• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.8
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• pp.119-127
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• 1990

The present study was designed to determine the effect of HCG administration to pregnant rats on the dam and its fetus including the corpora lutea, the body weight of the fetus, the resorption of the fetus and the malformations of the fetus in skeletal development when a single dose of HCG 50 IU or 100IU on day 4.8.12 or 16 of pregnancy. The results were summarized as follows: 1. Administration of HCG had no effect on the corpora lutea. 2. Fetal resorption was observed in animals treated with HCG on days 4.8 or 12, high incidence being treated with HCG on day 4 of pregnancy. 3. Administration of HCG had no effect on the weight of the fetus except decreasing in it treated with HCG on day 4 of pregnancy. 4. Administration of HCG might be able to induce the skeletal variations but was not the skeletal malformations and abnormal ossification of the fetus. The extra 14 ribs was observed in animals treated with HCG on days 8 and 16 of pregnancy, respectively. 5. It is suggested that HCG administration to pregnant rats was able to induce the fetal resorption and might be able to induce skeletal variations in the fetus.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.115-122
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• 1998

The maintenance of a viable pregnancy has long been viewed as an immunological paradox. The deveolping embryo and trophoblast are immunologically foreign to the maternal immune system due to their maternally inherited genes products and tissue-specific differentiation antigens (Hill & Anderson, 1988). Therefore, speculation has arisen that spontaneous abortion may be caused by impaired maternal immune tolerance to the semiallogenic conceptus (Hill, 1990). Loss of recall antigen has been reported in immunosuppressed transplant recipients and is associated with graft survival (Muluk et al., 1991; Schulik et al., 1994). Progesterone $(10^{-5}M)$ has immunosuppressive capabilities (Szekeres-Bartho et al., 1985). Previous study showed that fertile women, but not women with unexplained recurrent abortion (URA), lose their immune response to recall antigens when pregnant (Bermas & Hill, 1997). Therefore, we hypothesized that immunosuppressive doses of progesterone may affect proliferative response of lymphocytes to trophoblast antigen and alloantigen. Proliferative responses using $^3H$-thymidine ($^3H$-TdR) incorporation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to the irradiated allogeneic periperal blood mononuclear cells as alloantigen, trophoblast extract and Flu as recall antigen, and PHA as mitogen were serially checked in 9 women who had experienced unexplained recurrent miscarriage. Progesterone vaginal suppositories (100mg b.i.d; Utrogestan, Organon) beginning 3 days after ovulation were given to 9 women with unexplained RSA who had prior evidence of Th1 immunity to trophoblast. We checked proliferation responses to conception cycle before and after progesterone supplementation once a week through the first 7 weeks of pregnancy. All patients of alloantigen and PHA had a positive proliferation response that occmed in the baseline phase. But 4 out of 9 patients (44.4%) of trophoblast antigen and Flu antigen had a positive proliferative response. The suppression of proliferation response to each antigen were started after proliferative phase and during pregnancy cycles. Our data demonstrated that since in vivo progesterone treated PBMCs suppressed more T-lymphocyte activation and $^3H$-TdR incorporation compare to PBMCs, which are not influenced by progesterone. This data suggested that it might be influenced by immunosuppressive effect of progesterone. In conclusion, progesterone may play an important immunological role in regulating local immune response in the fetal-placental unit. Furthermore, in the 9 women given progesterone during a conception cycle, Only two (22%) repeat pregnancy losses occured in these 9 women despite loss of antigen responsiveness (one chemical pregnancy loss and one loss at 8 weeks of growth which was karyotyped as a Trisomy 4). These finding suggested that pregnancy loss due to fetal aneuploidy is not associated with immunological phenomena.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.148-158
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• 1991

The purpose of this research was to establish the culture condition for dissociated submandibu -lar gland (SG) cells. After trypsin digestion of SG from 3-4 weeks old mice, dissociated cells were cultured in 1OO/o fetal bovine serum-Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (FBS-DME) or 0.5-2% low protein serum replacement-DME (LPSR-DME) on plastic surface to form monolayer. The effects of FBS, LPSR and hormones on the growth and function of cultured SG cells were examined. SG cells dissociated by enzyme were successfully cultured and were characterized as epithelial-like cells by light and electron microscope. The maximal DNA synthesis of cultured SG cells was achieved by DME containing 5-10% FBS. The same results were obtained when the effects of LPSR on cell proliferation were examined up to a LPSR concentration of 2%. SG cells cultured in 20/o LPSR-DME expressed a population doubling time of 42.5 hrs and a saturation density of 1.2 $\times$10 5cell/cm$^2$. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in medium did not influence on the DNA synthesis of the cultured SG cells, but stimulated protein synthesis of the SG cells. Thyroxine (T4) stimulated protein synthesis of the SCI cells markedly in a dose-dependent fashion. EGF secretion by the cultured SG cells increased significandy by DHT and or T4 trearment. This finding indicated that secretion of EGF by the SG cells was under the control of the hormones such as androgen and thyroid hormones. It seems to be that the culture condition described here can be used as a useful tool for further research on the SCI cells.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.189-193
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• 1999

The response of ameloblast to long term (3 weeks) exposure to fluoride was examined in continuously erupting mandibular incisors of pregnancy rats as compared to control rats receiving a similar diet (Teklad L-356) but no sodium fluoride in there drinking water. Rats were started on water containing 0 ppm, 100 ppm, 200 ppm, and 300 ppm NaF at the beginning of pregnancy. To examine on the ultrastructural changes of the ameloblast, electron microscopy was used. The results indicated that rat incisors expressed two major changes in normal amelogenesis that could be attributed to chronic fluoride treatment. The fluoride produces marked alteration in the fine structure of ameloblast from teeth of young rats, such as large confluent distensions of the endoplasmic reticulum and swelling of isolated mitochondria, in particular on the morphology of the rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum. A graded series of alterations to these organelles were produced, and the severity of the changes would seem to be dependent on dose and time. This experimental data suggested that exposure prolonged of animal to high level of fluoride appears to induce morphological changes in the normal appositional growth and initial mineralization of enamel created during amelogenesis.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.361-368
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• 1994

Teratogenic and embryotoxic effects of mercury have been reported, however, there is little information about possible antidotes against mercury exposure during gestation. In order to evaluate therapeutic effects of selenium as an antidote against mercury poisoning, pregnant CD-1 mice were exposed to methylmercury chloride(20ppm) through the drinking water with treatment of sodium selenite (1.0mg, 2.0mg or 3.0mg/kg b.w., subcutaneously) or BAL(5.0mg/kg b.w., subcutaneously) under the single or combination base as the therapeutic agents from day 6 to 15 of gestation. Fetal growth parameters such as body weight and crown-rump length in the mice exposed to mercury, were reduced as was placental weight compared to those in the control. Treatment of selenium(alone, combination with BAL) reduced the harmful effects induced by mercury on the fetal growth parameters even though no specific relationship between dose and therapeutic effect. The incidence of dead fetuses/resorptions and malformed fetuses(especially cleft palate) was also increased in the mercury only treated group. Selenium treatment demonostrated reduced the incidence of abnormal fetuses under the exposure of mercury. Relative maternal organ weights(liver, kidney, spleen) were increased significantly but relative brain weight was decreased as evidenced by decreased in the mercury treated mice compared to that in the control. A subtle indication of maternal mercury toxicity evidenced by changes of relative maternal organ weights, decreased water and feed consumption were also prevented efficiently by selenium treatment. The present study suggests that methylmercuric chloride is embrytoxic and teratogenic in CD-1 mice when exposured during organogenesis and that selenium administration may have therapeutic application for the treatment of mercury poisoning although more applicable study in human should be performed with caution in the future.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.127-133
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• 2006

Recently, we have reported that the environmental pollutant 2-bromopropane (2-BP) induces a significant embryo-fetal developmental toxicity in rats. However, the cause of developmental toxicity and the relationship between maternal and developmental toxicities could not be elucidated because the developmental toxicity of 2-BP was observed only in the presence of maternal toxicity The in vitro teratogenicity study using whole embryo culture was carried out to understand the teratogenic properties and the possible mechanism of teratogenicity induced by 2-BP in rats. Rat embryos aged 9.5 days were cultured in vitro for 48 hrs at medium concentrations of 0, 1, 3, or 10 mg/ml of 2-BP. Embryos were evaluated for growth, differentiation, and morphological alterations at the end of the culture period. At 10 mg/ml, 2-BP caused a delay in the growth and differentiation of embryos and an increase in the incidence of morphological alterations, including altered yolk sac circulation, abnormal axial rotation, craniofacial hypoplasia, open neuropore, absent optic vesicle and kinked somites. At 3 mg/ml, only a delay in the growth and differentiation of embryos was observed. There were no adverse effects on embryonic growth and development at the concentration of 1 mg/ml. The results showed that the exposure of 2-BP to rat embryos results in a developmental delay and morphological alterations at dose levels of 3 mg/ml culture media or higher and that 2-BP can induce a direct developmental toxicity in rat embryos.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.218-223
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• 2006

Erythropoietin (EPO), a hematopoietic factor, is required for normal erythrocyte developments, but it has been demonstrated to have many other functions, and its receptor is localized in other tissues. In the present study, we investigated whether EPO can promote other cell proliferation and possible molecular mechanisms. EPO restored the inhibition of the RAW264.7 and PC12 cell growth by fetal bovine serum (FBS) withdrawal in a dose dependent manner, but not that of other cell types tested. The restoring effect of EPO was completed when the RAW264.7 cells were cultured in the medium containing as low as 3% of FBS, and 10 U/mL EPO could replace FBS. The restoring effect of EPO in the RAW264.7 cells was associated with the increased of c-Fos and c-Jun expression as well as AP-1 activation. These data demonstrate that EPO can stimulate RAW264. 7 cell as well as PC12 cell growth even when the cells were cultured without FBS or in the presence of small amounts of FBS in the medium, and this stimulating effect is associated with the activation of AP-1 transcription factor.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 1993

Mouse mammary epithelial cells(NMuMG) were plated onto 24 well phates(100,000 cells/well), in DMEM supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum. After serum starvation for 24 hours, EGF)0~100ng/ml) was added simultaneously with IGF-I(10ng/ml), 1$\mu$M photoreactive cAMP(4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzyl adenosine-3',5' cyclic monophosphate, DMNB) or IGF-I plus DMNB. After 2 hours, the cells were expposed to UV light(300nm, 3 second pulse0 in order to activate DMNB which induces a rapid transient increase in intracellular cAMP upon UV irradiation. DNA synthesis was estimated as incorporation of 3H-thymidine into DNA(1 hour pulse with 1$\mu$Ci/ml, 18~19 hours after UV exposure). Without IGF-I or DMNB, EGF(10 or 100ng/ml) increased DNA synthesis from 8,362 dpm/well in control to 16,345 or 18,684 dpm/well with EGF(pooled SE=1,239 dpm/well, P<0.05). IGF-I or IGF-I plus DMNB alone increased DNA synthesis from 8,362 dpm/well in control to 17,307 or 20,427 dpm/well, respectively(P<0.05). Addition of IGF-I, DMNB or IGF-I plus DMNB into 0~100ng/ml EGF did not significantly change the shape of dose response curve of EGF alone. In other experiment, EGF or IGF-I plus DMNB into 10ng/ml EGF group exhibited interaction effect in DNAsynthesis [EGF(10ng/ml)=18,497; IGF-I＋EGF=22,837; DMNB＋EGF=20,658 ; IGF-I＋DMNB＋EGF=29,658, pooled SE=1,055, P<0.05]. These results indicate that simultaneous activation of EGF, IGF-I and intracellular cAMP interact in DNA synthesis of mouse mammary epithelial cells.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.9-17
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• 2004

Objective : Mesangial cell proliferation and excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins is the common pathologic feature of glomerulosclerosis, and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) BB-chain, transforming growth factor betal $(TGF-{\beta}1)$, cyclin dependent kinases (CDK) and CDK inhibitors mediated in these pathophysiological processes. Bupleurum falcatum which is one of the most widely used components in traditional oriental medicines, has multiple pharmacological effects, such as antipyretic, analgesic, immune modulating, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-thrombotic, anti-atherosclerotic, and antitussive effects. Methods : In this study, we evaluated the influence of Bupleurum falcatum on mesangial cell proliferation, DNA synthesis and expression of PDGF-BB chain, $TGF-{\beta}1$, CDKI, CDK2, CDK4, p21 and p27 in fetal bovine serum (FBS)-activated human mesangial cell. Results : Bupleurum falcatum reduced the mesangial cell proliferation and DNA synthesis more than control and captopril. And in the ELISA analysis of $TGF-{\beta}1$, and RT-PCR of PDGF-BB chain, CDK1, CDK2, CDK4, p21, and p27, Bupleurum falcatum inhibited the expression of $TGF-{\beta}1$ protein and PDGF-BB, CDK1, CDK2 gene and promoted that of p21 gene in a dose-dependent manner in comparing with control and captopril. Conclusions: These results suggest that Bupleurum falcatum may inhibit the mesangial cell proliferation and DNA synthesis by regulation of PDGF-BB and $TGF-{\beta}1$ expressions, and by modulation of CDK1, CDK2 and p21 expression.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.92-106
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• 2006

Purpose : To address the ability of Olibanum to induce cell death, we investigated the effect of olibanum on cell apoptosis. Twenty-four hours later, apoptosis occurred following olibanum exposure in a dose-dependent manner. Methods : We culture HeLa cell which is human metrocarcinoma cell in D-MEM included 10% fetal bovine serum(Hyclone Laboratories) below $37^{\circ}C$, 5% CO2. Then we observed apoptosis of log phage cell which is changed cultivation liquid 24 Hours periodically. Results : The treatment of BAPTA-AM regulated olibanum-induced apoptosis in HeLa human cervical carcinoma cells. The 24 hr-earlier -thapsigargin-pretreated cell showed the resistance against olibanum-induced apoptosis and the Ru360-mitochondrial uniporter-inhibited olibanum-induced apoptosis, too. It means that olibanum leads to the accumulation of calcium and the resultant apoptosis in HeLa cells. Immunoblotting data also shows that the expression of GRP78, ER stress marker protein, was induced by the olibanum. Bcl-2, anti-apototic protein, was decreased and that the expression of Bax, pro-apoptotic protein, was increased by the addition of olibanum. Interestingly, the olibanum increased the activity of caspase-8 as well as calpain cysteine pretense in HeLa cervical carcinoma cells. Calpain inhibitor-calpastatin as well as caspase-8C/A expression abrogated olibanum-induced apoptosis in the carcinoma cells. The inhibition of caspase-8 regulated olibanum-induced calpain activation but the inhibition of calpain did not have any effect on the caspase-8 activation in HeLa human cervical carcinoma cells. Conclusion : We conclude that olibanum induces the accumulation of calcium and the resultant apoptosis in which caspase-8 and calpain are involved.