Artemisia annua (AA) is a well-known as a source of antimalarial drug (artemisinin), which also has been traditionally used as an antipyretic and hemostatic agent in Korea and China. In preclinical effective study, a water extract of Artemisia annua (WEAA) ameliorated weight gain and hepatic lipid accumulation in high-fat diet-fed mice. The plasma levels of triglyceride, AST, and ALT were reduced in the WEAA-treated group. Based on these results, the safety of WEAA as a functional ingredient for liver health was evaluated in this repeated dose oral toxicity study before the clinical trial. Sprague- Dawley (SD) rats were treated by gavage with 20 times (1,000 mg/kg) more than the effective dose for 13 weeks. All rats had survived at the end of the study, and there were no changes indicating obviously abnormal clinical sign and behavior. The treatment of WEAA were also observed no obvious toxicities in the body weights, urine, hematological, serum biochemical, ophthalmic and histopathological examinations. Based on the results of this study, the NOAEL (no-observed-adverse-effect level) of WEAA in SD rats was estimated to be 1,000 mg/kg. In conclusion, WEAA could be used as a safe functional ingredient for the improvement of liver health in individuals with hepatic diseases including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Renal dysplasia is a developmental disorder of the renal parenchyma involving anomalous differentiation. It is characterized by persistent metanephric ducts surrounded by primitive mesenchyme, fetal or immature glomeruli, fetal or immature tubules, interstitial fibrosis, and dysontogenic metaplasia involving tissues such as cartilage. Renal dysplasia has been rarely reported in rats. Here, we observed a small left kidney in a rat used in a short-term repeat toxicity study. The rat showed no clinical signs throughout the study. All parameters, including those reflecting kidney functions, were normal upon hematological examination and urinalysis. Grossly, the kidney was small (5 × 8 mm) and its surface appeared normal. Histological examination revealed that the cortex and medulla were poorly demarcated and contained immature/atrophic glomeruli, immature renal tubules, and mesenchymal cells. The cortex contained immature glomeruli, atrophic glomeruli with cystic dilatation of Bowman’s capsular space, and some atypical tubules. Primitive metanephric tubules in the medulla were larger in diameter than normal collecting ducts, lined by a tall columnar epithelium with pale cytoplasm and basal nucleus, and surrounded by loose mesenchymal cells. Occasional tubules contained pale eosinophilic homogenous material in the lumen. Thus, this was diagnosed as a case of renal dysplasia on the basis of histologic features and is the first reported case of renal dysplasia in Sprague Dawley rats.

오늘날 현대인들의 식생활방식 중 과다한 열량의 영양소 섭취로 인하여 초래되는 비만의 유발 원인 중의 하나로 알려진 고지혈증(hyperlipidemia)에 대한 예방효과가 있는 것으로 알려진 전통방식으로 제조된 고추장의 생리활성 기능성 효과를 분석하고자 하였다. 이 연구에서는 실험동물로서 Sprague-Dawley(SD)-Rat에 대해서 고추장 추출물의 건강증진 효과에 대해서 실험동물을 사용하여 직접 확인하고 시도하였다. 실험군은 실험동물용 일반사료만을 먹인 음성대조군 그룹(N-group)과 일반사료와 고추장 추출물을 동시에 먹인 시험그룹(K-group) 그리고 양성대조군으로 고콜레스테롤 사료만을 먹인 그룹(H-group)으로 구분하여 5주간 사육하면서 건강증진효과의 발현에 대해서 분석하 였다. 3그룹의 실험동물을 5주간의 사육 후 해부했을 때 H-group의 모든 동물(100%)에서 공통적으로 심한 지방간 (fatty liver) 소견이 관찰되었으나, N-group이나 K-group의 어떠한 동물에서도 지방간 소견은 관찰되지 않았다. 한편, 실험동물의 혈장성분에 대한 혈액생화학적 성적의 비교에서는 고지혈증의 예방에 유익한 성분으로 알려진 HDL의 경우, 고추장 추출물 투여 그룹(25±8.43 ㎎/㎗)은 H-group(22.6±4.16) 보다 다소간 상승된 수치를 보였으나, 특히 고지혈 증을 악화시키는 원인으로 알려진 LDL 경우에는 H-group (55.8± 44.8 ㎎/㎗)이 고추장 추출물 투여 그룹(8.6±1.52 ㎎/㎗)과 음성대조군인 N-group(9.8±2.39)의 성적보다도 유의적으로 높은 수치를 나타냈다. 결과적으로 이 연구에서 SD-Rat에 투여했던 고추장 추출물은 실험동물에서 건강기능 개선효과의 하나인 저지방혈증 효과를 발현한 것으로 사료되었다.

A cell frequently utilizes glucose as a fuel of energy and a major substrate of lipid and protein syntheses. A regulation of glucose movement into and out of the cells is precisely controlled by cooperative works of passive and sodium‐dependent active processes. At least 13 glucose cotransporter (Slc2a, GLUT) isoforms involve in passive movement of glucose in cells. The efferent ductules (EDs) play in a number of important functions for maintenance of male fertility. In the present study, using real‐time PCR analysis, we determined gene expression of five Slc2a isoforms in the EDs. In addition, we compared expression levels of these Slc2a isoforms according to postnatal development ages, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months. Results from the current study showed that expression of Slc2a1, Slc2a3, and Slc2a5 mRNAs reached the highest levels at 1 month of age, followed by a transient decrease at 3 months of age. In addition, the level of Slc2a4 mRNA reminded at steady until 1 month of age and was significantly reduced at 3 months of age, whereas the highest level of Slc2a 8 mRNA was detected at 2 weeks of age. Data from the present study indicate a differential expression of various Slc2a isoforms in the ED according to postnatal ages. Thus, it is believed that glucose movement through the epithelial cells in the ED would be regulated by the coordinated manner among Slc2a isoforms expressed at a given age.

Several tumor animal models have been provided as a tool for developing cancer therapy. Here, we developed rapid, easy-to use, and cost-effective new rat animal model for invasion and metastasis of cancer using genetically k-ras-induced rat kidney cells(RK3E-ras). We observed tumor as early as 3 days after injection of RK3E-ras cells in subcutaneous of Sprague-Dawley rats. Tumor size and volume were increased exponentially for 2 weeks. The tail vein injected rats obtained the lethal infiltration in the lung within 2 weeks. This tumor animal model has great potential for studying cancer processes and short-term screening of variable cancer therapy strategy.

Protease nexin-1 (PN-1)은 활성화 자리에 serine기를 갖는 단백질 분해 효소 즉, 트롬빈, 트립신, 플라스미노겐 활성화 효소 등의 작용을 억제한다. 본 연구에서는 흰쥐의 Sprague-Dawley계통을 이용하여 조직별 mRNA발현여부 및 정도를 조사하였다. PN-1의 발현이 나타난 조직은 뇌 (전뇌, 후뇌), 심장, 간, 폐, 난소, 난관 등이다. 이들 중 유전자 발현이 가장 높은 조직은 암컷의 전뇌(forebrain) 였다. 특히