• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.157-163
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• 2012

The male reproduction is precisely controlled by a number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. These factors usually involve in expressional regulation of various molecules influencing on sperm production in the testis. A number of ways are employed to control the transcription of specific genes, including epigenetic modifications of DNA and histone molecules. DNA methylation of CpG dinucleotides is a commonly used regulatory mechanism for testicular genes associated with the fertility. Previous studies have demonstrated the infertility induced by improper DNA methylation of these genes. In the present research, we attempted to determine transcriptional expression of some of these genes in the rat testis at different postnatal ages using real-time PCR analysis. These genes include neurotrophin 3 (Ntf3), insulin-like growth factor II (Igf2), JmjC-domain-containing histone demethylase 2A 1 (Jhm2da), paired box 8 transcription factor (Pax8), small nuclear ribonucleoprotein polypeptide N (Snrpn), and 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (Mthfr). The expression levels of Ntf3, Igf2, and Snrpn genes were the highest at the neonatal age, followed by transient decreases at the prepubertal age. Expression of Jhm2da and Mthfr genes were continuously increased from the neonate to 1 year of age. The levels of Pax8 mRNA at the early ages were higher than those at the later ages of postnatal development. These findings suggest that expression of some fertility-associated testicular genes in the rat during postnatal period could be differentially regulated by the control of the degree of DNA methylation.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.242-248
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• 2005

The present study was designed to elucidate the physiological changes with age by chronic administration of red ginseng. All rats were reared in the conventional system. Ginseng treated rats were continously supplied with ginseng water extracts together water from 6 weeks of age to the age 24 months. Rats did not show any discernible signs or the rejection symptoms by red ginseng water extracts. A long-term administration of red ginseng extracts did not cause any physiological changes in the gain of body and organs weight, food intake and general properties of urine. However, red ginseng caused to decrease the level of serum cholesterol, glucose and TBARS, and it attenuated effectively the age-dependent decline of LDH activity. Other biochemical parameters measured from blood and general properties of urine were not significantly changed. These results suggest that long-term administration of red ginseng to rat does not cause any clear physiological changes in appearance and urine, and it retards age-related deteriorations in some biochemical parameters such as LDL-cholesterol, glucose and LDH in serum.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.138-140
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• 2009

Hemorrhage shock occupies high rate in trauma patient's mortality and blood pressure is the variance that judges early diagnosis and the effect of remedy. Systolic blood pressure is related to pulse transit time(PTT). PTT means the time that is required to flow from the heart to peripheral artery. PTT is influenced from the length, cross section and stiffness of the blood vessels. It is hard to evaluate the correlation between systolic blood pressure and PTT because they are variable in human body. In this paper, we evaluated the correlation between the systolic blood pressure and PTT in normal and hemorrhage states using standardized rat. PTT is defined as the time differences between the R peak and the peak of pulse wave. The analyzed time differences of ECG and blood pressure are analyzed every 5minutes for 30 seconds when there is before and after bleeding. Before bleeding, systolic blood pressure and PTT are steadily preserved but when the bleeding comes started, systolic blood pressure is declined. However PTT was increased and decreased. Under the circumstance that the standardized rat is controlled by age, the length of the blood vessels, and any disease, it shows that PTT measurement using systolic blood pressure of bleeding is impossible.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.255-260
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• 2007

Bone marrow (BM) derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are pluripotent cells which can differentiate into osteogenic, adipogenic and other lineages. In spite of the broad interest, the information about the changes in BM cell composition, in particularly about the variation of MSC number and their properties in relation to the age of the donor is still controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the age associated changes in variations of BM cell composition, phenotype and differentiation capacities of MSC using a rat model. Cell populations were characterized by flow cytometry using light scattering parameters, DNA content and a set of monoclonal antibodies. Single cell analysis was performed by conventional fluorescent microscopy. In vitro culture of MSC was established and their phenotype and capability for in vitro differentiation into osteogenic and adipogenic cells was shown. Age related changes in tibiae and femurs, amount of BM tissue, BM cell composition, proportions of separated MSC and yield of MSC in 2 weeks of in vitro culture were found. At the same time, neither change in phenotype no in differentiation capacities of MSC was registered. Age-related changes of the number of MSC should be taken into account whenever MSC are intended to be used for investigations.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.33-43
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• 1991

To study the age dependent change of Na, K-ATPase in the erythrocyte of hypertensive rat, 1-kidey 1-clip hypertensive rat was made by the removal of right kidney and partial ligation of left renal artery. After 4 weeks, aged erythrocyte fraction was separated by density gradient centrifugation, and Na, K-ATPase activity and $^3H-ouabain$ binding with ghost cell membrane and ouabain sensitive Rb-uptake with whole cell were measured. 1) In the hypertensive rats, blood pressure was significantly increased to 165.5/119.0 mmHg (systolic/diastolic). Mean corpuscular volume and membrane protein(mg) per $10^9RBC$ were decreased and hemoglobin content was increased in the aged erythrocyte. 2) Na, K-ATPase activity in the solution containing 110 mM NaCl and 10 mM KCI, was decreased in hypertensive rat, and decreased in aged erythrocyte of both group. 3) Ouabain sensitive Rb-uptake by low RbCl concentration(4 mM) was slightly decreased in aged erythrocyte compared to that in young erythrocyte of each group, but slightly increased in young erythrocyte in hypertensive rat compared to that in normotensive rat. 4) Ouabain sensitive Rb-uptake by high RbCl concentration(16 mM) was decreased about 30% to 50 % in aged erythrocyte in both group. And in hypertensive rat, especially in young erythrocyte it was significantly decreased compared to that in normotensive rats. 5) $^3H-ouabain$ binding at 0.13 or $1{\times}10^-6M$ ouabain concentration was slightly decreased in aged erythrocyte of normotensive rat, and significantly decreased in aged erythrocyte of hypertensive rats. 6) $^3H-ouabain$ binding at 6 or $64{\times}10^-6M$ ouabain concentration is slightly decreased in aged erythrocyte of both group, but significantly decreased in young and aged erythrocyte of hypertensive rats compared to that of normotensive rats. The present results suggest that (1) in the young erythrocyte of hypertensive rat, the alterations of Na-pump activity that slightly increased in weak stimulation and inhibited in strong stimulation, may be related to increased molecular activity and the decrease in the number of low affinity site without change in high affinity site, (2) in the aged erythrocyte of normotensive rat, inhibited Na-pump may be related to the change in molecular activity of pump. (3) And in the aged erythrocyte of hypertensive rat, it may be related to the decrease in the number of high and low affinity site as well as the change in molecular activity

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.249-255
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• 2013

Intercellular interactions are important for the proper development and regulation of tissue function. This is especially necessary in the epididymis, a part of male reproductive tract where sperm become mature and acquire their fertilizing capacity. The caput region of the epididymis consists of several types of cells, including principal, basal, and apical cells. Direct intercellular communication is thus required to precisely regulate the functions of the caput epididymis. In this regard, connexin (Cx) is a molecule that forms channels, which allow the direct exchange of small molecules between cells, enabling intercellular communication. In this study, the expression of Cx isoforms in the caput epididymis at different postnatal ages was determined by using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. Nine of 13 Cx isoforms were detected. The transcript levels of Cx30.3, 31, 31.1, 32, and 40 were highest at 45 days of age, while the expression of Cx43 and 45 gradually decreased with age. A substantial fluctuation of Cx26 expression was detected, with significant decreases before and during puberty, followed by a transient increase at adult-hood and rapid decreases at an old age. A significant increase in Cx37 transcript was observed at 25 days of age, followed by gradual decreases at adult and old ages. These results indicate the significant differential expression of various Cx isoforms in the caput epididymis during postnatal development. It further suggests that the functional regulation and developmental maturation of the caput epididymis are highly related to the postnatal age-related differential expression of Cx isoforms.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.215-220
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• 1995

A simple, efficient and sensitive method was described for the simultaneous determination of catecholamine, indoleamine and related metabolites from the homogenates of the rat brain striatum by HPLC-ECD. The optimum mobile phase on a reverse phase $C_{18}$ column was 35mM sodium acetate buffer(included 10mM citric acid, 0.13mM $Na_4EDTA$, 0.58mM SOS, pH3-4):MeOH=85:15. The column temperature was $30^{\circ}C$. Dopamine(DA), 3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid(DOPAC), homovanilic acid(HVA), 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid(5-HIAA), serotonin(5-HT) and noradrenaline(NA) could be separated and analysed to very small amount. The detection limits of this method were 2~10pg per injection for all components. The effects of age and sex of rat on the contents of the catecholamines and their metabolites in rat brain striatum were studied. The levels of DA and 5-HT contents of the 7 week old female rats were higher than those of the 7 week old male rats. As the age of rat increases, the contents of DOPAC increased significantly.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.503-508
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• 2014

Spontaneous myometrial contraction (SMC) in pregnant uterus is greatly related with gestational age and growing in frequency and amplitude toward the end of gestation to initiate labor. But, an accurate mechanism has not been elucidated. In human and rat uterus, all TRPCs except TRPC2 are expressed in pregnant myometrium and among them, TRPC4 are predominant throughout gestation, suggesting a possible role in regulation of SMC. Therefore, we investigated whether the TRP channel may be involved SMC evoked by mechanical stretch in pregnant myometrial strips of rat using isometric tension measurement and patch-clamp technique. In the present results, hypoosmotic cell swelling activated a potent outward rectifying current in G protein-dependent manner in rat pregnant myocyte. The current was significantly potentiated by $1{\mu}M$ lanthanides (a potent TRPC4/5 stimulator) and suppressed by $10{\mu}M$ 2-APB (TRPC4-7 inhibitor). In addition, in isometric tension experiment, SMC which was evoked by passive stretch was greatly potentiated by lanthanide ($1{\mu}M$) and suppressed by 2-APB ($10{\mu}M$), suggesting a possible involvement of TRPC4/5 channel in regulation of SMC in pregnant myometrium. These results provide a possible cellular mechanism for regulation of SMC during pregnancy and provide basic information for developing a new agent for treatment of premature labor.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2007

Aging causes thymus involution, and genes in thymus play an important role in the development of the immune system. In this study, we compared genes expressed in thymus of neonatal and peripubertal rats using annealing control primers (ACPs)-based GeneFishing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and semiquantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. We identified 10 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with 20 ACPs. Of 10 DEGs, bystin-like, collagen type V alpha 1 (COL5A1), and T-cell receptor beta-chain segment 2 (TCRB2) that are related to immune-function were detected in rat thymus. Bystin-like and TCRB2 were up-regulated, while COL5A1 was down-regulated in peripubertal thymus. Semiquantitative RT-PCR confirmed postnatal changes in expression of bystin-like, COL5A1, and TCRB2. These results suggest that bystin-like, COL5A1, and TCRB2 could regulate immune function controlled in thymus as age increases.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.49-55
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• 2012

Numerous biochemical molecules have been implicated in the development of muscular atrophy. However, control mechanisms associated with muscular disease are not clear. The present study was conducted to investigate gene expression profiles of rat muscle during the denervation to atrophy transition processes. We isolated total RNA from rats suffering from partial muscle atrophy (P) and electromyostimulated atrophy (PE) and synthesized cDNA using annealing control primers. Using 20 ACPs for PCR, we cloned 18 DEGs using TOPO TA cloning vector, sequenced, and analyzed their identities using BLAST search. Sequences of 14 clones significantly matched database entries, while one clone was ESTs, and 3 clones were unidentified. Different expression profiles of selected DEGs between P and PE were confirmed. The troponin T, Fkbp1a, RGD1307554, Phtf1, Atp1a1 and Commd3 were highly expressed genes in the P and PE groups, while Krox-25 and TCOX2 were only expressed genes in the P group, the Sv2b and Marcks were only expressed genes in PE group. also, Cox8h was highly expressed genes in PE groups. The ASPH, ND1, and ARPL1 were highly expressed genes in the P and PE groups. List of genes obtained from the present study might provide an insight for the study of mechanism regulating muscle atrophy and electrostimulated muscle atrophy transitions. These data suggest that troponin T, Fkbp1a, RGD1307554, Phtf1, Atp1a1, and Commd3 are potentially useful as clinical biomarkers of age-related muscle atrophy and dysfunction.