• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2008

Plasminogen activators (PAs) are serine protease that cleave plasminogen to form the active protease plasmin. PA/plasmin system playa role in mammalian fertilization and motility and acrosome reaction of sperm. The present study was undertaken to identify PAs in porcine gametes and investigate a possible role of plasminogen in in vitro fertilization in the pig. When boar spermatozoa were preincubated in a fertilization medium (mTBM) for 0, 2, 4 or 6 h, the activity of tPA-PAI ($110{\sim}117\;kDa$), tPA ($62{\sim}70\;kDa$), and uPA ($34{\sim}38\;kDa$) was observed in the sperm incubation medium and sperm sample. PA activities in the sperm incubation medium significantly (p<0.05) increased according to increasing incubation times, while PA activities in sperm significantly (p<0.05) decreased at the same times. In addition, the rate of acrosome reaction in spermatozoa increased by increasing culture times. When oocytes were separated from porcine cumulus-oocytes complexes at 0, 22 or 44 h of maturation culture, no PA activities were observed in cumulus free-oocyte just after aspiration from follicles. However, the activity of tPA-PAI ($108{\sim}113\;kDa$) and tPA ($75{\sim}83\;kDa$) was observed at 22 h of in vitro culture and significantly (p<0.05) increased as the duration of the culture increased. On the other hand, when porcine oocytes were activated by sperm penetration or calcium ionophore, plasminogen significantly (p<0.05) increased ZP dissolution time (sec) in activated oocytes by sperm penetration. These results suggest that supplementation of plasminogen to fertilization medium may playa positive role in the improvement of in vitro fertilization ability in the pig.

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.207-213
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• 2003

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are orphan nuclear hormone receptors that are known to control the expression of genes that are involved in lipid homeostasis and energy balance. PPARs activate gene transcription in response to a variety of compounds, including hypolipidemic drugs. Most of these compounds have high affinity to the ligand-binding domain (LBD) of PPARs and cause a conformational change within PPARs. As a result, the receptor is converted to an activated mode that promotes the recruitment fo co-activators such as the steroid receptor co-activator-1 (SRC-1). Based on the activation mechanism of PPARs (the ligand binding to $PPAR{\gamma}$ induces interactions of the receptor with transcriptional co-activators), we performed Western blot and ELISA. These showed that the indomethacin, a $PPAR{\gamma}$ ligand, increased the binding between $PPAR{\gamma}$ and SRC-1 in a ligand dose-dependent manner. These results suggested that the in vitro conformational change of $PPAR{\gamma}$ by ligands was also induced, and increased the levels of the ligand-dependent interaction with SRC-1. Collectively, we developed a novel and useful ELISA system for the mass screening of $PPAR{\gamma}$ ligands. This screening system (based on the interaction between $PPAR{\gamma}$ and SRC-1) may be a promising system in the development of drugs for metabolic disorders.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.938-943
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• 2002

This study was perfonned to detect polymorphisms of the two candidate genes, bovine BTN (Butyrophilin) and ST AT5a (Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription) gene using 98 Holstein bulls' frozen semen, and to offer the basic information for QTL (Quantitative Trait Loci) analysis. Each BTN PCR product was digested with endonuclease restriction enzyme. The digested fragments of four BTN PCR products were observed as follows: 316,280, and 162 bp in BTN1, 568, 305 and 263 bp in BTN2, 576, 332, and 244 bp in BTN3, and 573, 291, and 282 bp in BTN4, respectively. The gene frequencies of A and B allele in four BTN loci were as follows: 0.8980 and 0.1020 in BTN1, 0.5510 and 0.4490 in BTN2, 0.8163 and 0.1837 in BTN3, and 0.8875 and 0.1122 in BTN4, respectively. And three genotypes (homotypel, heterotype, and homotype2) for STAT5a were observed by SSCP (single stranded conformational polymorphism) method and the genotype frequencies are 78.57%, 19.39%, and 2.04%, respectively. The PlC (Polymorphism Information Content) value and heterozygosity of four BTN loci were as follows: 0.1695 and 0.1870 in BTN1, 0.3713 and 0.4927 in BTN2, 0.2549 and 0.2999 in BTN3, and 0.1794 and 0.1992 in BTN4, respectively. Comparing with the reported data, PlC value of BTN2 might have the possibility to be useful marker. Other BTN loci indicated skewed allele distribution.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.679-684
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• 2017

Hydrated liquid crystalline vesicles incorporating a edge activator, which confers flexibility to the vesicle membranes, were prepared and niacinamide was encapsulated in them. The formation of liquid crystalline phases and their thermal phase transitions were investigated by polarized optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. Droplet sizes of the vesicles were reduced to several tens of nanometers by incorporating edge activators, such as sodium deoxycholate, lysolecithin, or polysorbate 80. The amount of niacinamide permeated into a pig skin increased greatly using the hydrated liquid crystalline vesicles compared to the case where niacinamide was applied in an aqueous solution state. The vesicles incorporating 10% sodium deoxycholate increased the amount of niacinamide permeated nearly four times. These results suggest that edge activators are effective in improving the skin permeability of vesicles.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.257-263
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• 2013

The endometrium undergoes a cyclic growth and tissue remodeling as changes of epithelial cells, and plasminogen activators (PAs) are related to endometrium tissue remodeling. This study was to evulate expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) in porcine uterine epithelial cells. In results, the uPA and tPA were expressed in uterine tissue, epithelium and secretory glands in porcine endometrial cell. In addition, the uPA and tPA were expressed in cultured epithelial cells, and it were mainly expressed in cytoplasm. In porcine uterine tissue and epithelial cells, uPA activity was higher than activity in tPA. In PAs mRNA expression levels, uPA mRNA level was significantly higher than tPA mRNA level (P<0.05). The fluorescence intensity of uPA protein was also higher than fluorescence intensity of tPA protein, and uPA protein expression was significantly higher than in tPA protein expression (P<0.05). Therefore, we suggest that a physiological function in porcine uterine epithelial cells should be more influenced by uPA than in tPA during pre-ovulatory phase.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.333-338
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• 2014

This study identifies the effects of sodium sulfate and surfactants in the papain treatment of wool fabrics using L-cysteine and EDTA as activators. The research method involves the use of 2% L-cysteine and 7% EDTA as activators at optimal conditions, papain treatment of wool fabrics with the joint use of sodium sulfates and surfactants, and measurements of the weight loss rate, tensile strength, and whiteness. Results showed that for both 2% L-cysteine and 7% EDTA, the maximum papain activity appeared at 0.5% sodium sulfate concentration. In both cases, the papain activity was enhanced at sodium sulfate concentrations lower than 0.5%. In contrast, the papain activity declined at sodium sulfate concentrations higher than 0.5%. The joint use of EDTA with 0.5% sodium sulfate was proven to be very effective in improving the papain activity. The joint use of 2% L-cysteine with 0.5% sodium sulfate appeared slightly effective in improving the activity but resulted in excessive decrease in the tensile strength and whiteness, compared to improvement in the activity. The joint use of surfactants, in the case of L-cysteine, interrupted the papain activity and decreased the tensile strength regardless of the surfactant type and concentration. In the case of EDTA, however, the joint use with 0.1-5% non-ionic surfactants, 0.1-0.5% anionic surfactants, and 0.1% cationic surfactant appeared to improve the papain activity. The maximum papain activity was observed when 0.1% of surfactant was used, regardless of the surfactant type. The nonionic surfactant was the most effective in improving the papain activity.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.573-583
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• 2015

B-32 is one of a panel of monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies to growth hormone (GH) that we developed. To characterize and identify its potential role as a novel growth hormone receptor (GHR) agonist, we determined that B-32 behaved as a typical $Ab2{\beta}$ based on a series of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay assays. The results of fluorescence-activated cell sorting, indirect immunofluorescence and competitive receptor binding assays demonstrated that B-32 specifically binds to the GHR expressed on target cells. Next, we examined the resulting signal transduction pathways triggered by this antibody in primary porcine hepatocytes. We found that B-32 can activate the GHR and Janus kinase (2)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK2/STAT5) signalling pathways. The phosphorylation kinetics of JAK2/STAT5 induced by either GH or B-32 were analysed in dose-response and time course experiments. In addition, B32 could also stimulate porcine hepatocytes to secrete insulin-like growth factors-1. Our work indicates that a monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody to GH (B-32) can serve as a GHR agonist or GH mimic and has application potential in domestic animal (pig) production.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.134-143
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• 2016

Lycii fructus has been traditionally used as a preventive and therapeutic medicine to treat enervation and diverse chronic diseases. In this study, we investigated whether fermentation of Lycii fructus extract (LE) increases the enzymatic activity of the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). The fermentation of LE by Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae IFO 2376 was shown to increase the enzymatic activity of ADH and ALDH. TLC analysis of LE and fermented LE (FLE) showed that ADH and ALDH activities increased in different spots. Fraction No. 66 of LE and fraction No. 68 of FLE by Silica gel chromatography showed increased ADH activity of 129.1% and 148.9%, respectively. Fractions No. 128 of LE and FLE by Silica gel chromatography showed increased ALDH activity of 134.1% and 148.1%, respectively. The fraction No. 68 of FLE obtained by HPLC showed new peaks at $R_t$ 11.938min, $R_t$ 22.072min and $R_t$ 28.842min, indicating that ADH activity was increased. The LE and FLE fractions with the greatest increases in ADH activity peaked at the same time ($R_t$ 13min),whereas the LE and FLE fractions with the greatest increases in ALDH activity peaked at different times ($R_t$ 16.307min and $R_t$ 36.640min, respectively).

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.26-33
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• 2012

This paper reported on the effect of blended activator on the physical properties of alkali-activated slag mortar. Five different activators(caustic alkalis) were used: sodium hydroxide(NaOH, A Case), calsium hydroxide($Ca(OH)_2$, B Case), magnesium hydroxide($Mg(OH)_2$, C Case), aluminum hydroxide($Al(OH)_3$, D Case), and potassium hydroxide(KOH, E Case). We blended five caustic alkalis with sodium carbonate($Na_2CO_3$). The dosage of five caustic alkalis was 3M and sodium carbonate was 1M, 2M and 3M. The result of flow and setting time was decrease as the dosage of sodium carbonate increase. But the compressive strength was increase as the dosage of sodium carbonate increase. It was shown that there is a good effect of blended caustic alkalis with sodium carbonate in alkali-activated slag mortar.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.463-468
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• 2011

This study investigated the changes of plasminogen activators (PAs) activity, expression and localization of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) during the estrous cycle in pigs. Estrous cycle was sorted into three group by pre-ovulation (Pre-Ov), post-ovulation (Post-Ov) and early to mid-luteal stages (Early to mid-L). Analysis for immunohistochemistry was confirmed by location of tPA and uPA. Porcine uterus tissue was cut into $1{\times}1$ cm squares, and were incubated in DMEM/F-12 medium for 1 h at $38^{\circ}C$, 5% $CO_2$ for measurement of PA activity. Western blotting was implemented for measurement of PA quantity. In results, the blood vessels and secretory glands were increased in Post-Ov stage than Pre-Ov and Early to mid-L stages. The tPA and uPA was located mainly within lumen of blood vessels and secretory glands. The PA activity in Post-Ov ($0.99{\pm}0.03$) stage were significantly (p<0.01) higher than Pre-Ov stage ($0.51{\pm}0.03$) and Early to mid-L stage ($0.21{\pm}0.04$). Expression of PAs were significantly (p<0.05) higher in Early to mid-L stage than other stages. These results indicate that PAs activity and expression may change in uterus tissue during the estrous cycle in pigs.