• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.43-52
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• 2023

Objective: This study aimed to examine the influence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on pregnancy in cytokeratin-18 (K18)-hACE2 transgenic mice. Methods: To determine the expression of hACE2 mRNA in the female reproductive tract of K18-hACE2 mice, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed using the ovary, oviduct, uterus, umbilical cord, and placenta. SARS-CoV-2 was inoculated intranasally (30 μL/mouse, 1×10⁴ TCID₅₀/mL) to plug-checked K18-hACE2 homozygous female mice at the pre-and post-implantation stages at 2.5 days post-coitum (dpc) and 15.5 dpc, respectively. The number of implantation sites was checked at 7.5 dpc, and the number of normally born pups was investigated at 20.5 dpc. Pregnancy outcomes, including implantation and childbirth, were confirmed by comparison with the non-infected group. Tissues of infected mice were collected at 7.5 dpc and 19.5 dpc to confirm the SARS-CoV-2 infection. The infection was identified by performing RT-PCR on the infected tissues and comparing them to the non-infected tissues. Results: hACE2 mRNA expression was confirmed in the female reproductive tract of the K18-hACE2 mice. Compared to the non-infected group, no significant difference in the number of implantation sites or normally born pups was found in the infected group. SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected in the lungs but not in the female reproductive system of infected K18-hACE2 mice. Conclusion: In K18-hACE2 mice, intranasal infection with SARS-CoV-2 did not induce implantation failure, preterm labor, or miscarriage. Although the viral infection was not detected in the uterus, placenta, or fetus, the infection of the lungs could induce problems in the reproductive system. However, lung infections were not related to pregnancy outcomes.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.349-353
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• 2012

Activated T cells express inhibitory receptors such as CTLA-4 that can downregulate immune responses. Blockade of or genetic deficiency in CTLA-4 can result in autoimmunity. Therefore, strategies to increase the inhibitory function of CTLA-4 may be attractive in settings of undesirable T cell responses such as autoimmunity or transplant rejection. We have tested the hypothesis that transgenic constitutive expression of CTLA-4 can further attenuate immune responses when compared with normal inducible expression. Our results indicate that transgenic expression of CTLA-4 in mouse T cells (CTLA-4-Tg T cells) results in reduced cell cycle progression and increased apoptosis of TCR-stimulated T cells. CTLA-4-Tg T cells display reduced T cell proliferation in an in vivo model of graft versus host disease (GVHD). These results further our understanding of how CTLA-4 can be manipulated to inhibit immune responses and may help development of new therapeutic strategies for clinical settings of autoimmunity and transplantation.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.179-185
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• 2012

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Neuropathological hallmarks of AD are amyloid plaques, dystrophic neurite, and alteration of subcellular organelles. However, the morpho-functional study of this degenerative process and ultimate neuronal death remains poorly elucidated. In this study, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analyses were performed to clarify the abnormal morphological alterations caused by the progression of AD in APP/PSEN1 transgenic mice, express human amyloid precursor protein, as a model for AD. In transgenic AD mice brain, the accumulation of Amyloid ${\beta}$ plaques and well-developed dystrophic neurites containing anti-LC3 antibody-positive autophagosomes were detected in the hippocampus and cortex regions. We also found severe disruption of mitochondrial cristae using high-voltage electron microscopy and three-dimensional electron tomography (3D tomography). These results provide morpho-functional evidence on the alteration of subcellular organelles in AD and may help in the investigation of the pathogenesis of AD.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2019

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is highly prevalent in dementia, with no specifically effective treatment having yet been discovered. Amyloid plaques are one of the key hallmarks of AD. Transgenic mouse models exhibiting Alzheimer's disease-like pathology have been widely used to study the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we showed an age-dependent correlation between cognitive function, pathological findings, and [F-18] Florbetaben (FBB) PET images. Nineteen transgenic mice (12 with AD, 7 with controls) were used for this study. We observed an increase in ${\beta}$-Amyloid deposition ($A{\beta}$) in brain tissue and [F-18] FBB amyloid PET imaging in the AD group. The [F-18] FBB data showed a mildly negative trend with cognitive function. Pathological findings were negatively correlated with cognitive functions. These finding suggests that amyloid beta deposition can be well-monitored with [F-18] FBB PET and a decline in cognitive function is related to the increase in amyloid plaque burden.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.175-182
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• 1994

Rat $\beta$-casein 유전자와 사람 성장호르몬 (hGH) 유전자의 융합유전자를 생쥐 수정란의 웅성전핵에 미세주입하여 형질전환생쥐 (transgenic mouse) 6계통을 확립하였다. 이들로부터 사람성장호르몬(hGH) 유전자의 발현 여부를 조사한 결과, 6계통중 4계통의 생쥐 유즙에서 hGH가 2~900 ng/ml 수준으로 발현되고 있었으며, 혈중에서는 hGH가 검출되지 않았다. 따라서 이들 형질전환생쥐에서 사람성장호르몬이 우선특이적으로 발현, 분비되고 있음을 알 수 있었다. 한편, 사람성장호르몬의 발현이 확인된 두 계통 (ChGH2-2, CChGH2)의 형질전환생쥐를 대상으로 하여 세대별, 산차별로 유즙내 사람성장호르몬의 함량을 조사한 결과, 3세대에 걸쳐, 또한 제1세대에서의 세차례 반복된 비유기에도 유즙내 사람성장호르몬은 지속적으로 분비되고 있었다. 이상의 결과는 형질전환생쥐에서의 외래유전자의 발현성은 반복되는 비유기와 여러 세대에 걸쳐 안정적으로 유지됨을 보여 주고 있다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.121-121
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• 2003

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.305-312
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• 2009

Multipotent spermatogonial stem cells (mSSCs), derived from uni-potent SSC, are a type of reprogrammed cells with similar characteristics to embryonic stem cells (ESCs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential for transgenesis of mSSC derived from outbred mice and the production of transgenic animal by the mSSC-insertion into embryo. mSSCs, established from outbred mice (ICR strain) in the previous study, were maintained and then transfected with a lenti-viral vector expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP), CS-CDF-CG-PRE. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) were derived from inbred transgenic mice (C57BL/6-Tg (CAG-EGFP)) and were used as an experimental control. Transfected mSSCs were well proliferated in vitro and maintained their characteristics and normal karyotype. Ten to twelve mSSCs and ESCs were collected and inserted into perivitelline space of 8-cell mouse embryos, and then transferred them into uteri of poster mothers after an additional 2-days of culture. Percentage of mSSC-derived offsprings was 4.8% (47/980) and which was lower than those (11.7% (67/572)) of ESC-derived ones (P<0.05). However, even though different genetic background of mSSC and ESC origin, the production efficiency of coat-colored chimeric offspring in mSSC group was not different when compared it with ESC (6.4% (3/47) vs. 7.5% (5/67)). From these results, we confirmed that mSSC derived from outbred mice has a pluripotency and a potential to produce chimeric embryos or mice when reaggregatation with mSSC is performed.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.223-229
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• 2019

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by insulin resistance (IR). T2DM is correlated with obesity and most T2DM medications have been developed for enhancing insulin sensitivity. Silk protein fibroin (SPF) from spiders has been suggested as an attractive biomaterial for medical purposes. We generated transgenic rice (TR) expressing SPF and fed it to diabetic $BKS.Cg-m+/+Lepr^{db}$ mice to monitor the changes in blood glucose levels and adipose tissue proteins associated with energy metabolism and insulin signaling. In the present study, the adipocyte size in abdominal fat in TR-SPF-fed mice was remarkably smaller than that of the control. Whereas the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-activated protein kinase and insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) protein levels were increased in abdominal adipose tissues after TR-SPF feeding, levels of six-transmembrane protein of prostate 2 (STAMP2) proteins decreased. Phosphorylation of AMPK at threonine 172 and IRS1 at serine 307 and tyrosine 632 were both increased in adipose tissues from TR-SPF-fed mice. Increased expression and phosphorylation of IRS1 at both serine 307 and tyrosine 632 in adipose tissues indicated that adipocytes obtained from abdominal fat in TR-SPF-fed mice were more susceptible to insulin signaling than that of the control. STAMP2 protein levels decreased in adipose tissues from TR-SPF-fed mice, indicating that STAMP2 proteins were reducing adipocytes that were undergoing lipolysis. Taken together, this study showed that TR-SPF was effective in reducing blood glucose levels in diabetic mice and that concurrent lipolysis in abdominal adipocytes was associated with alterations of AMPK, IRS1, and STAMP2. Increased IRS1 expression and its phosphorylation by TR-SFP were considered to be particularly important in the induction of lipolysis in adipocytes, as well as in reducing blood glucose levels in this animal model.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nutrition Society Conference
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• 1999.11b
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• pp.42-42
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• 1999

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Sericultural Science Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.15-15
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• 2005