The role of transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor-1 (TRPV1) has been primarily investigated in pain sensory neurons. Relatively, little research has been performed in testicular cells. TRPV1 is abundantly expressed in Leydig cells of young adult mice. This study was conducted to determine the role of the TRPV1 channel in Leydig cells. TRPV1 modulators and testosterone were treated to the mouse Leydig cell line TM3 cells for 24 h. Capsaicin, a TRPV1 activator, dose-dependently induced cell death, whereas capsazepine, a TRPV1 inhibitor, inhibited capsaicin-induced cell death. Testosterone treatment reduced capsaicin-induced cell death. High concentrations of testosterone decreased TRPV1 mRNA and protein expression levels. However, TRPV1 modulators did not affect testosterone production. These results showed that capsaicin induced cell death of Leydig cells and that testosterone reduced capsaicininduced cell death. Our findings suggest that testosterone may regulate the survival of Leydig cells in young adult mice by decreasing the expression level of TRPV1.

Increasing the efficiency of HR (homologous recombination) is important for a successful knock-in. Rad51 is mainly involved in homologous recombination and is associated with strand invasion. The HR-related mismatch repair system maintains HR fidelity by heteroduplex rejection and repair. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to control Rad51, which plays a critical role in HR, through UV-induced DNA damage. It is also to confirm the effect on the expression of MMR related genes (Msh2, Msh3, Msh6, Mlh1, Pms2) and HR-related genes closely related to HR through treatment with the MMR inhibitor CdCl2. The mRNA expression of Rad51 gene was confirmed in both HC11 cells and mouse testes, but the mRNA expression of Dmc1 gene was confirmed only in mouse testes. The protein expression of Rad51 and Dmc1 gene increased in UV-irradiated HC11 cells. After 72 hours of treatment with 1 μm of CdCl2, the mRNA expression level of Msh3, Pms2, and Rad51 decreased, but the mRNA expression level of Msh6 and Mlh1 increased in HC11 cells. There was no significant difference in Msh2 mRNA expression between CdCl2 untreated-group and the 72 hours treated group. In conclusion, HR-related gene (Rad51) was increased by UV-induced DNA damage. Treatment of the MMR inhibitor CdCl2 in HC11 cells decreased the mRNA expression of Rad51.

세네갈은 농촌진흥청의 아프리카 국제협력사업의 일환으로 수행되는 「아프리카 다수성 벼 품종개발 ·보급」사업의 주요 회원국으로 본 사업의 효율적 추진을 위해 세네갈의 쌀의 중요성, 쌀 생산 및 육종 현황에 대한 기초정보를 얻고자 조사하였다. 1. 현재 세네갈의 일인당 연간 쌀 소비량은 85kg로서 인구 증가, 도시화 및 쌀의 편의성으로 쌀 수요가 급격히 증가하고 있으나 쌀 생산 부족으로 국내 쌀 전체 수요량의 44%를 해외 수입쌀에 의존하고 있어 쌀 자급자족은 세네갈의 국가정책의 가장 중요한 목표이다. 2. 세네갈에서 쌀 생산은 세네갈 북부에 있는 관개농업과 이기작이 가능한 ‘Senegal River Valley’와 남부세네갈의 까자망스 지역의 천수답지대에서 이루어지고 있으나, 가뭄, 냉해, 염 해, 철분독성 불량토양, 비료 및 제초제 부족, 조류 및 잡초 피해 등 생물학적 제한 요인과 수확후 관리 기반시설 부족, 쌀 운송, 시장형성 등 제도적 제한요인 등으로 쌀 생산이 저해되고 있는 실정이다. 3. 세네갈의 벼 품종개발은 UN산하 농업연구기관인 AfricaRice, IRRI 등과 인도, 스리랑카, 중국, 한국 등 국가 협력과 지원으로 이루어져 왔으며, 1994년 이래 60개의 품종이 개발· 보급 되었다. 그러나 2017년 이후 세네갈 국가육종기관에 의한 품종개발도 이루어지고 있으며 조생종, 수량성, 향을 보유한 품종개발이 주된 육종 목표이다. 4. 현재 세네갈 국내 쌀의 품질과 밥맛에서 수입쌀에 비해 열악하여 소비자로부터 외면당하고 있는 실정으로 향후 세네 갈의 품종육성 목표는 쌀의 품질, 밥맛 및 수량을 동시에 올리기 위한 전략이 최우선시 되었다. 이를 위해 역사적으로 한국의 통일형 품종개발 및 아시아 녹색혁명을 창생시킨 IRRI 의 IR8에서 증명된 바와 같이 자포니카와 아프리카 품종과의 교배를 통한 아프리카 적응 통일형 품종을 육성하는 육종전략이 필요하다.

이탈리안벌인 A, C, F계통과 코카시안벌인 D, V계통을 2005년부터 2007년까지 국내에서 수집하였다. 수집한 계통은 육종을 위해 격리 된 섬에서 근친교배를 통해 순계로 분리하였다. 이 연구는 꿀, 로열젤리 다수확계통 선발에 있어 개체군 선발과 육종 효율을 높이기 위해 수행되 었다. 23 개의 형태학적 특성을 평가하고 두 아종의 기존 데이터와 비교한 결과, 이탈리안벌 순계계통은 코카시안벌 순계 계통과 달리8개의 특성이 기존의 이탈리안벌과 유사해 더 많은 특성이 보존되고 있음을 알 수 있었다. 또한 국내에서 유지되고 있는 순계들은 타 지역의 동일 계통과 차 이를 보여 분리된 순계의 형태적인 특징이 확인되었다.

Aquaporin channels (AQPs) are known to play an important role in the development of ovarian follicles through their function in water transport pathways. Compared to other AQPs, research on the role of AQP4 in female reproductive physiology, particularly in cattle, remains limited. In our previous study, gene chip microarray data showed a downregulation of AQP4 in bovine cystic follicles. This study was performed to validate the AQP4 expression level at the protein level in bovine follicles using immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and immunoprecipitation assays. Immunostaining data showed that AQP4 was expressed in granulosa and theca cells of bovine ovarian follicles. The ovarian follicles were classified according to size as small (< 10 mm) or large (> 25 mm) in diameter. Consistent with earlier microarray data, semi-quantitative PCR data showed a decrease in AQP4 mRNA expression in large follicles. Western blot analysis showed a downregulation of the AQP4 protein in large follicles. In addition, AQP4 was immunoprecipitated and blotted with anti-AQP4 antibody in small and large follicles. Accordingly, AQP4 exhibited a low expression in large follicles. These results show that AQP4 is downregulated in bovine ovarian large follicles, suggesting that the downregulation of AQP4 expression may interfere with follicular water transport, leading to bovine follicular cysts.

Background: Shoulder horizontal abduction in the prone position (SHAP) has been reported as an effective exercise to strengthen the lower trapezius. However, the effects of pre-emptive scapular posterior tilt on scapular muscle activity and scapulohumeral movements during SHAP have not been examined. Objectives: To examine the effect of the addition of scapular posterior tilt on muscle activity of the trapezius and posterior deltoid, and scapular posterior tilt and shoulder horizontal abduction, during SHAP. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Fifteen healthy male subjects performed two types of SHAP: general and modified SHAP (SHAP combined with pre-emptive scapular posterior tilt). To perform modified SHAP, pre-emptive scapular posterior tilt training was performed prior to the modified SHAP. Muscle activity of the middle and lower trapezius and posterior deltoid, and the amount of scapular posterior tilt and shoulder horizontal abduction, were measured during two types of SHAP. Results: Muscle activity of the lower trapezius and scapular posterior tilt was significantly increased during the modified SHAP, while muscle activity of the posterior deltoid and the amount of shoulder horizontal abduction were significantly decreased. However, the middle trapezius muscle activity did not change during the modified SHAP. Conclusion: The SHAP with pre-emptive scapular posterior tilt can be useful to strengthen the lower trapezius.

Jellyfish envenomation is a world-wide health problem, which often seriously affect the fishery and bathing activities. To date, few individual jellyfish venoms proteins have been thoroughly characterized yet. In this work, four species of scyphozoan jellyfish (Nemopilema nomurai, Cyanea nozakii, Aurellia aurita and Rhopilema esculentum) are compared according to their, cytotoxicity, hemolytic potency, brine shrimp toxicity and protein components. Jellyfish venoms showed higher cytotoxicity in H9C2 heart myoblast than in C2C12 skeletal myoblast, with the exception of C. nozakii venom. This result suggests that the selective cytotoxic effects may be possibly related to their in vivo effects of cardiac tissue dysfunction. On the other hand, hemolytic activity could be also observed from all tested jellyfish venoms. N. nomurai jellyfish venom displaying the greatest hemolytic activity. As an alternative method of evaluating the toxicities of jellyfish venoms, the toxicity on brine shrimp was examined with the four jellyfish venoms. From this, the venom of N. nomurai showed higher toxicity against brine shrimp than the other jellyfish venoms, which is consistent with the results of cytotoxicity assay as well as hemolysis assay of the present study. SDS-PAGE analysis of four jellyfish venoms showed the similar pattern with molecular weight of around 40 kDa, and appeared to be the major protein components. These results provided that N. nomurai jellyfish venom was potently toxic than other scyphozoan jellyfish venoms and may explain to some extent the deleterious effects associated with human envenoming.