Objective: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the subchronic oral toxicity of sodium dehydroacetate (DHA-Na) and to determine the point of departure (POD), which is a critical factor in the establishment of an acceptable dietary intake. Methods: DHA-Na was administered once daily by gavage to Sprague-Dawley rats at dose levels of 0.0, 31.0, 62.0, and 124.0 mg/kg BW per day for 90 days, followed by a recovery period of 4 weeks in the control and 124.0 mg/kg BW per day groups. The outcome parameters were mortality, clinical observations, body weights, food consumption, hematology and clinical biochemistry, endocrine hormone levels, and ophthalmic, urinary, and histopathologic indicators. The benchmark dose (BMD) approach was applied to estimate the POD. Results: Significant decreases were found in the 62.0 and 124.0 mg/kg BW groups in terms of the body weight and food utilization rate, whereas a significant increase was found in the thyroid stimulating hormone levels of the 124.0 mg/kg BW group. Importantly, the 95% lower confidence limit on the BMD of 51.7 mg/kg BW was modeled for a reduction in body weight. Conclusion The repeated-dose study indicated the slight systemic toxicity of DHA-Na at certain levels (62.0 and 124.0 mg/kg BW) after a 90-day oral exposure.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Organ Size ; Pyrones ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

body mass index (BMI), the reduction in MetS risk was attenuated but remained significant (7% reduced risk per 1 ng/mL). Testosterone levels were inversely correlated with all MetS components, including hyperglycemia (r=−0.041), increased body size (r=−0.093), increased triglyceride levels (r=−0.090), decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (r=−0.030), and elevated blood pressure (r=−0.071, all p<0.05). Among them, elevated triglyceride levels and blood pressure were independently associated with low serum testosterone levels, even after adjustment for age and BMI.CONCLUSIONS: Serum testosterone levels were inversely associated with MetS in Korean men. This association was attenuated after adjustment for age and BMI but remained significant. Among MetS components, increased triglyceride levels and elevated blood pressure were independently associated with testosterone levels, regardless of obesity.]]>
Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Body Size ; Cholesterol ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Education ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Hypogonadism ; Lipoproteins ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Obesity ; Prevalence ; Testosterone ; Triglycerides

size. The hematological/biochemistry analysis was performed to evaluate parameters significantly associated with age. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to target growth hormone (GH)/insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1), one of the main regulators of the aging process. Declining levels of total protein and increased levels of glucose in young dogs was observed regardless of their body size. Notably, a significantly high concentration of GH and IGF-1 in the younger dogs compared to the older dogs was found in middle/large-sized dogs. GH and IGF-1 were also found at significantly high levels in large-sized dogs compared to middle-sized dogs, suggesting a similar trend to that of elderly humans. Consequently, glucose, total protein, GH, and IGF-1 were identified as potential biomarkers for regulating the aging process in large/middle-sized dogs. These findings provide an invaluable insight into the mechanism of aging for the field of aging research.]]>
Aged ; Aging ; Animals ; Biomarkers ; Body Size ; Dogs ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Genomic Instability ; Glucose ; Growth Hormone ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Mammals ; Quality of Life

It has been known for a long time that elevated blood pressure (BP) in the young may persist and progress into adult hypertension (HTN). Multiple studies have revealed the predicted BP trajectory lines starting from childhood and related them to later cardiovascular (CV) risks in adulthood. As a small baby grows into a tall adult, BP will also naturally increase. Among early-life predictors of adult HTN, birth history, such as prematurity, and low birth weight have been popular subjects in research on pediatric HTN, because body size at birth has been reported to be inversely related to the risk of adulthood HTN. The hypothesis of HTN in prematurely born adolescents has been postulated as a physiological predisposition to postnatal excessive weight gain. Current body weight is a well-known independent predictor of HTN in children, and some studies showed that children demonstrating upward crossing of their weight percentiles while growing into adolescents have significantly increased risk for elevated BP later in life. Recently, reports focused on the adverse effect of excessive catch-up growth in this population are gradually drawing attention. Accordingly, children born prematurely or with intrauterine growth restriction who show rapid changes in their weight percentile should be under surveillance with BP monitoring. Prevention of childhood obesity, along with special care for premature infants or infants small for their gestational age, by providing healthy nutritional guidelines should be cardinal strategies for the prevention of adult HTN and CV risks later in life.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Body Size ; Body Weight ; Child ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Infant ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Parturition ; Pediatric Obesity ; Reproductive History ; Weight Gain

OBJECTIVE: To establish diagnostic criteria for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in children by using parameters obtained through noninvasive cardiac computed tomography (CCT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively measured parameters from CCT images of children from a single institution in a multiple stepwise process. A total of 208 children with mean age of 10.5 years (range: 4 days–18.9 years) were assessed. The variables were classified into three groups: the great arteries; the ventricular walls; and the bilateral ventricular cavities. The relationship between the parameters obtained from the CCT images and mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) was tested and adjusted by the children's body size. Reference curves for the pulmonary trunk diameter (PTD) and ratio of diameter of pulmonary trunk to ascending aorta (rPTAo) of children with CCT images of normal hearts, adjusted for height, were plotted. Threshold lines were established on the reference curves. RESULTS: PTD and rPTAo on the CCT images were significantly positively correlated with mPAP (r > 0.85, p < 0.01). Height was the body size parameter most correlated with PTD (r = 0.91, p < 0.01) and rPTAo (r = −0.69, p < 0.01). On the basis of the threshold lines on the reference curves, PTD and rPTAo both showed 88.9% sensitivity for PAH diagnosis, with negative predictive values of 93.3% and 92.9%, respectively. CONCLUSION: PTD and rPTAo measured from CCT images were significantly correlated with mPAP in children. Reference curves and the formula of PTD and rPTAo adjusted for height could be practical for diagnosing PAH in children.
Aorta ; Arterial Pressure ; Arteries ; Body Size ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Retrospective Studies

The study was conducted to investigate the acute and sub-acute toxicity effect of Aquilaria malaccensis leaves aqueous extract (AEAM) towards male ICR mice in terms of body weight, relative organ weight, mortality rate and sperm parameters. In acute toxicity study, a single dose at of 2000 mg/kg was performed. In sub-acute toxicity study, the mice were received normal saline (control group), 50, 100, 150, 200, 500, or 1000 mg/kg of AEAM orally for 21 days of treatment. In sub-acute toxicity study, the number of abnormal sperm were significantly decreased in AEAM 100, 150, 200, 500, and 1000 when compared to the control group. While, the motility of sperm were found to be significantly increased in AEAM 100, 150, 200, and 1000 as compared to the control group. No mortality was recorded in the control group and treated groups in both toxicity studies except for one mouse from AEAM 1000 group. However, the mild sedative effect in terms of the tendency to sleep was clearly noticeable in both toxicity studies. Results indicated that the AEAM can be one of the useful alternative medicine to enhance fertility rate by increasing healthy sperm production.
Animals ; Birth Rate ; Body Weight ; Complementary Therapies ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Mortality ; Organ Size ; Spermatozoa ; Thymelaeaceae

We tried a series of morphological and molecular approaches to identify a new species of Stellantchasmus (Digenea: Heterophyidae) originating from the wrestling half-beaked fish, Dermogenys pusillus of Thailand. Adult worm samples of the new species were recovered from hamsters experimentally infected with the metacercariae from D. pusillus in Thailand. Two isolates (Thai and Korean) of Stellantchasmus falcatus were used as comparative control groups. Worm samples of 3 Stellantchasmus groups were morphologically observed and molecularly analyzed with the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 gene. The morphological characteristics of S. dermogenysi n. sp. are similar to S. falcatus originating from brackish water fish, but minor difference was noted including the absence of the prepharynx, position of the ovary near the ceca end, smaller body size, and shorter esophageal length. A phylogenetic tree derived from neighbor-joining and maximum-likelihood methods suggests that S. dermogenysi n. sp. is separated from S. falcatus supported by high bootstrap values. The relative divergences persist between these host-specific trematodes, which we suggest should be recognized as 2 distinct species. Comparisons of S. dermogenysi n. sp. with S. falcatus isolated from mullets in Thailand and Korea indicate a genetic divergence of mitochondrial DNA of 19.4% and 21.7%, respectively. By the present study, a new species, Stellantchasmus dermogenysi n. sp. (Digenea: Heterophyidae), is proposed in Thailand based on molecular evidences, in addition to minor morphological differences between S. falcatus and the new species.
Adult ; Animals ; Body Size ; Cricetinae ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; Electron Transport Complex IV ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Metacercariae ; Ovary ; Phylogeny ; Saline Waters ; Smegmamorpha ; Thailand ; Trees ; Wrestling

Melatonin or N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, the fascinating molecule secreted by the pineal gland. Melatonin has a close interaction with hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. In non-seasonal breeders like rat its exact role in reproduction is controvertible. So it is worth to explore the possible role of melatonin on the onset of puberty in male albino rats. Two groups of male rats aged 5 and 10 days were used for the study. In each group, there were three subgroups, each receiving melatonin for 5 days, 10 days or till the day of descent of testes. Similar subgroups were used as controls. Without handling, animals were observed daily for the onset of puberty. On the day of descent of testes, body weight of the animal was noted, blood was collected, serum was separated and used for radio immunoassay. For histomorphometric analysis, all morphometric measurements were done using an occular micrometer. Volume fraction of seminiferous tubules, intertubular connective tissue of testes, cortex and medulla of thymus were estimated by point count method. In both the age groups melatonin advanced the age on descent of testes, increased the body weight, organ weight. It also increased the serum hormone levels. So, in conclusion this study indicates that exogenous melatonin advances the onset of puberty in male albino wistar rats and this effect is more pronounced in the younger animals.
Adolescent ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Connective Tissue ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Male ; Melatonin ; Methods ; Organ Size ; Pineal Gland ; Puberty ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reproduction ; Seminiferous Tubules ; Testis ; Thymus Gland

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the effects and pregnancy outcomes of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH agonist) combined with aromatase inhibitor (AI) in preserving the fertility of obese women with grade 1 endometrial cancer (EC). METHODS: This study recruited obese EC patients who wished to preserve their fertility. The treatment regimen consisted of intramuscular GnRH agonist 3.75 mg every 4 weeks and oral AI 2.5 mg daily. The maintenance regimen was the same as the initial treatment regimen. Primary outcomes included response rate, time to complete response (CR), and time to recurrence; pregnancy outcomes included the time to pregnancy, pregnancy rate and live birth rate. RESULTS: Six obese patients with EC were included in this study, with the age (mean±standard deviation [SD]) of 30.5±3.3 years and body mass index (mean±SD) of 35.0±1.4 kg/m2. CR rate was 100%, and time to CR was 3–6 months. None of the patients had recurrence after a median follow-up of 4.0 years (range, 1.3–7.0 years). The most common side effects were menopause-like symptoms. Among these patients, no weight gain was observed during treatment. The pregnancy rate and live birth rate was 50.0% and 75.0%, respectively, with a median time to pregnancy of 2.4 years (range, 1.0–5.5 years). CONCLUSION: The combination of GnRH agonist and AI demonstrated promising long-term effect in young obese EC patients who wished to preserve their fertility. No weight gain side effects were observed. Further studies with a larger sample size are needed to fully evaluate this novel treatment regimen.
Aromatase Inhibitors ; Aromatase ; Body Mass Index ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Female ; Fertility ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Humans ; Live Birth ; Obesity ; Organ Sparing Treatments ; Pilot Projects ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Rate ; Recurrence ; Sample Size ; Time-to-Pregnancy ; Weight Gain

PURPOSE: This study investigated the effect of bioactive Yeonsan Ogye peptides (YOPs) intake on changes in the hepatic anti-oxidant indexes in male rats. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into 3 groups and given a casein-based AIN-93G diet and distilled water ad libitum without any added YOPs (control), distilled water with 250 mg of YOPs (Y250), or 500 mg of YOPs (Y500) per kg of body weight for 4 weeks. YOP dose was decided as referred to in the referenced study where toxicity did not occur. The hepatic anti-oxidant indexes were determined using a commercial kit. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 23.0 and are expressed as mean ± standard error of mean. Differences among the groups were evaluated by one-way analysis of variance followed by post hoc Duncan's multiple comparisons test. RESULTS: There were no differences in the body weights, weight gain, food intake, food efficiency ratio, or organ weight, including liver, kidney, spleen, thymus, and epididymal fat, among all of the groups. The hepatic nitric oxide (NO) level in the Y500 group was lower than that in the control and Y250 groups, and the hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) level was lower in the Y500 group than in the Y250 group. The differences in hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were not statistically significant between the groups. From these results we speculated that YOPs may have anti-oxidative abilities to regulate NO and MDA production without affecting SOD and CAT activities. CONCLUSION: YOPs are presumed to act as anti-oxidants in the animal or human body.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Catalase ; Cats ; Diet ; Eating ; Human Body ; Humans ; Kidney ; Liver ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; Nitric Oxide ; Organ Size ; Peptides ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spleen ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Thymus Gland ; Water ; Weight Gain