The effects of postnatal exposure to octylphenol(OP) on the expressions of the steroidogenic enzymes and testosterone production were evaluated. Postnatal male mice (15-day-old) were injected with 2 or 20mg kg-l body weight (BW) of OP for 5 days and

Tributyltin chloride (TBTCI) is an organotin compounds that have been widely used as antifouling agents and bioaccumulated in the food chain. TBTCI has been known to induce imposex in female gastropods. There are several reports that TBTCI increased testosterone level and inhibited the conversion of testosterone to estradiol by the aromatase cytochrome P450 enzyme. In this studies, we investigated the effects of TBTCI on steroidogenesis in testes, We dosed to 4-week-old Spragus-Dawleys (SD) male rats with TSTCI (0, 1, 5, 10, and 20mg/kg/day) daily by gavage for 14 days. TBTCI significantly decreased the weights of seminal vesicle, prostate, cowper's gland and LABC at 10 and 20mg/kg/day but significantly Increased the weights of liver at 10 and 20mg/kg/day and adrenals at 20mg/kg/day. mRNA levels of steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) and P450 aromatase were decreased and mRNA levels of cytochrome P450 17-hydroxylase/ lyase (P450c17) were increased by TBTCI. TBTCI significantly increased serum testosterone level in dose-dependent manner. From above results, we found that TBTCI altered mRNA levels of enzymes related steroidogenesis, weights of organs and serum testosterone levels. This suggests that change of hormone levels may be due to alteration of mRNA levels of steroidogenic enzyme in testes, but further studies are necessary to investigate hormone levels in testis organ in order to find a relation of enzyme related to steroidogenesis with hormone levels. This work was supported by the Korea FDA Grant KFDA-03131-EDS-010.

생쥐에서 페르몬으로 알려진 소수성의 분자와 결합하는 major urinary proteins(MUPs)는 부분적으로 성장 호르몬(GH)의 조절을 받는다. 본 연구에서는 MT-GRF로 형질전환되어 성장호르몬이 증가된 생쥐에서 MUP의 발현을 조사하였다. 이 MT-GRF로 형질전환된 생쥐의 소변에서 MUP이 대조군보다 심하게 저하되어 나타났고, 암컷보다 수컷에서 더 저하되어 나타났다. 또한 MT-GRF를 근육에 주사한 생쥐에서도 MUP는 저하되어 나타났다.

포유동물의 혈중 프로락틴 농도는 일주기와 연주기의 변화를 나타내며 송과체에서 분비되는 멜라토닌이 조절인자로 관여한다. 인위적인 송과체의 기능 억제는 혈중 프로락틴 농도를 증가시킨다. 임신 후반기에 태반에서는 수종의 프로락틴군 호르몬들이 분비되어 태반기능 및 배아발생에 중요한 역할을 한다. 그러나 이들 호르몬 유전자들의 발현 조절기작과 조절 인자들에 관한 연구 결과는 미비하다. 본 연구에서는 RT-PCR과, in situ hybridization 방법으로