• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.245-250
• /
• 2015

Silibinin, a natural flavonoid antioxidant isolated from extracts of the milk thistle herb, has recently been identified as having anti-hepatotoxic and anticancer properties. In this paper, we investigated the effects of silibinin on behavior and neuroplasticity in mice subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). After 5 consecutive weeks of CUMS, the mice were treated with silibinin (100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg by oral gavage) for 3 consecutive weeks. The results showed that silibinin administration significantly alleviated the CUMS-induced depressive-like behavior, including the total number of squares crossed and the frequency of rearing in the open field test, the immobility time in the tail suspension test and the forced swimming test. Furthermore, silibinin treatment increased the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Our study provides new insight into the protective effects of silibinin on the depressive status of CUMS mice, specifically by improving neuroplasticity and neurotransmission.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.13 no.5
• /
• pp.357-360
• /
• 2009

It is hypothesized that a number of environmental factors affect animals' behavior. Without controlling these variables, it is very hard for researchers to get not only reliable, but replicable data from various behavioral experiments testing animals' cognitive as well as emotional functions. For example, laboratory mice which had restricted environment showed different synaptic potentiation properties with wild mice (Zhao MG et al., 2009). While performing behavioral experiments, however, it is sometimes inevitable that the researcher changes the animals' environments, as by switching the cages in which experimental animals are housed and separating animals raised together into small experimental groups. In this study, we investigated the effect of environmental changes on mice's emotional behaviors by socially isolating them or reducing the size of their cage. We found that social isolation selectively increases the animals' levels of anxiety, while leaving depression-like behaviors unchanged. On the other hand, alteration of the housing dimensions affected neither their anxiety levels nor their depression-like behaviors. These results suggest that environmental variables may have a prominent impact on experimental animals' emotional behaviors and possibly their psychological states, leading to bias in the behavioral data produced from experiments.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
• /
• 2005.05a
• /
• pp.432-435
• /
• 2005

Extensive width reduction of slabs is an important technology to achieve continuous production between the steelmaking and hot rolling processes. Conventionally, a vertical roll process has been used to achieve extensive width reduction. However, it is impossible to avoid the defects such as dog-bone, fish tail and camber. The deformation behavior in the width sizing process is more favorable than that in conventional vertical rolling edger, i.e. the material better flows toward the center of slab. This study is carried out to investigate the deformation of slab by two-step sizing press. The FE-simulation is utilized to predict plastic deformation mode in compression by a sizing press of slabs far hot rolling. In this paper, the various causes of the asymmetrical rolling phenomena are mentioned for the purpose of understanding of rolling conditions. Analytical results of slab-deformation by sizing press are presented below in this study.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.334-339
• /
• 2022

Peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6) is a bifunctional protein with both glutathione peroxidase and calcium-independent phospholipase activity. Recently, we reported that PRDX6 plays an important role in dopaminergic neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease. However, the relationship between PRDX6 function and emotional behavior remains elusive. In the present study, we examined depression- and anxiety-like behaviors in PRDX6-overexpressing transgenic (PRDX6-Tg) mice using the forced swim test, tail suspension test, open field paradigm, and elevated plus-maze. PRDX6-Tg mice exhibited depression-like behaviors and low anxiety. In particular, female PRDX6-Tg mice exhibited anxiolytic behavior in the open field test. Furthermore, the serotonin content in the cortex and 5-hydroxytryptophan-induced head twitch response were both reduced in PRDX6-Tg mice. Interestingly, levels of dopa decarboxylase expression in the cortex were decreased in male PRDX6-Tg mice but not in female mice. Our findings provide novel insights into the role of PRDX6 in 5-HT synthesis and suggest that PRDX6 overexpression can induce depression-like behaviors via downregulation of the serotonergic neuronal system.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.280-287
• /
• 2001

These studies aimed to determine how lighting might be used to improve feed intake and reduce aggressive behavior in newly weaned pigs. To examine whether this objective could be achieved an experiment was conducted to compare performance, behavior and body condition of weaners over 17-45 days, provided similar lighting quality (i.e. color temperature, color rendering index and lighting distribution) after weaning that piglets experienced prior to weaning. Triphosphor (TP) lighting to simulate daylight was provided during the day while at night, Pascal red (PR) lighting was provided to simulate the night-light piglets previously had received from infrared heating lamps. This treatment was compared to weaners provided conventional cool-white fluorescent light during the day only. Weaners on treatment lighting from 17-45 days of age showed no improvement in body weight or feed conversion at 24, 31, 38 and 45 days compared to the controls. There was, however, a significant improvement (p<0.05) in feed intake in the first week of weaning for weaners provided TP/PR lighting. Over the first 3 days of weaning, pigs on TP/PR lighting showed an increase (p<0.05) in the incidence of ear chewing but reduced (p<0.05) levels of nosing the abdomen of other pigs and reduced (p<0.05) occurrences of being stood on by other pigs. Females exhibited more (p<0.05) mounting and nosing behaviors and rubbing the heads of other pigs than males. On the other hand, males engaged in more (p<0.05) fighting, nipping, ear chewing and standing on other pigs compared to females. Pigs provided PR lighting on the first night of weaning engaged in higher (p<0.05) incidences of nosing and tail sucking behaviors, more (p<0.05) head thrusting, fighting and ear chewing compared to control pigs. The body condition of weaners provided the TP/PR lighting treatment was significantly poorer (p<0.05) compared to weaners on control lighting. In conclusion there was no improvement in production performance of weaners provided new technology lighting apart from the improvement in feed intake in the first week weaners were exposed to the TP/PR lighting.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.205-212
• /
• 2013

This paper presents the results of a numerical study on the effects of a side guide on the top and tail camber. The temperature distribution on the surface of an actual hot-rolled bar was measured using a thermal imager. The measured temperatures were incorporated with finite element analysis, and the thermomechanical behavior of the hot bar was examined. The installation location of the side guide, length of the side guide, and gap between the bar and the insides of the side guide were selected as the parameters to be investigated. The results show that it is more effective to install the side guide at the position where the magnitude of the camber is larger. It is noted that a longer side guide is more effective than a shorter one in reducing the camber. It is also found that the camber decreases in proportion with the guiding gap.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.13-17
• /
• 2015

Objectives : Taraxacum platycarpum H. Dahlstedt has been reported to have several biological properties such as skin hydration and antiinflammation. The purpose of this study was to examine the antidepressive effects of water extract of T. platycarpum (WTP) on an animal model of depression. Methods : In the present study, normal ICR mice (4 weeks) were used, and orally administered with WTP (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg). Depression-like behavior was monitored the forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) in mice. The locomotor activity was evaluated to eliminate the false-positive activity in the open field test (OFT). Fluoxetine, the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, as a positive control was intraperitoneally administered at a dose of 15 mg/kg at 30 min before starting the behavioral test. Moreover, we evaluated the effects of WTP on the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/ cyclic AMP response-element binding protein (CREB) signaling pathway in the hippocampus using Western blot. Results : The administration of WTP (50 and 100 mg/kg) significantly (P < 0.05, respectively) reduced the immobility time during FST and TST without accompanying changes in locomotor activity by OFT. Furthermore, WTP at dose of 100 mg/kg increased the BDNF expression and the phosphorylation of ERK and CREB in the hippocampus region. Conclusions : These results suggest that WTP has a useful anti-depressant effect through the regulation of BDNF/ERK/CREB signaling pathway.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.168-177
• /
• 2019

Dysregulation of excitatory neurotransmission has been implicated in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders. Pharmacological inhibition of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors is widely used to model neurobehavioral pathologies and underlying mechanisms. There is ample evidence that overstimulation of NMDA-dependent neurotransmission may induce neurobehavioral abnormalities, such as repetitive behaviors and hypersensitization to nociception and cognitive disruption, pharmacological modeling using NMDA has been limited due to the induction of neurotoxicity and blood brain barrier breakdown, especially in young animals. In this study, we examined the effects of intraperitoneal NMDA-administration on nociceptive and repetitive behaviors in ICR mice. Intraperitoneal injection of NMDA induced repetitive grooming and tail biting/licking behaviors in a dose- and age-dependent manner. Nociceptive and repetitive behaviors were more prominent in juvenile mice than adult mice. We did not observe extensive blood brain barrier breakdown or neuronal cell death after peritoneal injection of NMDA, indicating limited neurotoxic effects despite a significant increase in NMDA concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid. These findings suggest that the observed behavioral changes were not mediated by general NMDA toxicity. In the hot plate test, we found that the latency of paw licking and jumping decreased in the NMDA-exposed mice especially in the 75 mg/kg group, suggesting increased nociceptive sensitivity in NMDA-treated animals. Repetitive behaviors and increased pain sensitivity are often comorbid in psychiatric disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder). Therefore, the behavioral characteristics of intraperitoneal NMDA-administered mice described herein may be valuable for studying the mechanisms underlying relevant disorders and screening candidate therapeutic molecules.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information Security & Cryptology
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.213-224
• /
• 2012

The integrated core network architecture and various mobile subscriber behavior can result in a significant increase of signaling load inside the evolved packet core network proposed by 3GPP in Release 8. Consequently, an authentication signaling analysis can provide insights into reducing the authentication signaling loads and latency, satisfying the quality-of-experience. In this paper, we evaluate the signaling loads in the EPS architecture via analytical modeling based on the renewal process theory. The renewal process theory works well, irrespective of a specific random process (i.e. Poisson). This paper considers various subscribers patterns in terms of call arrival rate, mobility, subscriber's preference and operational policy. Numerical results are illustrated to show the interactions between the parameters and the performance metrics. The sensitivity of vertical handover performance and the effects of heavy-tail process are also discussed.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.13 no.1_2
• /
• pp.131-138
• /
• 1997

Group of 40 male and 40 female Sprague-Dawley rats were given daily intravenous injections of different dosage of Erythropoietin (EPO), 80 IU/ kg/day (low dosage group), 400 IU/ kg/day (middle dosage group), or 2000 IU /kg/day (high dosage group)for 4 weeks by tail vein according to Established Regulation of Korean National Institute of Safety Research (1994. 4. 14). Appearance, behavior, mortality, and food consumption of rats of treated groups were not affected during the experimental periods. No significant EPO (erythropoietin)-related changes were found in urinalysts, eye examination, hematology, serum chemistry, and organ weight. No histopathological lesions were observed in both control and treatment groups. Our results strongly suggest that no toxic changes were found in rat treated intravenously with EPO (erythropoietin)for 4 weeks.