• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제50권1호
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• pp.26-33
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• 2023

Objective: Human exposure to multiple xenobiotics, over various developmental windows, results in adverse health effects arising from these concomitant exposures. Humans are widely exposed to bisphenol A, and acetaminophen is the most commonly used over-the-counter drug worldwide. Bisphenol A is a well-recognized male reproductive toxicant, and increasing evidence suggests that acetaminophen is also detrimental to the male reproductive system. The recent recognition of male reproductive system dysfunction in conditions of suboptimal reproductive outcomes makes it crucial to investigate the contributions of toxicant exposures to infertility and sub-fertility. We aimed to identify toxicity in the male reproductive system at the mitochondrial level in response to co-exposure to bisphenol A and acetaminophen, and we investigated whether melatonin ameliorated this toxicity. Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into six groups (n=10 each): a control group and groups that received melatonin, bisphenol A, acetaminophen, bisphenol A and acetaminophen, and bisphenol A and acetaminophen with melatonin treatment. Results: Significantly higher lipid peroxidation was observed in the testicular mitochondria and sperm in the treatment groups than in the control group. Levels of glutathione and the activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and manganese superoxide dismutase decreased significantly in response to the toxicant treatments. Likewise, the toxicant treatments significantly decreased the sperm count and motility, while significantly increasing sperm mortality. Melatonin mitigated the adverse effects of bisphenol A and acetaminophen. Conclusion: Co-exposure to bisphenol A and acetaminophen elevated oxidative stress in the testicular mitochondria, and this effect was alleviated by melatonin.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제50권1호
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• pp.19-25
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• 2023

Objective: Sleep deprivation (SD) is a common problem in today's stressful lifestyle and have physiological consequences, including reproductive dysfunction and infertility. As an antioxidant, olive oil may be effective in reducing testicular and spermatological damage by decreasing the production of free radicals. Methods: This study investigated the effects of olive oil on sperm quality and testicular structure using stereological methods to assess rats with SD. Results: When comparing SD group to grid floor+distilled water (GR) group, we found that the sperm count and motility, as well as the percentage of slow progressive sperm was significantly lower in SD group (p<0.05), but the percentage of immotile sperm was higher (p<0.01). However, no improvement was observed in sperm count or motility after concomitant treatment of SD group with olive oil. Stereological examinations revealed no significant change in the total volumes of the seminiferous tubules, interstitial tissue, and germinal epithelium in the study groups. Conversely, the total number of testicular cell types was significantly lower in SD group than in GR group. Although the total number of Sertoli and Leydig cells was significantly higher in the S +olive oil group than in the untreated SD group, no significant difference in the total number of other testicular cell types was observed between the two groups. Conclusion: SD potentially induced structural changes in testis that affected sperm count and motility. However, olive oil only improved the total number of Sertoli and Leydig cells in the animals with SD and did not improve sperm count and motility.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제49권4호
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• pp.239-247
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• 2022

Objective: Asafoetida is a gum derived from Ferula assa-foetida, which is used in traditional Iranian medicine to treat some reproductive system disorders. The effects of asafoetida on ovarian tissue, expression of certain genes associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and levels of liver, kidney, and blood cell factors after treatment in a rat model were investigated. Methods: Thirty rats were divided into five groups: normal, polycystic, and treatment with three doses of asafoetida (12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg for 3 weeks after PCOS induction). PCOS was induced by letrozole at a dose of 1 mg/kg administered orally for 3 weeks. Blood samples were taken, and the ovaries were removed and prepared for histomorphometric examination. Liver and kidney parameters were measured. The mRNA expression levels of luteinizing hormone receptor, CYP11A1, adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, adiponectin, and adiponectin receptors 1 and 2 were also measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: The levels of liver, kidney, and blood parameters did not significantly differ between the treatment groups and the control group. At doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg, ovarian histopathology, especially the thicknesses of the theca and granulosa layers, was significantly improved relative to the PCOS group. The expression of target genes also improved in the 25 and 50 mg/kg treatment groups. Conclusion: Asafoetida can be used to treat PCOS as a complementary approach to conventional therapies. Asafoetida appears to act by regulating and activating metabolic and ovarian cycle enzymes.

• 한국식생활문화학회지
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.338-343
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• 2009

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Takju lees hot water extracts on the blood pressure in spontaneously hypertension rats (SHR). Twenty eight male SHR were grouped by their blood pressure and fed a control diet or experimental diets containing 1% (G1), 2% (G2), or 4% (G4) Takju lees extracts for 4 weeks. Food intake was not significantly different among the groups. However, body weight gain was significantly lower in groups fed the Takju lees extract than the control group. The systolic blood pressure was significantly lower in the Takju lees extract containing groups (especially in G4 group) than the control groups. In addition, mean blood pressure {(systolic+dyastolic)/2} decreased with an increase in the amount of Takju lees extract in the diet and feeding period. Takju lees extract decreased angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) activity in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that the Takju lees extract exert an antihypertensive effect by decreasing ACE activity.

• 한국식생활문화학회지
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.236-243
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• 2009

This study was performed to investigate the effects of aluminum sulfate administration on the brain tissues of old rats, when given at different concentrations. The experiment attempted to further ascertain whether aluminum exposure cause Alzheimer's disease. Seventy-five aged Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups; a control group, 2 ppm aluminum sulfate group, 20 ppm aluminum sulfate group, 40 ppm aluminum sulfate group, and 200 ppm aluminum sulfate group, and were kept on the respective diets for 12 weeks. In order to understand the influence of aluminum on the brain, serum aluminum concentrations, phospholipid composition, and catecholamine concentrations were compared between the aluminum-treated groups and the normal group. According to the results, serum aluminum was higher in the aluminum sulfate-treated groups than in the normal group. Within the cortex, catecholamine concentrationes were significantly increased but cerebellum and brainstem tissue were significantly decreased, in the aluminum sulfate-treated groups compared to the normal group. For phospholipid composition, phosphatidyl inositol was significantly increased wherase phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, and phosphatidyl serine were significantly decreased in the aluminum sulfate-treated groups versus the normal group. Based on the data, increased aluminum consumption in experimental animals causes increased serum aluminum levels and catecholamine variation. These phenomena are very similar to conditions of Alzherimer's disease. Therfore, the results of this experiment further suggest that aluminum cause Alzherimer's disease, coinciding with reports that aluminum is a cause of neurofibrilly tangles in the brain.

• 한국식생활문화학회지
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.232-239
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• 2010

This study was designed to investigate the effects of green tea extract on aluminum-induced damage to phospholipid content in old rat cerebral tissue. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility that aluminum is the cause of Alzheimer's disease. Forty Sprague-Dawley old male rats weighing 350$\pm$10 g were divided into four groups, consisting of a control group (CON), 40 ppm aluminum sulfate group (Al-40), green tea water extract group (GTWE), and 40 ppm aluminum sulfate and green tea water extract groups (Al-40+GTWE) and kept on their respective diets for 12 weeks. In order to discover the influence of aluminum on cerebral tissue of old male rats, the serum aluminum concentration and phospholipid composition were compared between the aluminum-treated group and the normal group. The results showed that the serum aluminum concentration was higher in the aluminum sulfate-treated group than in the normal group. The cerebral tissue phospholipid concentration decreased significantly in the aluminum sulfate treated group as compared to the normal group. The results of this experiment show that increase of aluminum concentration in experimental animals causes the rise of serum aluminum and phospholipid concentrations, phenomena that are very similar to those shown in Alzheimer's disease., The results of this experiment, together with reports that aluminum is a cause of neurofibrillary tangles in cerebral tissue, therefore demonstrate the possibility that aluminum is the cause of Alzheimer's disease. Green tea water extract is also shown to be an effective therapeutic candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

• 한방재활의학과학회지
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.17-32
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• 2023

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cartilage regeneration effects of Euiiin-tang water extract (EIIT) in the treatment of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis in rats. Methods Animal models were divided into five groups. The normal group didn't do any treatments causing osteoarthritis. The control group was orally administerd distilled water instead of the drug, the positive control group used indomethacin 5 mg/kg, the EIIT 100 group used EIIT 100 mg/kg and the EIIT 200 group used EIIT 200 mg/kg, and seven rats were placed per group. We administered drug to rats for 2 weeks and analyzed oxidative stress-related proteins in joint tissue. Inflammation mediators and inflammatory cytokines induced by the activity of inflammation-related proteins were analyzed. In addition, the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines and collagen-related factors were analyzed, and H&E staining and Safranin-O staining were performed to see the effect on histopathological changes. Results 1) Oxidative stress-related proteins were significantly reduced. 2) Inflammationrelated proteins, inflammatory mediators and inflammatory cytokines were significantly reduced. 3) Anti-inflammatory cytokines were significantly increased. 4) Collagen proteolysis factors significantly decreased, and collagen degradation inhibitory factor was significantly increased. 5) EIIT administration significantly reduced cartilage degeneration and deformation in H&E staining, and reduced proteoglycan destruction in Safranin-O staining. Conclusions From the above experimental results, it judges that Euiiin-tang has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cartilage regeneration effects on osteoarthritis in rats induced by MIA.

• 한국식생활문화학회지
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• 제23권6호
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• pp.812-819
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• 2008

In this study, we assessed the effects of dietary supplementation with Ecklonia cava on blood glucose, lipid metabolism, and renal oxidative stress in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into a normal rat group fed on a control diet and diabetic rats fed on a control diet or supplemented with powder (15% w/w) or water extract of Ecklonia cava (2.5% w/w). Diabetes was induced by a single injection of STZ (60 mg/kg, ip) in citrate buffer. The animals were fed ad libitum with the experimental diet and water for 5 weeks. Dietary supplementation of Ecklonia cava powder and water extract was shown to reduce blood glucose levels in the diabetic rats, and the water extract was more effective than the powder. Dietary supplementation with Ecklonia cava also reduced LDL cholesterol and increased HDL-cholesterol levels in the diabetic rats. Renal glutathione S-transferase activity was increased in the diabetic rats as compared to the normal rats, but reverted to near control values as the result of dietary supplementation with Ecklonia cava. These results show that Eklonia cava exerts an anti-diabetic effect by improving blood glucose concentrations, LDL/HDL-cholesterol ratios, and antioxidative effects on the kidney in diabetic rats.

• 대한본초학회지
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• 제38권6호
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• pp.29-44
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• 2023

Objectives : This study was planned to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness and possible underlying mechanism of TPE (Tetrapanax papyrifer stem(inner part of the stem Extract) and AQE (Akebiae quinata stem Extract) on osteoarthritis. Methods : Osteoarthritis models were induced through intra-articular injection of MIA (monosodium iodoacetate) 50 μL with 80 mg/ml in rats. Excluding the normal group, Osteoarthritis-induced rats were divided into 4 groups (Control, INDO, TPE, AQE). The drug concentrations were indomethacin 5 mg/kg, TPE 200 mg/kg, and AQE 200 mg/kg, and were orally administered once a day for a couple of weeks. After drug supplementation, the effects of TPE and AQE were measured with serum diagnosis, western blotting, and histopathological staining. Results : It was found that the DPPH and ABTS free radical erasure ability of AQE was better than that of TPE. AQE administration improved rear limb overload and it led to relieving pain. Both PTE and AQE significantly reduced the expression of inflammatory mediators COX-2, iNOS, and inflammatory cytokine IL-1β and IL-6 by inhibiting the phosphorylation of IκBα and deactivating the pathway of NF-κBp65. On the other hand, TNF-α was significantly reduced only by administration of AQE. In addition, histopathological analysis showed that the administration of AQE compared to PTE suppressed cartilage degeneration and effectively suppressed damage to proteoglycan, a component of ECM. Conclusion : Reviewing these experimental results, TPE and AQE possessed the effect of delaying the progress of osteoarthritis and protecting cartilage. In addition, the results of this study show that AQE has a better cartilage protection effect than TPE.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• 제48권3호
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• pp.29.1-29.8
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• 2023

Objectives: This study tested the hypothesis that cryotherapy duration influences lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in a rat model. Materials and Methods: Six Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus) were used. Five sites were selected per animal and divided into 5 groups: a negative control group (NC), 2 positive control groups (PC1 and PC2), and 2 experimental groups (E1 and E2). Cryotherapy was applied for 1 minute (E1) or 5 minutes (E2). An acute inflammatory response was induced in the PC and E groups via subcutaneous administration of 0.5 mL/kg. In the PC2 group, a catheter was inserted without additional treatment. For the E1 and E2 groups, 2.5℃ saline solution was administered through the implanted catheters for 1 and 5 minutes, respectively. The rats were sacrificed, and samples were obtained and processed for histological analysis, specifically examining the presence of polymorphonuclear neutrophils and hemorrhage. The χ² test was used to compare the presence of acute inflammation across groups. Dependent variables were compared using the linear-by-linear association test. Results: Inflammation and hemorrhage varied significantly among the groups (p = 0.001). A significantly higher degree of acute inflammation was detected (p = 0.0002) in the PC and E1 samples than in the E2 group, in which cryotherapy was administered for 5 minutes. The PC and E1 groups also exhibited significantly greater numbers of neutrophils (p = 0.007), which were essentially absent in both the NC and E2 groups. Conclusions: Cryotherapy administration for 5 minutes reduced the acute inflammation associated with LPS and catheter implantation.