The aim of this study was to determine the appropriate stockpiling methods for revegetation by comparing the germination status of seed banks before and after preservation for 2 years. Soil temperature in stockpiled topsoil was higher in open treatment and at 1.5 m, whereas soil water content was maintained at lower levels (14.06-19.08%), than those in the control group. The seed banks in stockpiled topsoil had 48 species and 1,559 individuals, among which perennials showed the highest number in terms of life forms, whereas Compositae and Gramineae were dominant in terms of families. Based on seed bank type, persistent seed banks had the highest number of species, while transient seed banks had the highest number of individuals. By stockpiling period, the number of species in the seed bank started to increase after 24 months, while the number of individuals began increasing after 12 months and exceeded that of the control group after 24 months. Regarding the treatment of stockpiling methods, the number of species and individuals in open treatment were closer to those of the control group. When analyzed by height, the number of species and individuals were higher at 0 m, but still lower than those of the control group. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA ) showed that the optimal combination was obtained in open treatment and the number of individuals increased with the lengthening of the stockpiling period.

Dendropanax morbifera Léveille (Araliaceae) is an endemic species growing in the south-western part of South Korea and has been used in folk medicine and health functional food. Several studies have indicated that extract of D. morbifera (DP) has cytotoxic activities on a number of human cancers, such as, breast cancer, lung cancer, hepatoma, and chorioepithelioma. Recently, polyacetylene and triterpene compounds have been isolated from the DP and showed to have anti-complement activity. β-Amyrin, α-amyrin, dendropanoxide, and β-sitosterol are isolated from DP. However, its biological activities in cancer have not yet been clearly elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the anti-cancer activity of isolated triterpenoids from the DP leaves by measuring the levels of cytotoxicity against MCF-7 human breast cancer and A549 human lung cancer cells. Six triterpenoids were isolated from the n-hexane fraction of DP leaves along with the known compounds. β-amyrin (1), α-amyrin (2), olean-12-en-3,24 β-diol (3), dendropanoxide (4), β-sitosterol (5), and stigmasterol (6). Compound 3 and 6 were isolated from DP for the first time. Cytotoxic activities of six compounds were evaluated against two human cancer cell lines by using the MTT in vitro assay. Among them, five compounds (1, 2, 4, 5, and 6) showed moderate cytotoxic activities toward the tested cell lines, and were safe to normal cells. Western blot analysis showed a decreased expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and increased levels of pro-apoptotic protein Bax in MCF-7 and A549 cells treated by β-amyrin and α-amyrin. Flow cytometry analysis confirmed that five compounds (1, 2, 4, 5, and 6) treatment increased populations of sub-G1 (apoptosis) phase. The results of the present study revealed that triterpenoids from DP have the potential for further development as anticancer agents.

While the number of women labor force in Malaysia is increasing, only a few of them make it to the top. For many reasons, some women turn down top position offer and some of them refuse to stay working. Commitment to the family, work-life conflict and lack of support from the family and the colleagues are among issues that caused women to have less interest to pursue career advancement. This article examines the role of work-life balance and its relationship to women career advancement, and why both are important in Malaysia. The arguments are arranged based on a review of the previous literature to conceptualize the relationship between work-life balance and career advancement. It is found that both work-life balance and women career advancement are important to retain women in the working world as well as to motivate them to pursue promotion to a higher position. Even though some researchers agreed that the relationship between work-life balance and career advancement is mostly negative, others found positive relationship between both constructs. At the end of the paper, some suggestions on how to improve work-life balance and career advancement are presented as well as suggestion for future research.

A previous exo-terrestrial life-detecting experiment, which was conducted on Mars, sought to detect the products of glucose metabolism, the most common biological process on Earth (Viking biological experiment). Today, glucose metabolism is not considered the universal process of life survival. As NASA plans to launch an orbiter mission in the near future (2020s, the Clipper) and ultimately conduct a lander mission on Europa, a detection experiment that can give broader information regarding habitability is highly required. In this study, we designed a life-detecting experiment using a more universal feature of life, the amphipathic molecular membrane, theoretically considering the environment of Europa (waterdominant environment). This designed experiment focuses on finding and profiling hydrophobic cellular membrane-like microstructures. Expected results are given by conceptual data analysis with plausible hypothetical samples.

El Niño is the largest fluctuation in the climate system, and it can lead to effects influencing humans all over the world. An El Niño occurs when sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean become substantially higher than average. We investigated the change in sea surface temperature in the Pacific Ocean during the El Niño period of 2015 and 2016 using the advanced very-high-resolution radiometer (AVHRR) of NOAA Satellites. We calculated anomalies of the Pacific equatorial sea surface temperature for the normal period of 1981–2010 to identify the variation of the 2015 El Niño and warm water area. Generally, the warm water in the western tropical Pacific Ocean shifts eastward along the equator toward the coast of South America during an El Niño period. However, we identified an additional warm water region in the Niño 1+2 and Peru coastal area. This indicates that there are other factors that increase the sea surface temperature. In the future, we will study the heat coming from the bottom of the sea to understand the origin of the heat transport of the Pacific Ocean.

지구 온난화가 심화됨에 따라 도시지역에서 집중호우에 의한 침수 피해가 증가하는 추세이다. 이러한 지구온난화에 의한 기후변화의 변동성은 IPCC 5차 보고서(2014)에서도 기술되어 있으며 기후변화에 의한 강수 패턴의 변화, 수문시스템의 변화 등 수자원 불확실성의 증가에 대하여 시사하고 있다. 최근 서울이나 부산과 같은 대도시의 관로의 수용 범위를 초과하는 국지성 호우가 발생하여 큰 피해를 초래하였다. 도시지역의 침수는 1차적으로 우수관거 통수능부족에 의한 내수범람이 발생하고 방류구와 인접한 하천의 외수범람이 발생한다. 인구가 밀집되어 있는 도시지역에서 발생하는 침수는 인명피해 뿐만 아니라 도로, 교량, 지하공간 침수 및 파괴를 복구하기 위한 사회・경제적 피해를 동반하기 때문에 농촌, 산지 지역에 비해 피해량이 크다. 또한 도시개발에 인한 불투수면적 증가, 강우 유출시 출구부까지의 짧은 도달시간, 배수시설의 통수능부족 등 다양한 원인이 침수피해를 증대시킨다. 본 연구에서는 집중호우에 취약한 지역을 선정하고 XP-SWMM을 이용하여 내수침수 모의를 실시하였다. 또한 시범지역에 관로 개량, 우수저류지 설치, 우수펌프장 설치와 같은 홍수방어대안을 적용하여 각각의 침수모의를 실시하였으며 해당유역을 격자별로 분할하여 대안별 침수데이터를 추출하였다. 또한 격자별로 가장 적합한 구조적 홍수방어대안을 제시하기 위해 침수시간, 최대침수심, 구조물 설치비용을 평가요소로 이용하였으며 MCDM 기법 중 하나인 Compromise Programming 기법을 적용하였다. 본 연구에서는 동일 유역이라도 지리적 여건에 따라 대안의 선호도가 다르다는 점을 반영하고자 하였으며, Spatial Multi-Criteria Decision Making을 적용하여 지역특성을 고려한 홍수방어대안을 선정하는 방법에 대하여 연구하였다.

Moon mineralogy mapper (M3)'s work proved that the moon is not completely dry but has some hydroxyl/water. M3’s data confirmed that the amount of hydroxyl on the lunar surface is inversely related to the measured signal brightness, suggesting the lunar surface is sensitive to temperature by solar insolation. We tested the effect of solar insolation on the local distribution of hydroxyl by using M3 data, and we found that most craters had more hydroxyl in shade areas than in sunlit areas. This means that the local distribution of hydroxyl is absolutely influenced by the amount of sunshine. We investigated the factors affecting differences in hydroxyl; we found that the higher the latitude, the larger the difference during daytime. We also measured the pyroxene content and found that pyroxene affects the amount of hydroxyl, but it does not affect the difference in hydroxyl between sunlit and shaded areas. Therefore, we confirmed that solar insolation plays a significant role in the local distribution of hydroxyl, regardless of surface composition.

Purpose –This paper is to study the process of the negative effects of Sino-foreign joint ventures, hoping to find out an effective path in which local enterprises can avoid the risks in the utilization of foreign capital, and ultimately achieve independent innovation. Research design, data, and methodology –The outflow of assets, the loss of local brands and the "technology hollowing-out" problem brought by joint ventures is becoming more and more serious. Based on conflict analysis graph model, this paper takes Yuhuan joint venture as an example to identify the conflict problem in Sino-foreign joint ventures. Results –The results of the stability analysis show that establishing joint venture cannot really realize the introduction of technology because the technology is fully controlled by the foreign part. So when introducing foreign capital, local enterprises should participate in R&D and master the initiative. Conclusions – Local enterprises should pay attention to patent containment and technology blockade of multinationals. Domestic enterprises should try to protect state-owned assets and local brands in Sino-foreign joint ventures. Independent innovation is the most effective strategy for the development of enterprises in China.

본 연구는 홍시라떼 분말화의 최적조건 설정을 위하여 반응표면분석법(RSM)을 이용하였으며, 독립변수는 inlet temperature(X1), air flow rate(X2), 시료의 공급속도인 feed flow rate(X3)로 설정하고 종속변수로는 회수량(Y1), 수분흡 수지수(Y2), total phenolic compounds(Y3)로 설정하였다. 각 종속변수에 따른 회귀식은 모두 p<0.001 수준에서 유의성이 인정되었다. 홍시라떼의 경우 과당이 풍부하여 분말의 부착성이 높기 때문에 유리전이 온도와 입자의 표면 온도 차이가 낮을수록 회수량은 높아졌으며, 분말의 결정성과 응집성은 증가하여 수분흡수지수는 낮아졌다. 또한 낮은 inlet temperature(X1)와 높은 feed flow rate(X3)는 입자의 표면 온도와 열의 접촉 시간을 모두 낮추어 total phenolic compounds의 손실을 최소화 하였다. 각 독립변수와 종속변수의 영향을 나타내는 반응표면그래프를 이용하여 최적 분말화 조건을 예측한 결과 inlet temperature(X1) 90℃, air flow rate(X2) 53 mL/min, feed flow rate(X3) 17.00 mL/min로 결정되었다.

Background : This study of investigate the quality characteristics of Korean Dioscoreae Rhizoma by species and various processing methods. We used two types of species D. Rhizoma, which were the long type shape of D. batatas and short type shape of D. japoninca, respectively. Methods and Results : The reaction of D. Rhizoma with acetic acid and iodine showed light blue to blue colours, respectively. When compared with loss of drying between two species, the long type species was about 2% more higher than that of short type of species. When compared with processing methods, the both steamed and dried samples was more higher 2.0 - 3.0% than that of non-steamed samples. The contents of acid-insoluble ash samples with peel was relatively higher than that of samples containing no-peel. The results of TLC analysis also showed the same Rf and colours when compared with the standard of D. Rhizoma. However, both dried sample with peel (DWP) showed more clear spot than those of dried sample except peel (DEP) and both steamed and dried sample except peel (SDEP). Conclusion : We sincerely hope that this study will be contributed to the standardization and quality control of korean herbal medicines.

Background : To select plant resources of the possibility of development as a natural antioxidant, the antioxidant activities including total polyphenol content (TPC), 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and reducing power (RP) of perilla accessions collected from South Korea were conducted. Method and Results : A total of 18 perilla accessions by regions were selected. Two grams of dried perilla leaves were extracted with 85% ethanol and used for analysis of antioxidant activity. Antioxidant activity value was measured in a spectrophotometer. Perilla extracts showed variation in TPC ranging from 30.87 to 92.66 ㎍ GAE ㎎-1 dw. ABTS, DPPH, FRAP and RP ranged from 6.83 to 38.64 ㎍ Trolox ㎎-1 dw, 0.63 to 8.62 ㎍ ASC ㎎-1 dw, 5.05 to 17.57 ㎍ ASC ㎎-1 dw, and 4.52 to 35.69 ㎍ ASC ㎎-1 dw, respectively. TPC was high in perilla leaves of Gyeongsang-do, but other antioxidant activities were high in perilla leaves of Chungcheong-do. Cluster analysis based on antioxidant acitivities of 18 perilla accessions consist of group Ⅰ (3 accessions), Ⅱ (2 accessions), Ⅲ (5 accessions) and Ⅳ (8 accessions). Group Ⅱ characterized as higher antioxidant activities than other groups. Principal component analysis (PCA) based on antioxidant data revealed that the first two principal components (PC1 and PC2) together explained 97.78 % total variation. Conclusion : IT242410 and IT235354 of group Ⅱ showed high antioxidant activity. These resources will be useful for developing natural antioxidants.

Background : Cirsium plants have been used for perennial edible plants and grow wild in the mountainous regions of Korea, including Cirsium setidens and C. pendulum. In particular, C. setidens is commonly called 'gondre', and it has been used medicinally for diseases such as hematuria, hepatitis and hypertension. Hairy roots cultivation can be used as a method for increasing production through mass culture of medicinal plants, and elicitors such as methyl jasmonate (MeJa) can be treated to increase the content of certain useful ingredients. In this study, the hairy root was derived from the leaf tissues of C. setidens and C. pendulum, and the HPLC pattern was compared by MeJa treatment. Methods and Results : Agrobacterium rhizogenes R1000 was used to induce hairy roots in 1/2× MS medium. In addition, the hairy roots was treated with MeJa for different time (0, 1, 2, 5, 10, 24, 48, 72 h) and with various concentrations (0, 10, 50, 100, 200, 300 μM). The HPLC pattern changes were analyzed by on-line HPLC-ABTS. Four new peaks were observed in both Cirsium setidens and C. pendulum hairy roots, all of which showed antioxidant activity. In the case of C. pendulum, chlorogenic acid content was about 4 times higher than that of leaves. These peaks, including chlorogenic acid, were all affected by MeJa treatment. Conclusion : Four peaks were detected in the hairy roots of C. setidens and C. pendulum not in the leaves, and they were confirmed to be affected by the treatment of MeJa. It is necessary to clarify the structure through the subsequent compound separation.

Background : Currently, obesity and adult diseases as a result of sugar intake have been a consistent problem in Korea. Natural sweeteners as sugar substitutes have many advantages over sugar as a small quantity. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate possibility of industrialization as food additives by using the nature sweetness components of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni). Method and Results : Stevia was cultivated in a plastic house. The leaves and stems were harvested at October. They were ground into fine powder using a mill, and were extracted by high temperature and pression extraction method. The extracts were evaporated under vacuum and lyophilized. Three strawberry cultivars of ‘Seolhyang’, ‘Maehyang’, and ‘F22-196’ were cultivated in a plastic house and were harvested from March to May. The fruits harvested were stored at 50℃ until processing. In order to test the processing suitability of stevia extract, the characteristics of the three strawberry varieties (line) were investigated. As a result, the ‘F22-196’ line, which was bred as a processing strawberry, generally contained more antioxidant materials and activity than those of ‘Maehyang’ and ‘Seolhyang’ varieties. Comparing the sugar contents which affects the quality of strawberry jam, the average sugar contents of ‘F22-196’ line was higher than 'Maehyang' and 'Seolhyang' varieties. In the preparation of strawberry jam using ‘F22-196’, strawberry jam was prepared by adding only sugar or stevia extract powder, which was 1/100 of the amount of the sugar in only sugar strawberry jam, to the sensory test. As a result, we identified that sugar jam and stevia jam added stevia extract showed 50 : 50 at the sensory test and stevia jam does not make a difference to the marketing jam at the point of view of general consumers. Conclusion : ‘F22-196’ line represented the best quality for strawberry jam in test caltivars. Stevia powder is judged to be used as a sweetener of sugar substitutes in the production of strawberry jam and processing food.

Background : Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer is a perennial herb belongs to the family Araliaceae. Wild-cultivated ginseng (WCG) is a specific type of ginseng in Korea which cultivated on artificial forest cultivation method. To obtain a WCG which is similar to wild ginseng (WG), this method usually performed in a mountain using seeds or seedlings of cultivated ginseng (CG) and WG. WCG is very expensive because it is difficult to cultivate. However, systematic cultivation method have not yet been developed compared to high added value. Furthermore, very high price of WCG caused the problem that Panax notoginseng or Panax quinquefolium are sold as WCG in Korean market. In this study, we analyzed the genetic diversity of WCG collected from five areas in Korea using SSR markers. Methods and Results : WCG samples were collected from five areas in Korea (Bucheon, Cheongju, Hoengseong, Judeok and Ulsan). DNA extraction was performed using CTAB method. SSR markers were collected from the published papers. After test PCR using the markers, one of the primer pair was labeled with fluorescence dye (FAM, NED, PET, or VIC) and GeneScan analysis were performed. DNA amplification was conducted using T-100 Thermal Cycler (Bio-Rad). PCR products were separated by capillary electrophoresis on the ABI 3730 DNA analyzer (Applied Biosystems). Conclusion : Eight SSR markers were collected from the published literature and used for the analysis. From the 8 tested SSR markers, 7 SSR markers showed polymorphism between varieties. GenScan analysis were performed using the selected SSR markers to analyze the phylogenetic relationship of WCG. From the results, WCG cultivated in Korea showed that they have a very diverse genetic background.

Background : Codonopsis lanceolata is a perennial plant of Campanulaceae and mainly distributed in East Asia such as Korea, China, and Japan. C. lanceolata has a unique taste and aroma, and it is rich in minerals such as phosphorus and calcium, and vitamin B1 and B2, so our ancestors used the plant as medicinal herb and edible vegetable. However, systematic cultivation and development of varieties have not been achieved compared to demand or high added value. The genetic diversity and relationship analysis of the plants help to increase the efficiency of breeding through genetic variation. Methods and Results : Ten species of Codonopsis plants were used as materials and DNA was extracted from each 4 individuals per species and quantified at a concentration of 10 ng /㎕. The extracted DNA was pooled by species and PCR was performed using the EST-SSR marker developed based on C. lanceolata in the previous study. PCR amplification was carried out using a denaturation at 94℃ for 30 sec, annealing at 58℃ for 30 sec and extension at 72℃ for 30 sec, repeated for 35 total cycles. The PCR products were separated in a 4% agarose gell at 100 V for 40 min. Conclusion : In this study, C. lanceolata collections was determined among several Codonopsis species using these molecular marker. It is expected that the data of this study can be used as reference for genetic polymorphism analysis and related gene studies of Codonopsis species.

Background : Codonopsis lanceolata is a perennial plant of Campanulaceae with characteristic flavor and aroma and this plant has saponin, flavonoid, and inulin, which are reported to have physiological activity and antioxidant activity. In contrast, breeding or study of C. lanceolata varieties had not been done for a long time. Genetic polymorphism and phylogenetic relationship analysis of the plants by region of the crops can help the collection of genetic backgroud data for variety development. Methods and Results : In this study, we collected 26 C. lanceolata lines (95 individual plants) from 26 regions in Korea. We genotyped the collected lines using SSR markers developed in the previous study and analyzed the population structure based on the results. Population structures were analyzed using model-based STRUCTURE software (version 2.3.4) using the following parameters: Number of clusters (K) set = 1 to 12; Number of Iterations = 5; Length of Burning Period = 100,000; Number of MCMC (Markov Chain Monte Carlo) Reps after Burnin = 100,000. As a result, Of the 26 collections, were genetically grouped into 6 or 7 groups. Conclusion : The 26 C. lanceolata collections (95 individual plants) were genetically grouped but not grouped by collected regions. These results suggest that C. lanceolata has diverse genetic backgrounds and this data could be used as a basis for genetic polymorphism analysis of Codonopsis species.

Background : Wild-cultivated ginseng (WCG) prices are very different according to root ages. Generally, two methods are used to discriminate the root ages of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer. The first method is the yearly determination method by the ring dyeing method, and the second method is the confirmation the number of stem vestiges in the rhizome. In this study, we analyzed the agronomic and growth characteristics of the WCG cultivated in Korea. In this study, to determine the appropriate root ages discrimination method for the determination of the root ages of WCG, the root ages of WCG and cultivated ginseng was examined. Methods and Results : We examined the cultivated ginseng (CG) and WCG that was collected and sold by regional groups at the Korean market. WCG does not form annual rings, which are clear and regular in wild ginseng. Therefore, it is impossible to identify the age of WCG by using the annual growth rings staining method. However, the age can be estimated by determining the number of stem vestiges in the rhizome. Conclusion : From the results of the Study on identification of root age for quality evealuation in WCG in Korea. Appropriate root ages discrimination method of WCG was confirmation the number of stem vestiges in the rhizome.

Background : Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer is a representative medicinal plants and it has been used in traditional medicine because the plant have many effective component such as saponins. To obtain a wild-cultivated ginseng (WCG) which is similar to wild ginseng (WG), this method usually performed in a mountain using seeds or seedlings of cultivated ginseng (CG) and WG. WCG is very expensive because it is difficult to cultivate. However, systematic cultivation method have not been developed compared to their high added value. Furthermore, very high price of WCG caused the problem that Panax notoginseng or Panax quinquefolium are sold as WCG in Korean market. This is concerned as a serious problem to consumers. In this study, we analyzed the agronomic and growth characteristics of the WCG cultivated in Korea. Methods and Results : We examined the WCG that was collected and sold by regional groups at the Korean market. The root age, growth conditions, and quality level of the cultivated WCG were confirmed. WCG samples were collected from five areas in Korea (Bucheon, Cheongju, Hoengseong, Judeok and Ulsan). The main root diameter, root shape index, rhizome length, and root weight showed high level of variation and they did not form annual rings. Conclusion : Agronomic and growth characteristics of WCG showed high variations according to cultivating regions.

Background : The use of the rain shelter facility gets more prevalent in the Ginseng cultivation area these days. This study is designed to establish a technique for the stable cultivation of Ginseng in the rain shelter facilities in high temperature (above 30 ℃) without the damage from high temperature Methods and Results : This study was carried out on 3-year Ginseng roots in 2016 in order to find out how to stably cultivate Ginseng in high temperature without suffering the high temperature damage during the cultivation of Ginseng under rain shelter facilities. The rain shading materials were coated with scattering film (scattering film + black shading net 90%), bluish white double-sided film (shading 85%) and PE film (PE film + black shading net 90%). The damage reduction by high temperature was made to the scattering film and bluish-white double-ended film only. An aluminum screen (shading rate: 40%) was installed when the high temperature (above 30℃) was reached while the isoprene (solution of 2000 times) was sprayed 4 times every 7 days from the full development stage. The light transmittance was 12.6 - 13.4% for the scattering film, 10.5 - 10.8% for the bluish-white double sided film and 7.1% for the PE film in the first coating while it was 7.3% for the scattering film and 7.1% for the bluish-white double-sided film when the aluminum screen was installed in high temperature. The high, average and low values in the relative humidity were higher inside the facility than in the outside during the survey period. The area of leaf was the largest under the scattering film. The area of leaf was the largest for the scattered film under the aluminum shade of 40% shading followed by that of spraying of isoprene 4 times, and that of the no-treatment. As for the growth under ground, the growth of underground shoots increased by 40% in aluminum screen, 53.7% in shading and 26.1% in the spraying of isoprene 4 times than non-shading while there was no difference among other rain shelter materials. Conclusion : The result of the research showed that when the scattering film is selected as the rain shelter material film for the cultivation of Ginseng, it is necessary to shade the sunlight as much as 40% by using the aluminum screen or the shading net to reduce the high temperature damage.

Nesfatin-1/NUCB2 is known to take part in the control of the appetite and energy metabolism. Recently, many reports have shown nesfatin-1/NUCB2 expression and function in various organs. We previously demonstrated that nesfatin- 1/NUCB2 expression level is higher in the pituitary gland compared to other organs and its expression is regulated by 17β- estradiol and progesterone secreted from the ovary. However, currently no data exist on the expression of nesfatin-1/NUCB2 and its regulation mechanism in the pituitary of male mouse. Therefore, we examined whether nesfatin-1/NUCB2 is expressed in the male mouse pituitary and if its expression is regulated by testosterone. As a result of PCR and western blotting, we found that a large amount of nesfatin-1/NUCB2 was expressed in the pituitary and hypothalamus. The NUCB2 mRNA expression level in the pituitary was decreased after castration, but not in the hypothalamus. In addition, its mRNA expression level in the pituitary was increased after testosterone treatment in the castrated mice, whereas, the expression level in the hypothalamus was significantly decreased after the treatment with testosterone. The in vitro experiment to elucidate the direct effect of testosterone on NUCB2 mRNA expression showed that NUCB2 mRNA expression was significantly decreased with testosterone in cultured hypothalamus tissue, but increased with testosterone in cultured pituitary gland. The present study demonstrated that nesfatin-1/NUCB2 was highly expressed in the male mouse pituitary and was regulated by testosterone. This data suggests that reproductive-endocrine regulation through hypothalamus-pituitary-testis axis may contribute to NUCB2 mRNA expression in the mouse hypothalamus and pituitary gland.