• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 1983

This study was divised to observe the effects of ginseng on the body components of Sprague-Dowley Albino male rats by alternating the diet. Just weaned rats (130 heads, weighing(83 ${\pm}$ 4g) were fed with each stock diets supplemented with 0.5, 1.0 or 3.0% ginseng powder for 4 weeks or 8 weeks, and after that fed with stock diet only for 8 or 4 weeks. Compared with the each corresponding group which was fed with ginseng control diet, the protein, total lipid, total cholesterol and free cholesterol contains in serum, liver and aorta of them were determined. The results obtained was summarized as follows ; Protein and total lipid contents of the rat were decreased, caused by the alternating diets, but total cholesterol and free cholesterol contents were increased in the serum, protein and free cholesterol contents increased, conversely total lipid contents decreased in the liver, and in aorta total lipid and total cholesterol contents decreased, In the view of the above results, it can be seen that the alternating diet (stock diet after feeding with ginseng diet) has an influence on the body components of rat.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.999-1005
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of low-intensity cardiac rehabilitation exercise on the cardiac function and the degree of fibrosis in an older white rat model. This study used male Sprague-Dawley white rats that were 50 weeks old. After the acute myocardial infarction induction, Twenty of the rats were randomly allocated into an experimental group and a control group, and each of the groups consisted of 8 rats. In the experimental group, the exercise was conducted for six weeks, 30 minutes a day, five days a week, using a Rotarod treadmill for animals. The degree of myocardial fibrosis was significantly repressed in the experimental group($13.69{\pm}1.90%$) and in the control group($15.67{\pm}1.54%$)(p<0.05). However, fractional shortening and ejection fraction did not show a significant difference. The results of this study suggest that cardiac rehabilitation with low intensity treadmill exercise repress the myocardial fibrosis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.142-142
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• 1998

This study has been undertaken to examine the effect of biphenyl dimethyl dicarboxylate (DDB) on rat liver drug metabolizing enzyme in order to understand the mechanism of DDB on improving hepatic toxicity in rat liver. After DDB was administered into male rats for different periods of time, mRNA level of CYP1A1 and CYP2B1 was measured by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). DDB treatment resulted in increase in CYP2B1 mRNA level whereas there was no change in CYP1A1 mRNA level. This effect of DDB was time dependent reaching maximal level by 2-day treatment. DDB dose response study showed that 50mg/kg DDB induced CYP2B1 mRNA to maximal level and DDB icreased CYP2B1 gene expression with dose-dependent manner. Based on studies of lipid peroxidation, serum ALT and AST levels and histopathologic examination showed DDB protection on CCl4 induced hepatotoxiccity.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 1974

The influence, upon male rat's mating behavior, of Korean Panax Ginseng administered for 3 and 5 days was investigated by direct behavioral observation and also by counting the number of copulation plugs the animals deposited. Four쇼-four male albino rats were used. Part of the animals received ginseng for 3 days (ginseng-3 day group, N= 12) or for 5 days(ginseng-5 day group, H=10), while the remaining animals received saline for 3 days (saline-3 day group, N=12) or for 5 days (saline-S day group, N=10). Each animal belonging to the 2 ginseng groups received subcutaneously 0.5 ml/100 g body weight of ginseng alcohol extract solution (4 mg of the ethyl alcohol extract in 1 ml of physiological saline), and each rat belonging to the 2 saline groups received the same amount of saline per day. During the dark period of the light-dark cycle on the next day following the last drug administration, a female rat in the artificial estrus was introduced to each male and the mating behavior was observed for 45 minutes. The observation session was divided into two parts and, in the early part which terminated with the first ejaculation and succeeding intromission, following behavioral measures were taken: mounting latency, intromission latency, inter-intromission period, ejaculatory latency(time from the first intromission until the first ejaculation), occurrence of mounting with intromission, occurrence of mounting without intromission, and postejaculatory interval. Behavioral measures taken in the later part of the session after the first ejaculation were: occurrence of mounting with intromission, occurrence of mounting without intromission, and occurrence of ejaculation. Immediately after the behavioral observation session the experiment turned to measure, for 10 days, the number of copulation plug which each pair of rats deposited. Following results were obtained: 1. After several mountings mounting with intromission, males of the 2 ginseng groups finished the first ejaculation significantly earlier than the corresponding 2 saline groups did. 2. The postejaculatory latency was significantly reduced in the ginseng-5 day group compare with the value of the saline-5 day group and also compared with the value of the ginseng-3 day group. 3. The 2 ginseng groups ejaculated significantly more often in 45 minutes' observation session than the corresponding 2 saline groups did. 4. The number of copulation plug deposited in 10 days by the animals of the 2 ginseng groups. significantly exceeded the number deposited by the corresponding 2 saline group animals. The animals of the ginseng-5 day group deposited copulation plugs significantly more than the animals of the ginseng-3 day group did. It is inferred from the above results that the ginseng facilitates mating behavior of male rats, and that the degree of facilitation may be influenced by the duration of drug administration.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.264-269
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• 2017

Prunella vulgaris, well-known traditional medicinal plant, is used for the cure of abscess, scrofula, hypertension and urinary diseases. Diabetic nephropathy is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease. The pathological characteristics of diabetic nephropathy are glomerular and tubular basement membrane thickening. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of Prunella vulgaris, on diabetic glomerular injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetes rats. Diabetes mellitus was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ; 45 mg/kg) and confirmed by random glucose level higher than ${\leq}300mg/dL$. The experimental rats were divided into five groups: control group (Male SD rats), STZ group (Male SD rats injected STZ), Aminoguanidine group (Male SD rats injected STZ + AG 100 mg/kg/day), Low dose group (Male SD rats injected STZ + APV 100 mg/kg/day), High dose group (Male SD rats injected STZ + APV 300 mg/kg/day). AG or APVs were administered once a day for 8 weeks. Body weight and food/water intake were measured every four weeks. At the end of study, the kidneys were collected and cut into pieces for immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. Our study showed that body weight and water/food intake were no significant differences between untreated STZ-induced diabetic rat and APV treated-STZ rat. However, phosphorylation of receptor-regulated Smads (Smad3) was significantly decreased in APV treated-STZ rat as compared with the diabetic group. In addition, APV was improved nephrin level in kidney tissue. Therefore, we suggest that APV has a protective effect against STZ-induced diabetic glomerular injury.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.385-391
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• 2008

This study was performed to examine the effect of 2,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB#118) on testis of male rats. PCB#118 (20 mg/kg/week) in corn oil was intraperitoneally injected to adult male rats for 2, 5, 8 weeks. The body and testicular weights were measured at 3, 6, 9 weeks of PCB treatment. The morphological changes in the rat testes were then analyzed by light microscopy (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that PCB#118 caused significant change in the body weights and testicular weights. Moreover, the morphological studies that were conducted on the PCB-treated rats revealed that the number of spermatocytes and spermatids in their seminiferous tubules decreased than control group (LM). The nuclear membrane was damaged when PCB was administered to them for 9 weeks (TEM). These results suggest that the reproductive function of the adult male rats is sensitive to PCB#118, and that may affect the testicular morphology of adult male rats.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.313-319
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• 1984

The effect of morphine on food intake on freely fed Sprague - Dawley rats was examined Opiate receptor binding assay was used to investigate the possibility of the opioid system involved in food intake regulation of normal rats. When rats were treated with 5mg morphine per kg body weight, subcutaneously, the food intake of the rats for the first 2 hours was increased 125% of the control rats. The effect of morphine on food intake of male and female rats were greater when the morphine was injected at 10 : 00 a.m than that in the rats administered the morphine at 4 : 00 p.m. The morphine effect was not significant in older rats and female was more responsive than male rats. In morphine treated rats, opioid receptor density has exhibited 33% reduction as measured by the $^{3}H-naloxone$ binding assay with whole brain homogenate. These results indicate that the increase of food intake by morphine for 2 hours after the injection may be mediated through the opioid system in rat brain.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.103-109
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• 2010

Functional regulation of a specific tissue or organ is controlled by a number of ways, including local cell-cell interaction. Of several forms of cell-cell junctional complexes, gap junctions are caught a great attention due to a formation of direct linkage between neighboring cells. Gap junctions are consisted of connexin (Cx) isoforms. In the present study, we evaluated expressional profiling of Cx isoforms in the rat initial segment (IS) of the male reproductive tract at different postnatal ages. The presence and expression of 13 Cx isoform mRNAs were determined by semi-quantitative real-time PCR analyses. A total of 8 Cx isoform mRNAs were detected in the IS of the male rats during postnatal development. The highest level of Cx30.3 mRNA was found at 5 months of age, while abundance of Cx31 mRNA was the highest at 1 year of age. Expression of Cx31.1 gene was relatively consistent during the postnatal development. Fluctuation of Cx32 and 37 gene expression was observed during the postnatal period. Significant elevation of Cx40 mRNA abundance was detected at 25 days of age and older ages. Expression patterns of Cx43 and 45 genes were similar with the highest level at 2 weeks of age, followed by gradual decreases at older ages. These results indicate differential regulation on expression of Cx isoforms in the rat IS during postnatal development. A complicated regulation of gene expression of Cx isoforms in the IS at different postnatal ages is suggested.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.24-35
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• 2005

Purpose : This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Cynomorii Herba (鎖陽) on　the reproductive competence in male mice.　Methods ：　We used 8-week-old Spraque-Dawley rats and administered the extract powder of Cynomorii Herba to 5 rats and normal saline to control group once in a day for 28 days. Then we observed the changes of body weight before and after administration of Cynomorii Herba extracts and normal saline. We isolated their testis surgically and observed the weight of testis, epididymis, vascular gland and prostate. Also we examined the total, normal and motile sperm concentration, the concentration of testicular catalase, peroxidase and configuration of testicular tissue before and after administration of Cynomorii Herba extracts and normal saline. Results : We found that the concentration of total, normal, motile sperm in testis of Cynomorii Herba treated group shows significant difference compared with the control group. The body weight, the weight of testis, epididymis and the concentration of testicular catalase and peroxidase were higher in the Cynomorii Herba treated group, on the other hand the weight of vascular gland was lower in the Cynomorii Herba. But the contents of above statement showed no significant difference. The weight of　prostate showed lower in the control group statistically than that of the Cynomorii Herba treated group. We observed the seminiferous tubules taken shape minutely and the number of normal sperm increased in Cynomorii Herba treated group's testicular tissue. Conclusion This study shows that Cynomorii Herba may have an effect on the concentration, morphology and motility of sperm, the important factor in male fertility.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.383-387
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• 1999

Objective: There is increasing evidence for the expression of rat in gene in several extrapituitary sites including testis and ovary. We also have demonstrated that the local LH expression in the rat epididymis and uterus, the major accessory sex organs in male and female reproductive system, respectively. Design: The present study was undertaken to elucidate whether the gene for LH receptor is expressed in rat uterus and whether the expressions of uterine LH and its receptor are differentially regulated during estrous cycle. Presence of the transcripts for rat LH receptor in the rat uterine tissue were confirmed by touchdown reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: In $LH{\beta}$ semi-quantitative RT-PCR, the highest expression level was shown in estrus stage. The level of ill receptor transcripts was also fluctuated during estrous cycle. In ovariectomized rats (OVX + Oil), the expressions of both uterine LH and LH-R were markedly reduced when compared to those from normal rats. Supplement with estradiol $17{\beta}$ to the ovariectomized rats (OVX + $E_2$) restored the expression levels of LH and its receptor to the levels in uteri from normal rats. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that 1) LH and its receptor gene are expressed in the rat uterus from cycling rats, 2) the expression of uterine LH and its receptor is mainly, if not all, under the control of ovarian sex steroid(s). These results suggested that the uterine LH may act as a local regulator with auto and/or paracrine manner, though the posibility that the pituitary LH may act directly on the regulation of uterine functions could not be discarded.