• Toxicological Research
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.289-295
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• 2008

Toxicology screening following treatment with astemizole, a histamine receptor antagonist, at oral doses of 0, 10, 30 and 60 mg/kg was carried out in male cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). No dose-related changes in mortality, clinical signs, body weight changes, food consumption, or urine analysis occurred in any animal compared to the vehicle control. However, the high-dose group showed a decrease in BUN and ALP compared to vehicle control group. In addition, the levels of TG, AST, ALP and CK increased. Although astemizole did not produce significant toxicological changes at any dose tested, we predict that it can cause toxicological changes of the liver and heart based on the changes in the serum parameters related to the heart and liver. The Action Potential Duration (APD) was prolonged in the heart of 60 mg/kg treatment group compared to the control group. The APD increase in 60 mg/kg treatment group along the other related changes in toxicological parameters imply that astemizole has major cardiotoxic effects in the cynomolgus monkey. This study is a valuable assessment for predicting the general toxicity and cardiotoxic effects of antihistamine drugs using nonhuman primates.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.219-225
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• 2008

A screening study of the acute toxicity of organic arsenics such as arsenobetaine and arsenocholine, a product of arsenic methylation metabolite, and inorganic arsenic was carried out to examine hematological and serum biochemical parameters in cynomolgus monkeys(Macaca fascicularis). We found soft and liquid feces, and vomiting in all treated groups with inorganic and organic arsenics. The monkeys in inorganic arsenic-treated group showed a significant increase in vomiting frequency compared with those in three organic arsenics-treated groups. These results suggest that inorganic arsenic might be more toxic than three other organic arsenics tested. The monkeys in inorganic arsenic-treated group showed a decrease in platelet and an increase in monocyte on day 4 and the monkeys in arsenocholine-treated group showed an increase in reticulocyte percentage on day 8. The monkeys in inorganic-treated group also showed decreases in AST and ALT values and the monkeys in arsenobetaine-treated group showed a decrease in AST value and an increase in T-CHO value. However, these hematological and biochemical changes were within the physiological ranges, showing that the single dose of inorganic and organic arsenics did not affect at least hematological and serum biochemical parameters. The present study of toxicity with single dose of arsenics provides valuable indicators for longer term study of toxicity of repeated doses of arsenics in primates.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제28권6호
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• pp.876-887
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• 2015

Dicer, an ribonuclease type III type endonuclease, is the key enzyme involved in biogenesis of microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and thus plays a critical role in RNA interference through post transcriptional regulation of gene expression. This enzyme has not been well studied in the Indian water buffalo, an important species known for disease resistance and high milk production. In this study, the primary coding sequence (5,778 bp) of bubaline dicer (GenBank: AB969677.1) was determined and the bubaline Dicer1 biocomputationally characterized to determine the phylogenetic signature among higher eukaryotes. The evolutionary tree revealed that all the transcript variants of Dicer1 belonging to a specific species were within the same node and the sequences belonging to primates, rodents and lagomorphs, avians and reptiles formed independent clusters. The bubaline dicer1 is closely related to that of cattle and other ruminants and significantly divergent from dicer of lower species such as tapeworm, sea urchin and fruit fly. Evolutionary divergence analysis conducted using MEGA6 software indicated that dicer has undergone purifying selection over the time. Seventeen divergent sequences, representing each of the families/taxa were selected to study the specific regions of positive vis-$\grave{a}$-vis negative selection using different models like single likelihood ancestor counting, fixed effects likelihood, and random effects likelihood of Datamonkey server. Comparative analysis of the domain structure revealed that Dicer1 is conserved across mammalian species while variation both in terms of length of Dicer enzyme and presence or absence of domain is evident in the lower organisms.

• 인지과학
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.73-90
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• 2014

인간은 다른 포유류와 달리 삼원색 시각을 가지며 초록과 빨강을 잘 구분한다. 인간이 삼원색 시각을 갖게 된 원인에 대해서 익은 과일 가설(frugivory hypothesis) 지지자들은 초기 인류가 초록 잎에서 빨갛게 익은 과일을 구별하여 섭식하려는 행동 때문이라고 주장한다. 본 연구는 과연 빨강-초록 조합이 물체재인의 전 단계로 알려진 전경-배경 조직화에 영향을 주는지를 살펴보고자 하였다. 빨간색 원이 초록 바탕에 놓이거나, 초록색 원이 빨강 바탕 위에 놓여 참여자에게 제시되어, 어느 쪽이 더 전경처럼 보이는지를 조사하였다. 그 결과, 여성이 빨간색 원을 더 전경으로 보는 경향이 강했고, 남성은 유의미한 차이를 보이지 않았다. 또한, 이 결과는 단순히 남녀의 색깔 선호 때문이 아니었다. 종합하면, 본 연구의 결과는 비록 직접적은 증거가 될 수는 없지만, 빨강-초록 조합에 대한 남녀의 전경-배경 조직화 처리과정에서 차이가 있을 가능성이 조심스레 제기된다. 여성은 집 근처에서 먹을 것을 수집하고 남성은 집 멀리에서 사냥한다는 수집-사냥 가설(gatherer-hunter hypothesis)을 비롯해 가능한 설명들을 논의 하였다.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.1-6
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• 2013

A lot of works have been dedicated to clarify the reasons why the establishment of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) from pig is more difficult than that from mouse and human. Several concomitant factors such as culture condition including feeder layer, sensitivity of cell to cell contact, definitive markers of pluripotency for evaluation of the validity and optimal timing of derivation have been suggested as the disturbing factors in the establishment of porcine ESCs Traditionally, attempts to derive stem cells from porcine embryos have depend on protocols established for mouse ESCs using inner cell mass (ICM) for the isolation and culture. And more recently, protocols used for primate ESCs were also applied. However, there is no report for the establishment of porcine ESCs. Indeed, ungulate species including pigs have crucial developmental differences unlike rodents and primates. Here we will review recent studies about issues for establishment of porcine ESCs and discuss the promise and strategies focusing on the timing for derivation and pluripotent state of porcine ESCs.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.459-463
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• 2011

붉은 털 원숭이의 유전체는 인간의 것과 93% 정도로 동일하여, 진화적 연구 및 생물의학적 연구에 널리 활용되고 있다. 숙주 개체 내로 가동성 유전인자(TEs)의 삽입은 유전자 전사체의 다양성과 발현양상을 다르게 만든다. 본 연구에서는 붉은 털 원숭이의 뇌 조직으로부터 만든 cDNA 라이브러리에서 112개 전사체를 동정하여 분석하였다. 하나의 전사체 R54는 인간과 원숭이의 다양한 조직에서 유전자 발현양상을 비교분석 해 본 결과 서로 다른 패턴을 보여 주었다. 이러한 현상은 가동성 유전인자인 L2A의 삽입으로 인한 스플라이싱 도너 사이트가 변화된 것으로 생각된다. 따라서, 영장류의 진화과정에 있어 유전체 내로 TEs의 삽입은 전사체의 다양성과 유전자 발현 조절에 변화를 주는 것으로 시사된다.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제40권2호
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• pp.257-265
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• 2000

Harderian glands are the unique organs in several mammals, which human and non-human primates do not have. We report the ultrastructural changes in the postnatal developmental periods of Harderian glands in Mongolian gerbil(Meriones unguiculatus). Male and female Mongolian gerbils were sacrificed on days 3, 10, 30 and 60 after birth and their Harderian glands were observed by transmission electron microscope. The obtained results were summarized as follows; 1. In 3-day-old Mongolian gerbils, Harderian gland was composed of one excretory duct and immature tubules which have two type cells, dark and light cells, identified electron-dense and electron-lucent respectively. 2. In 10-day-old Mongolian gerbils, small lipid vacuoles began to be found in the cytoplasm of the secretory cells of the Harderian gland. Mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, polysomes and slash were more abundant in the cytoplasm of dark cells than those of light cells. The arrangement of tubules in the gland was much more condensed than that of 3-day-old Mongolian gerbils. 3. In 30-day-old Mongolian gerbils, the secretory cells of the tubule were typically columnar in shape and there was one type cell in the tubule. Most of the columnar secretory cells contained various size vacuoles. 4. In 60-day-old Mongolian gerbils, the Harderian gland possessed the typical structural characteristics of adults. The mature glandular structures were more significant than those of 30-day-old animals.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제3권2호
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• pp.61-65
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• 2005

Comparing 231 genes on chimpanzee chromosome 22 with their orthologous on human chromosome 21, we have found that 15 orthologs have indels within their coding sequences. It was rather surprising that significant number of genes have changed by indel, despite the shorter time since their divergence and led us hypothesize that indels and structural changes may represent one of the major mechanism of proteome evolution in the higher primates. Human T-complex protein 10 like (TCP 10L) is a representative having indel within its coding sequence. Gene structure of human TCP10L compared with chimpanzee TCP10L gene showed 16 base pair difference in genomic DNA. As a result of the indel, frame shift mutation occurs in coding sequence (CDS) and human TCP10L express longer polypeptide of 21 amino acid residues than that of chimpanzee. Our prediction found that the indel may affect to dramatic change of secondary protein structure between human and chimpanzee TCP10L. Especially, the structural changes in the C-terminal region of TCP10L protein may affect on the interacting potential to other proteins rather than DNA binding function of the protein. Through these changes, TCP10L might influence gene expression profiles in liver and testis and subsequently influence the physiological changes required in primate evolution.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제12권2호
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• pp.203-211
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• 1996

Methanol has been widely used as an industrial solvent and environmental exposure to methanol would be expected to be increasing. In humans, methanol causes metabolic acidosis and damage to ocular system, and can lead to death in severe and untreated case. Clinical symptoms are attributed to accumulation of forrnic acid which is a metabolic product of methanol. In humans and primates, formic acid is accumulated after methanol intake but not in rodents due to the rapid metabolism of methanol. Neverthless, the developmental and reproductive toxicity were reported in rodents. Previous reports showed that perinatal exposure to ethanol produces a variety of damage in human central nervous system by direct neurotoxicity. This suggests that the mechanism of toxic symptoms by methanol in rodents might mimic that of ethanol in human. In the present study I hypothesized that methanol can also induce toxicity in neuronal cells. For the study, primary culture of rat hippocampal neurons and glias were empolyed. Hippocampal cells were prepared from the embryonic day-17 fetuses and maintained up to 7 days. Effect of methanol (10, 100, 500 and 1000 mM) on neurite outgrowth and cell viability was investigated at 0, 18 and 24 hours following methanol treatment. To study the changes in proliferation of glial cells, protein content was measured at 7 days. Neuronal cell viability in culture was not altered during 0-24 hours after methanol treatment. 10 and 100 mM methanol treatment significantly enhanced neurite outgrowth between 18-24 hours. 7-day exposure to 10 or 100 mM methanol significantly increased protein contents but that to 1000 mM methanol decreased in culture. In conclusion, methanol may have a variety of effects on growing and differentiation of neurons and glial cells in hippocampus. Treatment with low concentration of methanol caused that neurite outgrowth was enhanced during 18-24 hours and the numbers of glial cell were increased for 7 days. High concentration of methanol brought about decreased protein contents. At present, the mechanism responsible for the methanol- induced enhancement of neurite outgrowth is not clear. Further studies are required to delineate the mechanism possibly by employing molecular biological techniques.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.62.1-62.10
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• 2022

Background: The corneal and limbal morphology relevant to corneal epithelial maintenance in ten different species was examined using histological methods. Objectives: The presence of a Bowman's layer, limbal epithelial cell, and superficial stromal morphology was examined in the following species to evaluate the differences in corneal thickness and epithelium: Java sparrows, frogs, macaws, spoonbills, red pandas, penguins, horses, Dobermans, orangutans, and humans. Methods: Corneal sections (4 ㎛) were obtained from ten ocular globes from three different animal classes: Aves, Amphibia, and Mammalia. All sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and periodic acid-Schiff reaction. After microscopy, all stained slides were photographed and analyzed. Results: Significant morphological differences in the corneal and limbal epithelia and their underlying stroma between species were observed. The number of corneal epithelial cell layers and the overall corneal epithelial thickness varied significantly among the species. The presence of a Bowman's layer was only observed in primates (orangutans and humans). Presumed supranuclear melanin caps were noted in four species (orangutans, macaws, red pandas, and horses) in the limbal basal epithelial layer (putative site of corneal epithelial stem cells). The melanin granules covered the apex of the cell nucleus. Conclusions: Supranuclear melanin capping has been described as a process within the epidermis to reduce the concentration of ultraviolet-induced DNA photoproducts. Similarly, there may be a relationship between limbal stem cell melanin capping as a protective mechanism against ultra-violet radiation.