• Journal of Photoscience
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.249-251
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• 2002

The avian pineal as well as the retina has been known to contain several types of photoreceptors with different visual pigments such as rhodopsin, iodopsin and the pineal specific opsin, pinopsin. These organs are also known to have circadian clock to regulate melatonin production. Exposure of animals to light causes a decline of the melatonin level and the phase shifts of melatonin rhythms in the pineal and retina. Therefore, the circadian clock system of these organs seem to consist of three elements, i.e., light input, oscillator and melatonin output systems. In birds, it was suggested that rhodopsin might be involved in the entrainment of pineal melatonin rhythms from the action spectrum experiment for controlling NAT activity rhythms. However, there are much more pinopsin-immunoreactive (Pino-IR) cells than rhodopsin (Rho-IR) and iodopsin (Iodo-IR) cells in the avian pineal. We found that Pino-IR cells appeared earlier embryonic stages than Rho-IR and Iodo-IR cells. So, we tried to identify the visual pigments involved in the circadian melatonin rhythms in the pineal and retina. Organ cultured pineals were exposed to monochromatic light to find out which opsin participates in regulation of melatonin rhythms. The action spectra showed a peak at 475nm, suggesting that pinopsin is the major photopigment to regulate melatonin production in birds.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.21-24
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• 2002

Pineal organs of poikilotherm vertebrates transform the environmental light information into a humoral message and a neuronal activity. The former is melatonin, and the latter is modulation of the impulse in ganglion cells. The ganglion cells are physiologically classified into luminosity (achromatic) type and chromatic one, as the neural activity is modulated in two ways. We attempted to classify the pineal ganglion cells with morphological characteristics by means of the three- dimensional reconstruction method. In the pineal ganglion cells of river lamprey, there are two different features, oval and spherical. For comparison of their projection region in the brain, the tracing investigation was also carried out. The application of the neural tracer near mesencephalic tegmentum showed that only oval-shaped ganglion cells were labeled in the pineal organ. These results suggest that the oval-shaped ganglion cell is functionally different from the spherical one.

• Applied Microscopy
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.255-264
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• 2000

메기 송과체를 대상으로 3차원적 전자현미경법을 이용하여, 송과체를 구성하는 신경세포 및 광수용세포 돌기들의 위치적 상호관계를 3차원적으로 구명하고자 하였다. 광수용세포의 돌기들은 서로 복잡하게 얽혀 있었으며, 다른 세포질내로 돌기의 일부가 파고드는 양상을 보이는 것도 있었다. 신경세포 돌기는 이들 읽혀 있는 광수용세포 돌기 사이를 주행하면서 여러군데서 리본연접을 형성하고 있었는데, 광수용세포내의 이들 리본연접의 수는 위치에 따라 다양하였다. 한편 송과강내에서는 탐식되기 전의 광수용세포 외절에 대식세포가 접근해 있는 것도 관찰되었다. 이상의 관찰결과, 메기 송과체의 광수용세포의 기저돌기는 다양한 형태이며, 특히 인접부위로 주행하는 신경세포의 돌기와 연접을 형성하기 위해 또 다른 가지를 내고 있음을 알 수 있었다.

• 한국식품영양학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국식품영양학회 2000년도 춘계학술심포지엄
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• pp.13-20
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• 2000

Melatonin, a chemical mediator produced in the mammalian pineal gland and several other organ, is a ubiquitously acting antioxidant. It has been shown to scavenge the hydroxyl radical (ㆍOH), singlet oxygen ($^1$O$_2$) and the peroxynitrite anion (ONOO-). In addition, melatonin reportedly stimulates a number of antioxidative enzymes including glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Antioxidative effect of melatonin in pharmacological and physiological level was investigated using hepatocarcinogen 2-nitropropane (2-NP) and pinealectornized (Px) rats, respectively. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) as indicated by malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxyalkenals and DNA damage as indicated by 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) induced by 2-NP were prevented by melatonin. The degree of LPO and DNA damage in Px rats were higher than those of intact old and young ones suggesting the removal of pineal gland resulted in higher accumulation of oxidative damage.

• 한국가금학회지
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.267-274
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• 2001

부화후 성장하는 꿩 송과샘의 미세구조적 발달을 구명하고자 1일령, 1, 2 및 6개월령을 희생시켜 광학 및 전자현미경을 이용하여 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. 광학현미경적 관찰에서 꿩 송과샘의 실질은 피막에 의해 싸여 있고 여기에서 기시하는 결합조직에 의해 불완전한 소엽 (lobule)으로 구분되었다. 송과샘실질은 소엽상과 불완전한 여포살이었으며, 둥근 핵과 염색성이 옅은 송과샘세포와 약간 짙고 길쭉한 핵을 갖는 지주세포로 구성되어 있었다. 전자현미경적 관찰에서 송과샘실질에는 길쭉한 송과샘세포와 지주세포가 소엽의 중심부를 향해 배열되어 있었고 광학현미경에서 소엽의 중심부에는 매우 불규칙한 막성층판복합체이나 포상구조물이 출현하였다. 실질은 비교적 밝은 솔과 샘세포와 짙은 핵을 갖는 지주세포로 구성되어 있었다. 송과샘세포는 잔유성 광수용세포의 형태를 취하였는데, 그 첨단부위의 밝고 팽대된 세포질에는 세포소기관이 빈약하나 섬모, 약간의 유리리보솜과 사립체가 출현하였다. 첨단부위세포질과 핵위부위세포질 사이의 좁아진 경부는 지주세포와 연접복합체를 이루고 목부위세포질내에는 미세소관이 풍부하였다. 핵주위세포질은 풍부하고 다수의 사립체, 잘 발달된 골지장치, 풍부한 과립형질내세망 및 유리 리보솜 등을 함유하고 있었다. 또한 핵아래부위세포질에서 여포의 기저부위로 기저돌기를 내고 있었다. 송과샘세포의 핵아래부위 세포질 및 기저돌기에서 60∼90nm 크기의 치밀소포가 관찰된 것이 특이하였고 짙은 핵을 갖고 긴 독기를 갖는 것이 특징이었다. 이상의 결과는 꿩 송과샘세포가 광수용능은 것의 없고 분비기능을 주로 수행하는 소견이었으며, 성숙 꿩의 송과샘의 미세구조적 연구를 확인하여 번식기와 비번식기에 따른 비교연구가 수행되어야 할 것으로 사료된다.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.166-170
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• 2010

Recently some researches have established that the melatonin, secreted by pineal gland, may evoke the changes of contractile responses on smooth muscles. We examined the effects of melatonin on the motility of rat pyloric antrum and which mechanism might be involved in the effects. Pyloric antral strips from the stomach of 20 Sprague-Dawley rats were prepared for isometric tension recording in organ bath. The strips were precontracted by acetylcholine and high-KCl solutions. In precontracted conditions the tensions were increased by accumulative application of melatonin ($10^{-8}-10^{-4}$ M) dose-dependently, even in resting states. And the effects were almost disappeared when the concentrations of ACh were over than 10 ${\mu}M$. The effects of melatonin were inhibited by pretreatment of 10 mM TEA and/or 10 ${\mu}M$ 4-AP and rarely affected by pretreatment of 1 mM TEA, 10 ${\mu}M$ glibenclamide and 10 ${\mu}M$ verapamil respectively. From these results it is concluded that the contractile responses of smooth muscles of rat pyloric antrum were enhanced by melatonin application and the mechanism might be concerned with the inhibition of some voltage-dependent potassium channels.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제19권5호
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• pp.1154-1161
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• 2005

Yin Yang theory is the first and the last one to interpret diseases apply to treatment in oriental medicine. So it is regarded as the way of heaven and earth, the discipline of all things, the origin of change, the beginning of giving birth and death, the source of spirit. These regulatory passages are needed to compare with western medical physiology and analyzed whether it has scientific bases or not. The Yin Yang theory of traditional oriental medicine are summerized from the descriptions of Scripture of Documents, Ying Wei theory of Huangdi Neijing. Meanwhile up-to-date neurobiological and molecular genetic theories on circadian physiology are reviewed in western medicine. Sunshine is transferred through RGC to SCN, herein the central circadian rhythm is made by zeitgeber and interaction of melatonin secreted from pineal body and orexin from mp pan of hypothalamus. So HPA axis is activated and controlled under the circadian rhythm and affects peripheral tissues and cells of whole body through glucocorticoid hormones. First of all, the circadian rhythm makes the basic patterns of human life in biological and sociological meaning. It is almost same context with the record of the Scripture of Documents. Also the Ying Qi and Wei Qi is basically same with the sleep-awake mechanism, that is melatonin/orexin signal or per/clk/bmal/cry genes with circadian activation and activity of each organ's physiological function. Conclusively it can be said that Yin Yang is a priori principle of living things and the beginning of giving birth and death for activation of them biologically, as is described in Huangdi Neijing.