• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2009

Objective: To compare the clinical outcomes of ICSI with sperm retrieved from testicular tissue in patients with obstructive azoospermia (OA) or hypospermatogenesis (HS). Methods: From January 2003 through December 2006, 155 patients with OA (241 cycles) and 28 patients with HS (34 cycles) were included in this study. We compared clinical outcomes of ICSI with testicular sperm such as fertilization rate, implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate and delivery rate. Data were statistically analyzed using t-test and ${\chi}^2$-test. Results: Testicular spermatozoa could not be retrieved in 1 out of the 21 cycles where fresh testicular sperm extraction in HS patients. Fertilization rate (FR) was significantly higher in OA than HS (75.6 % vs. 62.6%, p<0.001). Cleavage rate (CR) per fertilized zygote was also significantly higher in OA than that in HS (66.8% vs. 54.8% p<0.001). However, there were no significant differences in good embryo rate (GER), clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), implantation rate (IR) and delivery rate (DR). Conclusion: Our results show that testicular sperm of HS does not affect CPR, IR, and DR although it has shown reduced FR and CR.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.6-15
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• 1999

ES cell의 수립으로 특히 mouse를 중심으로 한 발생학, 유전학 연구의 획기적 발전과 형질변환 동물의 생산 및 동물 체내에서 유전자 기능의 탐구에 매우 큰 변혁을 가져오게 되었다. 또한 ES cell과 embryoid body는 체외 분화능의 연구에 있어 새로운 cytokine의 발견 및 세포 수준에서의 유전자 기능 해석의 강력한 연구수단으로서 폭 넓게 이용되어 질 수 있는 가능성을 시사하고 있다. 이는 ES cell line이 지닌 두 가지 장점, 즉, 유전자 조작의 용이함과, 거의 모든 종류의 성체 구성세포로 분화할 수 있는 성질 때문이다. 이러한 ES cell technology를 실제로 제반 학문과 특히, 인간에게 적용하기 위해서는 반드시 해결해야 할 중요한 문제점이 있다. 첫째로, ES cell을 대상으로 하는 형질변환 방법의 편의성 및 효율개선이 이루어 wu야 하며, 두 번째로 인간의 유전자 및 세포 이식 치료 등을 비롯한 제반 연구에 직접 적용 가능한 ES cell line의 수립과 체외에서 목적으로 하는 분화 세포를 얻기 위한 배양조건이 확립되어져야 한다. 이러한 목표를 달성하기 위해 ES cell의 발생, 분화과정에 있어서의 분자조절기구, 세포 특이적 promotor, 유도 signal등에 대한 연구가 활발히 진행되어져야 할 것이다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Information Science Society Conference
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• 2005.11b
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• pp.280-282
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• 2005

초파리 초기 발생과정은 gap 유전자, pair-rule 유전자, polarity 유전자의 세 가지 유전자 그룹에 의해서 조직화 된다. Gap 유전자들에 의해 pair-rules 유전자들의 발현이 조절되며, 이들에 의해 결국 polarity 유전자들의 발현을 조절함으로써, 정확한 위치에서 각 기관의 형성을 유도한다. 특히 분열 14단계에서는 pair-rule 유전자 중의 하나인 eve 유전자의 발현이 조절되는데, eve 유전자는 배아의 분할의 줄무늬를 형성시키는 유전자에 해당된다. 본 논문에서는 eve 유전자의 발현조절자인 hunchback, giant, kruppel, bicoid의 gap 유전자들로 구성된 조절 네트워크를 S-system을 이용하여 모델링하였다. 이를 통해 각 유전자들의 발현 데이터로부터 파라미터들을 진화 연산을 통해 예측하고, 각 유전자들의 발현에 대한 시뮬레이션 결과를 보여준다. 예측된 결과와 실제 데이터의 비교는 전체적으로 패턴이 서로 유사함을 보여주고 있다.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.185-192
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• 2006

It is known that maternal diabetes induces a premature delivery and a congenital malformation. Although it was suggested that hyperglycemia is a main cause, little has been known. The effects of subtotal pancreactomized animal as a diabetic model on the embryo and the offspring were investigated. 1) Although survival rate of offsprings from the 90% pancreactomized female was lower than that of control, body weight of the survived offsprings was similar to that of control until 6 weeks after birth. When the liver was investigated, abnormal tissue was observed in both female and male offsprings from the pancreactomized mother. The level of major urinary protein(MUP) that is synthesized in the liver and secrets into urine was decreased in both female and male, supporting the liver abnormality. 2) In the pancreactomized female, size of the Langhan's island was increased and the liver also was observed abnormal. However, blood glucose level of the pancreactomized mother was not different from that of control. The low body weight and survival rate of offsprings from the $inhibin-{\alpha}$ overexpressed mice was very similar to those of the offsprings from diabetic mother. Thus when the mother itself was investigated after DNA injection, blood glucose level in the $inhibin-{\alpha}$ overexpressed mice was not different from that of control although size of the Langhan's island was decreased. Taken together, subtotal pancreactomy affected the offspring and embryo and influenced deeply the mother itself. However glucose level of the mother was not changed during investigation. It suggested that the relationship between the diabetic mother and embryo through offspring is very complex.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.58-63
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• 2020

The ascidian Halocynthia aurantium (sea peach), which belongs to the phylum Chordata, is thought to be a valuable organism of aquaculture like H. roretzi (sea pineapple), but its biological characteristics such as development and ecology are not well known. In this study, in order to obtain basic data for H. aurantium farming, the development processes of H. aurantium inhabiting the east coast of Gangwon-do were investigated and compared with those of H. roretzi, a related species. As a result, the morphology and developmental stages of the fertilized eggs, embryos and larvae of H. aurantium were very similar to those of H. roretzi. Fertilized eggs of H. aurantium took about 42.1 hours to hatch at 11℃, almost similar to 40.9 hours of H. roretzi. The time required for larvae to metamorphose into juveniles after hatching was very similar between the two species. The hatched larvae of the two species became juveniles with oral and atrial siphons after 23 days at 11℃. Both types of embryos developed slowly in seawater at low temperatures and rapidly developed at high temperatures. Fertilized eggs of H. aurantium hatched in an average of 62.3 hours at 9℃, 42.1 hours at 11℃, and 36.3 hours at 13℃, whereas those of H. roretzi hatched in an average of 60.4 hours, 40.9 hours, and 35.2 hours. Most of H. aurantium embryos did not develop normally above 15℃, so it is thought that attention is needed in the seed production processes.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.267-274
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• 2008

Differentiation of blastocyst is critical step for implantation and is under the control of regulation factors originated from embryo or reproductive tracts. The sequential communication with those factors is suspected as critical events for differentiation. It has been suggested that intracellular signaling pathways activated by calcium is essential in differentiation of blastocyst. Previously, it was known that concanavalin A (Con A) increase the levels of free calcium in blastocyst stage. However, Con A can not accelerate the hatching, although heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF), a modulator of calcium level, accelerate the hatching of blastocyst. In this study, it was investigated whether Con A or prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) can modulate the differentiation of blastocyst. Con A accelerated the expansion of blastocyst in both 1 hr pulse treatment group and continuous treatment group. However, Con A significantly suppressed the hatching in both groups. The inhibition was significantly strong in continuous treatment group compared with 1 hr pulse treatment group. On the other hand, $PGE_2$ induced the increase the free calcium level, but did not accelerate the expansion. In addition $10{\mu}m\;PGE_2$ inhibited hatching. However, $PGE_2$ could accelerate hatching in Con A pretreated blastocyst. $PGE_2$ also caused the increase of free calcium level in Con A pretreated blastocyst. From these results, it is suggested that changes of the free calcium level induce a different calcium-mediated signaling pathways. In addition, sequential stimulation by signal molecules may triggers the cellular mechanisms for the differentiation of blastocyst.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.11
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• pp.959-962
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• 2004

Pleuropulmonary blastoma is a rare malignant neoplasm which originates from either the lungs or pleura. Pleuropulmonary blastoma usually develops in the first decade of life, mostly younger than 5 years old and shows aggressive biological behavior. Pleuropulmonary blastoma is discriminated from classic pulmonary blastoma of adulthood by its morphological features like primitive mesenchymal and sarcomatous component without carcinomatous portions. To our knowledge, report of pleuropulmonary blastoma in adulthood is very rare. Our case support the possibility that primitive neoplasm recognized as pediatric tumors can develop in adulthood. We report a case of surgical experience of pleuropulmonary blastoma which developed in 21 years old man with literature review.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 2010

Naturally present antioxidants, tocopherols, carotenoids, and phospholipids in the bran and germ oils from Keumkang (K-WBG oil) and Dark Northern Spring wheats (DNS-WBG oil) were determined during storage under 1700 lux light at $5^{\circ}C$ by HPLC. Oil oxidation was monitored by peroxide values (POV) and conjugated dienoic acid content. The results showed that antioxidants were degraded during storage of the WBG oils under light, with higher degradation rates for carotenoids and phospholipids in the K-WBG oil compared to the DNS-WBG oil. Light increased oil oxidation and the rate of oxidation was higher in K-WBG oil than in the DNS-WBG oil. There was a high correlation between POV and residual amounts of antioxidants during photo-oxidation, with phospholipids showing the greatest effects on POV. This study suggests that a higher amount and lower degradation rate of phospholipids in the DNS-WBG oil contributed to its higher photo-oxidative stability compared to the K-WBG oil.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2011

Amphibian population declines globally. Aquatic contamination by organic pollutants including endocrine disrupters has been suspected to the one of the reason for distinction of amphibia which has obligate aquatic life style during larval period. Amphibians have been widely accepted as animal model for the study of endocrine disruption in aquatic ecosystem at molecular as well as individual levels. There are increasing need for toxicological data in amphibians at multiple endpoints for management of contamination and development of safety guideline for important EDs in aquatic media. Alkylphenols have been widely used in agricultural, industrial, and housekeeping activities, contaminating the aquatic media and evoking endocrine disruption in aquatic animals. In this review, we summarized data concerning the endocrine disruption by alkylphenol organic pollutants on amphibians according to route, concentration, terms, and developmental stage of exposure together with mechanism of endocrine disruption.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.145-153
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• 1999

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of vitrification solution and developmental stage on the survival rate of vitrified-thawed human blastocyst embryos. Human blastocyst embryos were cryopreserved by vitrification using EFS and GE solution, and their survival rates were examined after thawing and further culture. EFS solution was consisted of 40% ethylene glycol, 18% Ficoll 70 and 0.3M sucrose. GE solution was consisted of 25% glycerol and 25% ethylene glycol. Embryos were exposed to EFS and GE solution by 2 steps and 3 steps, respectively, and plunged into liquid nitrogen after loading into 0.25ml plastic straws. Blastocysts were classified into 4 groups in accordance with their developmental stage: into 1) EEB, 2) MEB and 3) EdB, of blastocysts developed on day 5, and 4) 6d-Bla(the blastocysts which formed on day 6). The blastocysts at each stage were vitrified by GE solution and cryopreserved in LN2. After thawing them, we examined their survival rates, respectively. The resulted of this study were as follows: 1. The survival rate of blastocysts vitrified by GE solution was 64.4%, significantly higher than that (5.7%) vitrified by EFS solution (P<0.001). 2. When the blastocysts were vitrified by GE solution according to each developmental stage, the survival rates of EEB, MEB, EdB and 6d-Bla were 65.9%, 65.9%, 73.2% and 58.1%, respectively. In conclusion, the cryopreservation of human blastocysts by vitrification is likely to have a marked advantage in terms of cost, work and time as compared to the conventional slow freezing in IVF-ET programs.