• Annals of Geriatric Medicine and Research
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.189-193
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• 2018

Background: This study aimed to reveal the clinicopathologic features and causes of bleeding in older patients with postmenopausal bleeding (PMB) and to investigate the correlation between the ultrasonographic findings and etiology of PMB. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the causes and clinical characteristics of PMB in 498 patients who were diagnosed between January 2007 and December 2017. The population with PMB was divided into 2 groups according to age: Group A (n=204) included individuals more than 65 years of age and group B (n=294) included those less than 65 years of age. Clinical characteristics such as age, parity, underlying conditions, previous surgical history, and previous menopausal hormone therapy were compared between the groups. Cervical cytology testing and transvaginal ultrasonography were performed in all patients with PMB. Endometrial biopsy was performed in all cases of endometrial thickness ${\geq}5mm$. Results: We examined 498 patients with PMB. In group A, atrophic endometrium (n=125, 61.27%) was the most common cause of PMB. Twenty-three patients had gynecological malignancy (cervical cancer: n=12, 5.88%; endometrial cancer: n=8, 3.42%; ovarian cancer: n=3, 1.46%), and 30 patients had benign gynecological disease (endometrial polyp: n=10, 4.90%; submucosal myoma: n=6, 2.94%; uterine prolapse: n=7, 3.42%; cervical dysplasia; n=5, 2.45%; cervical polyp: n=2, 0.98%). Forty patients had endometrial thickness ${\geq}5mm$. Eight patients were diagnosed with endometrial cancer. All cases of endometrial cancer were diagnosed with endometrial thickness >10 mm. Conclusion: Atrophic endometrium was the most common cause of PMB in both groups, and approximately 12% of cases were associated with gynecological malignancy in older patients.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.9-12
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• 2019

One of the major challenges in methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) for drug dependence is the physiological side effects on endocrine hormones. Because of the key role of the thyroid gland in the normal functioning of the human body and brain, this study examined the effect of MMT on thyroid function. Thyroid hormones (T3, T4, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)) were evaluated in normal and user treated with MMT who were referred to the Province Clinical & Pathology Center of Urmia, Iran. The study was conducted for three months using the Case Series method. A total of 270 samples were collected, 215 were from individuals who were not treated, whereas 55 were from men treated with methadone. Average levels of T3 and T4 in non-treated sample of men are $1.34{\pm}0.02ng/mL$ and $90.96{\pm}1.38ng/mL$ while the corresponding values for patients treated with methadone are $1.39{\pm}0.04ng/mL$ for T3 and $94.57{\pm}2.72ng/mL$ for T4. Mean TSH levels of the non-treated group and the methadone consuming group were $1.75{\pm}0.08{\mu}IU/mL$ and $3.17{\pm}0.45{\mu}IU/mL$, respectively. These results indicate that although men treated with methadone had higher levels of T3, T4, and TSH than normal individuals, only the difference in TSH level was significant. The importance of this difference among individuals on methadone maintenance programs should be investigated in larger samples over long periods of time. Additionally, the effects of methadone treatment on women should be examined.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• 제45권4호
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• pp.306-314
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• 2018

Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) has long been cultivated as an important economic medicinal plant. Owing to the seasonal and long-term agricultural cultivation methods of Korean ginseng, they are always vulnerable to various environmental stress conditions. ABSCISIC ACID (ABA) is an essential plant hormone associated with seed development and diverse abiotic stress responses including drought, cold and salinity stress. By modulating ABA responses, plants can regulate their immune responses and growth patterns to increase their ability to tolerate stress. With recent advances in genome sequencing technology, we first reported the functional features of genes related to canonical ABA signaling pathway in P. ginseng genome. Based on the protein sequences and functional genomic analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana, the ABA related genes were successfully identified. Our functional genomic characterizations clearly showed that the ABA signaling related genes consisting the ABA receptor proteins (PgPYLs), kinase family (PgSnRKs) and transcription factors (PgABFs, PgABI3s and PgABI5s) were evolutionary conserved in the P. ginseng genome. We confirmed that overexpressing ABA related genes of P. ginseng completely restored the ABA responses and stress tolerance in ABA defective Arabidopsis mutants. Finally, tissue and age specific spatio-temporal expression patterns of the identified ABA-related genes in P. ginseng tissues were also classified using various available RNA sequencing data. This study provides ABA signal transduction related genes and their functional genomic information related to the growth and development of Korean ginseng. Additionally, the results of this study could be useful in the breeding or artificial selection of ginseng which is resistant to various stresses.

• ALGAE
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.177-185
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• 2019

Ecklonia cava is popular in Korea as a marine functional materials. E. cava is generally collected and used on the coast of Jeju Island. However, the continuous use of collected natural E. cava may be limited because difficult to secure throughout the year and may be exposed to environmental pollution. Jeju magma seawater (MSW) was known to be significant advantages such as safety, cleanness, stability, and functional improvement. Attempts have been reported on application of MSW to the culturing of macro- and microalgae and showed improved results. Thus, the objective of the present study was to explore the anti-melanogenesis activity of brown seaweed E. cava (E. cava cultured with MSW [MSWE]) extract cultured in tanks with MSW of Jeju Island to evaluate the possibility of cosmeceutical industrial application. MSWE extract showed the higher polyphenolic and dieckol contents than natural E. cava (NE) extract. Anti-melanogenesis activity of MSWE extract and NE extract are tested and compared using tyrosinase and dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) oxidation inhibition assay. MSWE extracts evidenced more effective tyrosinase and DOPA oxidation inhibition activity than that of the NE extracts and the commercial whitening agent, arbutin. MSWE extracts also markedly inhibited melanin synthesis and decreased the expression of melanogenesis-related protein in ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone-stimulated B16F10 melanoma cells without cytotoxicity. These results suggest that MSW cultivation process would be more effective in releasing bioactive compounds with whitening effect from seaweed such as E. cava at an industrial scale.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제62권6호
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• pp.884-892
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• 2020

Corticosterone is known as a biological stress index in many species including birds. Feather corticosterone concentration (FCC) has increasingly been used as a measure for chronic stress status in broiler chickens. As sample preparation is the first step of analytical process, different techniques of feather matrix disruption need to be validated for obtaining better result in analysing corticosterone extraction. The current study was a validation of pulverizing the feather by bead beater (BB) and surgical scissors (SS) processing prior to corticosterone extraction in feather of broiler chickens. The type of feather processing prior to the hormone extraction may alter the final output. Thereby, finding a standard method according to laboratory facilities is pivotal. This study carried out to determine the effects of feather pulverization methods on the extraction amount of corticosterone in broiler chickens. Feathers were sampled from four weeks old Ross 308 broiler chickens (n = 12 birds). All broiler chickens were kept under the same environmental condition and had access to feed and water. Feather samples were assigned to one of the following processing methods 1) using a BB for pulverizing and 2) using a SS for chopping into tiny pieces. Each sample was duplicated into two wells during enzyme immunoassay (EIA) analysis to improve the accuracy of the obtained data. The results showed lower standard errors and constant output of FCC by using the BB method compared with the SS method. Overall comparison of FCC showed a significantly higher (p < 0.001) amount of the FCC in the BB compared with the SS. Overall, using the BB method is recommended over the SS method for feather processing due to the ability to homogenize a large number of samples simultaneously, ease of use and greater extraction of feather corticosterone.

• 한국작물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국작물학회 2022년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.133-133
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• 2022

Temperature is a crucial environmental factor for rice cultivation due to the climate change and can influence the rice growth and development. Therefore, the effect of temperature on plant growth characters was examined during the vegetative stage. Plants were grown under three different temperatures: 23℃/13℃ for 18℃, 26℃/16℃ for 21℃ and 29℃/19℃ for 24℃ in the phytotron. The temperature was treated after transplanting and ended in early panicle initiation stage. Heading date of the two varieties were strongly affected by the temperature and were delayed in the 18℃. The plant height in the 18℃ was 21 % shorter than the 21℃ and 24℃ and the tiller and leaf number were increased in the 18℃. All the growth rates of the characters were the slowest in 18℃. The stem dry weight was significantly increased in 18℃. Nitrogen content was increased in the leaves of 18℃ whereas available phosphate and potassium content was found to be increased in the stems of 21℃ and 24℃. OsNRT 2.1 was overexpressed in the leaves and stems of 18℃ and OsNRT2.3a could be expressed in 18℃ and 21℃ temperatures whereas more expressed in 21℃. OsPT1 and OsPT6 could be expressed in the leaf of 18℃ and 24℃ but could be expressed in the stem of 18℃. OsHAK1 and OsHAK5 could be overexpressed in the leaves and stems of 18℃. For hormone, OsCKX2 gene was found to be up regulated in the leaves of 18℃ and OsIAA1 gene could be expressed more in the stem of 24℃.

• 수산해양기술연구
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• 제59권4호
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• pp.387-398
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• 2023

Conventional aquaculture faces declining productivity, shifting to recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), known for minimizing water usage and maintaining consistent water temperatures for year-round fish growth. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), a globally important cold-water species and the third most farmed fish in inland waters of Korea, valued for its fecundity and rapid growth. Dissolved oxygen, an important environmental factor affecting fish production and economics, highlights the need for smart aquaculture practices. Since 2018, the rise of intelligent aquaculture platforms, incorporating information and communications technology (ICT), emphasizes the essential role of RAS implementation. This eight-week study aimed to determine the optimal dissolved oxygen concentration for rainbow trout in RAS, utilizing a device for continuous monitoring, control and record. Dissolved oxygen concentrations were set at 5-6 mg/L, 9-10 mg/L, 14-15 mg/L and 17-18 mg/L. The growth rate significantly decreased at 5-6 mg/L, with no significant differences in other experimental groups. In hematological analysis, growth hormone (GH) was significantly highest at 5-6 mg/L, followed by 9-10 mg/L while Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) was significantly lowest at 5-6 mg/L. In conclusion, the optimal dissolved oxygen concentration for rainbow trout in RAS is approximately 9-10 mg/L. Higher concentrations do not contribute to further growth or profitability.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제16권4호
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• pp.242-248
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• 2016

Thymic atrophy is a complication that results from exposure to many environmental stressors, disease treatments, and microbial challenges. Such acute stress-associated thymic loss can have a dramatic impact on the host's ability to replenish the necessary naïve T cell output to reconstitute the peripheral T cell numbers and repertoire to respond to new antigenic challenges. We have previously reported that treatment with the orexigenic hormone ghrelin results in an increase in the number and proliferation of thymocytes after dexamethasone challenge, suggesting a role for ghrelin in restraint stress-induced thymic involution and cell apoptosis and its potential use as a thymostimulatory agent. In an effort to understand how ghrelin suppresses thymic T cell apoptosis, we have examined the various signaling pathways induced by receptor-specific ghrelin stimulation using a restraint stress mouse model. In this model, stress-induced apoptosis in thymocytes was effectively blocked by ghrelin. Western blot analysis demonstrated that ghrelin prevents the cleavage of pro-apoptotic proteins such as Bim, Caspase-3, and PARP. In addition, ghrelin stimulation activates the Akt and Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathways in a time/dose-dependent manner. Moreover, we also revealed the involvement of the FoxO3a pathway in the phosphorylation of Akt and ERK1/2. Together, these findings suggest that ghrelin inhibits apoptosis by modulating the stress-induced apoptotic signal pathway in the restraint-induced thymic apoptosis.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.185-193
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• 2023

Although increasing evidence of cause-and-effect relationship between BPA exposure and female reproductive disorders have been suggested through many studies, the precise biochemical and molecular mechanism(s) by which BPA interferes with steroidogenesis in the ovarian cells still remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to discover the steroidogenic biomarker(s) associated with BPA treatment in human granulosa cell line, KGN. In this study, our results obtained via the analysis of steroidogenesis-related protein expression in KGN cells using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blot analyses revealed that the expression levels of steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) and aromatase decreased considerably and gradually after BPA treatment in a dose-dependent manner under BPA treatment. Further, remarkable decreases in their expression levels at the cellular levels were also confirmed via immunocytochemistry, and subsequent StAR and aromatase mRNA expression levels showed profiles similar to those observed for their proteins, i.e., both StAR and aromatase mRNA expression levels were significantly decreased under BPA treatment at concentrations ≥0.1 μM. We observed that follicle stimulating hormone upregulated StAR and aromatase protein expression levels; however, this effect was suppressed in the presence of BPA. Regarding the steroidogenic effects of BPA on KGN cells, controversies remain regarding the ultimate outcomes. Nevertheless, we believe that the results here presented imply that KGN cells have a good cellular and steroidogenic machinery for evaluating endocrine disruption. Therefore, StAR and aromatase could be stable and sensitive biomarkers in KGN cells for the cellular screening of the potential risk posed by exogenous and environmental chemicals to female reproductive (endocrine) function.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제29권11호
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• pp.1227-1234
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• 2019

매실은 한국, 일본 및 중국 등지에서 섭취하여온 과실로서 유기산이 풍부하며, 다량의 무기질 및 폴리페놀 성분을 함유한 것으로 알려져 있다. 이러한 매실을 이용하여 예로부터 절임이나 청 등으로 가공하여 섭취할 뿐만 아니라 구토, 해독 및 해열에 효능이 있는 한약재로서 사용해왔다. 본 연구에서는 매실을 이용하여 분획물을 제조하고 각각의 인체 대장암세포에 대한 성장 억제효과를 확인하였으며, colony 형성능, 형태학적 관찰, apoptotic body 형성, 단백질 변화 및 환경호르몬에 대한 방어 효과를 평가하였다. 매실 분획물의 인체 대장암세포 HT-29에 대한 증식 억제효과는 매실 메탄올 분획물(maesil methanol fraction, MMF) 및 매실 부탄올 분획물(maesil, butanol fraction, MBF)이 가장 뛰어난 효능을 나타내었다. MMF 및 MBF의 처리에 따라 colony 형성능 또한 농도의존적으로 감소하는 것으로 나타났으며 형태학적 변화 또한 확인할 수 있었다. 핵의 형태학적 변화를 관찰한 결과 $125{\mu}g/ml$의 MMF 및 MBF 처리에 따라 apoptotic body의 형성 및 핵 응축을 관찰하였다. MMF 및 MBF의 처리에 따른 인체 대장암세포의 성장 억제효과가 apoptosis 와 관련이 있는지 단백질의 변화를 확인한 결과, pro-apoptotic 단백질은 Bax, caspase-3, PARP의 발현이 농도의존적으로 증가하는 경향을 나타내었으며, anti-apoptotic 단백질인 Bcl-2의 발현은 감소하는 경향을 나타냈다. 또한, 환경호르몬의 일종은 bisphenol A (BPA)에 의해 성장이 증식된 HT-29세포는 MMF의 처리에 따라 유의적인 성장억제 효과를 갖는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 따라서 본 연구를 통해 얻은 결과는 매실 분획물을 이용한 기능성 식품 소재화에 대한 기초 자료로 활용될 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.