Iron is an essential nutrient for mammalian cells. Most iron absorption occurs in the duodenal epithelial cells and is regulated by hepcidin, which is produced and secreted in the liver. High hepcidin levels can cause iron deficiency anemia due to iron absorption failure. Inside the cell, iron conjugates with a porphyrin ring and is placed with an iron coordinated to heme. One of the heme-binding proteins, known as progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (Pgrmc1), is a non-canonical progesterone receptor associated with diverse molecular gene regulation. Previous studies showed that Pgrmc1 is related to iron homeostasis via hepcidin; however, these mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In the present study, to investigate the role of Pgrmc1 in mammalian iron metabolism, we introduced Pgrmc1 knockout (KO) mice and performed molecular biological analyses using qPCR and western blotting. Pgrmc1 deficiency decreased Hamp mRNA expression and hepcidin protein levels. However, Pgrmc1 deficiency failed to decrease Hamp transcript expression and hepcidin protein levels in siPGRMC1-transfected HepG2 cells and primary Pgrmc1 KO hepatocytes, respectively. PGRMC1 knockdown cells revealed low HAMP mRNA levels upon cyclic AMP (cAMP) activation, suggesting that PGRMC1 promotes HAMP mRNA transcription via cAMP activation. It has been implicated that hepatic Pgrmc1 cannot control hepcidin directly; however, the internal environment caused by the lack of Pgrmc1 may potentially cause low hepcidin levels.

Animal bones excavated from historic sites provide valuable data for identifying the lifestyles of people and the distribution of animals at that time. In this study, we investigated the morphological structure, size, and measurements of Cervidae bones excavated from a well at the Gasan-ri archaeological site in Jinju, which are believed to be relics from the Three Kingdoms period. The total number of excavated animal bones was 447, of which 102 (22.82%) were classified as Cervidae bones. The weight of Cervidae bones was 453.79 g, accounting for 46.53% of the total weight of the identified bones (975.30 g). The Cervidae bones were identified as those of two animals with an estimated age of 5–6 months. The Cervidae bones are divided into skull bones, vertebrae, ribs, sternum, hip bones, forelimb bones, and hindlimb bones. The 102 Cervidae bones consisted of 19 skull bones (18.63%), 14 vertebral axial skeletons (13.72%), 28 ribs and sternum (28.43%), 16 forelimb bones (15.69%), and 19 hindlimb bones (18.63%). The remaining six were difficult to distinguish. A fracture of the parietal bone located near the bregma of a skull was observed and was presumed to have been caused by an artificial blow. This study can be used as basic data to estimate the types of animals and human culture at the time through Cervidae bones believed to be relics from the Three Kingdoms period.

Salivary gland dysfunction is a common complication of diabetes. Decreased saliva production and changes in saliva composition may cause oral diseases. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in the salivary glands results in the loss of acinar cells and decreased saliva secretion. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is the incretin hormone that regulates blood glucose level and can suppress ROS production and inflammation through its antioxidant effects. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) is an enzyme that breaks down GLP-1. In this study, we evaluated the pathological role of DPP-4 and GLP-1 on salivary gland dysfunction in type 2 diabetic db/db mice. We observed reduced salivary secretion and histopathological alteration of salivary glands in the db/db mice. The increased DPP-4 and decreased GLP-1 levels in the salivary glands were also detected in the db/db mice. Furthermore, the db/db mice had increased apoptosis and oxidative injury in salivary glands. There was an accumulation of advanced glycation end products and mucus in the salivary glands of the db/db mice. In conclusion, these results showed the possible involvement of DPP-4 and GLP-1, leading to increased ROS-induced apoptosis in diabetes-related salivary gland dysfunction. DPP-4 and GLP-1 may be a pharmacological target for patients with diabetes-related salivary gland dysfunction.

Canine hyperadrenocorticism, a prevalent endocrine disorder characterized by excessive cortisol production. Notably, hypercoagulability leading to pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) poses a substantial concern. PTE may be underestimated because of the rapid dissolution of canine thrombi postmortem. However, traditional coagulation assays face challenges in early detection of hypercoagulability. Therefore, this study explored the use of thromboelastography (TEG) as a diagnostic tool for identifying hypercoagulability in dogs with hyperadrenocorticism. A total of 31 dogs visited the Gyeongsang Animal Medical Center between 2018 and 2022, comprising 21 dogs with hyperadrenocorticism and 10 controls who underwent clinical and coagulation analyses. Hyperadrenocorticism was diagnosed using a low-dose dexamethasone stimulation test or adrenocorticotropin hormone stimulation test, and conventional laboratory parameters and coagulation parameters, such as the prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastic time, fibrinogen, and TEG results, were compared between the groups. Clinical data revealed significantly elevated monocyte, platelet, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, triglyceride, and cholesterol concentrations in dogs with hyperadrenocorticism, which were attributed to excess cortisol secretion (p<0.05). TEG analysis demonstrated significantly decreased K values and increased α and MA values in hyperadrenocorticism dogs (p<0.05), indicating a shortened clotting time and enhanced clot strength, suggestive of hypercoagulability. TEG effectively highlights hypercoagulability in dogs with hyperadrenocorticism and provides valuable insights in predicting blood clot formation. Although predicting clot formation in dogs remains complex owing to multifactorial influences, this study underscores the potential utility of TEG in enhancing such predictions for dogs with hyperadrenocorticism.