• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.377-381
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• 1999

Objectives: Recent studies, including our own, demonstrated that the novel expression of LH gene in rat gonads and uterus, indicating that the local production and action of the LH-like molecule. In the present study, we investigated whether human uterus also expresses the LH gene. Design: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplified the cDNA fragments coding $LH_{\beta}$ polypeptide from human endometrium but not from myometrium. Presence of the transcripts for the ${\alpha}$-subunit in human endometrium was also confirmed by RT-PCR. Results: Transcripts for $LH_{\beta}$ subunit were detected in endometrial samples from women with endometriosis. The gene for LH/hCG receptor was expressed in both endometrium and myometrium, showing good agreement with previous studies. Increased level of $LH_{\beta}$ transcript was determined in the endometrium from follicular phase compared to that from luteal phase. Conclusion: Taken together, our findings demonstrated that 1) the genes for LH subunits and LH/hCG receptor are expressed in human uterus, 2) the uterine LH expression was changed during menstrual cycle, suggesting that the uterine LH may playa local role in the control of uterine physiology and function(s).

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.37-60
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• 1983

The uterus receives adrenergic terminals from the mesenteric ganglia and considerably large amount of catecholamines have been shown to be contained in this organ. On the other hand, the activities of epinephrine, norepinephrine or adrenergic nerve on uterine motility is so complicated that many controversial results have been reporter. Recently, a large number of reports concerning the changes of uterine catecholamines content have appeared, but little is known about the role of uterine catecholamines in their activities on uterine motility. The present experiments were undertaken to determine the significance of the intrinsic uterine catecholamines in the physiology of uterus. Female albino rabbits weighing approximately 2 kg were employed in this experiment. uterine strip3 were prepared and suspended in a constant temperature $bath(38^{\circ}C)$ containing 100 ml of Locke's solution aerated with 95% oxygen and 5% carbon dioxide. Spontaneous motility was recorded on a smoked drum with an isotonic lever. The catecholamines concentration of the uterus was determined according to the Procedure described of Shore and Olin (1958). Human uterus obtained from patients was also used to determine the catecholam ines content of myometrium. Followings are summarized results. 1) On the non-pregnant rabbit uterine strips, epinephrine and norepinephrine significantly elevated the tonus and stimulated the spontaneous motility. Pretreatment with dichloroisoproterenol(DCI), an adrenergic beta-receptor blocker, enhanced the stimulatory activity of epinephrine or norepinephrine. On the other hand, pretreatment with dibenamine, an adrenergic alpha-receptor blocker, rendered the uterine muscle to exhibit inhibition after the administration of epinephrine or norepinephrine. Following the treatment with both DCI and dibenamine, epinephrine or norepinephrine produced no appreciable effects on the spontaneous motility of the uterus. These results suggest there exist both alpha and beta-adrenergic receptors in the uterine muscle and the response to epinephrine of the former is predominant over that of latter in the non-pregnant uterus of rabbits. The total catecholamines concentration of the non-pregnant uterus was $351\;m{\mu}g/g$ and the fractional concentrations of epinephrine and norepinephrine were $125\;m{\mu}g/g(35.7%)$ and $226\;m{\mu}g/g$ respectively. It is interesting to note that the catecholamines content of uterus was characterized by a high fractional corcentration of epinephrine relative to norepinephrine. 2) On the pregnant rabbit uterine strips, the effects of epinephrine and norepinephrine varied according to the period of pregnancy. The response to epinephrine of adrenergic beta receptor of uterus increased during pregnancy, and the effect of catecholamine was inhibitory in the early pregnancy but became stimulatory as the pregnancy progressed. This stimulating action on the uterine motility was found to occur through the action of norepinephrine. The uterine catecholamines concentration was markedly reduced during pregnancy. The catecholamines concentration was started to decrease in the early pregnancy, reached the lowest level in the mid-pregnancy and then started to increaae again in the late pregnancy when the total catecholamines content became the highest level of all. This increase of catefholamines in late pregnancy was chiefly due to the increase of norepinephrine. These results suggest that the uterine motility may be related to the catecholamines content, especially norepinephrine content in the uterus. 3) Bilateral oophorectomy of rabbits results in a marked shrink of the uterus in size. The spontaneous motility of the uterine segment of these animals was very weak and irregular. Norepinephrine produced inhibitory effect, whereas epinephrine was stimulatory or inhibitory effect on the uterine segment. The total catecholamines tontent in whole uterus was markedly reduced. The injection of estrogen into the oophorectornized rabbit increased the weight of uterus to approximately three times of that of oophorectornized animal. The apontaneous motility and the response to epinephrine and norepinephrine of the uterine segment were greatly enhanced. Both epinephrine and norepinephrine produced a marked stimulatory effects of the uterine motility. The uterine content of catecholamines, particularly epinephrine, was markedly increased. The injection of progesterone into the oophorectornized rabbit increaeed the weight of uterus to approximately 2.5 times of that of eophorectornized animal. The spontaneous motility of the uterine segment was weak and irregular. Epinephrine produced stimulatory effect at high concentrations but norepinephrine always prcdnced inhibitory effect on the uterine segment. The uterine content of catecholamines, particularly of norepinephrine, was markedly reduced. These results suggested that ovarian hormones play an important role not only on the growth and spontaneous norepinephrine of uterus but also on the catecholamines content and responee to epinephrine and norepinephrine of the uterus. 4) The intraperitoneal injection of reserpine(3 mg/kg) into the non-pregnant, pregnant and oophorectornieed rabbits markedly decreased the uterine content of catecholamines, particularly of the norepinephrine. The stimulatory response to epinephrine and. norepinephrine of the uterine segment of these reserpinized ratbits was markedly reduced whereas the inhibitory response to these catecholamines was enhanced. This finding further support the close relationship between the uterine catecholamines content and uterine response to epineptrire and norepinephrine. 5) In the human uterus, the concentration of epinephrine was actrally greater than that of norepinephrine and it was significantly greater during the proliferative phase of the menstrtal cycle. In the human pregnant uterus, the concentrations of toth epinephrine and ncrefinephrine were markedly reduced and showed about 45 percent rednction after 6-8 weeks of ectopic Pregnancy. At full term ana during labor, the concentrations of epinephrine and norepinephrine at placental sites were less than those found in the non-pregnant group. Of interest was the finding that the norepinephrine concentration of uterus from toxemic patients was two and half times higher than that of lower uterine segment of the nontoxemic pregnant individuals. Also the epinephrine concentraticn was slightly increaeed.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.277-284
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• 2019

ARID1A and PGR plays an important role in embryo implantation and decidualization during early pregnancy. Uterine specific Arid1a knockout ($Pgr^{cre/+}Arid1a^{f/f}$) mice exhibit in non-receptive endometrium at day 3.5 of gestation (GD 3.5). In previous studies, using transcriptomic analysis in the uterus of $Pgr^{cre/+}Arid1a^{f/f}$ mice, we identified proline-rich acidic protein 1 (PRAP1) as one of the down-regulated genes by ARID1A in the uterus. In the present study, we performed RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry analysis to investigate the regulation of PRAP1 by ARID1A and determine expression patterns of PRAP1 in the uterus during early pregnancy. During early pregnancy, PRAP1 expression was strong at day 0.5 of gestation (GD 0.5) and then decreased at GD 3.5 in the epithelium and stroma. After implantation, PRAP1 expression was remarkably reduced in the uterus. However, the expression of PRAP1 at GD 3.5 was remarkably increased in the $Pgr^{cre/+}Arid1a^{f/f}$ mice. To determine the ovarian steroid hormone regulation of PRAP1, we examined the expression of PRAP1 in ovariectomized control, $Pgr^{cre/+}Arid1a^{f/f}$, and progesterone receptor knock-out (PRKO) mice treated with progesterone. While PRAP1 proteins were strongly expressed in the luminal and glandular epithelium of control mice treated with vehicle, progesterone treatment suppressed the expression of PRAP1. However, PRAP1 was not suppressed in both the $Pgr^{cre/+}Arid1a^{f/f}$ and PRKO mice compared to controls. Our results identified PRAP1 as a novel target of ARID1A and PGR in the murine uterus.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.75-94
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• 2016

Objectives : The uterus plays an important role in the woman's body. In Korean Medical literature, the uterus is mentioned in various contexts according to different perspectives on its meaning and function. An examination of these various contexts is crucial in understanding the meaning of the uterus and to better understand and approach woman's body. Methods : Aside from the most widely used term Jagung(子宮), there were various terms used to refer to the uterus. Based on a list of these terms, the Siku Qianshu collection of medical literatures was investigated. Contents related to the definition, shape, location, function were extracted and examined. Results : Among the findings, first, there were various terms referring to the uterus similar to contemporary understanding. Some of them referred to the uterus as a whole, while others referred to specific parts, one of which is the placenta. Some reflected a broader perspective on the meaning of the uterus. Second, the functions of the uterus could be summarized as gate keeping, and the maintenance of uterine environment that is related to menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth. Third, based on the examination of the meaning of the uterus and its functions, perspectives on the uterus in Korean Medicine could be summarized into two. Conclusions : One viewed uterus as an organ dedicated to reproduction, similar to today's common understanding. According to this view, uterus is a special organ specific to women, which functions as an incubator for the fetus. The other viewed the uterus as an intangible source of life in the woman's body. As a general source of life to all human beings, it is not a passive organ but functions as an active source in woman's life phenomena. The two perspectives are not in conflict, but rather reflect the broad range of thought on the concept of the uterus in Korean Medicine. In today's biomedical society, the diversity and flexibility of these perspectives could shed light on medical practices that have resulted from extreme views on the woman's body.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.292-296
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to assess the potential of St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) to prevent obesity and abnormalities in lipid metabolism induced by ovariectomy in a rat model without stimulatory activity on uterus. MATERIALS/METHODS: Ovariectomized (OVX) rats were treated for 6 weeks with 70% ethanol extracts of Hypericum perforatum [HPEs: whole plant (WHPE) and flower and leaves (FLHPE)], ${\beta}$-estradiol-3-benzoate at a dose of $50{\mu}g/kg/day$ (E2) or vehicle (distilled water). RESULTS: As expected, OVX increased body weight gain and adiposity and showed higher food efficacy ratio. OVX also increased the serum cholesterol as well as insulin resistance, while reducing uterus weight and uterine epithelial proliferation rate. HPEs (WHPE and FLHPE) showed estrogen-like effect on body weight gain, adipose tissue weight and food efficacy ratio in OVX rats. HPEs prevented hypercholesterolemia induced by OVX more effectively than E2. E2 increased uterus weight and epithelial proliferation rate in OVX rats, while HPEs maintained them at the level of the sham-operated animals. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding demonstrates that HPEs can be considered as an effective agent to prevent OVX-induced obesity without stimulatory activity on uterus.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2014

Early growth response 1 (Egr1) is a zinc-finger transcription factor to direct second-wave gene expression leading to cell growth, differentiation and/or apoptosis. While it is well-known that Egr1 controls transcription of an array of targets in various cell types, downstream target gene(s) whose transcription is regulated by Egr1 in the uterus has not been identified yet. Thus, we have tried to identify a list of potential target genes of Egr1 in the uterus by performing multi-step in silico promoter analyses. Analyses of mRNA microarray data provided a cohort of genes (102 genes) which were differentially expressed (DEGs) in the uterus between Egr1(+/+) and Egr1(-/-) mice. In mice, the frequency of putative EGR1 binding sites (EBS) in the promoter of DEGs is significantly higher than that of randomly selected non-DEGs, although it is not correlated with expression levels of DEGs. Furthermore, EBS are considerably enriched within -500 bp of DEG's promoters. Comparative analyses for EBS of DEGs with the promoters of other species provided power to distinguish DEGs with higher probability as EGR1 direct target genes. Eleven EBS in the promoters of 9 genes among analyzed DEGs are conserved between various species including human. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that analyses of mRNA expression profiles followed by two-step in silico analyses could provide a list of putative Egr1 direct target genes in the uterus where any known direct target genes are yet reported for further functional studies.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.895-900
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• 2019

Ultrasound is known to be harmless to the human body and is widely used in obstetrics and gynecology to confirm the diagnosis and development status of fetus. Diagnosis Although long - term use of ultrasound may cause changes in body temperature, studies on the uterine temperature changes due to ultrasound have been lacking. The purpose of this study was to investigate the change of temperature according to ultrasonic scanning time using a self - produced uterine model phantom. Ultrasound equipment and a 4MHz convex probe were used to construct the uterine model phantom similar to the human uterus using acrylic and pig uterus, which are tissue equivalents. Three probe type thermometers were installed to measure the inside of the acrylic water tank, the uterus, and the atmospheric temperature. The temperature of the uterine phantom was ascertained by measuring the temperature of the subject for 6 hours, 361 times. In this study, the possibility of human body temperature elevation due to ultrasound could be confirmed and this study will be used as the basic data of ultrasonic heat absorption study.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.163-166
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• 2007

The cytotoxic effects of partially purified substances from Bacillus polylfermenticus SCD toward a variety tumor cell lines were studied. Cytotoxic activity was determined with regard to the A549 (human lung carcinoma), AGS (human stomach adenocarcinoma), DLD-1 (human colon adenocarcinoma), HEC-1-B (human uterus adenocarcinoma), SW-156 (human kidney carcinoma), and NIH/3T3 (murine normal fibroblast) cell lines using the MTT assay. Cytotoxic substances were partially purified through Diaion HP-20 columns and extracted with methanol or other organic solvents (n-hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate, and butanol). B. polyfermenticus SCD supernatant showed up to 60% inhibition of cell viability fer all five human cancer cell lines tested. When treated with 10 mg/mL of n-hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate, and butanol extract, HEC-1-B cells showed a 25,62,35, and 63% rate of inhibition respectively, and AGS cells showed a 72, 61, 44, and 67% rate of inhibition, respectively. At a concentration of 10 mg/mL, 100% methanol Diaion HP-20 extracts showed inhibition rates of 97.0% toward A-549 cells, 98.1% toward AGS cells, 81.6% toward DLD-1 cells, 83.5% toward HEC-1-B cells, and 92.7% toward SW-156 cells. These results indicate that partially purified fractions from B. polyfermenticus SCD have the potential to inhibit not only colon cancer cells, but also lung, stomach uterus, and kidney cancer cells. Further studies are needed to characterize the cytotoxic substances released in B. polyfermenticus SCD cultures.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.303-310
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• 2021

Decorin (DCN) is a proteoglycan belonging to the small leucine-rich proteoglycan family. It is composed of a protein core containing leucine repeats with a glycosaminoglycan chain consisting of either chondroitin sulfate or dermatan sulfate. DCN is a structural component of connective tissues that can bind to type I collagen. It plays a role in the assembly of the extracellular matrix (ECM), and it is related to fibrillogenesis. It can interact with fibronectin, thrombospondin, complement component C1, transforming growth factor (TGF), and epidermal growth factor receptor. Normal DCN expression regulates a wide range of cellular processes, including proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and autophagy, through interactions with various molecules. However, its aberrant expression is associated with oocyte maturation, oocyte quality, and poor extravillous trophoblast invasion of the uterus, which underlies the occurrence of preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. Spatiotemporal hormonal control of successful pregnancy should regulate the concentration and activity of specific proteins such as proteoglycan participating in the ECM remodeling of trophoblastic and uterine cells in fetal membranes and uterus. At the human feto-maternal interface, TGF-β and DCN play crucial roles in the regulation of trophoblast invasion of the uterus. This review summarizes the role of the proteoglycan DCN as an important and multifunctional molecule in the physiological regulation of oocyte maturation and trophoblast migration. This review also shows that recombinant DCN proteins might be useful for substantiating diverse functions in both animal and in vitro models of oogenesis and implantation.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2000

Objective: Mammalian embryos undergo changes of energy environment for transfer from oviduct to uterus. Also, the human reproductive organ (oviduct, uterus) contains energy sources of different concentration (oviduct - glucose: 0.5 mM, pyruvate: 0.32 mM, lactate: 10.5 mM; uterus - goucose: 3.15 mM, pyruvate: 0.1mM, lactate: 5.87 mM, respectively). This study was conducted to examine the effect of these energy sources added in DMEM with glutamine on the mouse embryo development. Methods: There was used ICR female mouse. Two cell embryos of mouse are collected by method of 'flushing'. Flushing fluid was used Ham's F-10 added to 20% FBS. The collected 2 cell embryos were cultured in media such as Control (only DMEM), group A and B (DMEM supplemented with 0.5 mM and 3.15 mM glucose), and group C and D (DMEM supplemented with 0.1 mM and 0.32 mM pyruvate), and group E and F (DMEM supplemented with 5.87 mM and 10.5 mM lactate). All experimental media supplemented with 20% hFF, respectively. Pattern of embryo development was observed to interval at 24hr during 96hr. Results : The media with glutamine added glucose (group A: 51.0%; group B: 48.4%) was significantly (p<0.05) higher than other experimental group in development into the morula stage after 24 hr in culture, but not significantly different compared with control and the rate of development into the blastocyst was significantly (p<0.05) low in the both of pyruvate (group C: 7.9% group D: 6.8%) and lactate (group E: 7.1%, group F: 7.1%) treatment group after 48 hr in culture. Development into the blastocyst and hatched balstocyst after 72 hr in culture revealed similarly in control (81.9%) and glucose treatment group (group A: 83.3%, group B: 82.8%). However, development into the hatched and attached blastocyst after 96hr in culture revealed significantly (p<0.05) development in the glucose treatment group (group A: 82.3%, group B: 78.5%) than control (63.2%), and its of pyruvate (group C: 34.1%, group D: 34.1%) and lactate (group E: 25.9%, group F: 33.3%) treatment group were significantly (p<0.05) lower than control similar to previous observations. Conclusion : The glucose added to the DMEM with only glutamine, as energy source, was highly to the rate of development compared with control, but the other energy sources were not, synthetically. Above refer to, the human reproductive organ (oviduct, uterus) contains energy sources of different concentration. Thus, further studies are will examine continuously to effects by interaction of different energy sources in the mouse embryo development, and these results will provide to foundation on the human embryo culture.