• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.299-307
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• 2003

Objectives: The present study was conducted to evaluate the mobile transposon-like element, clone MTi7 (MTi7) expression in the mouse ovary and to determine its role(s) in the mouse oocytes by RNA interference (RNAi). Methods: MTi7 mRNA expression was localized by in situ hybridization in day5 and adult ovaries. Double stranded RNA (dsRNA) was prepared for c-mos, a gene with known function as control, and the MTi7. Each dsRNA was microinjected into the germinal vesicle (GV) stage oocytes then oocyte maturation and intracellular changes were evaluated. Results: In situ hybridization analysis revealed that MTi7 mRNA localized to the oocyte cytoplasm from primordial to preovulatory follicles. After dsRNA injection, we found 43-54% GV arrest of microinjected GV oocytes with 68%-90% decrease in targeted c-mos or MTi7 mRNA. Conclusions: This is the first report of the oocyte-specific expression of the MTi7 mRNA. From results of RNAi for MTi7, we concluded that the MTi7 is involved in the germinal vesicle breakdown in GV oocytes, and MTi7 may be implicated with c-mos for its function. We report here that RNAi provides an outstanding approach to study the function of a gene with unknown functions.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.77-82
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• 2020

Objective: Irregular patterns of marital cohabitation are a common problem in upper Egypt due to employment conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of irregular marital cohabitation on the quality of life and sexual function of infertile men. Methods: In total, 208 infertile men were included and divided into two groups. The first group included 134 infertile men with an irregular pattern of marital cohabitation and the second group included 74 infertile men with a regular pattern of marital cohabitation. All subjects were assessed through a clinical evaluation, conventional semen analysis, the fertility quality of life (FertiQoL) questionnaire, the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) score, and the premature ejaculation diagnostic tool (PMEDT). Results: The two groups were compared in terms of conventional semen parameters, FertiQoL, IIEF-5 score, and PMEDT. Infertile men with an irregular pattern of marital cohabitation had significantly lower subscale and total FertiQoL and IIEF-5 scores. Additionally, they had significantly higher PMEDT scores. Erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation were more common in them than in infertile men with a regular pattern of marital cohabitation. Conclusion: Irregular patterns of marital cohabitation had an adverse effect on quality of life and sexual function in infertile men.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제38권3호
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• pp.135-141
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• 2011

Objective: Ovarian angiogenesis plays an important role in folliculogenesis. However, little is known about the expression of angiogenic factors during follicular development according to female age. Stromal cell derived factor-$1{\alpha}$ (SDF-$1{\alpha}$) plays a role in granulosa cell survival and embryo quality as an angiogenic chemokine. Leptin is also involved in folliculogenesis and angiogenesis. This study examined expression of SDF-$1{\alpha}$ and leptin, and their effects on the expression of angiogenic factors in the ovary during follicular development according to female age. Methods: Ovaries were collected from C57BL mice of two age groups (6-9 weeks and 24-26 weeks) at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after 5 IU pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG) injection. The expression of ovarian SDF-$1{\alpha}$ and leptin mRNA was evaluated by RT-PCR. In the organ culture experiment, the ovaries were cultured in transwell permeable supports with Waymouth's medium treated with various doses of SDF-$1{\alpha}$(50-200 ng/mL) or leptin (0.01-1 ${\mu}g$/mL) for 7 days. Then, mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and visfatin were examined in the cultured ovaries. Results: Expression of SDF-$1{\alpha}$ and leptin in the ovary was significantly lower in the aged mouse group compared to the young mouse group ($p$ <0.05). Expression of these two factors increased with follicular development after PMSG administration. SDF-$1{\alpha}$ treatment stimulated visfatin expression in a dose-dependent manner, while leptin treatment significantly increased eNOS expression. Conclusion: These results suggest that decrease of ovarian SDF-$1{\alpha}$ and leptin expression may be associated with aging-related reduction of ovarian function. SDF-$1{\alpha}$ and leptin may play a role in follicular development by regulating the expression of angiogenic factors in mouse ovaries.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제10권3호
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• pp.281-286
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• 2000

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (TCDD), a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, causes a variety of adverse effects on the male reproductive system in rats. The effect of green tea extract (GTE) was investigated on the testicular function in Spragure-Dawley rats after a single exposure of 10$\mu\textrm{g}$ TCDD/kg body weight. The exposure of rat to TCDD significantly increased the weights of the epididymis and ventral prostate, yet significantly decresed the weight of the seminal vesicle when compared to the controls (p<0.05). In a combined treatment of TCDD with GTE, the organ weight changes caused by TCDD treatment disappeared. Significant decreases in sperm motility and sperm numbers were observed in the TCDD-treated rats, when compared to the control (p<0.05). GTE treatment reversed the decrease of sperm motility and sperm numbers caused by TCDD. There were no differences in sperm morphology, histological changes of the reproductive organs, and spermatogenesis between all the treated groups. In the ventral prostate and seminal vesicle, TCDD increased the CYP1A1 mRNA level, however, it did not affect the estrogen receptor $\beta$ (ER-$\beta$) mRNA level. GTE treatment did not influence the effect of TCDD on the levels of CYP1A1 and Er-$\beta$ mRNA. These results seem to indicate that green tea protects the testicular function against TCDD-induced reproductive toxicity, not because of a receptor-mediated mechanism but rather due to a secondary change of testes or accessory sex organs.

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한불임학회 1999년도 제38차 추계 학술대회
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• pp.80.1-80.1
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• 1999

• Applied Microscopy
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• 제39권4호
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• pp.301-309
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• 2009

에스트로겐은 수컷과 암컷의 생식기관 내에서 구조적이고 기능적인 변화를 유발하지만 그 정확한 기작에 대하여는 잘 알려져 있지 않다. 에스트로겐의 기능과 연관지어, 본 연구에서는 암컷 생식기관 내에서 에스트로겐 수용체 촉진제인 4,4',4"-(4-propyl-[1H]-pyrazole-1,3,5-triyl)tris phenol (PPT)의 작용을 확인하고자 하였다. 성체 암컷 마우스에 castor oil 0.06 mL에 PPT 3mg 농도로 희석한 용액을 1주일에 1회씩 3주, 5주, 8주 동안 각각 피하주사 하였으며, 대조군에는 castor oil 0.06 mL만을 투여하였다. 광학현미경을 이용하여 생식기관에 대한 PPT의 영향을 분석하였다. PPT에 의해 실험기간 동안 체중, 난소 및 지방조직의 무게가 감소되었다. PPT 투여군에서는 대조군에 비해 난소의 직경이 감소되었으며, 난소 내 그라프여포와 황체의 수도 감소되었다. 자궁의 경우, PPT에 의해 근육층과 내막층의 높이가 감소함에 따라 내강이 증가되었다. 또한 자궁샘의 수도 감소되었다. 이런 결과들로 볼 때 PPT에 의해 암컷 생식기관의 형태학적 변화가 유발되고 이로 인해 생식력에도 변화가 있을 것으로 보인다.

• 환경생물
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.224-231
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• 2002

광주기(하루 중 빛의 길이)는 골든 햄스터의 생식을 조절하는 주된 요인이다. 광주기 정보는 멜라토닌을 통하여 생식 내분비계로 전달된다. 따라서 멜라토닌이 생식에 미치는 효과를 여러 광주기에 노출시킨 햄스터에서 조사하였다. 단주기(하루 중 12시간 이하의 조명)에 노출시킨 동물들과 저녁에 멜라토닌을 주사한 동물들의 정소 무게는 현저하게 줄어들었으나, 장주기 (하루 중 12.5시간 이상의 조명)에 유지된 동물과 오전에 멜라토닌을 투여한 동물들의 정소 무게는 줄어들지 않았다. 퇴화된 정소를 조직학적으로 조사한 결과, 세정관 직경이 감소되었고, 세정관내 세포수가 두드러지게 줄어들었다. 또한 생식 능력이 퇴화된 동물의 혈중 여포자극호르몬과 황체호르몬의 수준도 생식 능력을 보유하고 있는 동물에 비해 뚜렷하게 감소하였다. 멜라토닌 수용체가 역전사 polymerase chain reaction으로 동정되었고 조직특이성 또한 조사하였다. 동정된 멜라토닌 수용체는 309염기였으며, 시상하부와 뇌하수체를 포함하는 다양한 장기에서 발현되었다. 생식을 조절하는 핵심 물질인 gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) 유전자의 발현 또한 동정되었다. 그러나 멜라토닌 처리와 광주기 처리는 GnRH유전자 발현에 영향을 미치지 않았다. 종합하면, 광주기의 효과는 멜리토닌을 경유하여 발휘되며, 멜라토닌은 GnRH유전자의 발현보다는, 생성된 GnRH의 분비에 영향을 미쳐 생식내분비계에 간접적으로 작용함을 알 수 있었다.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.1-16
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• 2010

An epidemic model with Classical Kermack-Mckendrick incidence rate under a limited resource for treatment is proposed to understand the effect of the capacity for treatment. We have assumed that treatment function is strictly increasing function of infective individuals and becomes constant when the number of infective is very large. Existence and stability of the disease free and endemic equilibrium are investigated, boundedness of the solutions are shown. Even in this simple version of the model, backward bifurcation and multiple epidemic steady states can be observed with some sets of parameter values. Hopf-bifurcation analyses are given and numerical examples are provided to help understanding.

• Applied Microscopy
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.21-34
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• 1979

The cyclic changes of the epithelium of seminiferous tubule in the Korean greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum korai) were investigated by means of the light and electron microscopic observations and the following results were obtained. 1) The spermatogenic function of the horseshoe bats captured in September was moderate but considerable amount of the ultrastructural findings were obtained in both the spermatocytogenic and the spermiogenic phases. 2) The spermatogenic function of the horseshoe bats captured in December was depressed representing a resting status. 3) The light and electron microscopic findings suggest that the epithelium of seminiferous tubule varies cyclically, which is closely related to their peculiar way of reproductive habit during hibernation.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• 제7권4호
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• pp.9-14
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• 1964

According to the results measured the respiratory quotient of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with neutron radiation by manometric direct method, the respiratory quotient of them was stimulated at the dose(7$\times$106N/$\textrm{cm}^2$/sec) of neutron radiation for 60 seconds, and was inhibited in each group irradiated at the high dose (7$\times$108N/$\textrm{cm}^2$/sec) of neutron. Its physiological effects influenced on neutron had relations with respiratory quotient, reproductive rate and fermentation in the curve of normal logarithmic phase. The multiple reactions which appeared in yeast, indicated that a great deal of physiological function were closely correlated with the irradiated dosage of neutron. The kinds of free amino acid in yeast irradiated with neutron were different from those of unirradiated yeast. The activityof dehydrogenase system accelerated the metabolic function of yeast irradiated at some low dose of neutron. By this results, it may demonstrate that the fact which the phenomena obtained in the stimulation of neutron possess its character for several generation, is dependent on the theory of mutation. Subsequently, it seemed reasonable certain dominant type of microorganisms.