• Journal of the Korean Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology
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• 제2권3호
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• pp.1-12
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• 2004

Estrogens are critical to the functioning and maintenance of a diverse array of tissues and physiological systems in mammals. The actions of estrogen on such classical targets as the reproductive tract, gonads, mamary tissue, and hypothalamic/pituitary axis have been well characterized. A role in nonreproductive tissues, such as maintenance of bone mineral density and cardiovascular health in woman, as has been described. There were ne significant differences in the average of body weights, testis weights, among the experimental groups. The lumen of rate testis began to dilate from the day 8 and continued to the 59 post-treatment. The average diameter of dilate of rate testis in ICI 182,780 treated group increased 2.3-fold compared to the control group. Epithelical cell height in the rate testis of the treated mice decreased all the time periods, compared to the control.

• Journal of Life Science
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• 제22권9호
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• pp.1243-1253
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• 2012

The production and secretion of growth hormone (GH) in the anterior pituitary gland can be induced by several natural products to control cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration. To investigate whether Chungkookjang (CKJ) produced by the fermentation process affects GH-related metabolism, the secretion and the response of GH were observed in pituitary cells and GH target cells. Among six CKJs manufactured by different strains of glycine max, only three CKJs, including Daewon (DW), Daepung (DP), and Taegwang (TG), induced GH secretion from GH3 cells at 5.0 mg/ml concentration. There were no significant changes detected in the viability of any of the cells treated with these CKJs. In addition, the increase in GH secretion from the GH3 cells was dependent on the concentration of the three types of CKJs. The proliferation of cell lines, including MG63 and HepG2 cells, that originated from those derived from the GH target organs was significantly activated by treatment with the GH-containing conditional medium (GCM) harvested from the three CKJ-treated GH3 cells, although their induction rate was different from each other. In these cells, p-STAT5 was maximally translocated into the nucleus of MG63 cells 30 min after DW treatment, while it was translocated in HepG2 cells at 60 min. These results suggest that these three types of CKJ could enhance the secretion of GH, as well as the GCM-derived response, in the two target organs.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제57권3호
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• pp.284-288
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• 2004

Central diabetes insipidus (DI) is a disease caused by insufficient release of antidiuretic hormone. Central DI with lung cancer is very rare. Most of them are caused by the pituitary metastasis, and rarely, by the paraneoplastic syndromes. Central DI is diagnosed by the water deprivation test. The treatment consists of surgical resection, radiotherapy and administration of desmopressin. We report an unusual case of central DI with non-small cell lung cancer. The diagnosis was confirmed by water deprivation test. After the administration of desmopressin, the urine osmolarity was increased. The patient's symptoms and urine osmolarity were improved by intranasal desmopressin.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.189-197
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• 2006

Prolactin (PRL) is a pituitary hormone involved in various physiological processes, including lactation, mammary development, and immune function. To further investigate the in vivo and comparative endocrine roles of PRL, mouse PRL cDNA fused to the cytomegalovirus promoter, was introduced into muscle by direct injection. Previously we studied the function of rat PRL using the same protocol. PRL mRNA was detected in the muscle following injection by RT-PCR and subsequent Southern blot analysis. PRL was also detected and Western blot analysis revealed a relatively high level of serum PRL. In the pCMV-mPRL-injected female mice, the estrous cycle was extended, especially in diestrus stage and the uterus thickening that was shown in normal estrous stage was not observed. In the pCMV-mPRL-injected male mice, new blood vessels were first found at 5 weeks of age and fully developed blood vessels were found after 8 weeks in the testis. The number of Leydig cells increased within the testis and the testosterone level in serum was observed high. Finally, the number of white blood cells (WBCs) increased in the pCMV-mPRL-injected mice. The augmentation of WBCs persisted for at least 20 days after injection. When injection was combined with adrenalectomy, there was an even greater increase in number of WBCs, especially lymphocytes. This increase was returned normal by treatment with dexamethansone. Taken together, our data reveal that intramuscularly expressed mouse PRL influences reproductive functions in female, induces formation of new blood vessels in the testis, and augments WBC numbers. Of notice is that the Leydig cell proliferation with increased testosterone was conspicuously observed in the pCMV-mPRL-injected mice. These results also suggest subtle difference in function of PRL between mouse and rat species.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.282-290
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• 1997

Hepatocytes of Anguilla japonica have been prepared using a collagenase perfusion technique. The isolated cells attached efficiently to fibronectin-coated culture dishes and subsequently formed monolayers in serum-free medium. These cultures maintained in appropriate medium at least for 10 days with minimal cell loss. The effects of estradiol and pituitary hormones on vitellogenin (Vg) synthesis were examined in primary hepatocyte culture of the immature eels. In fish, as in other oviparous vertebrates, estrogen is a major inducer of Vg synthesis. However, $estradiol-17\beta(E_2)$ alone was insufficient to induce Vg synthesis in cultures of eel hepatocytes. Combination of $E_2$ with growth hormone (GH) and/or prolactin (PRL) markedly stimulated Vg synthesis. Even in cultures exposed to $E_2$ or precultured without hormones for 8 days, $E_2$ alone could not fully induce Vg synthesis. The synthesis of Vg was dramatically increased when hepatocytes were cultured in medium supplemented with $E_{2}+GH+PRL$ for 6 days. At this point, even though GH and/or PRL were eliminated from the medium, Vg synthesis was not influenced by these factors during culture of further 3 days. These results indicate that pituitary hormones, in particular GH and PRL, play important roles in the regulation of Vg synthesis in primary cultures of eel hepatocytes.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.115-121
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• 2011

hFSH is a glycoprotein secreted from anterior pituitary and consists of ${\alpha}$ and ${\beta}$ subunits. Because of its major biological functions including sperm formation in the male and for follicular growth, FSH is used to cure woman's sterility. In this study we tried to produce recombinant hFSH in vitro using a retrovirus expression vector. Two major components of the vector we constructed are: ( i ) a DNA fragment containing ${\alpha}$ and ${\beta}$ genes fused by a DNA sequence coding carboxyl terminal peptide (CTP) of human chorionic gonadotropin, (ii) a DNA fragment corresponding woodchuck hepatitis virus posttranscriptional regulatory element (WPRE). Evaluation of expression profile of the recombinant FSH using reverse transcription PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Among three cell lines tested, HeLa cells were the best for hFSH expression (5,395 mIU/ml), then followed by chicken embryonic fibroblast (CEF) cells and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells in the order of hFSH production. In addition to the amount, the FSH produced from HeLa cells was highest in terms of biological activity which was determined by measuring cAMP.

• Journal of Life Science
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.19-23
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• 1999

Bisphenol-A and related conpounds recently have been reported to be estrogenic since it has been demonstrared in laboratory stuides that they mimic the effects of estrogen. Bisphenol-A refered to as "environmental estrogen" are suspected of causing health effect in living body through disruption of endocdrine system. In this review, the occurrence, environmental fate, and biological effects of bisphenol-A are presented. To provide understanding to the potential for endocrine disruption due to environmental estrogen, the physiology of bisphenol-A mammalian and fish is also reviewed. For empty can, the migrationof bisphenol-A form food conducted epoxy coating was effected by the test conditions and it increased in order to water and 4% acetic acid. Extracts from foods packed in lacquer coated can also showed estrogenic activity. Bisphenol-A was found as a contaminant not only in the liquid food cans, but also in water autoclave in can. The used of coating certain food-packaging material may require closer scrutiny to determine when bisphenol-A contribute to advert exposure of consumers to estrogenic xenobiotics. Human breast cancer MCF cell added bisphenol-A cultivated to study the ability of bisphenol-A to elicit of bisphenol-A estrogenic bioresponse in this system. Bisphenol-A, similar to estradiol, induced PR activation in transiently transfected anterior and posterior pituitary cells.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.107-111
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• 1991

The testicular volume measured by a Prader orchidometer was compared with sperm count in semen, the levels of serum FSH, LH, testosterone, prolactin, estradiol and progesterone in 59 nonobstructive infertile men. 1. The causes of infertility were primary hypogonadisms in 50 patients (35 unknown, 9 Klinefelter syndromes, 6 varicocels) and secondary hypogonadism in 9 (5 isolated FSH deficiencies, 1 hyperprolactinerriia, 3 pituitary hypogonadisms). 2. Decreased levels of serum FSH (less than 4 mIU/ml) did not correlate with testis volume but increased level of serum FSH (more than 20 mIU/ml) were mostly noted in the testis less than 10ml. 3. Decreased level of serum testosterone (less than 3 ng/ml) were distinguishably noted in the atrophied testis less than 5 ml. 4. There was no correlation between the testicular volume and the levels of serum prolactin, estradiol, and progesterone. Coclusively, testicular volume less than 11 ml suggests poor spermatogenesis, but normal testicular volume dose not nessarily rule out poor spermatogenesis. Function of Leydig cell is relatively well preserved in atrophied testis of 5 to 10 ml comparing with that of seminiferous tubule.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• 제60권1호
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• pp.8-14
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• 2016

Endotoxemia induces production of inflammatory mediators and acute phase proteins, leading to multiorgan injury and systemic inflammation. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation and glucocorticoids (GCs) release modify endotoxemia-induced inflammatory responses. In the present study, we investigated whether pre-exposure of GCs influences endotoxin-induced production of inflammatory mediators in hepatocytes. Hepa1c1c-7 cells were pretreated with low concentrations of corticosterone for 24 h and then cultured without corticosterone in the presence or absence of LPS. Our results demonstrated that LPS alone significantly enhanced production of IL-6 and CRP but reduced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) compared to controls. Combination of corticosterone pretreatment and LPS significantly upregulated production of IL-6, IL-$1{\beta}$, and VEGF but downregulated CRP compared to those in LPS alone. These findings suggest that in low concentration of corticosterone-preexposed hepatocytes, endotoxemia may induce upregulation of IL-6, IL-$1{\beta}$, VEGF and but downregulation of CRP.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• 제17권6호
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• pp.1235-1239
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• 2008

To study the health promoting effects of medicinal plants, 30 medicinal plants commonly available in Korea have been evaluated for their antioxidant compounds and antioxidant and antiproliferative activities. Total polyphenolics and flavonoids in the methanolic extracts were measured by spectrophotometric methods and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activities and chelating effects have been determined for antioxidant activities. Moreover, the effects of medicinal plants on cell proliferation of intestinal (Caco-2) and pituitary (GH3) tumor cells were investigated using thiazolyl blue terazolium bromide (MIT) assay. The methanolic extracts of Pueraria thunbergiana and Artemisiae asiatria contained the highest total polyphenolic and flavonoid contents, respectively. P. thunbergiana exhibited the highest antioxidant activities. A. asiatria showed the strongest antiproliferative activity against Caco-2 and Ponciruc trifoliata Rafin and Lophathrum gracile Bronghiart exhibited the highest activities against GH3. Although there was positive correlation between ABTS radical scavenging activity and polyphenolic contents ($R^2=8189$), no relationship was found between antiproliferative and antioxidant activities.