• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.147-152
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• 2008

The aim of this study was to investigate what components of porcine epididymal fluid (pEF) influences the nuclear maturation of porcine germinal vesicle oocytes. Porcine cumulus-oocytes complexes from follicles were cultured in TCM 199 containing pEF. After 48 h cultures, oocytes were examined for evidence of GV breakdown, metaphase I, anaphase-telophase I, and metaphase II. Maturation rate of oocytes was significantly increased in media supplemented with 10% pEF during in vitro maturation (IVM) than in those without pEF. When lipid component of pEF was removed by treating n-heptane, no significant difference was observed in maturation of oocytes between n-heptane treatrment and intact pEF group. However, the proportion of oocytes reaching at metaphase II (M II) was significantly (p<0.05) decreased in the oocytes cultured in media containing trypsin-treated pEF compared to those in media with intact pEF. When porcine GV oocytes were matured in the medium supplemented with intact pEF or pEF heated at $56^{\circ}C$ and $97^{\circ}C$, rates of oocytes remained at GV stage were 11.7%, 29.4% and 42.0%, respectively. However, there were no difference in proportion of oocytes reaching at MII stage among intact pEF group and $56^{\circ}C$ group. Present study suggests that 1) pEF contains an enhancing component(s) for nuclear maturation in vitro of oocytes, 2) protein(s) of pEF may be capable to promote nuclear maturation in vitro, and 3) enhancing component for nuclear maturation may consist of two factors, which are responsible for germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and promotion of MII stage.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.125-131
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• 2009

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of porcine epididymal fluid (pEF) on in vitro-maturation and subsequent fertilization of porcine follicular oocytes. Porcine cumulus-oocytes complexes retrieved from antral follicles were cultured in tissue culture medium (TCM)-l99 supplemented with pEF of different concentrations. At 48 h after culture, development of oocytes to germinal vesicle (GV) breakdown, metaphase I, anaphase-telophase I, and metaphase II were examined Significant (p<0.05) increase in the proportion of oocytes developed to MII stage was observed in oocytes cultured in pEF-containing TCM-l99 than in oocytes cultured in pEF-free TCM-199 (46.2% vs 16.7%), which was a dose-dependent manner. Subsequently, the proportion of monospermic fertilization were significantly (p<0.05) increased in oocytes cultured in the TCM supplemented with pEF than those cultured in pEF-free TCM-199 (51.0% vs 24.1%). In the second series of experiment, the percentage of MII oocytes was significantly (p<0.05) increased after exposure of oocytes to pEF during the first 22 h period of culture than after exposure of oocytes to pEF during the next 24 h of culture, while no significant difference in the percentage of monospermy was observed. The results of this study demonstrate that pEF contains at least enhancing component(s) for nuclear maturation.

• 한국동물번식학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국동물번식학회 2001년도 발생공학 국제심포지움 및 학술대회 발표자료집
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• pp.3-4
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• 2001

Normal cells proliferate generally a limited number doublings in culture and only rarely have they been shown to overcome cellular senescence and crisis stages, and immortalize spontaneously. I have established a number of non-chemically and non-chemically immortalized embryo fibroblastic (EF) cell lines in continuous cell culture. These include the spontaneously immortalized cell line, DF-1 and several immortal EF cell lines derived from various embryonic tissues. I have previously demonstrated that all of the immortal EF cells established have rapid cell proliferation capacity compared to primary EF cells, presumably due to the deregulation of cell cycle regulators such as p53, E2F-1 and the numerous cyclins. DF-1 cells, in particular, were shown to proliferate more rapidly under normal culture conditions compared to other immortal EF cells, implicating other mechanisms may be important for regulating their growth. The possible mechanism(s) underlying the accelerated growth of DF-1 cells will be addressed in this study. (omitted)

• 생약학회지
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• 제39권4호
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• pp.341-346
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• 2008

The effects of the ethanol extracts from Gynostemma pentaphyllum (GP extracts) on body weights, grip strengths, endurances and catecholamine levels after electric footshock (EF) stress in mice and rats were investigated. The animals were treated with GP extracts (50 mg/kg/day, p.o.) for 21 days before exposure to EF (duration and interval 10 sec for 3 min, 2 mA) once a day. The increases in body weights were delayed by 13.1% of the control levels by EF-induced stress in mice, which were recovered to 24.1% of the control levels in GP extract-treated groups. The grip strengths were significantly decreased by EF stress in mice and the EF-stressed groups treated with GP extracts increased grip strengths to 115.2% compared to control levels. The endurance times by forced swimming, which reduced significantly by EF stress, were also maintained similar to control levels by GP extracts in rats. In addition, the levels of norepinephrine and epinephrine in serum and brain, and dopamine in brain were significantly increased to 17.5-95.0% of the control levels after exposure of EF stress in mice. However, EF stressinduced increases in norepinephrine and epinephrine in serum were reduced to 17.1-17.3% of the control levels by treatments of GP extracts, and those in dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine in brain were also reduced to 5.0-19.5%. These results suggest that GP extracts showed the protective effects on EF stress-induced physiological functions and can be developed as the promising anti-stress agents.

• 환경영향평가
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• 제23권5호
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• pp.364-378
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• 2014

과거 50여 년간 한국의 생태발자국(Ecological Footprint, EF)은 가파르게 증가해 왔으며, 이에 따라 오버슈트(Overshoot) 역시 증가해 왔다. 오버슈트를 야기하는 중요한 원인에는 인구 증가와 일인당 자원 사용 강도 증가가 있다. 본 연구에서는 이들 원인 가운데 어떤 변수가 지난 50여 년간 한국의 EF에 더 큰 영향을 미쳤는지에 대해 알아보았다. 소비 부문들 가운데, 에너지 소비에 따른 탄소발자국(Carbon Footprint, CF), 단백질 섭취에 따른 초지발자국(Grazing Land Footprint)과 어장 발자국(Fishing Grounds)이 EF 증가에 크게 영향을 주었다. 지난 50여 년간의 추세가 앞으로도 유지된다면, 2060년에는 일인당 EF 값이 2009년 현재의 2배에 달할 것으로 보이며, 2031년 이후 인구가 감소함에도 불구하고 1인당 EF 값의 증가에 따른 영향으로 EF는 2059년까지 증가할 것으로 보인다. 그러므로 향후 개개인의 소비 패턴과 행동 변화를 유도하는 것으로 환경관리 방향을 전환해갈 필요가 있을 것이다.

• BMB Reports
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.103-111
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• 2000

Phosphorylation of the eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF-2) blocks the elongation step of translation and stops overall protein synthesis. Although the overall rate of protein synthesis in mitosis reduces to 20% of that in S phase, it is unclear how the protein translation procedure is regulated during the cell cycle, especially in the stage of peptide elongation. To delineate the regulation of the elongation step through eEF-2 function, the changes in phosphorylation of eEF-2, and in activity of corresponding $Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase III (CaMK-III) during the cell cycle of NIH 3T3 cells, were determined. The in vivo level of phosphorylated eEF-2 showed an 80% and 40% increase in the cells arrested at G1 and M, respectively. The activity of CaMK-III also changed in a similar pattern, more than a 2-fold increase when arrested at G1 and M. The activity change of the kinase during one turn of the cell cycle also demonstrated the activation at G1 and M phases. The activity change of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) was reciprocal to that of CaMK-III. These results indicated: (1) the activity of CaMK-III was cell cycle-dependent and (2) the level of eEF-2 phosphorylation followed the kinase activity change. Therefore, the elongation step of protein synthesis might be cell cycle dependently regulated.

• 생약학회지
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• 제42권1호
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• pp.32-37
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• 2011

The effects of herbal ethanol extract from Gynostemma pentaphyllum (GP extract) on chronic stress-induced anxiety in mice were investigated. The animals were treated with GP extracts (50 and 100 mg/kg/day, p.o.) for 21 days before exposure to electric footshock (EF; duration and interval 10 sec for 3 min, 2 mA) for chronic stress once a day. The ambulatory locomotor activity was reduced by chronic EF stress and it was recovered by 12.9-15.1% in GP extract-treated groups. The grip strength was also significantly decreased by chronic EF stress, however, the EF-stressed groups treated with GP extract increased grip strength from 13.9% to 56.8% compared to EF-stressed groups. In addition, the serum levels of corticosterone were significantly elevated by chronic EF stress to 197% of the control levels, which was reduced to 73.1% by treatment with GP extract (100 mg/kg). In contrast, the brain levels of dopamine and serotonin were reduced to 67.6% and 63.1% by chronic EF stress, which was recovered to 90% of the control levels by treatment with GP extract. These results indicate that GP extract shows the ameliorating effects on chronic EF stress-induced anxiety in mice and it can be developed as the promising anti-anxiety agent.

• 상하수도학회지
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.295-300
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• 2005

The performances of electroflotation (EF) on the thickening of activated sludge were investigated using laboratory scale batch flotation reactors. Four activated sludges including bulking sludges were tested. After 30minutes of EF operation, 57-84 % of sludge volume reduction could be achieved by EF, while only about 1.5-14% could be obtained by gravity thickening for the same period. After thickening the effluent water quality in terms of TCOD, SS, and turbidity was improved by EF operation for all sludge samples. It is induced that the air bubbles entrapped in the thickened sludge play a key role in the observed improvement of sludge thickening and effluent quality.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.231-237
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• 2016

Eryngium foetidum Linn. leaves (EF) are widely used in Thailand and many countries throughout Asia as a culinary seasoning and a traditional medicine. However, adverse effect of high dose consumption in long duration has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate chronic toxicity of EF in mice. Thirty-two ICR male mice were divided into 4 groups of 8 mice each. The mice were fed AIN-76 rodent diet, or AIN-76 rodent diet supplemented with ground freeze-dried EF at 0.8%, 1.6% and 3.2% that is equivalent to approximately 35, 73 and 155 times that of human consumption, respectively, at 97.5 percentile for a period of 24 weeks. At the end of experiment, the mice were euthanized and blood samples were collected for hematological and biochemical evaluations. Necropsy was performed while visceral organs such as lung, liver, kidneys, spleen etc. were collected, weighed and histopathologically examined. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) results of mice in 1.6% and 3.2% EF diet groups were significantly higher than the BUN of control group. No significant difference was noted in other biochemical and hematological properties between the treatment groups and control; all results were within normal range. Histopathology of almost all visceral organs showed no significant changes. However, tubulonephrosis and chronic interstitial nephritis were observed in the groups treated with 1.6% and 3.2% EF diet. Body weight was reduced significantly at week 12 to week 20 when compared to the control group while relative kidney weights were significantly increased. In conclusion, the consumption of EF in diet at high doses illustrated the adverse effect on some biochemical parameters and histopathology in mice. Our findings suggested that EF daily consumption for 24 weeks, at higher doses than the 0.8% EF diet (35 times of human consumption), might cause adverse effect on kidney function in mice.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제38권4호
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• pp.62-81
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• 2017

Objectives: As interests in the beauty of skin is growing continuously, more people are focusing on white and clean skin. Melanin is the major factor that determines skin color. The abnormal concentration of melanin causes various skin diseases such as vitiligo, freckles, and melasma. This study investigated the inhibitory effect of Eriobotryae Folium extracts (EF) with phreatic water (PW) on the melanin synthesis. Methods: The effect of EF on melanin synthesis was evaluated by using mouse melanoma cells (B16F10). To define the mechanisms, real-time PCR and western blot were used. We also evaluated the inhibitory effects of EF and PW on melanin synthesis by using HRM-2 melanin-possessing hairless mice. After UVB irradiation, melanin differences between the skin parts that were treated and untreated with EF and PW. Levels of mRNA were measured by real-time quantitative PCR and histological analysis of the dorsal skin was conducted by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results: EF inhibited various mechanisms of melanogenesis, and the effect was increased when combined with PW. In vitro experiments have shown that EF inhibited the expressions of tyrosinase related protein-1 (TRP-1) mRNA, tyrosinase mRNA, microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) mRNA and the tyrosinase inhibitory activation, but it stimulated the extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) mRNA expression. In vivo experiments have shown that EF prevented melanogenesis in the mice dorsal skin and inhibited TRP-1 mRNA expression. Also these effects were increased when combined with PW. Conclusions: EF and PW might be a new and effective treatment for whitening and treating pigmentation of skin.