• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.283-289
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• 2008

Lepidium meyenii, known as Maca, is traditionally employed in the Andean region for its supposed properties to improve energy and fertility. In the present study, we investigated the effects of gelatinized and fermented Maca on improvement of physical stamina and epididymal sperm counts, and on blood biochemical parameters related to fatigue and tissue injury: creatine phosphokinase, aspartate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, blood urea nitrogen, glucose, total cholesterol and total proteins. Adult male mice was divided at random into two main groups (resting and excercise groups). The excercise group was separated into three subgroups (exercise only, exercise with gelatinized Maca and fermented Maca-treatment groups). Gelatinized or fermented Maca (800 mg/kg) were orally administered for 30 days. All animals in exercise groups were subjected to daily 30-min swimming for 28 days 30 min after Maca treatment. Daily exercise decreased the body weight gain, and fermented Maca further attenuated the body weight increase. Gelatinized and fermented Maca significantly increased the maximum swimming time on 14 and 28 days of treatment (p<0.05), respectively, suggestive of a long-term stamina-enhancing effect of fermented Maca. Both Maca fully or significantly recovered blood parameters of energy as well as muscular and hepatocytic injuries changed by repeated exercise and maximum swimming performance (p<0.01). Moreover, gelatinized and fermented Maca increased epididymal sperm counts 22.0% and 32.0%, respectively. In conclusion, the results indicate potential benefits of Maca for improving both physical stamina by minimizing muscular and hepatic damage and preserving energy during swimming exercise and male reproductive function by increasing epididymal sperm counts.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.53-56
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• 2011

Infertility of the pig is directly affects on economic loss and failure of the embryo transfer. In the present case report, we show one rare case of porcine infertility resulted from oviductal obstruction. A gilt showing normal heat behaviors was selected as a recipient of embryo transfer. During the laparotomy surgery, abnormality of the reproductive tract was founded. Several large sized cyst-like structures were founded on infundibulum and body of uterus. Severe enlargement of oviduct represents that obstruction of the oviduct. Sign of fibrosis on the surface of uterus and other internal organs revealed that the obstruction was come arise from prior peritonitis. Mild neutropenia and elevated number of monocytes, eosinophils and platelets in blood smear represent that the peritonitis might be due to chronic parasitic infection. Ovarian function was seems to be normal due to blood progesterone concentration was higher than basal level. The pig was culled because she cannot be recovered by surgical or hormonal treatment.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.76-100
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• 2000

A brief general discussion of the nature and function of biosensors is presented. While the primary motivator for biosensor development has been the health-care industries, recent research efforts have spread to problems in agriculture and biological production systems. To illustrate some of the research from our laboratory, three example biosensors and their corresponding applications are presented. The first of these is an immunosensor for measurement of the hormone progesterone during milking as a method to improve reproductive management of dairy herds. The second example is an enzyme sensor for measurement of urea in milk as a menas to determine the efficiency of conversion of input protein to milk protein and, thus, improve nutritional management of dairy herds. The third example is a DNA sensor using polymerase chain reaction to detect pathogenic bacteria in the wash water of fresh and minimally processed fruits and vegetables. The potential for application of biosensors in agriculture, agrobiotechnology, food processing, and environmental monitoring has barely been realized.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.643-652
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• 2017

Calreticulin (CALR), a multifunctional protein thoroughly researched in mammals, comprises N-, P-, and C-domain and has roles in calcium homeostasis, chaperoning, clearance of apoptotic cells, cell adhesion, and also angiogenesis. In this study, the spatial and temporal expression patterns of the Opisthorchis viverrini CALR gene were analyzed, and calcium-binding and chaperoning properties of recombinant O. viverrini CALR (OvCALR) investigated. OvCALR mRNA was detected from the newly excysted juvenile to the mature parasite by RT-PCR while specific antibodies showed a wide distribution of the protein. OvCALR was localized in tegumental cell bodies, testes, ovary, eggs, Mehlis' gland, prostate gland, and vitelline cells of the mature parasite. Recombinant OvCALR showed an in vitro suppressive effect on the thermal aggregation of citrate synthase. The recombinant OvCALR C-domain showed a mobility shift in native gel electrophoresis in the presence of calcium. The results imply that OvCALR has comparable function to the mammalian homolog as a calcium-binding molecular chaperone. Inferred from the observed strong immunostaining of the reproductive tissues, OvCALR should be important for reproduction and might be an interesting target to disrupt parasite fecundity. Transacetylase activity of OvCALR as reported for calreticulin of Haemonchus contortus could not be observed.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.118-127
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• 1999

The aim of this study was to establish the method of differential diagnosis between developing and regressing corpus luteum in cows. Plasma progesterone (P$_4$) concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay in slaughtered, cycling and pregnant cows. Ultrasonography was used to measure the corpus luteum size and histogram values for determining the correlationships between corpus luteum area or histogram values and plasma P$_4$ concentrations. The corpora lutea were monitored in vitro (water-bath scanning) by using ultrasonography with 7.5 MHz linear-array transducer in 196 slaughtered cows. The correlation coefficient between corpus luteum area and plasma P$_4$ concentrations was 0.46 (p<0.01), and between histogram values and plasma P$_4$ concentrations was -0.44 (p<0.01), respectively. The corpora lutea were monitored by ultrasonography with 5.0 MHz linear-array transrectal transducer in 188 cycling and 30 pregnant cows. The corpus luteum areas and plasma P4 concentrations were significantly different between regressing and other corpora lutea (p<0.01), and also histogram values were significantly different between regressing and developing corpola lutea (p＜0.01). The correlation coefficients between corpus luteum areas and plasma P$_4$ concentrations were 0.76 (p<0.01), 0.71 (p<0.01), 0.65 (p＜0.05) and 0.68 (p<0.05), and between histogram values and plasma P$_4$ concentrations were 0.74 (p<0.05), 0.71 (p＜0.01), -0.52 (p<0.05) and 0.65 (p＜0.05) in developing, functional, regressing and pregnant corpora lutea, respectively. These results indicate that corpus luteum areas and plasma P$_4$ concentrations were highly correlated in all stages of corpus luteum. The histogram values and plasma P$_4$ concentrations were positive correlated in developing, functional and pregnant corpora lutea, but negative correlated in regressing corpus luteum. Therefore, the measurement of corpus luteum area and histogram value by ultrasonography is reliable method for the assessment of luteal function, specially developing and regressing corpus luteum.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.385-391
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• 2008

This study was performed to examine the effect of 2,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB#118) on testis of male rats. PCB#118 (20 mg/kg/week) in corn oil was intraperitoneally injected to adult male rats for 2, 5, 8 weeks. The body and testicular weights were measured at 3, 6, 9 weeks of PCB treatment. The morphological changes in the rat testes were then analyzed by light microscopy (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that PCB#118 caused significant change in the body weights and testicular weights. Moreover, the morphological studies that were conducted on the PCB-treated rats revealed that the number of spermatocytes and spermatids in their seminiferous tubules decreased than control group (LM). The nuclear membrane was damaged when PCB was administered to them for 9 weeks (TEM). These results suggest that the reproductive function of the adult male rats is sensitive to PCB#118, and that may affect the testicular morphology of adult male rats.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.123-126
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• 2010

The purpose of present study was to analyze mineral contents in various tissues and investigate theirs relation with bone mineral density (BMD) in rats. Fifteen Sprague-Dawley rats were fed standard diet for 4 weeks. Body weight gain, feed intake, and feed efficiency ratio were 41.00 g/week, 171.15 g/week, and 0.24 respectively. Among 12 minerals in serum, Ca is the highest with 6.86 mg/dl. Serum Mg, Se, and Cu were 2.52 mg/dl, 0.23 mg/dl and 0.22 mg/dl respectively. Mg contents in liver, spleen, and kidney were $246.36\;{\mu}/g$, $105.01\;{\mu}/g$, and $273.38\;{\mu}/g$ respectively. Tibia contents of Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe and V were 194.91 mg/g, 23.10 mg/g, 0.60 mg/g, 0.35 mg/g and 0.14 mg/g respectively. BMDs of right tibia and spine were 122.04 mg/cm and $153.61\;mg/cm^2$. There were significantly positive correlations between tibia BMD and Se (p<0.05), tibia BMD and V (p<0.01), spinal BMD and V(p<0.05), respectively. It's expected that these results are used as a reference data in following study to elucidate physiological function of minerals.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.1211-1216
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• 2011

Sexual maturity in poultry is controlled by a complex neural circuit located in the basal forebrain, which integrates the central and peripheral signals to activate hypothalamic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion. This study demonstrated the changes of GnRH-I, POMC and NPY mRNA transcription in hypothalamus and IGF-I and leptin levels in serum of Shaoxing ducks during puberty. Body weight increased progressively from d30 to d120 and at d120 the flock reached 5% of laying rate. A significant upregulation of hypothalamic GnRH-I mRNA expression was observed from d60, reaching the peak at d120. POMC and NPY mRNA expression in hypothalamus showed a similar pattern, which increased from d30 to d60, followed by a significant decrease towards sexual maturity. Serum IGF-I levels exhibited two peaks at d30 and d120, respectively. Serum leptin displayed a single peak at d90. The results indicate that the down-regulation of POMC and NPY genes in hypothalamus coincides with the up-regulation of GnRH-I gene to initiate sexual maturation in ducks. In addition, peripheral IGF-I and leptin may relay the peripheral metabolic status to the central system and contribute to the initiation of the reproductive function in ducks.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.257-266
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• 2008

Purpose: These experiments were undertaken to evaluate the effect of Onpoeum on ovarian functions and differential gene expressions related with cell viabilities caspase-3, MAPK and MPG in female mice. Methods: We administered the Onpoeum to 6-week-old female ICR mice for 4, 8, or 12 days. With different concentration of Onpoeum, the female mice were injected PMSG and hCG for ovarian hyperstimulation. The mice divided into 3 different groups for each experiment. We chose the Caspase-3 for cell apoptosis, MAPK and MPG genes for cell viability and DNA repair. Results: In case of 4, 8, 12 day of Onpoeum, we were examined the mean number of total ovulated oocytes and the number of morphologically normal oocytes. We were also examined the embryonic developmental competence in vitro. In addition we were examined the differential expression of cell apoptosis, viability and DNA repair related genes, Caspase-3, MAPK and MPG according to concentration and duration of Onpoeum. From these results showed that the administration of Onpoeum played a role of prevention of cell apoptosis and DNA damages and also increased cell proliferation resulted in ovarian functions. Conclusions: It is suggested that the medication of Onpoeum may have beneficial effect on reproductive functions of female mice via prevention of cell apoptosis and DNA damaging and promotion of cell proliferation.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.43-52
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• 2020

NUCB2/nesfatin-1 known to regulate appetite and energy homeostasis is expressed not only in the hypothalamus, but also in various organs and tissues. Our previous reports also demonstrated that NUCB2/nesfatin-1 was expressed in the reproductive organs, including the ovaries, uterus, and testes of mice. However, it is yet known whether NUCB2/nesfatin-1 is expressed in the oviduct and how its expression is regulated. Therefore, we investigated the expression of NUCB2/nesfatin-1 in the oviduct and its expression is regulated by gonadotropin. Immunohistochemical staining results showed that nesfatin-1 protein was localized in epithelial cells of the oviduct. As a result of quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot, NUCB2/nesfatin-1 was detected strongly in the oviducts. During the estrus cycle, NUCB2/nesfatin-1 expression in the oviducts was markedly higher in the proestrus stage than in other estrus stages. In order to elucidate whether the expression of NUCB2 mRNA is controlled by the gonadotropins, we injected PMSG and hCG and measured NUCB2 mRNA level in the oviduct after injection. Its level was increased in the oviduct after PMSG injection, but no significant change after hCG injection. In addition, NUCB2 mRNA levels were markedly reduced after ovariectomy, while recovered after 17β-estradiol (E2) injection, but not by progesterone (P4). This study demonstrated that NUCB2/nesfatin-1 is highly expressed in the oviduct of mouse and its expression is regulated by E2 secreted by the ovaries. These results suggest that NUCB2/nesfatin-1 expressed by the oviduct may affect the function of the oviduct regulated by the ovaries.