• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.651-662
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• 2006

Phthalate esters that are used as plasticizers and also found at low levels in foods such as dairy products are often mentioned as suspected endocrine disrupters. The purpose of the present study is to elucidate whether perinatal exposure to di-n-butyl phthalate(DBP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and di-2-ethylhexyl adipate (DEHA) affects several aspects of reproductive function in rats especially sexual differentiation of the brain. To this end, the 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 (GD) 15 to postnatal day (PDN) 21, the day of weaning, and serum sex steroid hormone, gonadotropin levels and sexual behaviors after maturation were assessed. At Postnatal week (PNW) 20-21, serum levels of sex steroids and gonadotropins in both male and female rats, as well as estrous cyclicity in females, were not changed by perinatal exposure to DBP, DINP and DEHA, indicating that these chemicals did not affect sexual differentiation of the brain controlling the endocrine system of hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. On the other hand, inhibitory influences on sexual behaviors, especially on ejaculation in males and lordosis in females, were observed by perinatal exposure to these chemicals. These results suggest that these chemicals may act directly on discrete regions of the hypothalamus regulating sexual behaviors, but not regulating gonadotropin secretion, thereby affect sexual differentiation of the brain with a resultant decrease in sex-specific behaviors in adulthood.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.446-451
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• 2019

This study investigated the application of artificial insemination and pregnancy diagnosis kit for Korean native black goats. Semen was collected by electrical ejaculation, followed by semen analysis and artificial insemination in three goat strains (Dangjin, Jangsu and Tongyoung). Pregnancy was confirmed using a cow pregnancy test kit (IDEXX Rapid Visual Pregnancy Test kit) and ultrasound diagnosis. Analysis revealed that semen collected from male Korean native black goats by electrical ejaculation was about 1~1.5 ml in volume, $18{\sim}25{\times}10^8/ml$ concentration, and having > 97% motility. Furthermore, confirmation of pregnancy by pregnancy test kit and ultrasound diagnosis after artificial insemination were similar. In addition, the efficiency of pregnancy was 20~40% for all three strains: Tongyoung was the highest with 44%, followed by Dangjin (%), and Jangsu (20%). This study determines the artificial fertilization efficiency and the feasibility of using a cow pregnancy test kit for early pregnancy diagnosis in Korean native black goats. Although further research is required for validation, the results of the current study contribute to the breeding and improvement of Korean native black goat in research institutions as well as in general farms.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.252-255
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• 2009

Seminal vesicle cysts have been rarely detected. Most of them are caused congenitally, and two-thirds of them are accompanied with ipsilateral renal agenesis or dysplasia. They are usually present with dysuria, urinary frequency, perineal pain, epididymitis, pain after ejaculation, scrotal pain or infertility in the second to fourth decade of patient's life. Occasionally cysts are palpable by digital rectal examination, but radiologic imaging study is necessary to diagnose. We report a case of an infant with seminal vesicle cyst accompanied with ipsilateral renal agenesis detected incidentally in postnatal sonogram. The infant's right side of kidney was diagnosed as antenatally multicystic dysplastic kidney.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.519-525
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• 2001

Objectives : In order to study the effect of oriental medical therapy on chronic prostatitis patient, the change of WBC counts on expressed prostatic secretion(EPS) was investigated. Methods : Chronic prostatitis patient who had been diagnosed by EPS test was re-tested as same way after improvement of symptom And then we investigated the change of WBC counts on EPS according to therapeutic period, age, usual habit, herb medicine and symptom of each patient, and his and his sexual partner's past history of STD or UTI. Results : According to the change of WBC counts on EPS, improvement rate was 83.3%, cure rate was 46.7%. The youth who didn't have the usual habit of enduring ejaculation during sexual intercourse, enduring urination and sitting long time a day was improved well. Conclusions : According to the above results, it is suggested that oriental medical therapy is effective to the change of WBC counts on EPS.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.161-164
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• 2005

Background: Chemical lumbar sympathetic ganglion block could potentially be used to treat plantar hyperhidrosis; therefore, we analyzed the outcome of lumbar sympathetic ganglion block using alcohol for the treatment of plantar hyperhidrosis. Methods: Between March 1992 and June 2003, 356 patients with plantar hyperhidrosis underwent lumbar sympathetic ganglion block using alcohol. All 356 patients were followed up for 2 years and the results evaluated. There were 185 and 171 male and female patients, respectively, with a mean age of 25.1 years, ranging from 15.3 to 56.5 years old. Lumbar sympathetic ganglion block using alcohol was performed with fluoroscopic guidance under local anesthesia. Results: The recurrence rate after 2 years was 34%. Compensatory hyperhidrosis, ejaculation failure, lower back pain and genitofemoral neuritis developed as complications in 132, 4, 12 and 2 patients, respectively. Of the 356 patients, 65% were satisfied. Conclusions: Lumbar sympathetic ganglion block using alcohol is an effective and safe method for the treatment of plantar hyperhidrosis, but more information about the complications and relatively high recurrence rates should be provided to the patient.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.108-114
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• 2014

Male factors account for 20%-50% of cases of infertility and in 25% of cases, the etiology of male infertility is unknown. Effective treatments are well-established for hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, male accessory gland infection, retrograde ejaculation, and positive antisperm antibody. However, the appropriate treatment for idiopathic male infertility is unclear. Empirical medical treatment (EMT) has been used in men with idiopathic infertility and can be divided into two categories based on the mode of action: hormonal treatment and antioxidant supplementation. Hormonal medications consist of gonadotropins, androgens, estrogen receptor blockers, and aromatase inhibitors. Antioxidants such as vitamins, zinc, and carnitines have also been widely used to reduce oxidative stress-induced spermatozoa damage. Although scientifically acceptable evidence of EMT is limited because of the lack of large, randomized, controlled studies, recent systematic reviews with meta-analyses have shown that the administration of gonadotropins, anti-estrogens, and oral antioxidants results in a significant increase in the live birth rate compared with control treatments. Therefore, all physicians who treat infertility should bear in mind that EMT can improve semen parameters and subsequent fertility potential through natural intercourse.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 1997

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of seminal vesicle fluid (SVF) on the acrosome reaction (AR) occurred spontaneously or induced by $Ca^{2+}$ ionophore A23187, follicular fluid, and progesterone in mouse epididymal sperm. SVF was divided into high (MW>10 kD) and low (MW<10 kD) fractions by ultrafiltration. The low MW fraction of SVF decreased the rate of spontaneous AR, however the high MW fraction did not. It suggested that the low MW fraction of SVF might have contained decapacitation factor(s) responsible for prolonging of time need for capacitation. When sperm preincubated for 60 min in the presence of SVF, the rate of AR induced by A23187 was decreased, but prolongation of preincubation time for 120 min significantly potentiated the AR by A23187. It suggested that addition of SVF into sperm preincubation medium imposed the epididymal sperm a condition similar to ejaculation. AR induced by human follicular fluid or progesterone was also inhibited by SVF. It suggested that substance in SVF might have affected AR of mouse sperm by inhibiting the interaction between AR inducing ligands and sperm surface receptors involved in acrosomal exocytosis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.1196-1202
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• 2001

In boar spermatozoa, the head-to-head agglutinability changes in parallel with the development of the fertilizing ability. Namely, both abilities gradually increase in the distal caput and corpus epididymides, but are subsequently suppressed in the cauda epididymidis. It has been postulated that these changes of the agglutinability are controlled via sperm interaction with specific epididymal plasma factors including agglutination mediators (agglutinins) and inhibitors (anti-agglutinins). Expression of these abilities (sperm agglutination and capacitation) is hardly observed in spermatozoa immediately. after ejaculation, but it occurs during incubation in a capacitation medium. Recently, we have purified and characterized epididymal plasma anti-agglutinin for boar spermatozoa. Moreover, we have conducted a series of experiments to reveal biological significance and mechanism of the head-to-head agglutination and have accumulated data indicating that boar sperm agglutination is mediated by capacitation-supporting factors including calcium, bicarbonate and sterol acceptors. This review introduces our recent data and discusses a possible mechanism for suppression of the agglutinability in the distal epididymidis and relationship between agglutinability and fertilizing ability.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.107-111
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• 2009

Neuroablation should be performed cautiously because neuropathic pain can occur following denervation of a somatic nerve. A 34-year-old man presented with severe penile pain and allodynia following a selective neurectomy of the sensory nerve that innervated the glans penis for treatment of his premature ejaculation. He was treated with various nerve blocks, including continuous epidural infusion, lumbar sympathetic block and sacral selective transforaminal epidural blocks, as well as intravenous ketamine therapy. However, all of the treatments had little effect on the relief of his pain. We performed spinal cord stimulation as the next therapy. After this therapy, the patient has currently been satisfied for 3 months.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.65-70
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• 1993

To maintain a good sperm motility is one of the key factors for the successful artificial insemination in retrograde ejaculation, and the sperm motility has been shown to be affected by various environmental factors, including change in pH and osmolarity. Herein we have analyzed the effect of change in pH and osmolarity in urine and normal saline on sperm motility by Sperm Quality Analyzer and Makler counting chamber. Semen, which sampled by masturbation from a 28 year old male and showed normal finding on semen analysis, was used for this study. The results were as follows: 1. When osmolarity was fixed to 300mOsm, pH did not show a definite effect on the sperm moility. However, the motility was generally a bit better in alkaline urine and saline than in acid, particularly than in pH 5.0. 2. When pH was fixed to 7.5, sperm motility was best in urine and saline of 300mOsm. Hyperosmolarity had more adverse.effect on the motility than hypoosmolarity. 3. The sperm motility was worse in the urine than in saline under the same pH and osmolarity. In conclusion, osmolarity has a definite effect on sperm motility, where as pH has relatively little effect. And certain components of urine other than pH and osmolarity might affect the sperm motility.