• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2013

Objectives: The present study investigated the potential subacute toxicity of 1,4-dichlorobutane (1,4-DCB) by a 2-week repeated oral dose in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Materials and Methods: The test chemical was administered once daily by gavage to male rats at dose levels of 0, 74, 222, 667, and 2000 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks. All rats were sacrificed at the end of treatment period. During the test period, clinical signs, mortality, body weights, food and water consumption, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, gross findings, and organ weights were examined. Results: At 2000 mg/kg/day, treatment-related clinical signs, as evidenced by hypothermia, decreased locomotor activity, piloerection, lying on side, and prone position were observed. All the rats were found dead on test day 2. At 667 mg/kg/day, polyuria, suppressed body weight gain, food consumption, and spleen and thymus weights, and increased adrenal gland and liver weights were observed.Hematological and serum biochemical investigations revealed increases in the alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphataseand total bilirubinand decreases in the serum $Na^+$ level, white blood cell count and lymphocyte ratio. There were no treatment-related adverse effects in the 74 and 222 mg/kg/day groups. Conclusions: In the present experimental conditions, target organs were determined to be spleen, thymus,and liver. The no-observed-adverse-effect level was considered to be 222 mg/kg/day in male rats.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.700-704
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• 2008

Anti-obesity effects of $\beta$-cyclodextrin in obese C57BL/6J mice induced by a high fat diet (HD) were observed. The administration of $\beta$-cyclodextrin reduced the gain of body weight, abdominal fat, liver weight, the lipid deposits of hepatocytes and the size of adipocytes in the HD group. In serum analysis, the total and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterols were significantly decreased in the $\beta$-cyclodextrin-supplemented HD group than in the HD group. However, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol was not changed in these groups. In hypothalamic homogenates, the decrease of neuropeptide Y and increase of $\alpha$-melanocyte stimulating hormone were detected in the $\beta$-cyclodextrin-supplemented HD group compared to that in the HD group. These effects of $\beta$-cyclodextrin were similar to those of Garcinia cambogia, which is widely used as a natural anti-obesity product. These results suggest that $\beta$-cyclodextrin has anti-obesity effects through the lowering of the abdominal fat pad and inhibits the central effects of hunger.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.565-574
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• 2021

Astrocytes are activated in response to brain damage. Here, we found that expression of Kir4.1, a major potassium channel in astrocytes, is increased in activated astrocytes in the injured brain together with upregulation of the neural stem cell markers, Sox2 and Nestin. Expression of Kir4.1 was also increased together with that of Nestin and Sox2 in neurospheres formed from dissociated P7 mouse brains. Using the Kir4.1 blocker BaCl₂ to determine whether Kir4.1 is involved in acquisition of stemness, we found that inhibition of Kir4.1 activity caused a concentration-dependent increase in sphere size and Sox2 levels, but had little effect on Nestin levels. Moreover, induction of differentiation of cultured neural stem cells by withdrawing epidermal growth factor and fibroblast growth factor from the culture medium caused a sharp initial increase in Kir4.1 expression followed by a decrease, whereas Sox2 and Nestin levels continuously decreased. Inhibition of Kir4.1 had no effect on expression levels of Sox2 or Nestin, or the astrocyte and neuron markers glial fibrillary acidic protein and β-tubulin III, respectively. Taken together, these results indicate that Kir4.1 may control gain of stemness but not differentiation of stem cells.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.559-567
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• 2019

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of pig skin collagen supplementation on growth performance, organ weight, blood characteristics, and intestinal microbiota in broilers. A total of 50 Ross 308 broilers were used for 2 weeks. The five dietary treatments were as follows: NC) basal diet, PC) NC + fish collagen powder 0.1%, T1) NC + pig skin collagen 0.1%, T2) NC + pig skin collagen 0.5%, and T3) NC + pig skin collagen 1.0%. The body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were not affected (p > 0.05) by the dietary treatments in this experiment. Additionally, there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the organ weights among the treatments. Broilers fed T1, T2 and T3 diets had higher (p < 0.05) white blood cell (WBC) counts than the broilers fed the NC and PC diets. The Lactobacillus counts in the excreta were improved (p < 0.05) in the broilers fed the T1 and T2 diets. Moreover, the Salmonella counts in the excreta were decreased (p < 0.05) in the broilers fed the PC and T1 diets. In conclusion, supplementation of pig skin collagen in diets improved the white blood cells (WBCs) in the blood and Lactobacillus counts in the excreta, and reduced the Salmonella counts in the excreta. However, when pig skin collagen was increased in the diets, there were no significant differences (p > 0.05). Therefore, the addition of 0.1% pig skin collagen in the feed provided beneficial effects on the blood characteristics and the intestinal microbiota environment.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2019

Right after the 2007 Hebei Spirit Oil Spill phytoplankton ecosystems were investigated for 11 years based on the seasonal monitoring of the composition and abundance of phytoplankton species. Comparable time-series data from the 1989 Exxon Valdez or the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill sites were not available. It was suggested that the ecological healthiness of phytoplankton ecosystems at EVOS sites had recovered after 10 years following the oil spill based on chlorophyll concentrations even though these concentrations only represented phytoplankton communities in most cases. Chlorophyll concentrations can only reflect limited aspects of highly complex phytoplankton ecosystems. During the last 11 years following the 2017 HSOS, extreme variabilities were met in the seasonally averaged ratios of diatoms to phototrophic flagellates including dinoflagellates based on the microscopic cell countings. Summer phytoplankton communities exhibited some cyclic interannual changes in dominant groups every 2-4 years. During the early years (2008-2010) cryptophytes or raphidophytes (Chattonella spp.) dominated alternately each year, which was repeated again in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Two thecate dinoflagellates, Tripos fusus and Tripos furca, together accounted for 52.5% and 50.0% of all organisms in the summers of 2011 and 2012, respectively, which was repeated again in 2018. Summer occurrence and dominance by the phototrophic flagellates including HABs (Harmful Algal Blooms) species as well as their interannual variabilities in the oil spill sites could be utilized as markers for the stable and long-term management of healthy ecosystems. For this type of scientific ecosystem management monitoring of chlorophyll concentrations may sometimes be insufficient to gain a proper and comprehensive understanding of phytoplankton communities located in areas where oil spills have occurred and harmed the ecosystem.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.110-117
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• 2019

Objective: An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary glutamine (Gln) and arginine (Arg) supplementation on performance, intestinal morphology and ascites mortality in broilers. Methods: A total of 675 day old chicks were randomly allocated to 9 experimental groups in a $3{\times}3$ factorial arrangement based on a completely randomized design with 5 replicates of 15 chicks. Three levels of dietary Gln (0%, 0.5%, and 1%) and Arg (100%, 130%, and 160% of Ross recommendation) supplementation were used in ascites inducing condition ($15^{\circ}C{\pm}1^{\circ}C$) from 7 to 42 days of age. Results: Dietary supplementation of Gln increased body weight gain during grower, finisher and total periods (p<0.05) and increased feed intake during total period. Ascites mortality was decreased by Gln supplementation (p<0.05). Gln supplementation increased the villus height (VH) and crypt depth (CD) in duodenum and jejunum (p<0.05). Arg supplementation decreased CD in duodenum and jejunum, and increased ileum villus width (VW) and also VH/CD ratio in duodenum and jejunum (p<0.05). Both Gln and Arg increased the goblet cell number (GCN) in duodenum whereas Gln supplementation decreased GCN in jejunum and ileum (p<0.05). The $Gln{\times}Arg$ interaction were observed for right ventricle (RV)/total ventricular (TV) ratio, VH, VW, CD, VH/CD. Conclusion: It was concluded that dietary 0.5% Gln alone or along with 130% Arg of Ross requirement, improve the intestinal morphology and performance and hence decrease the ascites mortality in broiler chickens with cold induced ascites.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.61 no.5
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• pp.272-277
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• 2019

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary mixture of protease and probiotics on growth performance, blood constituents, and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs. A total of 48 growing pigs were randomly allotted into 2 dietary (6 pigs/pen; 4 replicates/treatment). The treatments were a diet based on corn and soybean meal (CON) and CON supplemented with 0.01% of dietary mixture of protease and probiotics (MULTI). No differences were found on growth performance (average daily gain, ADG; overall, 874.06 vs. 881.14 g/d; p > 0.05), blood constituents (white blood cell, WBC; phase I, 17.51 vs. $19.96{\times}10^3/{\mu}L$; phase II, 19.65 vs. $21.95{\times}10^3/{\mu}L$; p > 0.05), and carcass characteristics during overall experimental period between CON and MULTI. In conclusion, the addition of dietary mixture of protease and probiotics in growing-finishing pig diet did not have any beneficial effects.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.1630-1639
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• 2019

Objective: Sixty Pengbo semi-wool sheep ewes (approximately 1.5-years-old; $31.33{\pm}0.43kg$) were randomly assigned to two groups, either grazing (G) or dry lot feeding (D), to examine the effects of traditional daily grazing and dry lot feeding on performance and blood metabolites during the cold season in Tibetan Plateau. Methods: The ewes in the G group were grazed continuously each day and housed in one shed each evening, while the ewes in the D group were housed in another shed all day. All animals were fed 400 g/d of commercial concentrate, and grass hay was available freely throughout the experimental period. Results: Compared with the G group, the ewes in the D group had higher (p<0.05) live weight and weight gain. The D group ewes had greater (p<0.05) numbers of white blood cells and platelets, while they had lower (p<0.05) platelet-large cell ratios, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and glutathione peroxidase, as compared with the G group ewes. Additionally, three serum metabolites, abscisic acid, xanthoxin and 3,4-dihydroxy-5-polypren, were upregulated (p<0.05) in the G group in comparison with the D group. Conclusion: In conclusion, a dry lot feeding regime during the winter and spring period will increase the productivity of sheep and improve blood physiological and biochemical profiles.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.285-292
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• 2019

This study was done to evaluate the effects of a mixture of essential oils and organic acid supplementation on growth performance, blood profiles, leg bone length and intestinal morphology in Ross broilers. A total of 40 Ross 308 broilers ($1140{\pm}80g$) were randomly allocated to 2 groups, a basal diet (CON) and a basal diet + 0.05% $Avi-protect^{(R)}$ (AVI, Mixture of 25% citric, 16.7 sorbic, 1.7% thymol, and 1.0% vanillin), with 20 replicates for every group and 1 chicken per replicate per cage. The broilers were raised in a temperature-controlled room maintained at $24{\pm}1^{\circ}C$ and $50{\pm}5%$ humidity. The body weight (p < 0.05) and weight gain (p < 0.05) of the broilers were increased in the AVI group compared with the CON group. The triglyceride (p < 0.05) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) (p < 0.05) contents were significantly decreased in the AVI group compared with the CON group. There was no significant difference in the leg bone length between the AVI and CON groups (p > 0.05). The villi height (p < 0.05) and goblet cell count (p < 0.05) were significantly increased in the AVI group compared with the CON group. In conclusion, $Avi-protect^{(R)}$ as a feed additive improved the growth performance and lipid metabolism and promoted the development of the intestinal morphology of broilers.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.1272-1280
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• 2021

With changes in human dietary patterns, the proportion of high-fat and high-cholesterol foods in the daily diet has increased. As a result, the incidence rate of cholelithiasis is increasing rapidly. Many studies have reported on the crucial role that the intestinal microflora plays in the progression of gallstones. Although the whole herb of Lysimachia christinae, a traditional Chinese medicine, has long been extensively used as a remedy for cholelithiasis in China, its effects on the intestinal microflora remain unknown. Hence, in this study, we investigated the ability of the aqueous extract of L. christinae (LAE) to prevent cholesterol gallstones (CGSs) in model animals by affecting the intestinal microflora. The effects of LAE on body weight, serum lipid profile, visceral organ indexes, and histomorphology were studied in male C57BL/6J mice, which were induced by a lithogenic diet. After the 8-week study, CGSs formation was greatly reduced after LAE treatment. LAE also reduced body weight gain and hyperlipidemia and restored the histomorphological changes. Moreover, the intestinal microflora exhibited significant variation. In the model group fed the lithogenic diet, the abundances of the genera unclassified Porphyromonadaceae, Lactobacillus and Alloprevotella decreased, but in contrast, Akkermansia dramatically increased compared with the control check group, which was fed a normal diet; the administration of LAE reversed these changes. These results imply that L. christinae can be considered an efficient therapy for eliminating CGSs induced by a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet, which may be achieved by influencing the intestinal microflora.