• Development and Reproduction
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.177-184
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• 2006

Retinol-binding protein(RBP) plays an important role in the specific transport of retinol to target cells through the blood stream in higher vertebrates. In order to clarify the effects of 4-nonylphenol(4-NP) on RBP mRNA expression in the rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli which is common in coastal waters of Korea and commercially important species, the cDNA library was constructed from the liver, and a partial fragment of the RBP gene was cloned. The deduced amino acid sequence from the RBP mRNA showed a high homology to the amino acid sequence from Sparus aurata(80%), Oncorhynchus mykiss(72%) or Anguilla anguilla(78%). Effects of 4-NP on RBP and vitellogenin(VTG) mRNA expression level in rockfish were examined by the northern blot analysis. In female and male rockfish injected with 4-NP(10 mg/kg BW, lower dose), there was no changes in the levels of VTG mRNA expression in the liver. The RBP mRNA levels, however, decreased at 48 hours after the injection in male. In the rockfish injected with 4-NP(25 mg/kg BW, higher dose), the level of VTG mRNA expression increased after 24 hours, regardless of sex. The level of RBP mRNA expression decreased at 48 hours after the injection in both sexes. These data indicate that estrogenic mimics such as 4-NP exhibit a contrasting effect on RBP and VTG gene expression in rockfish.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.744-750
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• 2012

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of 12 weeks-moderate aerobic exercise training on body composition, adiponectin, retinol-binding protein-4 (RBP-4), and vascular inflammation factors in obese children. The subjects were classified into two groups, one of which was an exercise group (n=15) practicing moderate aerobic exercise training for 12 weeks, and the other group, the control group (n=13), was not in that program. The exercise group participants performed on the treadmill running at heart rate reserve (HRR) 50% of exercise intensity for 300 kcal of the consumed time. The results of all the studies and inspections are as follows: Weight, body mass index, body fat, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly lower, while $VO_2$ max was higher in the exercise group than in the control group (p<0.05, respectively). Fasting glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR levels in the exercise group were significantly decreased (p<0.05), whereas adiponectin levels in the exercise group were significantly increased after 12 weeks' exercise training (p<0.05). In addition, our results showed that RBP4, C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations in the exercise group were significantly lower than those of the control group (p<0.05). This investigation has shown that a 12 weeks-regular aerobic exercise program offers useful effects such as an amelioration of inflammation and body indices in obese children.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.185-193
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• 2011

To investigate the influences of candidate genes on the birth weight and the early stages of life, genotyping of the prolactin receptor 3 (PRLR3) and retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) genes was performed in 156 and 141 Berkshire pigs, respectively. The frequency of both PRLR3 alleles A and a was 0.50. The frequencies of the RBP4 alleles B and b were 0.42 and 0.58, respectively. Neither locus was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. No significant associations of the PRLR3 alleles with birth or weaning weights and of the RBP4 alleles with birth weight were observed. The proportions of the phenotype variances due to the genotypes of PRLR3 in the feeder weights was 4.0% and those of RBP4 in the weaning and feeder weights were 11.9 and 3.3%, respectively (P < 0.05). The dominance effect of PRLR3 and RBP4 on feeder weights was 2.40 and -1.86 kg, respectively (P < 0.01). The additive and dominance effects of RBP4 on weaning weights were 0.332 and -0.682 kg, respectively (P < 0.01). Even if no significant epistasis of PRLR3 and RBP4 was detected, a considerable trend of consistent positive epistasis estimates of AA/BB and Aa/Bb was observed for all traits. The results of this study may have a considerable impact on early-stage growth by both loci, and a selection strategy should be designed separately for each marker in Berkshire pigs.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.15
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• pp.6507-6512
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• 2015

Background: Vaspin and Retinol binding protein-4 (RBP4) are new adipokines mainly produced by adipose tissue. Considering that medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a malignant neuroendocrine tumor, and to date the relationship between serum levels of vaspin and RBP4 with MTC has not been studied, in this matched case-control study we evaluated their possible significance to this tumor type. Materials and Methods: A total of 45 patients with MTC (21 males and 24 females) and 45 healthy persons as a control group (24 males and 21 females) were selected. The two groups were matched for age, sex and body mass index. Serum Vaspin and RBP4 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods in both groups. Also, weight and height were measured and body mass index was calculated too. Results: In total, patients with MTC had significantly higher serum vaspin levels compared to the controls (0.52ng/ml vs. 0.45ng/ml, P=0.0241). However, no significant difference was found in serum RBP4 concentrations between the patients with MTC and the controls ($15.2{\pm}2.55{\mu}g/ml$ versus $15.1{\pm}3.34{\mu}g/ml$, p>0.05). Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrated that serum RBP4 levels in MTC patients are not significantly different from those found in healthy individuals and did not correlate with MTC. On the other hand, higher levels of serum vaspin are associated with an increased risk of MTC. Thus Vaspin may be a novel and promising biomarker for diagnosis or confirmation of MTC in conjunction other specific tumor markers.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.321-328
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• 2018

Purpose: Feeding children is a problem in pediatric intensive care units (PICU) and it is difficult to know the correct amount. The purpose of this study is to evaluate if prealbumin or retinol binding proteins (RBP) are effective relative to daily enteral nutrition, without being affected by severity of diseases or infections and can be used to follow up nutritional amount. Methods: This is a prospective observational study that includes 81 patients admitted to PICU in Akdeniz University with estimated duration >72 hours, age between 1 month and 8 years. Daily calorie and protein intake were calculated and prealbumin, RBP and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured on the first, third, fifth and seventh mornings. Results: We find moderate correlation between daily calorie intake and prealbumin levels (r=0.432, p<0.001), RBP levels and daily protein intake (r=0.330, p<0.001). When we investigated the relationship between changes of prealbumin, RBP, CRP, calorie and protein intake during intensive care stay, we found that increase of Prealbumin and RBP levels are explained by decrease of CRP levels (r=-0.546 and -0.645, p<0.001) and not with increase of nourishment. Conclusion: Even adjusted for PRISM3, age and CRP, prealbumin and RBP are correlated with last 24 hours' diet. However, it is not convenient to use as a follow up biomarker because increase of their levels is related with decrease of CRP levels.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.183-188
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• 2012

To investigate the influence of the prolactin receptor 3 (PRLR3) gene and the retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) gene on the production traits of swine, genotyping was performed on 156 and 141 Berkshire pigs, respectively, that were carefully selected for economic traits. The frequencies of allele A in the PRLR3 locus and allele B in the RBP4 locus were 0.50 and 0.42, respectively. Neither locus was in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. After a genotype was assigned to the individuals whose parents had the homozygous genotype, a statistical analysis was conducted for 291 pigs. The animals with the PRLR3 and RBP4 genotypes included 182 and 227 head, respectively. Even though the genotypic effects of PRLR3 (p<0.05) and RBP4 (p<0.01) had a significant influence on the pigs' back fat thickness, the interaction of both genes was not highly significant in terms of the back fat thickness (p = 0.1235). While the estimated epistasis effects of aaBB and aaBb decreased the back fat thickness and reduced the growth rate, the effects of AAbb and aabb increased the growth rate. Despite the insignificant difference in the PRLR genotypes in terms of the days to 90 kg and the average daily gain, the back fat thickness showed a significant difference (p<0.05), and the additive effect of allele A and the dominant effect of the hetero-genotype were -0.377 and 1.206 mm, respectively. The RBP4 genotypes had a very significant effect (p<0.01) on the back fat thickness, the days to 90 kg, and the average daily gain. The additive effects of allele B of the RBP4 locus on the back fat thickness, the days to 90 kg, and the average daily gain were 0.70 mm, -1.3 days and 6.2 g, respectively. Moreover, the dominant effects of the heterozygote for those traits were 0.63 mm, 9.9 days and -45.0 g, respectively. Allele A of the PRLR3 locus favorably influenced the back fat thickness, the days to 90 kg of the body weight, and the average daily gain and its dominant effect unfavorably influenced those traits. Allele B of RBP4 showed an incremental growth rate and back fat thickness, which could lower the lean meat percentage in the carcass. The RBP4 hetero-genotype negatively affected the pork production. These results strongly imply that the selection of allele A of PRLR3 and allele B of RBP4 would produce highly productive pigs in the Berkshire breed. Careful selection of allele B of RBP4 is required because of the increase in the back fat thickness.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.9-23
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• 1997

Retinoids are essential regulators of spithelial cell growth and celluar differentiation. They are also known to be effective in photoaging. It was reported that topical application of retinoic acid improves facial wrinkle carsed by collagen synthesis reduction in photodamaged skin. Collagen synthesis by retinoic acid may contribute to the wrinkle effacement. Since celluar retinoic acid binding protein II is slsctively induced in human skin and dermal fibroblasts in vitro by retinoic acid, this response can be used to mesure retinoids potency and activity. In order to know the activity of retinoids and their relations with collagen synthesis, we treated dermal fibroblasts with retinoids for 48 hours at 10-6-10-7M and measured CRABPII mRNA level by quantitative Nortern blotting. We also measured the rate of collagen systhesis by retinoids using 3-dimensional dermal equivalent. CRABPII mRNA level was increased 3-fold by retinoic acid, 2.1-fold by retinol and 1.4-fold by retinaldehyde. Collagen systhesis was increased 34% by all-trans retinioc acid, 26% by retinol, 17% by retinaldehyde and 7% by retinyl palmitate. From the above results, retinoids were found to be a potent indecers of CRABPII mRNA and collagen synthesis. Though retinoic acid was the most effective, its use has been restricted because of the side effects. Instead, retinol can be a best candidate in cosmetics for the treatment of photodamaged skin in terms of efficacy and safety.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.8-11
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• 2021

Transthyretin (TTR) is an important transporter protein for thyroxine (T4) and a holo-retinol protein in human. In its native state, TTR forms a tetrameric complex to construct the hydrophobic binding pocket for T4. On the other hand, this protein is also infamous for its amyloidogenic propensity, which causes various human diseases, such as senile systemic amyloidosis and familial amyloid polyneuropathy/cardiomyopathy. In this work, to investigate various structural features of TTR with solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, we conducted backbone NMR signal assignments. Except the N-terminal two residues and prolines, backbone 1H-15N signals of all residues were successfully assigned with additional chemical shift information of 13CO, 13Cα, and 13Cβ for most residues. The chemical shift information reported here will become an important basis for subsequent structural and functional studies of TTR.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1066-1072
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise on adipokines and inflammatory reaction in obesity and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) children. We studied obese (OG, n=9), type 1 diabetic (DG, n=9), and normal (NG, n=9) children groups. Measurement factors included body weight, % fat, body mass index (BMI), $VO_2max$, lipid profiles and adipokines. The results showed significant differences in body weight, % fat, BMI, and $VO_2max$ (ml/kg/min) among the OG, DG, and NG (p<0.05) groups. There were significant differences in LDL-C and HDL-C between the OG, DG, and NG groups (p<0.05). In addition, adiponectin and retinol binding protein (RBP)-4 were significantly changed in DG and NG after 12 weeks exercise training (p<0.05), and there were also significant differences among the OG, DG, and NG groups (p<0.05). Monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 in the OG, DG, and NG groups was significantly increased after 12 weeks exercise training (p<0.05). In conclusion, regulatory aerobic exercise does not change body composition in obese children with T1DM, but exercise and decreased blood inflammatory factors in T1DM may protect obese children from metabolic syndrome.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.825-830
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• 2010

Two diallelic markers at candidate gene loci, the prolactin receptor 3 (PRLR3) gene and the retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) gene were evaluated for their association with growth and litter size traits in Berkshire. Genetic evaluation was conducted for 5,919 pigs with pedigree information, which included 3,480 growth performance records and 775 litter size records of 224 sows. From the same herd, genotyping was carried out on 144 and 156 animals for PRLR3 and RBP4, respectively. After assigning a genotype to subjects in which both parents had a homozygous genotype, numbers of genotyped animals increased to 474 and 338, for the PRLR3 gene and RBP4 gene, respectively. The genotype effects of two markers were estimated with breeding values of the genotyped animals. The additive effects of total number of piglets born and number of piglets born alive in the PRLR3 locus were -0.28 and -0.13, respectively. The dominance effect of the RBP4 locus on average daily gain was -10.58 g. However, the polymorphism of the RBP4 locus in total number of piglets born and number of piglets born alive has shown -0.34 and -0.33 of the additive genetic effects. In view of the results, MAS (marker-assisted selection) favoring B alleles of RBP4 and PRLR3 loci could potentially accelerate the rate of the genetic improvement in the litter size traits.