• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.139-148
• /
• 2019

Rising of water temperature due to global warming is a great concern to aquaculturists and fishery biologists. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of high water temperature on juvenile red spotted grouper, Epinephelus akaara based on the evaluation of stress responses in blood. E. akaara juveniles were exposed to different thermal conditions ($25^{\circ}C$, $28^{\circ}C$, $31^{\circ}C$, and $34^{\circ}C$) for 6 weeks following 2 weeks of acclimation at $25^{\circ}C$. Blood cell morphology and number were examined at three sampling points (2, 7, and 42 days) from a total of 180 fish. Major erythrocytic cellular abnormalities (ECA) observed in blood smears of thermally stressed groups ($31^{\circ}C$ and $34^{\circ}C$) after 6 weeks were echinocytes, teardrop-like cells, swollen cells and vacuolated cells. Both red and white blood cell number (RBC and WBC) were significantly (p<0.05) elevated in $31^{\circ}C$ and $34^{\circ}C$ group after 6 weeks thermal exposure. Differential leucocytes number showed significant increases in neutrophil (N) and decreases in lymphocytes (L) in the highest temperature ($34^{\circ}C$). Different N:L ratio was observed at different thermal conditions which can be used as a reliable alternative to measure stress response. Taken together, these results suggest that higher temperature ($31^{\circ}C$ and $34^{\circ}C$) can interfere the immune system of red spotted grouper by altering the blood cell morphology and number.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
• /
• v.51 no.2
• /
• pp.165-175
• /
• 2024

This study aimed to investigate the effects of blood contamination on the Vickers hardness and the surface morphology of premixed MTA and compare them with the effects on conventional MTA. The Vickers microhardness of Endocem MTA Premixed Regular (EP) and ProRoot MTA (PM) was assessed after immersion in fetal bovine serum (FBS) and saline. Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) were seeded on MTA after immersion in FBS, saline, and deionized water (DW). Cell adhesion patterns and surface morphology were visualized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The surface microhardness of EP and PM in FBS was lower than in saline. However, short-term exposure of PM to FBS did not reduce the microhardness compared to saline. Angular crystals formed in water, while rounded crystals with more air voids appeared in FBS. Favorable SHED attachment occurred in all groups. Overall, the surface hardness of EP and PM decreased after FBS exposure, although PM was less influenced. We suggest minimizing the amount of bleeding when using MTA clinically; nevertheless, PM remains an option with more expected blood contamination than EP. In summary, exposure to FBS decreased mechanical performance but allowed cell adhesion for both MTAs, with PM being more resistant to these changes.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.40 no.5
• /
• pp.323-329
• /
• 2023

Peripheral blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PB-MSCs) have shown promise in cell-based therapy, as they can be harvested with ease through minimally invasive procedures. This study aimed to isolate PB-MSCs from foals and mares and to compare the proliferation and cellular characteristics of the PB-MSCs between the two groups. Six pairs of mares and their foals were used in this study. MSCs were isolated from PB by direct plating in a tissue culture medium, and cell proliferation (population doubling time [PDT], and colony-forming unit-fibroblast assay [CFU-F]), and characterization (morphology, plastic adhesiveness, colony formation, trilineage differentiation) were examined. There was no significant difference in the PB-MSC yield, CFU-F, and PDT between the mares and foals. PB-MSCs from both mares and foals showed typical MSC characteristics in terms of spindle-shaped morphology, plastic adhesive properties, formation of colonies, trilineage differentiation. These results suggest that PB-MSCs isolated from horses, both adult horses, and foals, can be used for equine cell-based therapy.

• Mycobiology
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.255-259
• /
• 2008

The effect of aflatoxin-contaminated corn on albino mice was investigated using the sperm morphology assay. Blood parameter levels including; total white blood cells (WBC), total red blood cells (RBC), packed cell volume (PCV), serum bilirubin (SB) and fasting blood sugar (FBS) were also determined in the tested mice. Test mice were exposed to aflatoxin-contaminated corn (contamination level of 100 ppb) for $1{\sim}4$ weeks while aflatoxin-free corn and cyclophosphamide were used as negative and positive controls, respectively. Sperm cells showed varieties of morphological abnormality when assessed after 5 weeks. The percentage frequencies of the negative and positive controls were 18.8% and 48.87%, respectively, while the percentage abnormalities for the 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks exposures were 41.38%, 48.17%, 57.13% and 61.67%, respectively. PCV, WBC, total bilirubin and glucose level values of mice in all concentrations were higher and statistically significant as compared to the negative control values using Dunnett's test. Therefore, abnormal sperm cell induction is concentrationdependent such that continuous consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated corn is capable of negatively affecting spermatogenesis by inducing or increasing the frequency of morphologically abnormal sperm cells produced.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.169-176
• /
• 1999

The purposes of this study were to set up the method of the natural killer(NK) cell activity assay using the flow cytometer and to examine the characteristics and distribution of the NK cell during rat hepatocarcinogenesis. Forty five male 6 week-old specific pathogen free(SPF) Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups. Group I was the non-treated control and given normal diet and water. Group II was treated with diethylnitrosamine(DEN, 200mg/kg, i.p.) and partial hepatectomy. Group III was treated with DEN, partial hepatectomy and 0.05% phenobarbital sodium in water from 3 to 16 weeks. All animals were examined the morphology of the large granular lymphocyte(LGL), the LGL percent of the total lymphocytes and the LGL conjugation rate with YAC-1 cell in peripheral blood, spleen and liver. Moreover, activity of the LGL isolated from peripheral blood lymphocytes was determined using the flow cytometer. As results, LGL were observed in the peripheral blood, spleen and liver. LGL were observed the relatively faintly staining basophilic cytoplasm with granules, and eccentric, often kidney-shaped nuclei in Giemsa stain. Its size was $11{\sim}13{\mu}m$. LGL percentage of the isolated lymphocytes in peripheral blood, spleen and liver were 1.8~2.3%, 1.3~1.4% and 0.87~0.99%, respectively. LGL conjugation rate with YAC-1 cell was shown to be peripheral blood(9.3~10.3 %) > spleen(7.7~8.7%) > liver(5.6~7.0%). The activity of the LGL isolated from peripheral blood lymphocytes in Group I, II and III was 33.7%, 30.5% and 35.4%, respectively. However, all values were not significantly between groups.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.343-350
• /
• 2007

Mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (MPCs) were isolated from porcine umbilical cord blood (UCB) and their morphology, proliferation, cell cycle status, cell-surface antigen profile and expression of hematopoietic cytokines were characterized. Their capacity to differentiate in vitro into osteocytes, adipocytes and chondrocytes was also evaluated. Primary cultures of adherent porcine MPCs (pMPCs) exhibited a typical fibroblast-like morphology with significant renewal capacity and proliferative ability. Subsequent robust cell growth was indicated by the high percentage of quiescent (G0/G1) cells. The cells expressed the mesenchymal surface markers, CD29, CD49b and CD105, but not the hematopoietic markers, CD45 and CD133 and synthesized hematopoietic cytokines. Over 21 days of induction, the cells differentiated into osteocytes adipocytes and chondrocytes. The expression of lineage specific genes was gradually upregulated during osteogenesis, adipogenesis and chondrogenesis. We conclude that porcine umbilical cord blood contains a population of MPCs capable of self-renewal and of differentiating in vitro into three classical mesenchymal lineages.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.36 no.6
• /
• pp.565-571
• /
• 2003

The locomotor responses of human peripheral blood neutrophils and lymphocytes were measured by the change from spherical to polarized shapes in the presence of endotoxins (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) of enteric pathogens: S. dysenteriae type 1, V. cholerae Inaba 569B, S. typhimurium, and K. pneumoniae. We reported earlier that these endotoxins are chemotactic factors for the neutrophils since they stimulated cell polarization within a few minutes of incubation. Endotoxins had an inhibitory effect upon neutrophil phagocytosis of opsonized yeast and the cells engulfed fewer yeasts. Interestingly, endotoxins increased neutrophil adhesion to clean glass surfaces, but stimulated the cells to exhibit increased random locomotion (chemokinesis) through cellulose nitrate filters and show an enhanced ability to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) dye. Unlike neutrophils, lymphocytes direct from blood do not show polarized morphology towards chemotactic factors but the cells acquire locomotor capacity during 24-72 h culture with mitogens such as phytohemagglutinin (PHA), phorbol myristate acetate or concanavalin A. Stimulation of blood lymphocytes with endotoxins did not induce cell polarization in short-term but long-term culture resulted in an increase in the proportion of polarized cells that acquired locomotor morphologies. The majority of these cells were identified as esterase negative B-lymphocytes that migrated through filters. Despite the optimum time of incubation for each of these cell types being different, we found that lymphocytes respond to much lower concentrations of endotoxins than the neutrophils. These findings suggest that endotoxins of enteric pathogens modulate the functions of human blood neutrophils and lymphocytes.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.107-114
• /
• 2016

Maintenance of fasting blood glucose levels is important for glucose homeostasis. Disruption of feedback mechanisms are a major reason for elevations of glucose level in blood, which is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus that is mainly caused by malfunction of pancreatic beta-cell and insulin. The fasting blood glucose level has been known to be influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Mitochondria have many functions for cell survival and death: glucose metabolism, fatty acid oxidation, ATP generation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism, calcium handling, and apoptosis regulation. In addition to these functions, mitochondria change their morphology dynamically in response to multiple signals resulting in fusion and fission. In this study, we aimed to examine association between fasting blood glucose levels and variants of the genes that are reported to have functions in mitochondrial dynamics, fusion and fission, using a cohort study. A total 416 SNPs from 36 mitochondrial dynamics genes were selected to analyze the quantitative association with fasting glucose level. Among the 416 SNPs, 4 SNPs of PRKACB, 13 SNPs of PPP3CA, 6 SNPs of PARK2, and 3 SNPs of GDAP1 were significantly associated. In this study, we were able to confirm an association of mitochondrial dynamics genes with glucose levels. To our knowledge our study is the first to identify specific SNPs related to fasting blood glucose level.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.319-324
• /
• 2009

Morphology of the gill in Lateolabrax japonicus was investigated after staining the gill, as a result, we found the gill is composed of gill raker, gill arch, gill filament and gill lamellae. The number of gill raker was 7~10 in the upper and 13~18 in the lower. Ultrastructure of the gill in Lateolabrax japonicus were examined by means of the light and transmission electron microscopes. The gill have primary filament and secondary filament (lamellae). The following cells are identified and described: pavement cell, pillar cell, blood cell, mucose cell and chloride cell etc. Simple epithelial layer consists of squamous epithelium contained large nucleus, intracellular organelles etc. and the surface is covered with some of microridges. The lamella pillar structures are characterized by the axial microtubules and lateral membrane interdigitations. The mucous cells were globular in shape, and had almost the mucous granules of same size with various electron density. Chloride cells contain a lot of mitochondria and specifically developed tubular systems.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.101-109
• /
• 2004

Spatholobus suberectus belonging the family Leguminosae has been used for promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, tonifying the blood, relaxing tendons, stopping internal bleeding and eliminating dampness in oriental traditional medicine. This study investigates whether the water extracts of S. suberectus induce apoptotic cell death in Jurkat T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells. Jurkat cells were increased inhibitions of cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner by S. suberectus, as measured by cell morphology. The capability of S. suberectus to induce apoptosis was associated with proteolytic cleavage of specific target protein such as poly (ADP­ribose)polymerase protein suggesting the possible involvement of caspases. The purpose of the present study is also to investigate the effect of S. suberectus on cell cycle progression. G1 checkpoin related gene products tested (cyclin D1, cyclin dependent kinase 4, retinoblastoma, E2Fl) were decreased in their protein levels in a dose-dependent manners after treatment of the extract. These results indicate that the increase of apoptotic cell death by S. suberectus may be due to the inhibition of cell cycle progression in wild type p53-lacking Jurkat cells.