OBJECTIVE: In the previous study, we compiled the differentially expressed genes during early folliculogenesis.1 Objective of the present study was to identify downstream target genes of transcription factors (TFs) using bioinformatics for selecting the target TFs among the gene lists for further functional analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: By using bioinformatics tools, constituent domains were identified from database searches using Gene Ontology, MGI, and Entrez Gene. Downstream target proteins/genes of each TF were identified from database searches using TF database (TRANSFAC(R) 6.0) and eukaryotic promoter database (EPD). RESULTS: DNA binding and trans-activation domains of all TFs listed previously were identified, and the list of downstream target proteins/genes was obtained from searche of TF database and promoter database. Based on the known function of identified downstream genes and the domains, 3 (HNF4, PPARg, and TBX2) out of 26 TFs were selected for further functional analysis. The genes of wee1-like protein kinase and p21WAF1 (cdk inhibitor) were identified as potential downstream target genes of HNF4 and TBX2, respectively. PPARg, through protein-protein interaction with other protein partners, acts as a transcription regulator of genes of EGFR, p21WAF1, cycD1, p53, and VEGF. Among the selected 3 TFs, further study is in progress for HNF4 and TBX2, since wee1-like protein kinase and cdk inhibitor may involved in regulating maturation promoting factor (MPF) activity during early folliculogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: Approach used in the present study, in silico analysis of downstream target genes, was useful for analyzing list of TFs obtained from high-throughput cDNA microarray study. To verify its binding and functions of the selected TFs in early folliculogenesis, EMSA and further relevant characterizations are under investigation.
Computational Biology ; Computer Simulation* ; DNA ; Gene Ontology ; Maturation-Promoting Factor ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Protein Kinases ; Transcription Factors* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

OBJECTIVE: Identification of the regulatory mechanism for arrest and initiation of primordial follicular growth is crucial for female fertility. Previously, we found 15 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) that were specifically abundant in the day-5-subtracted cDNA library and that the B357 clone was novel. The present study was conducted to obtain the whole sequence of the novel gene including B357 and to characterize its mRNA and protein expression in mouse ovary and testis. METHODS: The extended sequence of the 2,965-bp cDNA fragment for the clone B357 was named 5-day-ovary-specific gene-1 (5DOS1) and submitted to GenBank (accession number AY751521). Expression of 5DOS1 was characterized in both female and male gonads at various developmental stages by Northern blotting, real-time RT-PCR, in situ hybridization, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The 5DOS1 transcript was highly expressed in the adult testis, brain, and muscle as compared to the other tissues. In the ovary, the 5DOS1 transcript was detected in all oocytes from primordial to antral follicles, and highly expressed at day 5 after birth and decreased thereafter. In contrast, expression of 5DOS1 showed a gradual increase during testicular development and its expression was limited to various stages of male germ cells except spermatogonia. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report on the expression and characterization of the 5DOS1 gene in the mouse gonads. Further functional analysis of the 5DOS1 protein will be required to predict its role in gametogenesis.
Adult ; Animals ; Blotting, Northern ; Blotting, Western ; Brain ; Clone Cells ; Cluster Analysis* ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; DNA, Complementary ; Expressed Sequence Tags ; Female ; Fertility ; Gametogenesis ; Gene Library ; Germ Cells ; Gonads ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Hybridization ; Male ; Mice* ; Oocytes ; Ovary* ; Parturition ; RNA, Messenger ; Spermatogonia ; Testis*

No abstract available.
Hospices ; Palliative Care

OBJECTIVE: Sperm must be properly prepared in in vitro fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer (ET) programs in order to control the fertilization rate and ensure that embryos are of high quality and have appropriate developmental abilities. The objective of this study was to determine the most optimal sperm preparation method for IVF. METHODS: Patients less than 40 years of age who participated in a fresh IVF-ET cycle from November 2012 to March 2013 were included in this study. Poor responders with less than three mature oocytes were excluded. Ham's F-10 medium or sperm-washing medium (SWM) was used in combination with the density-gradient centrifugation/swim-up (DGC-SUP) or SUP methods for sperm preparation. A total of 429 fresh IVF-ET cycles were grouped according to the media and methods used for sperm preparation and retrospectively analyzed (DGC-SUP/Ham's F-10, n=82; DGC-SUP/SWM, n=43; SUP/Ham's F-10, n=181; SUP/SWM, n=123). RESULTS: There were no significant differences among these four groups with respect to the mean age of the female partners, duration of infertility, number of previous IVF cycles, and retrieved oocytes. We determined that both the DGC-SUP and SUP methods for sperm preparation from whole semen, using either Ham's F-10 or SWM media, result in comparable clinical outcomes, including fertilization and pregnancy rates. CONCLUSION: We suggest that both media and both methods for sperm preparation can be used for selecting high-quality sperm for assistive reproductive technology programs.
Centrifugation, Density Gradient ; Embryonic Structures ; Female ; Fertilization ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Infertility ; Oocytes ; Pregnancy Rate ; Reproductive Techniques ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ; Retrospective Studies ; Semen ; Spermatozoa

Purpose: The preemptive use of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors may reduce doxorubicin (DOX)-related cardiotoxicity. Using the national insurance claims data of Korea, this study compared cardiovascular (CV) outcomes following the use of four major antihypertensive drug classes in patients with hypertension and breast cancer who underwent DOX-containing chemotherapy. Methods: A total of 4,722 patients with hypertension and breast cancer who underwent DOXcontaining chemotherapy were included. The outcomes were compared between patients who used RAS inhibitors, calcium channel blockers (CCBs), beta-blockers (BBs), and thiazide and thiazide-like diuretics (TDs). The primary outcome was a composite of incident heart failure and serious ventricular arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation, ischemic heart disease, and stroke. Results: In the propensity score-matched population, there were no significant differences in the primary outcome between RAS inhibitor and CCB users; however, patients with diabetes who used CCBs had a worse primary outcome than those who used RAS inhibitors (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06–3.51). BB and TD users had a worse primary outcome compared with RAS inhibitor (aHR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.30–2.71 in BB users and aHR, 2.55; 95% CI, 1.37–4.75 in TD users) or CCB (aHR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.09–2.16 in BB users and aHR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.13–3.82 in TD users) users. Conclusion RAS inhibitors are preferred for the treating hypertension and improving CV outcomes in patients with hypertension and breast cancer undergoing DOX-containing chemotherapy, particularly in patients with comorbid diabetes. However, CCBs are equivalent to RAS inhibitors and are more favorable than BBs and TDs in terms of improving CV outcomes.

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a direction for future studies based on the analysis of the articles published in the Korean Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care from 1998 to 2012. A total of 240 articles (51 reviews, 189 original) were examined in three five-year groups. Categories of analysis include authors' background (profession, region) and general characteristics and qualitative aspects of the original paper (participants, topic, study design, data analysis, ethical consideration, multidisciplinary approach, research funds and sample size estimation). While the journal publishes more of articles than before, it is mainly due to the increase in the number of review articles, not original articles. As for study topics, healthcare industry and physical symptoms were most frequently studied. The disparity in authors' regional background is fading, and more articles are published by nurses than before. Moreover, more studies are funded while fewer papers tend to adopt a multidisciplinary approach or focus on care givers. Also, in terms of a study design, the number of experimental and methodological studies has slightly increased. In the qualitative aspect, studies considered ethical issues and collected participation consent, and fewer studies reported an estimated sample size. In data analysis, post-adjustment comparison decreased, and new analytical methods are increasingly used. Our results indicate the need to conduct research with more extensive scientific data in various fields of hospice and palliative care.
Caregivers ; Financial Management ; Health Care Sector ; Hospice Care ; Hospices ; Humans ; Palliative Care ; Sample Size ; Statistics as Topic

OBJECTIVE: In patients with a history of acute paralytic poliomyelitis, late progressive muscle weakness, fatigue, pain may arise, a symptom complex of known as post-poliomyelitis syndrome (PPS). Dysphagia may also develop in some PPS patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the presence of is swallowing difficulty in polio survivors and to describe the nature of the swallowing difficulty. METHOD: Polio survivors answered the questionnaire pertaining to swallowing function and received a videofluroscopic evaluation of the oral and pharyngeal phases using 3 consistencies of material: liquid barium; semisolid barium paste; boiled yolk of an egg coated with barium. RESULTS: Of the 16 subjects, 8 had subjective symptoms of swallowing difficulties. All of the 6 PPS patients, regardless of whether they had symptoms of swallowing difficulties, had some abnormal oropharyngeal function through video fluoroscopic swallowing study. CONCLUSION: In patients with post-polio syndrome, there is progressive deterioration of swallowing functions similar to that in the muscles of the limbs. This swallowing dysfunction is not related with their subjective symptoms.
Barium ; Deglutition Disorders ; Deglutition* ; Extremities ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscles ; Ovum ; Poliomyelitis* ; Postpoliomyelitis Syndrome ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Survivors*

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to observe how the mento-blink reflex (MBR) study is valuable in evaluating the inferior alveolar nerve injury. METHOD: Eleven patients, suffering from the sensory discomfort after extraction of the third molar, and a control group consisting of 20 healthy individuals participated in the clinical neurosensory test (CNST) and the MBR study. The score of CNST was from 0 (normal) to 5 (worst) according to sensory deficit, and the results of MBR were divided into 3 groups: normal; prolongation of R2 latency; no response. RESULTS: In the control group, R2 latencies of right and left were 31.9+/-6.1 msec and 31.5+/-5.9 msec, respectively with the difference of 1.3+/-0.9 msec. The abnormality in the MBR study in patients was correlated with the subjective sensory symptoms (p=0.017) and the abnormality of MBR response was proportional to the score of the CNST. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the MBR study is a useful diagnostic tool in reflecting the inferior alveolar nerve lesion.
Blinking ; Humans ; Mandibular Nerve* ; Molar, Third ; Reflex*

PURPOSE: Chromosomal abnormalities of abortuses have been used to investigate common etiologies of spontaneous abortion, but the frequencies and types of spontaneous abortions have demonstrated considerable variation among different countries and races. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cytogenetic analysis of 75 abortuses was performed at GenDix, Inc. from January 2006 to December 2007. RESULTS: The frequency of chromosome abnormalities in abortuses was 32.0% (24/75 cases). Among the chromosomal abnormalities, trisomy was present in 62.5% (15/24 cases) of cases and the most frequent trisomy was trisomy 21 with an occurrence rate of 26.6% (4/15 cases). The following was trisomy 22 (3/15 cases) and trisomy 20 (2/15 cases). The average maternal age for abnormal karyotypes was 34.3+/-3.3. CONCLUSION: Cytogenetic analysis of abortus is important for diagnosis and genetic counseling of patients with spontaneous abortion.
Abnormal Karyotype ; Abortion, Spontaneous ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 20 ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 22 ; Cytogenetic Analysis ; Cytogenetics ; Down Syndrome ; Female ; Genetic Counseling ; Humans ; Karyotype ; Maternal Age ; Mosaicism ; Pregnancy ; Trisomy

Acting as hormone mimics or antagonists in the interaction with hormone receptors, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have the potentials of disturbing the endocrine system in sex steroid hormone-controlled organs and tissues. These effects may lead to the disruption of major regulatory mechanisms, the onset of developmental disorders, and carcinogenesis. Especially, among diverse EDCs, xenoestrogens such as bisphenol A, dioxins, and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, have been shown to activate estrogen receptors (ERs) and to modulate cellular functions induced by ERs. Furthermore, they appear to be closely related with carcinogenicity in estrogen-dependant cancers, including breast, ovary, and prostate cancers. In in vivo animal models, prenatal exposure to xenoestrogens changed the development of the mouse reproductive organs and increased the susceptibility to further carcinogenic exposure and tumor occurence in adults. Unlike EDCs, which are chemically synthesized, several phytoestrogens such as genistein and resveratrol showed chemopreventive effects on specific cancers by contending with ER binding and regulating normal ER action in target tissues of mice. These results support the notion that a diet containing high levels of phytoestrogens can have protective effects on estrogen-related diseases. In spite of the diverse evidences of EDCs and phytoestrogens on causation and prevention of estrogen-dependant cancers provided in this article, there are still disputable questions about the dose-response effect of EDCs or chemopreventive potentials of phytoestrogens. As a wide range of EDCs including phytoestrogens have been remarkably increasing in the environment with the rapid growth in our industrial society and more closely affecting human and wildlife, the potential risks of EDCs in endocrine disruption and carcinogenesis are important issues and needed to be verified in detail.
Adult ; Animals ; Benzhydryl Compounds ; Breast ; Diet ; Dioxins ; Endocrine Disruptors ; Endocrine System ; Estrogens ; Female ; Genistein ; Humans ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; Ovary ; Phenols ; Phytoestrogens ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Receptors, Estrogen ; Stilbenes