• Journal of Marine Life Science
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.178-185
• /
• 2023

This study was described the microscopic anatomy of male reproductive organs and spermatophore necessary for understanding the reproductive ecology of the long arm octopus Octopus minor. The long arm octopus was a species that has sexual dimorphism that can distinguish between sex based on the presence of hectocotylus. Male reproductive organs consisted of testis, primary spermatic duct, spermatic gland, secondary spermatic duct, spermatophoric gland and spermatophoric sac. Histologically, the testis was testicular tubule type and male germ cells showed a layered arrangement. The primary spermatic duct was a tube connecting the testis and spermatic gland, and consisted with epithelial layer and connective tissue. The spermatic gland was located between the primary and secondary spermatic duct, and the epithelial layer was composed of epithelial cells and mucous cells. Mucous cells reacted blue in the AB-PAS (pH 2.5) reaction and purple in the AF-AB (pH 2.5) reaction. The secondary spermatic duct was a short tube connecting spermatic gland and spermatophoric gland, and folds were developed in lumen. The spermatophoric gland consisted of numerous tubular glands and secretory cells had eosinophilic granules. The spermatophoric sac was shape of pouch, folds were developed in lumen, and vacuolar secretory cells were present in the epithelial layer. The spermatophore was 83.5 mm long and consisted of cap thread in anterior portion, ejaculatory apparatus and cement body in medial portion, sperm mass in posterior portion.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2023

This study was performed to understand the reproductive ecology of cephalopods, described the microanatomical structure of the male reproductive organs and spermatophore in the common squid, Todarodes pacificus, a major cephalopods in Korea. The common squid was gonochorism and had sexual dimorphism, the color of the reproductive organs reflected on the mantle and the presence of the hectocotylus. Male reproductive organs were composed of testis, primary vas deferens, spermatophoric gland (seminal vesicle), spermatophoric sac (Needham's sac) and secondary vas deferens. The male has specialized reproductive organs such as the spermatophore forming organ, spermatophoric gland. Testis was histologically a seminiferous tubule type. The primary vas deferens was a thin and inverted triangular spring-like form that connected from the rear of the testis to the spermatophoric gland. Inside, it was filled with sperm of basophilic in H-E stain. The spermatophoric gland is an irregular oval connected to the primary vas deferens and spermatophoric sac, and there were a number of tubular glands. The spermatophoric sac is a tubular structure located between spermatophoric gland and secondary vas deferens, and a number of spermatophores have been identified in the lumen. The secondary vas deferens was connected to the posterior of the spermatophoric sac and had a spermatophore inside. The spermatophore was a long, transparent tube about 22 mm long, with a sperm mass inside.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.21-30
• /
• 1991

An immunohistochemical study was performed to demonstrate comparative antigenicity of each body structure of the liver fluke, Clonorchis sinensis, such as the digestive tract, reproductive organs, excretory system, tegument and suckers. Indirect immunoperoxidase technique was applied, rising formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded sections of C. sinensis as the antigen. Pooled cat sera obtained 10 weeks after an experimental infection with C. sinensis and peroxidase-conjugated goat anti-cat IgG were used as the primary and secondary antibodies, respectively. The intensity of immunohistochemical stain was very sensitive upon the titers of the primary and secondary antibodies, and their optimum dilutions were found to be 1:1,000∼1:2,000 and 1:1,000, respectively. The intestinal epithelial cells, intestinal content and excretory bladder showed strong positive coloring reactions even at lower titer (1 : 2,000) of the primary antibody, whereas the uterine wall and eggs, vitelline glands, and male reproductive organs showed only weak positive reactions despite an increase in the antibody titer (1:1,000). On the other hand, the suckers, tegument, subtegumental cells and other parenchyme portions did not reveal any positive immunoperoxidase reaction at the same antibody titers. From the above results, it is highly suggested that the most potent antigenicity of C. sinensis occur from their excretory-secretory substances originated from the digestive and excretory organs.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2012

The effects of elevated $CO_2$ and temperature on the phenological and reproductive characteristics of Phytolocca insularis were examined in ambient condition (control) and green house situation (treatment), 700 ~ 800 ppm $CO_2$ and $2^{\circ}C$ elevated temperature, from March 2010 to April 2011. Phenological responses such as foliation, inflorescence formation, flowering, fruit appearance, fruit maturing of P. insularis grown in the treatment were 6~ 20 day faster than in the control. The percent of fruit set, number of fruit and seed per shoots, weight of fruit and seed per shoots of P. insularis were higher in control than in the treatment. The number of inflorescence per shoots showed no difference between in the control and in the treatment. These results demonstrated that the reproductive response of P. insularis might be negatively influenced by increased $CO_2$ concentration and elevated temperature.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.7-15
• /
• 2003

Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), is a widely used plasticizer known to be a suspected endocrine disrupter, but its exact effects on aquatic organisms are not yet known. When Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) were exposed from the time of hatching to 3 months of age to an aqueous DEHP solution at nominal concentrations of 1, 10, and 50 $\mu\textrm{g}$/l, DEHP treated female fish showed distinct reproductive effect. And the midge (Chironomus riparius.). an aquatic invertebrate, was exposed to DEHP to evaluate the effects on reproductive processes via sediment toxicity. The test endpoints included emergence, sex ratio, fecundity, and the viability of F1 offspring egg ropes. The result implied that the normal developmental and/or reproductive processes in C. riparius had been disrupted when exposed to DEHP, the effect also being displayed in the next generation. In summary, DEHP hinders the development of reproductive organs in the female Japanese medaka and C. riparius.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
• /
• 2002.11a
• /
• pp.108-108
• /
• 2002

포유동물의 암컷 생식기관에 존재하는 다양한 종류의 matrix metallo-proteinase (MMP)는 난소와 자궁의 구성성분의 주기적인 변화를 조절하며 이중 난소의 MMP는 난포의 성장과 배란 그리고 퇴화 동안 조직재구성에 매우 중요한 역할을 한다고 알려져 있다. 본 실험에서는 근래에 새로 발견된 사람의 난포액에 존재하는 분자량 약 110kDa인 MMP-2 isoform GA110을 동정하고 자 하였다. 난포액으로부터 GA110 단백질을 분리하기 위하여 난포액에 5mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid(EDTA)를 처리한 후 DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow를 이용한 chromatography를 시행하였다. 그 결과, 난포액 단백질들은 0.2M NaCl 의 분획에서 GA110 활성을 나타내었고 anti-human MMP-2 antibody에 대한 면역반응도 뚜렷이 나타났다. DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow에서 얻은 분획 중 GA110의 활성과 면역반응을 모두 나타내는 분획만을 모아 Gelatin Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography로 다시 분리하였다 분리한 결과 resin에 흡착된 단백질 (eluate) 분획들에서 매우 뚜렷한 GA110 gelatinase 활성을 나타내었으며 면역반응 또한 관찰되었다. 이 분획들의 단백질을 농축한 후 zymography를 시행하여 나타난 GA110 단백질 band를 잘라 내었으며 이로부터 단백질을 electroelution하여 농축한 후 reducing agent인 2-mercaptoethanol를 처리하였다. 이를 전기영동 후 MMP-2 (propeptide region) antibody를 사용하여 immunoblotting 한 결과 70-72kDa의 단백질만이 면역반응을 나타내었다. 마지막으로 위와 같이 준비된 70-72kDa 단백질의 아미노산 서열을 Edman degradation 방법으로 분석하였다. 그 결과 이 단백질의 N 말단의 10개의 아미노산 배열 순서가 알려진 사람의 proMMP-2의 전체 배열순서 중 propetide domain의 N 말단에서부터 다섯 번째에서 시작하여 10개의 아미노산의 서열과 정확하게 일치하였다. 위 결과들로 미루어 사람의 난포액에 존재하는 MMP-2의 새로운 isoform인 GA110은 70-72kDa의 ProMMP-2가 disulfide bond를 통해 homodimer 구조를 이루고 있는 것으로 여겨진다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.119-131
• /
• 2004

연구 목적: 난소에서 분비되는 스테로이드 호르몬인 에스트로젠과 프로게스테론은 포유동물의 생식기관 발달과 정상적인 생식 기능, 수정과 배아의 착상에 중요한 역할을 한다. 특히 에스트로젠은 자궁내액을 내강으로 분비하여 자궁부종 기작에 중요한 역할을 한다. 자궁내액은 정자의 수정능력 획득과 착상전 배아의 발달에 매우 중요하다. Aquaporin (AQP)은 막관통 물수송 단백질로서 여러 조직에 넓게 분포되어 있으며, 세포간 또는 상피세포간 물의 이동에 중요한 역할을 한다. 본 연구에서는 생쥐 자궁에서 스테로이드 호르몬에 의해 조절되는 자궁내액의 이동에 AQP 유전자가 관여하는지를 알아보았다. 연구 재료 및 방법: 난소 절제술을 시행한 생쥐에 스테로이드 호르몬을 피하주사하고 6, 12, 24시간 간격으로 자궁조직을 적출하였다. 대조군은 sesame oil만을 주사한 후 6시간째에 수획한 자궁조직을 사용하였으며, 실험군은 시간대별과 스테로이드 처리별로 채취한 자궁조직에서 역전사중합효소반응을 수행하였다. 역전사중합효소반응을 통해 막관통 단백질인 AQP-4, -5, -8 mRNA의 발현양상을 살펴보았다. 또한 mRNA의 위치를 살펴보기 위해 laser microdissection을 이용하여 RT-PCR을 수행하였다. 마지막으로 자궁조직내에서의 단백질 발현 부위를 관찰하기 위해 면역조직화학염색을 실시하였다. 결 과: AQP-4, -5, -8 mRNA은 프로게스테론을 처리한 군보다 에스트로젠을 처리한 군에서 많이 발현되었으며, 에스트로젠을 주사한 지 6시간째 발현정도를 대조군과 비교할 때 AQP-4, -5, -8 mRNA가 각각 7.9배, 2.8배, 3.8배로 나타났다. AQP-4, -5, -8 mRNA는 간충조직보다 자궁내 상피조직에서 스테로이드 호르몬의 영향을 받아 발현양상의 차이가 나타났으며, 주로 에스트로젠의 영향을 받아 발현이 증가하였다. AQP-4 단백질은 에스트로젠을 24시간 처리한 후 프로게스테론을 처리한 군의 자궁내 상피조직에서 많이 발현되었으며, AQP-5와 -8 단백질은 에스트로젠을 처리한 군의 자궁내 상피조직에서 발현이 증가하였다. 결 론: 이상의 결과를 통해 AQP-4, -5, -8은 주로 에스트로젠에 의해 자궁내 상피세포에서 발현이 증가되는 것으로 보아 에스트로젠의 영향하에 일어나는 자궁내액의 이동으로 인한 자궁부종기작에 이동통로로서 관여하는 것으로 사료된다.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.109-118
• /
• 1989

Production of circulating specific antibodies to the lung fluke (Paragenimus westermani) by its host is well known and used in various kinds of immunodiagnostic methods, However, it has not been well documented which compartments (or structures) of the lung fluke are most responsible for the production of specific antibodies. The present immunohistochemical study was undertaken to demonstrate the antigenicity of each body compartment of p. westermani such as suckers, tegument, spines, vitelline glands, intestine, reproductive organs(male and female), and eggs. Indiret immunoperoxidase(IP) stain technique was applied, using formalin-fked, paraffin- embedded lung tissues of P westermani-infected cats sectioned in 4 Um thickness as the antigen and cat antisera (11~20 weeks of infection) as the primary antibody. Peroxidase-conjugated goat anti-cat IgG was used as the secondary antibody and diaminobensidine(DAB) as the coloring agent. Strong yellow or yellowish brown staining was regarded positive. The primary and secondary antibody dilutions were made at 1 : 500~1 : 2, 000 and 1 : 200~1 : 500 respectively, and IP stain was repeated 10 times for each dilution. A consistent result obtained was that the intestinal epithelial border, intestinal content, vitelline glands, and eggs scattered around the worm capsule showed strong positive staining, while uterine eggs and some parenchymal portions showed weak positive reaction. On the other hand, the suckers, tegument, spines, subtegumental cells, cytoplasm of intestinal epithelial cells, male reproductive organs, and ovary revealed negative staining. The body compartments showing higher antigenicity were, in the decreasing order, the intestinal epithelial border, intestinal content, eggs in the worm capsule, vitelline glands, uterine eggs, and parenchymatous portions. The intestinal epithelial border and luminal contents revealed positive staining even at a few concentration of 1 : 4, 000 primary antibody(secondary ab., 1 : 200) whereas the parenchymatous portion showed positive reaction only at higher concentrations than 1'500 (secondary ab., 1 : 200). The results suggest that the specific antibody responses of the host to p. westermani occur most strongly upon the excretes from the intestinal epithelium of the worm and e99s Produced around the worm capsule,

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.79-87
• /
• 2009

Due to its well-known function in parturition and milk ejection, oxytocin (OT) has been considered as a 'female neurohypophyseal hormone'. Recent studies, however, clearly indicate that OT has some local roles in male reproduction via both central and peripheral routes. In experimental rodents, OT is released within distinct brain regions in response to social stimuli, and the brain OT receptor (OTR) mediated actions were strongly involved in the regulation of a variety of male behaviors such as mating-associated behaviors. In particular, OT and/or OTR knockout mice provide important clues about the molecular regulatory mechanism of the socio-sexual behaviors. Several lines of evidence also show that OT is synthesized within rodents testis, epididymis and prostate, and the presence of OTRs in these organs. In rodent testes, OT might have a role in the modulation of steroidogenesis via stimulation of the conversion of testosterone (T) to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by 5alpha-reductase. Similar effects of OT on this androgen conversion were observed in epididymis and prostate suggesting the OT's modulatory role, such as contractility induction, in these androgen-dependent organs. In this context, further investigations on the OT's role in male CNS and reproductive organs are likely to provide better understanding on the complex socio-sexual behaviors and a platform for development of therapeutics to treat some psychological and/or andrological problems.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.31 no.6
• /
• pp.557-563
• /
• 2017

Gastrodia elata (Orchidaceae) is a perennial parasitic plant that has a unique lifestyle of being in a symbiotic interaction with fungi. The underground root of Gastrodia is used for medicinal treatment to cure high blood pressure, stroke, leukemia, headaches, and especially neurasthenia. This study is intended to investigate the effect of the global warming on the ecological responses of Gastrodia. We cultivated the small tuber of Gastrodia with the oak wood lot and mulberry fungus under control (ambient $CO_2$ concentration + ambient temperature, ACAT), temperature treatment (ambient $CO_2$ concentration+elevated temperature, ACET), and $CO_2$+temperature treatment (elevated $CO_2$ concentration+elevated temperature, ECET). The elevated $CO_2$ concentration was about twice in the ambient air while the elevated temperature was about $2^{\circ}C$ higher than the control group. And then we observed the growth and production of reproductive organs and the underground root. The observation showed that the number of flower stalk was highest at ACET and lowest at ECET. The flower stalk was longest at ACET and shortest at ECET. The inflorescence was longest at ACAT and shortest at ECET. The seed capsule was heaviest at ACET and lightest at ECET. The aboveground biomass was highest at ACET and lowest at ECET. The number of rhizomes was highest at ACET and lowest at ECET. The total rhizome biomass was highest at ACET and lowest at ECET. The average rhizome biomass was highest at ACET and lowest at ECET. The results showed that the growth of Gastrodia increased because of more active growth of Gastrodia elata when only the temperature increased and decreased when both $CO_2$ concentration and temperature increased, indicating the poor growth of Gastrodia elata under the global warming condition. Therefore, the Gastrodia elata plantation should be maintained at the temperature of $20-25^{\circ}C$ and not be exposed to a high $CO_2$ concentration.