• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.222-228
• /
• 2009

Lupus is characterized by immunoregulatory abnormalities between T- and B-cells leading to autoantibody production and multiorgan injuries. We investigated whether bamboo culm extract (BC) ameliorates aberrant activation of T cells and B cells and attenuate production of IL-6 in pristane-induced lupus mice. Lupus was induced by i.p. a single injection of 0.5 ml of pristane in female BALB/c mice, which, later about 4 months, were used as a lupus model. The pristane-induced lupus mice and healthy mice were injected i.p. with BC 5 ${\mu}l$/kg or PBS once a day for 3 weeks. These results demonstrated that BC significantly decreased levels of serum and BAL IL-6 and production of IL-6 by macrophages with/without LPS, and downregulated expression of NKT cell and CD86+ CD45R/B220+, but not CD80+CD45R/B220+ and CD69+CD4+ in the splenocytes in pristaneinduced lupus mice. Moreover, BC greatly increased Con A-stimulated production of IL-6, IL-10 and IFN-${\gamma}$ by splenocytes obtained from pristane-induced lupus mice. Therefore, our findings suggest that BC may ameliorate lupus pathogenesis in pristane-induced lupus mice via downregulation of aberrant activation of NKT cells and B cells and inhibition of production of IL-6.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.133-139
• /
• 1994

Two human lactoferrin expression vectors(pCChcLf and pCChcLf-1) were constructed using rat $\beta$-casein gene and human lactoferrin cDNA. The recombinant DNAs containing human lactoferrin cDNA were microinjected into the fertilized eggs of hybrid mice (BDF1 : C57BL$\times$DBA) and the DNA-injected eggs were treansferred into the oviducts of foster mothers. Genomic DNAs were isolated from the tails of mice born from the microinjected eggs and analyzed by Southern blot analysis. As a result, 5 and 9 transgenic mice with CChcLf and CChcLf-1 gene were produced, respectively. To determine tissue-specificity of transgene expression, Northern blot analysis was performed. Female transgenic mice were killed at day 10 of lactation and total RNAs from various tissues were isolated. Based on Northern blot analysis, it was shown that transgene was mainly expressed in the mammary glands of transgenic mice. In addition, the human lactoferrin in milk was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. For this study, milk was obtained from the mammary glands of the transgenic mice at day 10 of lactation. In line #2 of CChcLf and line #7 of CChcLf-1 transgenic mice, human lactoferrin was secreted into the milk at concentration levels of 340ng/ml and 60ng/ml, respectively.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.58-61
• /
• 1998

Eurycoma longifolia Jack was evaluated for aphrodisiac property on sexually naive male mice using the electrical copulation cage. Optimum condition was provided for this study and the male mice were treated with 500 mg/kg of either chloroform, methanol, water or n-butanol fractions from E. longifolia Jack. However, the mice in the yohimbine and control groups received 30 mg/kg and 3 ml/kg of yohimbine and normal saline respectively. The male mice were then conditioned to seek either an estrous female, sexually vigorous male or no mouse, a measurement of right, wrong or no choice respectively. Besides this, hesitation time which was the time spent before the sexually naive male mice crossed the electrical grid (maintained at 0.12 mA) was also determined. Results showed that E. longifolia Jack possesses aphrodisiac property on the sexually naive male mice as shown by the slow and transient reduction in hesitation time and also a similar manner in the increase in the % of sexually naive male mice scoring right choice throughout the investigation period. Hence, this further supports the folkuse of this plant as aphrodisiac.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.15-19
• /
• 1991

As a possible step to evaluate in the mammary gland the role of motherwort (Leonurus sibiricus L), a representative medicinal plant used traditionally for the therapy of gynecologic diseases, the effects of the agent on lactation which was suppressed by preganacy-dependent mammary tumors (PDMT) were studied in GR/A mice. Beginning the day of placing with males at 45-50 days of age, female mice were given 60% methanol-extract of the aerial part of motherwort as drinking water at the concentration of 0.5% throughout the experiment. Mice developing PDMT during pregnancy [PDMT(+)] and given motherwort were similar to mice developing no PDMT [PDMT(_)] with or without motherwort treatment and were significantly higher than PDMT(+) mice given tap water in litter growth and mammary RNA/DMA ratio on day 12 of the 2nd lactation. Mammary DNA and RNA contents were also elevated by motherwort in PDMT(+) mice. The results suggest that motherwort can ameliorate lactation suppressed by PDMT through its stimulation of both growth and function of the mammary glands.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.37-49
• /
• 2014

Objectives & Methods : The objective of this study was to evaluate the single oral dose toxicity of Chongmyung-tang (CMT) in ICR mice. Korean traditional herbal prescription CMT has traditionally been used as a neuroprotective for treatment of learning disability and memory improvement. CMT, lyophilized aqueous extracts (yield=9.7%) were administered to female and male mice with oral dose of 2,000, 1,000 and 500 mg/kg (body weight) according to the recommendation of Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) Guidelines. Animals were monitored for mortality, changes in body weight, clinical signs and gross observation during 14 days after administration upon necropsy; organ weight and histopathology of 14 principle organs were examined. Results : We could not find any CMT extracts treatment related mortalities, clinical signs, changes in body and organ weight, or gross and histopathological observations against 14 principle organs up to 2,000 mg/kg in both female and male mice, except for some accidental sporadic findings which did not show any obvious dose-relations and most of which also demonstrated in both the female and male vehicle control mice in this experiments. Conclusions : Based on the results of this experiment, the 50% lethal dose ($LD_{50}$) and approximate lethal dose (ALD) of CMT extracts after single oral treatment in female and male mice can be considered to be over 2,000 mg/kg, and is likely to be safe in humans.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.13-20
• /
• 2007

In all female mammals, reproductive system is one of the first biological systems to show age-related decline. Female mammals in reproductive aging, though the phenomena is somewhat species-specific, start to show declining fertility and changes of numerous physiological functions. This review will present a current information on the aging of the female reproductive hormonal axis and introduce three useful rodent models for studying this field. Middle age($8{\sim}12$ months old) in female rats and mice is comparable to the stage prior to the entry of menopause in human. In this period pulsatile and surge GnRH secretion from hypothalamus gradually attenuated, then reduced pulsatile and surge LH secretion is followed consequently. This age-related defects in GnRH-LH neuroendocrine axis seem to be highly correlated with the defects in brain signals which modulate the activities of GnRH neuron. Many researchers support the idea which the age-related hypothalamic defects are the main cause of reproductive aging, but some ovarian factors such as inhibin response also could contribute to the induction of reproductive senescence. Some rodent models are quite valuable in studying the reproductive aging. The follitropin receptor knockout(FORKO) mice, both of null and haploinsufficient state, could produce depletion of oocyte/follicle with age. Dioxin/aryl hydrocarbon receptor(AhR) knockout mice also show severe ovarian defects and poor reproductive success early in their life compared to the age-matched normal mice. Further studies on the reproductive aging will be a great help to evaluate the benefits and risks of hormone replacement therapy(HRT) and to improve the safety of HRT.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.7-10
• /
• 2014

This study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of silkworm hemolymph against ${\gamma}-irradiation$ induced damage in the liver of mice. Female Balb/C mice (6 weeks old) were exposed to ${\gamma}-irradiation$ (6 Gy) and administered orally to silkworm hemolymph ($5ml\;kg^{-1}$ BW) for 7 days post-irradiation. The body weight, spleen index, plasma aspartate transaminase (AST), plasma alanine transaminase (ALT), and liver malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were determined. Compared with irradiated control mice, the activity of plasma AST and the level of MDA were significantly decreased in mice treated silkworm hemolymph. These results show that silkworm hemolymph is found to have a protective effect against ${\gamma}-irradiation$ induced damage in mice.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.2 no.3
• /
• pp.133-136
• /
• 2002

Background: The costimulatory molecule 4-1BB, a member of nerve growth factor receptor/tumor necrosis factor (NGFR/TNFR) super family, is involved in cell survival and death. Methods: In this study, female C57BL/6 ($H-2^b$) mice were used as a recipient, and DBA/2 ($H-2^d$) as a donor to assess a mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) and CTL response in vitro, and skin graft survival. IL-2, IFN level was measured by ELISA. Results: Mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) analysis showed that 4-1BB-deficient responder cells showed enhanced cellular proliferation over littermate controls. In contrast, IL-2 production was diminished only in 4-1BB knockout cultures. The IFN expression, on the other hand, was comparable between the groups. When female C57BL/6 ($H-2^b$) mice were grafted with the trunk skin of DBA/2 ($H-2^d$) mice, the in vivo tissue destruction of 4-1BB-deficient mice was not distinct from the normal littermates. Conclusion: These data suggest that 4-1BB is critical for the induction of alloreactive responses in vitro but 4-1BB alone could not change the course of skin rejection in vivo.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.446-454
• /
• 2009

1-Furan-2-yl-3-pyridin-2-yl-propenone (FPP-3) has recently been synthesized and characterized to have an anti-inflammatory activity through the inhibition of the production of nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$. In the present study, adverse effects of FPP-3 on immune functions were determined in female BALB/c mice. When mice were administered orally with FPP-3 at 125, 250 or 500 mg/kg for 7 consecutive days, FPP-3 suppressed the number of antibody-forming cells and reduced thymus weight at 500 mg/kg. In addition, FPP-3 administered mice exhibited reduced splenic cellularity and numbers of splenocyte subsets, such as $CD3^+$ cells, $CD3^+CD4^+$ cells, $CD3^+CD8^+$ cells and macrophages. IL-4 mRNA expression was significantly suppressed by FPP-3 treatment. Moreover, the number of $CD4^+IL-4^+$ cells was reduced following the treatment of mice with 500 mg/kg of FPP-3. These results suggested that FPP-3 at 500 mg/kg might be immunotoxic, and that FPP-3-induced immunotoxicity might be mediated, at least in part, through the inhibition of cytokine production, such as IL-4.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.17
• /
• pp.7149-7152
• /
• 2014

A large number of epidemiological studies have demonstrated that obesity is a risk factor for several human cancers. Several animal studies using rodents with diet-induced or genetic obesity have also demonstrated that obesity can promote tumor development. However, the effects of obesity on the early stages of carcinogenesis, and especially on the spontaneous occurrence of somatic gene mutations, remain unclear. To investigate the effects of obesity on the rate of spontaneous gene mutations, we performed reporter gene mutation assays in liver, kidney, and colon, organs in which obesity appears to be associated with cancer development on the basis of epidemiological or animal studies, in mice with high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. Six-week-old male and female C57BL/6 gpt delta mice were fed HFD or standard diet (STD) for 13 or 26 weeks. At the end of the experiments, reporter gene mutation assays of liver, kidney, and colon were performed. Final body weights and serum leptin levels of male and female mice fed HFD for 13 or 26 weeks were significantly increased compared with corresponding STD-fed groups. Reporter gene mutation assays of liver, kidney, and colon revealed that there were no significant differences in gpt or $Spi^-$ mutant frequencies between STD- and HFD-fed mice in either the 13-week or 26-week groups. These results indicate that HFD treatment and consequent obesity does not appear to influence the spontaneous occurrence of somatic gene mutations.