and antibiotics had a trend for higher lactobacilli in the ileum (p = 0.08). Pigs fed antibiotics, 0.5% or 1% ASD diets tended to have decreased ileal E. coli count compared to those fed the control diet (p = 0.08). Serum interleukin-6 and cortisol and digesta pH values were not affected by treatment or time. These results indicate that feeding ASD can improve the growth performance of weaning pigs, mainly via modulating intestinal microflora populations without affecting gastrointestinal pH or immune indices.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.234-241
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• 2023

At present, many countries around the world are legalizing cannabis and its products, and research on various treatments using cannabis is being actively conducted. However, the cannabis plant contains other compounds whose biological effects have not yet been established. We investigated the effect of cannabidiol (CBD) on hair growth in human dermal papilla cells (HDPCs). 2,2'-Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazolin-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assays were performed to determine the antioxidant activity of CBD. The HDPCs viability of CBD was examined via water-soluble tetrazolium salt (WST-1) assay. The expression of hair-loss-related markers in HDPCs by CBD treatment was analyzed by real-time PCR and western blotting. The DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging activity assay showed that CBD had superior antioxidant activities. In HDPCs, CBD increased cellular proliferation at concentrations without cytotoxicity. It also increased the expressions of fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1), fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and insulin-like growth factor (IGF). These results correlated with a decrease in the expression of inhibition-related factors, such as androgen receptor (AR) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-B1). Moreover, CBD resulted in a significant increase in the phosphorylation of AKT and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Therefore, it is suggested that CBD may be a potential remedy for the treatment of alopecia.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.1345-1354
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• 2024

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify candidate genes that play important roles in skeletal muscle development in ducks. Methods: In this study, we investigated the transcriptional sequencing of embryonic pectoral muscles from two specialized lines: Liancheng white ducks (female) and Cherry valley ducks (male) hybrid Line A (LCA) and Line C (LCC) ducks. In addition, prediction of target genes for the differentially expressed mRNAs was conducted and the enriched gene ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes signaling pathways were further analyzed. Finally, a protein-to-protein interaction network was analyzed by using the target genes to gain insights into their potential functional association. Results: A total of 1,428 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with 762 being up-regulated genes and 666 being down-regulated genes in pectoral muscle of LCA and LCC ducks identified by RNA-seq (p<0.05). Meanwhile, 23 GO terms in the down-regulated genes and 75 GO terms in up-regulated genes were significantly enriched (p<0.05). Furthermore, the top 5 most enriched pathways were ECM-receptor interaction, fatty acid degradation, pyruvate degradation, PPAR signaling pathway, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis. Finally, the candidate genes including integrin b3 (Itgb3), pyruvate kinase M1/2 (Pkm), insulin-like growth factor 1 (Igf1), glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (Gpi), GABA type A receptor-associated protein-like 1 (Gabarapl1), and thyroid hormone receptor beta (Thrb) showed the most expression difference, and then were selected to verification by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The result of qRT-PCR was consistent with that of transcriptome sequencing. Conclusion: This study provided information of molecular mechanisms underlying the developmental differences in skeletal muscles between specialized duck lines.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.83-90
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• 2007

Insulin-like growth factor II (IGF2) and H19 genes are mutually imprinted genes which may be responsible for abnormalities in the cloned fetuses and offspring. This study was performed to identify putative differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of porcine H19 locus and to explore its genomic imprinting in in vitro fertilized (IVF) and somatic cell nuclear transferred (SCNT) embryos. Based on mice genomic data, we identified DMRs on H19 and found porcine H19 DMRs that included three CTCF binding sites. Methylation patterns in IVF and SCNT embryos at the 2-, 4-, $8{\sim}16$-cells and blastocyst stages were analyzed by BS (Bisulfite Sequencing)-PCR. The CpGs in CTCF1 was significantly unmethylated in the 2-cell stage IVF embryos. However, the 4- (29.1%) and $8{\sim}16$-cell (68.2%) and blastocyst (48.2%) stages showed higher methylation levels (p<0.01). On the other hand, SCNT embryos were unmethylayted ($0{\sim}2%$) at all stages of development. The CpGs in CTCF2 showed almost unmethylation levels at the 2-,4- and $8{\sim}16$-cell and blastocyst stages of development in both IVF ($0{\sim}14.1%$) and SCNT ($0{\sim}6.4%$) embryos. At all stages of development, CTCF3 was unmethylated in IVF ($0{\sim}17.3%$) and SCNT ($0{\sim}1.2%$) embryos except at the blastocyst stage (54.5%) of IVF embryos. In conclusion, porcine SCNT embryos showed an aberrant methylation pattern comprised to IVF embryos. Therefore, we suggest that the aberrant methylation pattern of H19 loci may be a reason for increased abnormal fetus after embryo transfer of porcine SCNT embryos.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1649-1656
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• 2015

Gene expression profiling has offered new insights into postmortem molecular changes associated with meat quality. To acquire reliable transcript quantification, high quality RNA is required. The objective of this study was to analyze integrity of RNA isolated from chicken skeletal muscle (pectoralis major) and its capability of serving as the template in quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) as a function of postmortem intervals representing the end-points of evisceration, carcass chilling and aging stages in chicken abattoirs. Chicken breast muscle was dissected from the carcasses (n = 6) immediately after evisceration, and one-third of each sample was instantly snap-frozen and labeled as 20 min postmortem. The remaining muscle was stored on ice until the next rounds of sample collection (1.5 h and 6 h postmortem). The delayed postmortem duration did not significantly affect $A_{260}/A_{280}$ and $A_{260}/A_{230}$ ($p{\geq}0.05$), suggesting no altered purity of total RNA. Apart from a slight decrease in the 28s:18s ribosomal RNA ratio in 1.5 h samples (p<0.05), the value was not statistically different between 20 min and 6 h samples ($p{\geq}0.05$), indicating intact total RNA up to 6 h. Abundance of reference genes encoding beta-actin (ACTB), glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT), peptidylprolylisomerase A (PPIA) and TATA box-binding protein (TBP) as well as meat-quality associated genes (insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isozyme 4 (PDK4), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARD) were investigated using qPCR. Transcript abundances of ACTB, GAPDH, HPRT, and PPIA were significantly different among all postmortem time points (p<0.05). Transcript levels of PDK4 and PPARD were significantly reduced in the 6 h samples (p<0.05). The findings suggest an adverse effect of a prolonged postmortem duration on reliability of transcript quantification in chicken skeletal muscle. For the best RNA quality, chicken skeletal muscle should be immediately collected after evisceration or within 20 min postmortem, and rapidly preserved by deep freezing.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.610-617
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• 1995

Sleep apnea occurs in approximately 50% of patients with acromegaly, and sleep apnea is associated with increased cardiovascular diseases and mortality. In view of these findings, sleep apnea may be a factor in the increased incidence of cardiovascular deaths in acromegaly patients. We experienced a case of active acromegaly patient, 54-yr-old man, associated with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, congestive heart failure with dilated cardiomyopathy and serious cardiac arrhythmias. He was treated for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, diagnosed by overnight polysomnography, with nasal continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP) for 4 months, which successfully controlled his loud snoring, sleep apnea, nocturnal hypoxemia and apnea-related symptoms. And also he was treated for underlying acromegaly and cardiac complications with bromocriptine and cardiogenic drugs for 4 months, but still had elevated growth hormone(GH) and insulin like growth factor-1(IGF-1) levels and serious cardiac arrhythmias. We describe our experience about the effect of CPAP treatment in an active acromegaly patient associated with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and cardiac complications with review of literature.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.1383-1391
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• 2016

Anti-estrogen drugs such as tamoxifen have been used for treating patients with ER-positive, early breast cancer. However, resistance to anti-estrogen treatment is inevitable in most patients. Breast cancer anti-estrogen resistance-3 (BCAR3) has been identified as the protein responsible for the induction of tamoxifen resistance in estrogen-dependent human breast cancer. We have previously reported that BCAR3 regulates the cell cycle progression and the signaling pathway of EGF and insulin leading to DNA synthesis. In this study, we investigated the functional role of BCAR3 in regulating c-Jun transcription in non-tumorigenic human breast epithelial MCF-12A cells. A transient transfection of BCAR3 increased both the mRNA and protein of c-Jun expression, and stable expression of BCAR3 increased c-Jun protein expression. The overexpression of BCAR3 directly activated the promoter of c-jun, AP-1, and SRE but not that of $NF-{\kappa}B$. Furthermore, single-cell microinjection of BCAR3 expression plasmid in the cell cycle-arrested MCF-12A cells induced c-Jun protein expression, and co-injection of dominant negative mutants of Ras, Rac, and Rho suppressed the transcriptional activity of c-Jun in the presence of BCAR3. Furthermore, stable expression of BCAR3 increased the proliferation of MCF-12A cells. The microinjection of inhibitory materials such as anti-BCAR3 antibody and siRNA BCAR3 inhibited EGF-induced c-Jun expression but did not affect IGF-1 induced upregulation of c-Jun. Taken together, we propose that BCAR3 plays a crucial role in c-Jun protein expression and cell proliferation and that small GTPases (e.g., Ras, Rac, and Rho) are required for the BCAR3-mediated activation of c-Jun expression.