• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.1-20
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• 2023

Objectives: The object of this study was to observe the complex anti-climacterium potentials of Yuklinzu aqueous extracts (YLZ), using bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) female ddY mice similar to women postmenopausal symptoms, as including cardiovascular diseases, obesity, hyperlipidemia, osteoporosis and hepatic steatosis. Methods: In order to evaluate anti-climacterium effects of YLZ, six groups of mice were used; sham control, OVX control, 17β-estradiol, YLZ 500, 250 and 125 mg/kg treated groups. Since 28 days after bilateral OVX surgery, YLZ were administered orally for 84 days, once a day. And then we evaluated anti-climacterium effects divided into five categories; estrogenic effects, anti-obesity, hypolipidemic effects, hepatoprotective effects and anti-osteoporotic effects. The results of YLZ were compared with 17β-estradiol 0.03 ㎍/head/day subcutaneous treated OVX mice. Results: As a result of OVX, obvious changes related to the estrogen-deficient menopausal symptoms - obesity, hyperlipidemia, hepatic steatosis and osteoporosis were displayed in mice. However, these menopausal symptoms induced by OVX were significantly inhibited by 84 days of consecutive treatment of 17β-estradiol, YLZ 500, 250 and 125 mg/kg, respectively. Especially, YLZ showed obvious dose-dependent inhibitory activities on the OVX-induced climacterium changes in mice, and YLZ 500 mg/kg showed comparable inhibitory effects against menopausal symptoms in comparison with those of 17β-estradiol 0.03 ㎍/head/day subcutaneous treatment. Conclusions: The results suggest that oral administration of YLZ 500, 250 and 125 mg/kg has obvious dose-dependent favorable anti-climacterium effects in OVX mice. Especially, YLZ 500 mg/kg showed comparable inhibitory effects against menopausal symptoms in comparison with those of 17β-estradiol 0.03 ㎍/head/day subcutaneous treatment.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.68-74
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• 2014

Objective: In search of an ideal method of assisted hatching (AH), we compared the effects of conventional micropipette-AH and laser-AH on the blastocyst formation rate (BFR) and blastocyst cell numbers. Methods: Four-to five-week-old ICR female mice were paired with male mice after superovulation using Pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and hCG. The two-cell embryos were flushed from the oviducts of female mice. The retrieved two-cell embryos underwent one of five AH procedures: single mechanical assisted hatching (sMAH); cross mechanical assisted hatching (cMAH); single laser assisted hatching (sLAH); quarter laser assisted hatching (qLAH); and quarter laser zona thinning assisted hatching (qLZT-AH). After 72 hours incubation, double immunofluorescence staining was performed. Results: Following a 72 hours incubation, a higher hatching BFR was observed in the control, sMAH, cMAH, and sLAH groups, compared to those in the qLAH and qLZT-AH groups (p<0.05). The hatched BFR was significantly higher in the qLAH and qLZT-AH groups than in the others (p<0.05 for each group). The inner cell mass (ICM) was higher in the control and sMAH group (p<0.05). The trophectoderm cell number was higher in the cMAH and qLAH groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our results showed that the hatched BFR was higher in groups exposed the the qLAH and qLZT-AH methods compared to groups exposed to other AH methods. In the qLAH group, although the total cell number was significantly higher than in controls, the ICM ratio was significantly lower in than controls.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.403-411
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• 2020

Adult ascarid worms from the field mice, Apodemus agrarius, were observed with a light and scanning electron microscope, and molecularly analized with 18S rRNA gene. In the scanning electron microscope, 3 prominent labia were present in the anterior end of male and female worms, but the interlabia and gubernaculum were absent. Scanning electron micrographs showed cervical alae as vestigial organs that looked like a slightly uplifted superficial sewing stitch. Total 6 pairs of post-cloacal papillae were observed on the tail of the male worms. The tail of female worms was blunt and conical shape with a spine-like structure, mucron. The eggs were sub-globular, coated with the albuminous layer and 73 by 82 ㎛ in average size. The superficial pits of T. apodemi egg (mean 8.6×6.7 ㎛) are obviously bigger than those of Toxocara spp. The partial sequence of 18S rRNA showed the sequence homology of Toxocara canis (99.6%), Toxocara cati (99.4%), Toxascaris leonina (99.4%), and Toxocara vitulorum (99.2%). Conclusively, it was confirmed that ascarid nematodes, Toxocara apodemi, recovered from striped field mice in Korea are taxonomically conspecific relationship with genus Toxocara and genetic divergence from other Toxocara species.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.57-74
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• 1971

The present investigation has been done to observe the ecological habits of field mice to protect the rice from damages during the growing season in paddy-field and during the storge period. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. Of 155 mice captured in the period of April-November 1970, which belong to four genera (Apodemus, Cricetulus, Rattus, and Micromys), 148 mice(95%) were found as striped field mice (Apodemus agrarius coreae). The population density of striped field mouse was revealed by the present study as 55/ha, which is quite a low level compared with that in Japan of 900/ha. 2. The age distribution of the mice as judged by their body weight was found mainly composed of adult and the sex ratio was found to be 1.8 as determined with 147 individuals. The nest was found to be occupied by an adult and was composed of at least three openings and more than one food storage tunnels. The mice usually keep hulled rice rather than unhulled one in storage tunnel. The weight of food found in a nest was about 50 grams on an average. 3. The mice show a most active behaviour 1-2 hours after the sunset, around midnight, and an hour before the sunrise, but they are active even in daytime in order for searching for food and for breeding. 4. The ratio (%) of damage appeared in high stem of sweet corn in August was 30 ~ 40 percent, whereas that in low stem was 80 ~ 90 percent. The weight of spoiled grains in paddy-field was 11, 400gm/0.4ha and this gives an estimate of 349, 695 for whole country. 5. The female striped field mouse weighs average of about 30 grams and gives birth to average of 4.8 younglings which wean away from female mouse three weeks after delivery. 6. The natural enemies to the mice are found to be carnivores (weasel, cat, mountain cat, fox, raccoon, and otter), raptatores(eagle, owl, kete, buzzard), and snakes. Two kinds of field rats(Rattus norvegicus, Cricetulus tritor) are also the predator to the mice. 7. The feeding preference of striped field mice follows in decreasing order of sweet corn, soybean, sweet potatoes, chestnut, and wheat. The mice do not have a preference for barley, millet, rough millet, red bean, and green bean. 8. The starvation experiment, in which water alone was supplied, revealed that the mice in good physical and nutritional conditions survived for 71 ~ 79 hours, whereas those in worse conditions survived for only 32 ~ 39 hours.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.1153-1163
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• 2019

In women, obesity rises with menopause. By comparing the dose-dopendent effects of genistein on regulation of body weight and lipid levels with swimming exercise in female ovariectomized (OVX) mice, an animal model of postmenopausal women, the effective dose of genistein on obesity control was investigated. Ovariectomized female mice were divided into control group, swimming exercise group and genistein concentration (0.005%, 0.05%, 0.1% wt/wt) treatment group and all mice fed high-fat diet for 8 weeks. The three different genistein doses as well as swimming decreased body weight, white adipose tissue mass, plasma lipid levels and lipid accumulation in liver, compared with control OVX mice. These decrease effectiveness of genistein showed dose-dependent manner, and is most effective at 0.1% genistein concentration, and paralleled effects of swimming on body weight, white adipose tissue, plasma lipid levels and lipid accumulation in liver. This present findings indicate that optimal dose of genistein in feamle OVX mice have a similar effect to swimming exercise on improvement of obesity. Intake of dietary genistein supplements will help obesity prevention in postmenopausal women.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.374-382
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• 2017

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains unexplained and untreated despite the high attention of research in recent years. Aside from its various characteristics is the baffling male preponderance over the female population. Using a validated animal model of ASD which is the telomerase reverse transcriptase overexpressing mice (TERT-tg), we conducted ASD-related behavioral assessments and protein expression experiments to mark the difference between male and females of this animal model. After statistically analyzing the results, we found significant effects of TERT overexpression in sociability, social novelty preference, anxiety, nest building, and electroseizure threshold in the males but not their female littermates. Along these differences are the male-specific increased expressions of postsynaptic proteins which are the NMDA and AMPA receptors in the prefrontal cortex. The vGluT1 presynaptic proteins, but not GAD, were upregulated in both sexes of TERT-tg mice, although it is more significantly pronounced in the male group. Here, we confirmed that the behavioral effect of TERT overexpression in mice was male-specific, suggesting that the aberration of this gene and its downstream pathways preferentially affect the functional development of the male brain, consistent with the male preponderance in ASD.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.1125-1137
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• 2020

This study investigated whether swimming exercise suppresses(: inhibites) the inflammatory response in adipose tissue in obese mice induced by a high fat diet after ovariectomy in female mice. Experimental group and control group were divided into sham-opereated group (Sham), ovariectomized group (OVX), and ovariectomized group with swimming exercise (OVX/Ex). All female mice fed high fat diet (45% fat) for 8 weeks. Compared with the Sham, the OVX increased the weight of visceral adipose tissue including parametrial, retroperitoneal, and mesenteric adipose tissue. Compared to the OVX, the OVX/Ex demonstrated reductions the weight of visceral adipose tissue. Compared to the Sham, the OVX decreased the mRNA expression of IκBα and increased the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines (L-6, MCP-1, TNF-α and leptin) in adipose tissue. But the OVX/Ex appeared to increase the mRNA expression of IκBα and decrease the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines in adipose tissue, compared with the OVX. This findings suggested that swimming exercise is useful for preventing adipose tissue inflammation, which will be effective in the prevention and treatment of obesity in obese mice induced obesity by a high fat diet after ovariectomy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.527-533
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• 2007

The present study was carried out to investigate the potential toxicity of highly-developed rice varieties, Oryza sativa cvs. Jukjinjubyeo, Heuginjubyeo and Heughyangbyeo by a single oral dose in ICR mice. The test article was orally administered once by gavage at dose levels of 0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 g/kg body weight (n=10 for male and female mice for each dose). We examined the number of deaths, general clinical signs, body weights and biochemical analysis for sexes and doses of mice between control and experimental groups. As a result all of the groups were alive during experimental periods and none of the significant clinical symptom and body weight changes were shown in all of the groups. Plasma glucose levels were valued for both control and experimental groups and there were no significant differences between the groups. The activities of aminotransferase were not increased in all experimental groups compared to control groups. The results suggest that the toxicity of the aleurone layer of Oryza sativa cvs. Jukjinjubyeo, Heugjinjubyeo and Heughyangbyeo are low and its $LD_{50}$ is over 10.0 g/kg body weight in both male and female mice.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.204-211
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• 2016

The objective of this study was to obtain acute (single) oral dose toxicity information on Lactobacillus-fermented Araliae Continentalis Radix aqueous extracts (fACR) in female and male ICR mice, as compared with Araliae Continentalis Radix aqueous extracts (ACR). After administering a single oral dose of fACR, no treatment-related mortalities were observed within 14 days after the end of treatment up to 2,000 mg/kg, the maximum dosage for rodents of both sexes; moreover, no fACR treatment-related changes in the body and organ weights, clinical signs, necropsy, and histopathological findings were detected in this experiment. In addition, no ACR 2,000 mg/kg treatment-related mortalities, clinical signs, body and organ weights, or gross and histopathological findings were observed, as compared with equal genders of vehicle control. The results obtained in this study suggest that fACR is non-toxic in mice and is, therefore, likely to be safe for clinical use. The LD₅₀ and approximate LD in female mice and male mice, respectively, were considered after a single oral dose of fACR over 2,000 mg/kg, the maximum dosage for rodents. In addition, no specific targets or clinical signs were detected in the present study. ACR 2,000 mg/kg-treated mice also did not show any treatment-related mortalities, clinical signs, changes to body and organ weights, or gross and histopathological findings, as compared with equal genders of vehicle control.

• Laboraroty Animal Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.57-67
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• 2017

The inhibitory effects of Asparagus cochinchinensis against inflammatory response induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), substance P and phthalic anhydride (PA) treatment were recently reported for some cell lines and animal models. To evaluate the hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity of A. cochinchinensis toward the livers and kidneys of ICR mice, alterations in related markers including body weight, organ weight, urine composition, liver pathology and kidney pathology were analyzed in male and female ICR mice after oral administration of 150, 300 and 600 mg/kg body weight/day saponin-enriched extract of A. cochinchinensis (SEAC) for 14 days. The saponin, total flavonoid and total phenol levels were found to be 57.2, 88.5 and 102.1 mg/g in SEAC, respectively, and the scavenging activity of SEAC gradually increased in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, body and organ weight, clinical phenotypes, urine parameters and mice mortality did not differ between the vehicle and SEAC treated group. Furthermore, no significant alterations were measured in alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and the serum creatinine (Cr) in the SEAC treated group relative to the vehicle treated group. Moreover, the specific pathological features induced by most toxic compounds were not observed upon liver and kidney histological analysis. Overall, the results of the present study suggest that SEAC does not induce any specific toxicity in the livers and kidneys of male and female ICR mice at doses of 600 mg/kg body weight/day.