• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.25-37
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• 2023

Acetaminophen [Paracetamol, N-acetyl-para-aminophenol (APAP)] is a common over-the-counter analgesic agent as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The high doses or the long-term treatment of acetaminophen via usual gavage feeding resulted in damage of testicles that presented recoverable impairment, as well as liver and kidney. The influence of acetaminophen was examined in male golden hamsters treated with acetaminophen-containing diet feeding. They were divided into 5 groups and subjected to this experiment for 4 weeks: animals housed in long photoperiod (LP) as LP control, animals housed in short photoperiod (SP) for 4 weeks as SP control (SP4), and groups of animals treated with low, middle, and high concentrations of acetaminophen (Low, Middle, High groups). Also animals housed in SP for 8 weeks were included (SP8) to contrast testicular activities, if necessary. As results, spermatozoa filled the seminiferous tubules of the testicles of animals in LP control and SP4 groups. The aspects were seen in the animals taken diets of low and middle doses of acetaminophen. The animals who fed high dose of acetaminophen showed large or small testicles. The large testicles displayed all germ cells at the steps of spermatogenesis. The small testicles presented no sperm as the animals housed in SP for 8 weeks. Thus these results indicate that acetaminophen invokes the antigonadal effects and accelerates the regressing process of the testicles in the animals compared to the animals exposed to SP.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제49권4호
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• pp.277-284
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• 2022

Objective: Oxidative stress is a key player in the development of idiopathic male infertility (IMI), and various antioxidants have been used for the treatment of IMI with inconsistent results. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a cofactor and an antioxidant that may improve semen parameters and reduce oxidative stress in patients with idiopathic oligoasthenospermia (OA). Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effect of CoQ10 on semen parameters and antioxidant markers in patients with idiopathic OA. Methods: Fifty patients with idiopathic OA and 35 fertile controls were enrolled in this prospective controlled study. All participants underwent a comprehensive fertility assessment. All patients received CoQ10 (300 mg/day) orally once daily for 3 months. Semen parameters, seminal CoQ10 levels, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were measured in patients and controls at the start of the study and after 3 months. Results: Treatment with CoQ10 resulted in increased sperm progressive motility (p<0.05), total motility (p<0.01), seminal TAC (p<0.01), SOD (p<0.05), GPx (p<0.001), and seminal CoQ10 (p<0.001) levels and reduced ROS (p<0.01) in patients as compared to baseline. Sperm concentration and motility were also significantly correlated with antioxidant measures and seminal CoQ10 levels (r=0.38-0.57). Conclusion: CoQ10 therapy (300 mg/day for 3 months) improved sperm motility and seminal antioxidant markers in patients with idiopathic OA. Therefore, CoQ10 could be a promising treatment for patients with idiopathic infertility and may improve their fertility potential.

• 현장농수산연구지
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.110-118
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• 2002

본 연구는 한우의 최적 번식적령기를 구명하는 생리적 현상의 기초자료를 확보하여 조기번식에 따른 번식능력의 감소를 방지하고 한우 암소의 번식능력을 증진하여 농가의 소득증대에 이바지할 목적으로 각 처리구당 4구로 나누어 총 32두를 공시하여 얻어진 연구결과는 다음과 같다. 분만 후 송아지의 평균 생시 체중은 전 구간에서 평균 23.5±0.6kg으로 나타났으며 암송아지는 21.8±0.8kg에 비해 수송아지는 평균 25.0±0.8kg으로 다소 높게 나타났다. 또한 송아지 성장단계별 체중은 T2구에서 유의적인 증가 추세를 보였다. 따라서 송아지의 체중변화는 어미소의 영양상태에 따라 중요하게 작용하는 것으로 나타났다. 초발정 일령은 전 구간에서 평균일령과 평균체중은 각각 263.3±6.4일과 181.1±11.3일로 나타났다. 1회째 인공수정에 의한 수태율은 T1구에서 25%로 가장 낮았으며 T4구에는 75.0%로 가장 높았다. 수태당 종부회수는 T1와 T2구의 2.3, 2.4회에 비해 T3, T4구가 각각 1.5회로 낮았다. 초임 월령별 분만후 발정재귀일수는 T1구에서는 평균 66.2일, T2구에서는 76.7일, T3구에서는 62.4일, T4구에서는 68.5일이었으며 전 구간의 평균 발정재귀일수는 65.7일로 나타났다. 초발정전후의 혈중 progesterone 농도는 전 구간에서 거의 유사한 결과를 보였다. 즉, 혈중 progesterone 분비는 생후 12개월령이 지나야 만이 전 개체에서 정상적인 호르몬 분비상태가 나타나고 있다. 본 연구의 결과로는 12개월 이전에 난포의 배란과 정상 발정주기가 반복되는 개체는 총 32두중 5두만(15.6%)으로 확인되었다. 임신기간중 혈중 progesterone 농도는 임신 중기이후에 비해 착상과 태반형성이 이루어지는 시기인 임신초기에 다소 높은 경향이었으며 임신중기에는 다소 감소되었다. 분만전후 혈중 progesterone 농도는 전 구간에서 분만 7일 전부터 급격하게 감소되었으며 분만 후부터 포유 약 40일까지 progesterone이 거의 검출되지 않았으며 분만 후 45일부터 본격적으로 progesterone이 분비된다는 사실을 확인하였다. 따라서 분만 후 정상 발정주기의 반복은 분만 후 약 40일 이후 비로소 시작되는 것으로 사료된다. 이상으로 본 연구의 결과를 요약하여 한우의 초임유도시 최적 초임시기의 결정요소는 생후 일령 14개월령과 체고가 약 110cm, 체중은 약 265kg 정도인 3가지 요건을 갖춘 후에 첫 임신을 유도시키는 것이 바람직하다고 사료된다.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제59권12호
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• pp.25.1-25.7
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• 2017

Background: Rabbit breeding with high performance imported ones would be of benefit for genetic diversity and improvement of performance in domestic rabbit breeds. The rearing of more productive rabbit breeds could be pathway to improve the productivity and reduce the production cost. Maternal nutritional status exert a great influence on reproductive functions of does, which may expand from conception, through gestation and parturition and development of kits to puberty. Methods: Four breeds of rabbit were evaluated for their parturition, weaning and pubertal differences among the rabbit population in Ibadan, Nigeria. The breed consist of Fauve De Bourgogne (FDB), Chinchilla (CHA), British Spot (BS) and New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. A total of 60 bucks and 360 does consisting of 15 bucks and 90 does per breed were mated in 6 mating cycles, three each of natural mating and artificial insemination. All does were synchronized for estrus with 20 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotropin 48 h prior to mating. The does after parturition were assessed for milk yield (g) and kit survival rate (%) till weaning, weight changes of kits from birth to puberty. At puberty, the pubertal age (days) and weight (g) of the offspring were assessed. Result: Results obtained reveals that British Spot doe had highest milk yield among the breeds which significantly increased growth of kit and weight at weaning in British Spot rabbits. Survival rates of Chinchilla kits were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than Fauve de Bourgogne, British Spot and New Zealand White kits. Puberty attainment of the rabbits indicates that British spot does and Fauve de Bourgogne bucks are early maturing. Conclusion: Chinchilla shows high kit survivability and British spot has highest milk yield among the four breeds of rabbit.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.53-60
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• 2015

Environmental conditions during early mammalian embryo development are critical and some adaptational phenomena are observed. However, the mechanisms underlying them remain largely masked. Previously, we reported that AQP5 expression is modified by the environmental condition without losing the developmental potency. In this study, AQP11 was examined instead. To compare expression pattern between in vivo and in vitro, we conducted quantitative RT-PCR and analyzed localization of the AQP11 by whole mount immunofluorescence. When the fertilized embryos were developed in the maternal tracts, the level of Aqp11 transcripts was decreased dramatically until 2-cell stage. Its level increased after 2-cell stage and peaked at 4-cell stage, but decreased again dramatically until morula stage. Its transcript level increased again at blastocyst stage. In contrast, the levels of Aqp11 transcript in embryos cultured in vitro were as follows. The patterns of expression were similar but the overall levels were low compared with those of embryos grown in the maternal tracts. AQP11 proteins were localized in submembrane cytoplasm of embryos collected from maternal reproductive tracts. The immune-reactive signals were detected in both trophectoderm and inner cell mass. However, its localization was altered in in vitro culture condition. It was localized mainly in the plasma membrane of the blastocysts contacting with external environment. The present study suggests that early stage embryo can develop successfully by themselves adapting to their environmental condition through modulation of the expression level and localization of specific genes like AQP11.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제59권5호
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• pp.12.1-12.7
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• 2017

Background: Despite the widespread use of dexamethasone in veterinary and human medicine, it is reported to cause some severe pregnancy related side effects like abortion in some animals. The mechanism of the response is not clear but seems to be related to interspecies and/or breed difference in response which may involve alterations in the concentrations of some reproductive hormones. Methods: Twenty Sahel goats comprising 18 does and 2 bucks were used for this study. Pregnancies were achieved by natural mating after synchronization. Repeated dexamethasone injections were given at 0.25 mg/kg body weight. Blood samples were collected biweekly for hormonal assay. Uterine biopsies were harvested at days 28 and day 78 of gestation through caesarean section for immunohistochemical analysis using 3 pregnant does randomly selected from each group at each instant. Data were expressed as Means ${\pm}$ Standard Deviations and analyzed using statistical soft ware package, GraphPad Instant, version 3.0 (2003) and progesterone receptor (PR) were scored semi-quantitatively. Results: Dexamethasone treatments had no significant (p > 0.05) effect on progesterone and estrogen concentrations in pregnant Sahel goats but up regulated PR from 2+ to 3+ in second trimester. Conclusion: As dexamethasone adverse effect on placenta is an established fact, the lack of effect on progesterone level in this study may be due to the fact that unlike other species whose progesterone production during pregnancy is placenta - dependent, in goats is corpus luteum - dependent. Consequently dexamethasone adverse effect on placenta reported in literatures did not influence progesterone levels during pregnancy in Sahel goat. The up regulation of progesterone receptor (PR) in Sahel goat gravid uterus is a beneficial effects and that dexamethasone can safely be used in corpus luteum - dependent progesterone secreting pregnant animal species like Sahel goat and camel. Therefore source of progesterone secretions during pregnancy should be considered in clinical application of dexamethasone in pregnancy.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.197-202
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• 2004

골다공증 치료제로 이용되고 있는 hPTH는 체내의 혈중 칼슘 농도를 조절하는 인간의 부갑상선 호르몬이다. 본 연구에서는 hPTH를 효율적으로 생산하는 돼지세포를 구축하고자 다양한 retrovirus vector를 이용하였는데 다음과 같은 결과를 관찰하였다. 1) hPTH 유전자의 전이를 확인하기 위해 RT-PCR을 수행한 결과, 형질전환된 모든 돼지세포에서 420 bp의 hPTH에 해당하는 단편을 확인할 수 있었으며, WPRE가 도입되지 않은 실험군보다 WPRE서열이 도입된 실험군에서 더 강한 밴드를 확인하였다. 2) ECLIA 측정 결과 hPTH 유전자가 도입된 모든 세포에서 hPTH가 생성되었으며, 특히 Tet-On system에서는 doxycycline을 처리한 실험군에서 hPTH의 발현이 유도되었음을 확인하였다. 또한 RT-PCR과 ECLIA을 수행하여 hPTH의 도입 여부와 단백질 생산을 비교한 결과, WPRE 서열이 hPTH 유전자의 downstream 위치에 도입된 실험군에서 가장 많은 단백질이 생산됨을 확인할 수 있었다.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.235-245
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• 2006

Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and di-(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) are ubiquitously distributed chemicals that are widely used as plasticizers and also found at low levels in foods. The aims of this study were to determine whether perinatal exposure to DBP, DINP and DEHA could alter normal patterns of neonatal development. Dams were provided with pulverized soy-free diet containing 20, 200, 2,000 and 10,000 ppm of DBP, 40, 400, 4.000 and 20,000 ppm of DINP, or 480, 2,400 and 12,000 ppm of DEHA from gestational day 15 to postnatal day 21. Exposure to the high doses of DBP, DINP and DEHA during gestational period significantly decreased food consumption and body weight gain of dams. These chemicals reduced neonatal body weight as well as that of the after maturation. Also, exposure to DINP of all the doses used and the higher doses (2,400 and 12,000 ppm) of DEHA decreased AGD at PND 1 in male neonates, though that to DBP did not affect AGD in males. In female neonates, an increase in AGD was observed in DBP- and DINP-exposed animals at the highest doses. Moreover, these chemicals affected survival rate of pups at PND 5, and delayed onset of eye opening in all chemica1-exposed groups at PND 17. These results suggest that perinatal exposure to these chemicals may affect the normal development and/or growth of offspring.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.133-137
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• 2009

Pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells isolated from inner cell mass (ICM) of blastocyst-stage embryos are capable of differentiating into various cell lineages and demonstrate germ-line transmission in experimentally produced chimeras. These cells have a great potential as tools for transgenic animal production, screening of newly-developed drugs, and cell therapy. Miniature pigs, selectively bred pigs for small size, offer several advantages over large breed pigs in biomedical research including human disease model and xenotransplantation. In the present study, factors affecting primary culture of somatic cell nuclear transfer blastocysts from miniature pigs for isolation of ES cells were investigated. Formation of primary colonies occurred only on STO cells in human ES medium. In contrast, no ICM outgrowth was observed on mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) in porcine ES medium. Plating intact blastocysts and isolated ICM resulted in comparable attachment on feeder layer and primary colony formation. After subculture of ES-like colonies, two putative ES cell lines were isolated. Colonies of putative ES cells morphologically resembled murine ES cells. These cells were maintained in culture up to three passages, but lost by spontaneous differentiation. The present study demonstrates factors involved in the early stage of nuclear transfer ES cell isolation in miniature pigs. However, long-term maintenance and characterization of nuclear transfer ES cells in miniature pigs are remained to be done in further studies.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제43권3호
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• pp.36-48
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• 2022

Objectives: The aim of this study is to modernize Nutrient Qi(營氣) and Defense Qi(衛氣) from the point of view of Visceral Body and Somatic Body. Methods: Investigate the areas of body and function of Nutrient Qi(營氣) and Defense Qi(衛氣) recorded in the 『HuangdiNeijing(黃帝內經)』 and 『Dongeuibogam(東醫寶鑑)』. And investigate Visceral Body and Somatic Body that anatomical structure is divided according to function based on the book 『Life and Rhythm』. Results: Nutrient Qi(營氣) works to nourish the body such as viscera and bowels in the meridian. Defense Qi(衛氣) works to protect the body such as skin, limb joint, eye outside the meridian. The human body is divided into Visceral Body called a vegetable organ and Somatic Body called an animal organ. Visceral body is the organ that manages "nutrition-reproductive" and is divided into the intestine(腸管), blood vessels(血管), and the nephridium(腎管). Somatic Body is an organ that manages 'sensory-motion' and is divided into a three-layer structure: the outer layer covering the body surface, the nerve layer connecting the outer layer and the muscle layer, and the muscle layer controling contraction and movement. Conclusions: It is estimated that Nutrient Qi(營氣) is similar to Visceral Body, and Defense Qi(衛氣) is similar to Somatic Body.