• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.17-20
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• 2011

The average life expectancy has continuously increased with the development of medical industry. As women get older, they experience the deficit of estrogen caused by decreased function of ovarian. Specifically, they suffer from temporary fever because of unstable vasomotion and, in the long term experience, degeneration of urogenital organs, tooth loss, arteriosclerosis, demantia, snores and so on. Because of these symptoms the estrogen medical supply is getting required. Along with this, many studies have conducted to find out substitutional medicals without any side effects. This research was carried out to find out such substitutable materials. For the purpose of study, we examined the change of estrogen using the rats fed with the pupa powder immediately before the eclosion, eclosed adult, the pupa extract immediately before the eclosion, and the silkworm powder prepared at $3^{rd}$ day of $5^{th}$ instar. The result showed no significant chance in weight, feeding and water intake quantity among variables. However, the estrogen hormone secretion effects was very high at 73 pg/ml in the rats fed with the freeze-dried powder of the Yeonnokjam male pupa prepared immediately before the eclosion, compared with the control at 59 pg/ml. The next was Yangwonjam male adult at 71 pg/ml.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.656-660
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• 2001

Gametogenesis, the reproductive cycle, and the condition index of the soft clam, Mya arenaria were investigated monthly based on histological observation at Sachon Bay, south coast of Korea from May 1998 to September 1999 . M. arenaria is dioceious. The ovary and testis were composed of a number of ovarian sacs and testicular tubules, respectively. Ripe oocytes were characterized by germinal vesicles with nucleoli, and their sizes about $60{\mu}m$ in diameter. Monthly changes in condition index and water temperature were closely related to the annual reproductive cycle. The reproductive cycle can be classified into 5 stages: early active stage (february to March), late active stage (April to August), ripe stage (September), partially spawned and spent stage (September to October), inactive stage (November and January).

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.31-41
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• 1999

To evaluate the effectiveness of intrauterine insemination (IUI) in the treatment of infertility, timed-intercourse and intrauterine insemination by husband in stimulated cycles with clomiphene citrate and gonadotropins were compared in a total of 105 cycles. Patients received 100mg of clomiphene citrate daily for 5 days starting on day 3 of the menstrual cycle followed by hMG or FSH. Doses of exogenous gonadotropins were adjusted by the follicular development and concentrations of serum estradiol $(E_2)$. More than 3 follicles reaching >16 mm were present in the ovary, 5,000 IU of hCG was administered intramusculary. Patients received a maximum of three intercourse or IUI cycles for the treatment. Severe male (<$10{\times}10^6$ motile sperm) or age factor (>39 y) patients were excluded in this study. Pregnancy was classified as clinical if a gestational sac or fetal cardiac activity was seen on ultrasound. The overall clinical pregnancy rates were 17.1% per cycle (18/105) and 21.2% per patient (18/85). The pregnancy rates (per cycle) were 17.5% (11/63) in intercourse and 16.7% (7/42) in IUI groups, respectively. IUI had no significant improvement in pregnancy rate compared with timed-intercourse. The multiple pregnancy rates were 11.1% (1 twin and 1 triplet). No patient developed ovarian hyperstimulation. Abortion rate was 28.6% (2/7) in IUI group only. The delivery and ongoing pregnancy rates were 15.2% per cycle (16/105) and 18.8% per patient (16/85). There were no differences in age, duration of infertility, follicle size and level of estradiol $(E_2)$ on the day of hCG injection in pregnant and non-pregnant groups. However, total doses of gonadotropins were higher in pregnant group than in non-pregnant group (p<0.01). Pregnancy rate was not affected by ovulatory status at the time of insemination. These results indicate that well timed-intercourse in stimulated cycles is as effective as IUI for infertile couples.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.101-112
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• 1986

It is now common practice to attempt ovarian hyperstimulation in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) to promote the development of multiple preovulatory follicles and to maximize the number of mature egg available. There are several drugs for hyperstimulation such as clomiphene citrate only, clomiphene citrate and human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) and HMG only. Accumlated experience has shown that the hyperstimulation of the ovary in IVF-ET results in high pregnancy rate. But the hyperstimulation of the ovary in IVF-ET may cause the hyperandrogenism, so we must consider the adverse effect on pregnancy rate of the hyperandrogenism. Little is known about the functional significance of androgen for the follicular growth, however, the hyperandrogenism might interfere with oocyte maturation. The aim of the present investigation was to determine the serum profiles of estradiol, androstenedione and testosterone during the hyperstimulated menstrual cycles in IVF. The results were summarized as follows: 1. There was a gradual increase in the mean levels of serum estradiol, androstenedione, and testosterone approaching follicular maturation. 2. The mean serum estradiol levels in the hyperstimulated groups were significantly higher than that in the control group in late follicular phase and ovum retrieval (ovulation) day (p<0.01). 3. The mean serum androstenedione levels in the clomiphene citrate groups were significantly higher than that in the control group in late follicular phase (p<0.01). There was no statistically significant different in the mean serum androstenedione levels between the control group and the HMG group (p>0.05). 4. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean levels of testosterone among each group (p>0.05). 5. There was no statistically significant different in the mean levels of estradiol, androstenedione and testosterone between the fertilized patients and non-fertilized patients in clomiphene citrate and HMG group (p>0.05).

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.425-432
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• 1993

Alkaline phosphatase from Culex pipiens pallens was examined to determine the optimal assay condition and to assay the activity during ovarian development. The activity of alkaline phosphatase in a male and a nongravid female continuously were declined after eclosion. But by the stimulus of a blood meal, the enzyme activity was increased dramatically. At 30 hr. after a blood meal, the maximal activity was reached and then declined. And after 48 hr. after a blood meal, the second activity increase was revealed. This second increase was maintained up to oviposition. The first activity increase was revealed in the midgut and the second increase was done in the ovary to assay the organ distribution of alkaline phosphatase. In electrophresis data, it was shown 5 isozyme bands, ALP-1 and ALP-2 in the ovary, ALP-3 in the thorax and the midgut, and ALP-4 and ALP-5 in the thorax, the fatbody and the midgut in crude extract at 30 hr. after a blood meal. One the same ovary pattern were shown at 72 hr. after a blood meal.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.167-176
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• 2008

Supplementation of serum and estrogen in in vitro maturation(IVM) medium was shown to improve embryo development and quality in several species. This study investigates the effect of ovarian estrus stage on canine oocyte quality and supplementation of medium with canine serum or estrogen on IVM of canine oocytes. As results, in experimental 1, IVM oocytes collected from follicular stage ovaries to MII stages($10.2{\pm}1.5%$) was higher (p<0.05) with 10% canine estrus stage serum than control($1.3{\pm}1.6%$), anoestrus stage serum($4.0{\pm}1.6%$), luteal stage serum($2.7{\pm}1.7%$) and 10% FBS($1.3{\pm}1.6$). In experimental 2, 10% canine estrus stage serum supplementation has highest maturation rate to MII stages($10.0{\pm}1.8%$) and there were significant differences(P<0.05) with another treatment in follicular stages group. In order to investigate the synergic effect of estrous serum and estrogen supplementation, different estrous stage groups of oocytes were cultured with 2 ug/ml estrogen plus various concentrations of different reproductive stage serum and FBS(experimental 3). As results, the rate of maturation to metaphase II(MII) stage was significantly higher(p<0.05) in oocytes from the follicular stage supplemented with estrogen and 10% canine estrus stage serum(11.5%) compared to the other groups(6.0 - 8.8%). The present study was demonstrated that canine serum and the estrus cycle of the bitch affect the meiotic competence of oocytes. Hormonal influences within the follicle may be one of the factors responsible for the greater proportion of maturation of oocyte to MII from bitches at the follicular phase.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2005

The occurrence of resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs is a major problem for successful cancer treatment. This resistant phenotype of cancer cell frequently reveals a broad spectrum to structurally and/or functionally unrelated anticancer drugs, termed multidrug resistance (MDR). Overexpression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a transmembrane drug efflux pump, is a major mechanism of MDR. Accordingly, considerable effort has been directed towards to development of compounds that inhibit P-gp, reverse the MDR phenotype and sensitize cancer cells to conventional chemotherapy without undesired toxicological effects. In an effort to search for novel MDR reversal agent, we tested the cytotoxicity of paclitaxel, a well-known substrate of P-gp, against P-gp-expressing HCT15 and HCT15/CL02 human colorectal cancer cells in the presence or absence of benzotriazepin analogues, as well as against P-gp-negative A549 human non-small cell lung and SK-OV-3 human ovarian cancer cells in vitro. Among the compounds tested, the agents that have phenyl amide moiety at 3 position remarkably increased the cytotoxicity of paclitaxel against P-gp-expressing cancer cells, but not against P-gp-negative cancer cells. BTZ-15 and BTZ-16 at $4\;{\mu}M$ revealed similar MDR reversal activity to $10\;{\mu}M$ verapamil, a well-known MDR reversal agent.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 1997

This study was carried out to establish an effective and practical system for commercialization of embryo production techniques by analyzing several factors influencing in vivo embryo production on days and seasons of flushing in Korean native cattle. In vivo embryos were flushed 226 times from 128 donors. The results obtained for the factors influencing in vivo embryo production on days and seasons of flushing were as follows :1.The percentages of fertilized, transferable and freezable embryos by seasons were significantly different in both FSR-P and SUPER-OV(P<0.01). The percentages of them were highest in sunrrner with FS H-P and highest in autumn with SUPER -OV.2. The production of transferable and freezable embryos by flushing days was highest in 8 days with FSH-P, and there was no difference between 7 and 8 days for SUP ER-OV. 3. The failure rates of recovery were 17.0% in SUPER-OV and 21.2% in FSH-P, respectively. The donors superovulated but failed recovery were 8.5% in SUPER-OV and 12.9% in FSH-P, respectively. Nonsuperovulated donors was 8.4% and donors giving less than 2 eggs at recovery was 8.4% in both FSH -P and SUPER-OV 4. The donors returned to normal estrus after superovulation were 34.1% after 1 cycle,39.4% after 2 cycles, and 16.7% after 3 cycles by FSH-P, respectively. For SUPER-OV, they were 55.3, 33.0 and 9.6%, respectively. Generally, normal estrus after the treatment of superovulation was earlier and the occurrence of ovarian cyst was also lower in SUP ER-OV than in FSH-P.5.The percentages of blastocyst in embryos flushed at 7~8 days after estrus were 21. 9% and 54.3% in FSH -P and SUPER-OV, respectively. The development of embryos was faster in SUPER-OV than in FSH-P.(Key words : in vivo embryo, flushing days, superovulation, FSH-P, SUPER-OV)

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.159-165
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• 2020

Previously, we reported adverse effects of low-dose nonylphenol (NP) exposure on the reproductive parameters of F1 female mice. In the present study we further investigated the pathohistological effect of NP exposure on the reproductive organs in F1 female mice. NP exposures were continuously conducted from parental pre-mating period until the postnatal day (PND) 33 of F1 offspring for vaginal examination. Mice were sacrificed on PND 30 and the reproductive tissue weights were measured. The initial (at PND 21) body weights of the NP-50 group animals were significantly lower than those of control group animals, and the weight deficit were recovered when the terminal (PND 33) body weights were measured. Early vaginal opening was found in NP group animals (p<0.05). Pathohistological studies revealed that NP-treated F1 animals showed prominent increase in the ovarian follicle numbers (p<0.01), and decrease in the diameter of uterine myometrium (p<0.01), and increase in the diameter of luminal epithelium (p<0.05). The present study demonstrated that the subchronic low-dose NP exposure induced early beginning of puberty and pathohistological abnormalities in ovary and uterus of F1 mice. Further studies are needed to achieve a better understanding on the action mechanism of NP in pubertal onset and to find a way to avoid a hazardous situation provoked by NP exposure.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.177-185
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• 2020

Although many aquaporin (AQP) transcripts have been demonstrated to express in the female reproductive tract, the defined localizations and functions of AQP subtype proteins remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the expression of AQP1, AQP3, AQP5, AQP6, and AQP9 proteins in female reproductive tract of mouse and characterized their precise localizations at the cellular and subcellular levels. Immunofluorescence analyses for AQP1, AQP3, AQP6, and AQP9 showed that these proteins were abundantly expressed in female reproductive tract and that intense immunoreactivities were observed in mucosa epithelial cells with a subtype-specific pattern. The most abundant aquaporin in both vagina and uterine cervix was AQP3. Each of AQP1, AQP3, AQP6, and AQP9 exhibited its distinct distribution in stratified squamous or columnar epithelial cells. AQP9 expression was predominant in oviduct and ovary. AQP1, AQP3, AQP6, and AQP9 proteins were mostly seen in apical membrane of ciliated epithelial cells of the oviduct as well as in both granulosa and theca cells of ovarian follicles. Most of AQP subtypes were also expressed in surface epithelial cells and glandular cells of endometrium in the uterus, but their expression levels were relatively lower than those observed in the vagina, uterine cervix, oviduct and ovary. This is the first study to investigate the expression and localization of 5 AQP subtype proteins simultaneously in female reproductive tract of mouse. Our results suggest that AQP subtypes work together to transport water and glycerol efficiently across the mucosa epithelia for lubrication, proliferation, energy metabolism and pH regulation in female reproductive tract.