• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.29-37
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• 2012

Purpose: To examine the prevalence of $Clostridium$ $difficile$ ($C.$ $difficile$) colonization (CDC) and potential neonatal determinants of CDC in hospitalized preterm infants. Methods: Fecal samples were serially collected within 72 h after birth and at 1, 2, and 4-6 weeks of age from preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) of two different university hospitals. Total bacterial DNA was extracted from each fecal sample from 49 infants, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed with primers for the 16S gene of $C.$ $difficile$ and the toxin A and toxin B genes. The correlation between the results of $C.$ $difficile$ PCR assays and the clinical characteristics of the infants was analyzed. Results: The prevalence rates of CDC were 34.7, 37.2, 41.3, and 53.1% within 72 h after birth and at 1, 2, and 4.6 weeks of age, respectively. The toxin positivity rate was significantly higher in the infants with persistent CDC than in those with transient CDC (8/12 [66.7%] vs. 6/25 [24.5%] ($p$=0.001). Among the various neonatal factors, only the feeding method during the first week after birth was significantly associated with persistent CDC. Exclusive breast-milk feeding (EBMF) significantly decreased the risk of persistent CDC compared to formula or mixed feeding (adjusted odds ratio: 0.133, 95% confidence interval: 0.02-0.898, $p$=0.038). Conclusion: The prevalence of CDC increased with the duration of hospitalization in preterm infants in the NICU. EBMF during the first week after birth in hospitalized preterm infants may protect against persistent CDC.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제29권9호
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• pp.1345-1352
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• 2016

The hindgut of horses is an anaerobic fermentative chamber for a complex and dynamic microbial population, which plays a critical role in health and energy requirements. Research on the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses has not been reported until now as far as we know. Mongolian horse is a major local breed in China. We performed high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes V4 hypervariable regions from gut fecal material to characterize the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses and compare them to the microbiota in Thoroughbred horses. Fourteen Mongolian and 19 Thoroughbred horses were used in the study. A total of 593,678 sequence reads were obtained from 33 samples analyzed, which were found to belong to 16 phyla and 75 genera. The bacterial community compositions were similar for the two breeds. Firmicutes (56% in Mongolian horses and 53% in Thoroughbred horses) and Bacteroidetes (33% and 32% respectively) were the most abundant and predominant phyla followed by Spirochaete, Verrucomicrobia, Proteobacteria, and Fibrobacteres. Of these 16 phyla, five (Synergistetes, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria, TM7, and Chloroflexi) were significantly different (p<0.05) between the two breeds. At the genus level, Treponema was the most abundant genus (43% in Mongolian horses vs 29% in Thoroughbred horses), followed by Ruminococcus, Roseburia, Pseudobutyrivibrio, and Anaeroplasma, which were detected in higher distribution proportion in Mongolian horses than in Thoroughbred horses. In contrast, Oscillibacter, Fibrobacter, Methanocorpusculum, and Succinivibrio levels were lower in Mongolian horses. Among 75 genera, 30 genera were significantly different (p<0.05) between the two breeds. We found that the environment was one of very important factors that influenced horse gut microbiota. These findings provide novel information about the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses and a foundation for future investigations of gut bacterial factors that may influence the development and progression of gastrointestinal disease in horses.

• 한국식품과학회지
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• 제46권2호
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• pp.153-164
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• 2014

본 연구는 일반 개량누룩 1종류(MN)와 시판되고 전통제조방식으로 제조된 4종류의 전통누룩(SH, SS, JJ, and SJ)을 구입하여 단양주를 제조하고 이들 단양주의 발효특성을 비교 분석하고자 하였다. 각 누룩으로 제조한 탁주의 pH는 담금 직후부터 24시간 까지 급격히 감소하는 경향을 보였고, 적정산도는 급격히 증가하였다. Maltose 함량은 담금 직후에는 0.49-2.68% (w/v)였고, glucose의 함량은 1.03-2.07% (w/v)으로 나타났다. T-SH와 T-SS의 ethanol 함량이 7일까지 높은 경향을 나타내었다. 전체적인 ethanol 의 함량은 12시간부터 ethanol의 함량이 증가하기 시작했으며, 발효 7일부터 21일까지 13.08-14.96% (w/v)로 유지되었다. 발효과정 중 유리아미노산 함량 분석 결과 glutamic acid, threonine, serine과 glycine 함량을 각각 T-JJ은 104.157, 42.855, 69.715, and 53.035 mg/100 g으로 가장 높았다. 탁주 유기산으로 lactic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, acetic acid가 주요 유기산으로 나타났으며 유기산총량은 T-SS, T-JJ 가 2286.21 mg/100 g, 1983.5 mg/100 g 순으로 가장 높은 값을 나타냈다. 총균수, 젖산균수, 효모 수 모두 시간이 지날수록 급격히 증가하다가 발효 1일에 감소하다 완만한 증가 후 발효가 끝나는 21일까지 점차 감소하는 비슷한 경향을 나타내었다. 관능검사결과 과일향은 T-SH, 단맛은 TSS, 신맛은 T-SS가 가장 높았으며 알코올향, 알코올맛, 쓴맛은 시료간 유의적으로 차이가 나타나지 않았다. 따라서 대체적으로 전통누룩으로 담근 탁주의 아미노산 함량과 유기산 함량이 개량누룩으로 담근 탁주의 아미노산 함량보다 높은 것으로 보아 전통누룩으로 담근 탁주의 다양성에 대한 잠재력을 확인할 수 있었다. 또한 각 누룩들의 젖산균을 분리동정하였는데 분리된 균들은 대체적으로 Leuconostoc, Weissella, Pediococcus과 Lactobacillus속에 속하였다.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.295-305
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• 2017

Purpose: We previously found that the histone methyltransferase suppressor of variegation, enhancer of zeste, trithorax and myeloid-nervy-deformed epidermal autoregulatory factor-1 domain-containing protein 3 (SMYD3) is a potential independent predictive factor or prognostic factor for overall survival in gastric cancer patients, but its roles seem to differ from those in other cancers. Therefore, in this study, the detailed functions of SMYD3 in cell proliferation and migration in gastric cancer were examined. Materials and Methods: SMYD3 was overexpressed or suppressed by transfection with an expression plasmid or siRNA, and a wound healing migration assay and Transwell assay were performed to detect the migration and invasion ability of gastric cancer cells. Additionally, an MTT assay and clonogenic assay were performed to evaluate cell proliferation, and a cell cycle analysis was performed by propidium iodide staining. Furthermore, the expression of genes implicated in the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) pathway and proteins involved in cell cycle regulation were detected by polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses. Results: Compared with control cells, gastric cancer cells transfected with si-SMYD3 showed lower migration and invasion abilities (P<0.05), and the absence of SMYD3 halted cells in G2/M phase and activated the ATM pathway. Furthermore, the opposite patterns were observed when SMYD3 was elevated in normal gastric cells. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence that the absence of SMYD3 could inhibit the migration, invasion, and proliferation of gastric cancer cells and halt cells in G2/M phase via the ATM-CHK2/p53-Cdc25C pathway. These findings indicated that SMYD3 plays crucial roles in the proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells and may be a useful therapeutic target in human gastric carcinomas.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제82권2호
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• pp.133-142
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• 2019

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis involves irreversible alveolar destruction. Although alveolar epithelial type II cells are key functional participants within the lung parenchyma, how epithelial cells are affected upon bleomycin (BLM) exposure remains unknown. In this study, we determined whether BLM could induce cell cycle arrest via regulation of Schlafen (SLFN) family genes, a group of cell cycle regulators known to mediate growth-inhibitory responses and apoptosis in alveolar epithelial type II cells. Methods: Mouse AE II cell line MLE-12 were exposed to $1-10{\mu}g/mL$ BLM and $0.01-100{\mu}M$ baicalein (Bai), a G1/G2 cell cycle inhibitor, for 24 hours. Cell viability and levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were analyzed by MTT and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Apoptosis-related gene expression was evaluated by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cellular morphology was determined after DAPI and Hoechst 33258 staining. To verify cell cycle arrest, propidium iodide (PI) staining was performed for MLE-12 after exposure to BLM. Results: BLM decreased the proliferation of MLE-12 cells. However, it significantly increased expression levels of interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor ${\alpha}$, and transforming growth factor ${\beta}1$. Based on Hoechst 33258 staining, BLM induced condensation of nuclear and fragmentation. Based on DAPI and PI staining, BLM significantly increased the size of nuclei and induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest. Results of qRT-PCR analysis revealed that BLM increased mRNA levels of BAX but decreased those of Bcl2. In addition, BLM/Bai increased mRNA levels of p53, p21, SLFN1, 2, 4 of Schlafen family. Conclusion: BLM exposure affects pulmonary epithelial type II cells, resulting in decreased proliferation possibly through apoptotic and cell cycle arrest associated signaling.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.169-183
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• 2005

Cobrotoxin의 항암효과를 알아보고자 암세포인 PC-3 cell에 cobrotoxin을 처리한 후 cell viability, cell death, apoptosis, cell cycle 및 관련단백질, Adk, 및 MAP kinase 관련 단백질의 변화를 관찰하여 다음과 같은 결론을 얻었다. 1. PC-3 세포에 각각 cobrotoxin을 각각 0-16 nM까지 투여시 대조군에 비하여 모두 농도 의존적으로 세포들의 모양이 길죽한 나선형 모양에서 둥글게 응축되는 모습으로 변하였으며 고농도로 갈수록 세포들의 성장이 억제를 보였다. 2. MTT assay를 이용하여 세포 생존력을 측정 한 결과, 0.1, 1 및 4nM의 cobrotoxin 처리군은 정상군에 비하여 세포활성의 감소를 나타내었고, 8, 16nM의 cobrotoxin 처리군은 정상군에 비하여 세포활성의 유의한 감소를 보였다. 3. PC3-cell에 cobrotoxin을 처리한후 FACS analysis를 통하여 세포주기를 측정한 결과 세포주기 중 S phase에서 0.0lnM cobrotoxin 처리군은 변함이 없지만, 1, 2, 4, 8 및 16 nM 의 cobrotoxin 처리군에서는 정상군에 비해 감소를 보였다. G2-M phase에서 0.1, 1, 2, 4, 8 및 16M의 cobrotoxin 처리군에서 정상군 에 비하여 증가를 보였다. 4. Cobrotoxin 처리후 Cox-2의 발현을 48시간 관찰한 결과 12시간에서 최대치를 이루었고, 6, 12 및 24시간후에서 대조군에 비하여 유의한 감소를 나타내었다. 5. G1 phase에서 활성을 이루는 Cdk4, cyclin Dl의 발현을 살펴본 결과 Cdk4는 cobrotoxin 1, 2, 4 및 8nM 처리군에서 정상군에 비하여 농도 의존적으로 감소하였고, cobrotoxin 4, 8nM 처리군은 정상군에 비하여 유의한 감소를 나타내었다. Cyclin Dl은 cobrotoxin 1, 2, 4 및 8nM 처리 군에서 정상군에 비하여 농도 의존적으로 감소하였다. Cycline E는 cobrotoxin 1, 2, 4 및 8nM 처리 군에서 정상군에 비해 큰 변화가 없었다. G2/M phase에 관여하는 단백질인 Cyclin Bl 은 cobrotoxin 1, 2, 4 및 8nM 처리군에서 정상군에 비하여 농도 의존적으로 감소하였고, cobrotoxin 2, 4, 8M 처리군은 정상군에 비하여 유의한 감소를 나타내었다. 6. 세포성장 단백질인 Akt의 발현을 살펴본 결과 1, 2, 4 및 8nM의 cobrotoxin 처리군에서 정상군에 비하여 농도 의존적으로 감소하였고, 4, 8nM친 cobrotoxln 처리군은 정상에 비하여 유의한 감소를 나타내었다. 7. MAP kinase에 관여하는 단백질인 ERK, p-ERK, JNK, p-JNK p38, p-p38에 미치는 영향을 살펴본 결과, ERK은 1, 2nM의 cobrotoxin 처리군에서 정상군에 비하여 증가를, 4, 8nM의 cobrotokin 처리군에서 정상군에 비하여 감소를 나타내었다. p-ERK은 1, 2, 4nM의 cobrotoxin 처리군에서 정상군에 비하여 증가를, 8nM의 cobrotoxin 처리군에서 정상군에 비하여 감소를 나타내었다. JNK와 p-JNK는 1, 2, 4 및 8nM의 cobrotoxin 처리군에서 정상군에 비하여 증가를 나타내었다. p38는 1, 4, 8nM의 cobrotoxin 처리군에서 정상군에 비하여 감소를, 2nM의 cobrotoxin 처리군에서는 정상군에 비하여 감소를 나타내었다. p-p38는 1nM의 cobrotoxin 처리군에서 정상군에 비하여 증가를, 2, 4, 8nM의 cobrotoxin 처리군에서는 정상군에 비하여 유의한 감소를 나타내었다. 8. PC 3-cells 성장의 억제 역시 세포사멸을 유도한 세포성장억제 인지를 알아보기 위해 DAPI staining을 통한 세포의 핵을 염색하여 그 모양을 관찰한 결과, 정상세포가 동글동글 하고 균일한데 비하여 세포사멸이 일어난 세 포는 핵이 응축되고, 여러 조각으로 나뉜 모습을 관찰할 수 있었다. 또한, 세포사멸을 살펴본 결과 1, 2, 4, 8 및 16nM cobrotoxin 처 8nM의 cobrotoxin 처리군에서 정상군에 비하여 유의한 변동을 나타내지 않았다. Bcl-2 는 1, 2, 4 및 8nM의 cobrotoxin 처리군에서 정상군에 비해 농도 의존적으로 유의한 감소를 나타내었다. 9. 세포사멸 관련 유전자인 caspase family (caspase 3, 9)와 Bcl-2 family (Bcl-2, Bax), p53의 발현을 살펴본 결과, Bax는 1, 2, 4 및 Caspase 3과 9는 1, 2, 4nM의 cobrotoxin 처리군에서 정상군에 비하여 유의한 변동을 나타내지 않았으나, 8nM cobrotoxin 처리군에서는 유의한 감소를 나타내었다. 이상의 결과를 종합해보면, 일정수준(pico 또는 namo molar 수준)의 cobrotoxin이 prostate cancer cell의 성장을 억제하고, 세포사멸을 유도 하여 항암 효과가 있음을 확인할 수 있었으며 향후 cobrotoxin의 항암 효과를 실제 임상에 활용할 수 있게 되기를 기대한다.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제52권3호
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• pp.286-297
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• 2016

질병관리본부에서 2012년 이후 수인성식품매개질환 실험실 진단실무지침에 cpb2 유전자를 포함시킨 후, 2013-2014년 경기도의 C. perfringens에 의한 식중독이 원인불명을 제외하고 가장 많이 발생되었으며, 그 발생률이 2011-2012년에 비해 큰 폭으로 증가하였다. 따라서 경기도내 유행하는 toxinotype을 파악하고, PFGE, MLST를 통해 이들의 분자역학적 연관성을 연구함으로서 C. perfringens에 의한 식중독 발생 시 역학조사 기초자료로 활용하고자 하였다. 2013-2014년 경기도에서 분리된 120주의 C. perfringens 중 cpe 보유균주는 49주, cpb2 보유균주는 71주였다. 발생건별로 살펴보면, cpe 단독발생건은 2건(10주), cpb2 단독발생건은 7건(45주), cpe, cpb2 혼합발생건은 7건(65주)로 cpb2 단독발생과 cpe, cpb2 혼합발생이 대부분을 차지하였다. Toxinotype PCR 결과, 120주 모두 C. perfringens에 의한 식중독의 주요 타입인 A로 밝혀졌다. PFGE 분석 결과, 53.5-100%의 유사도와 75 유형으로 나뉘었다. 65% 이상을 기준으로 했을 때 5가지 그룹으로 나뉘어졌다. A, C, D, E 그룹은 1개의 균주를 제외하고 모두 cpb2 보유균주로 이루어졌고, B 그룹은 1개의 균주를 제외하고 모두 cpe 보유균주로 구성되었다. 2014년 안산상록구 식중독 4주와 2014년 수원 권선구 식중독 3주를 제외하고, 64 cpb2 보유균주들은 대부분 다양한 유전자패턴을 보였다. 41 cpe 보유균주 중 3개의 균주를 제외하고, 2013년 부천원미구, 성남분당구, 2014년 안산상록구, 평택, 김포, 화성 식중독 모두 각각 동일한 유전자 패턴을 보였다. 2013 수원영통구 식중독은 2가지 cpe 유전형 패턴을 보였다. MLST 분석 결과, 크게 P-cpe 및 cpb2 그룹과 C-cpe 그룹으로 나뉘어 졌고, 세세하게 11개의 cluster로 나뉘어졌다. 경기도에서 분리된 31개 균주 중, 16 cpb2 보유균주와 2014-06-03 cpe 보유균주는 1-7 cluster에 속해있었고, 14 cpe 보유균주는 모두 8-11 cluster에 속해있었다. 하나의 cpe 보유균주를 포함하여 cpb2 보유균주들은 P-cpe 그룹과 건강한 사람에서 분리된 cpb2 그룹들 사이에 산재되어 cluster되었고, cpe 보유균주는 C-cpe 그룹에 속해있었다. 2014-06-03주의 cpe gene은 plasmid에 존재하고, 나머지 cpe 보유균주의 cpe gene은 모두 chromosome에 존재함을 추정 할 수 있었다. PFGE 및 MLST 분석 결과, cpe 보유균주에 비해 cpb2 보유균주가 훨씬 다양하고 복잡한 유전자패턴을 나타내며, cpe 유전자 보유균주의 경우 단일 유전자형이거나 유사도가 높은 유전자형으로 이루어져 있음을 알 수 있었다. cpe 보유균주의 경우 집단식중독의 원인균 파악이 용이하였으나, cpb2 보유균주의 경우 2 발생건을 제외하고 역학적인 연관성이 낮음을 확인 할 수 있었다.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.33-40
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• 2010

In this study, the production of transgenic goats using sperm to integrate exogenous DNA and artificial insemination (AI) was carried out and the technical protocols for sperm-mediated gene transfer (SMGT) in the goat were optimized. The standard sperm parameters and the ability to bind foreign genes were assessed to select suitable sperm donor bucks. A total of 134 oestrous does were divided into 4 groups and inseminated using different methods and sperm numbers. The does of Groups I to III were inseminated with fresh semen ($1-2\times10^{7}$ and $10^{6}$ sperm) or frozen-thawed semen ($10^{6}$ sperm), respectively, through conventional intra-cervical AI, and the does of Group IV with frozen-thawed semen ($10^{6}$ sperm) through intrauterine AI. Total genomic DNAs were extracted from ear biopsies of the offspring. The presence of $pEGFP-N_{1}$ DNA was screened by PCR and then by Southern blotting analysis. A total of 76 live kids were produced and 8 kids were tested transgene positive on the basis of agarose gel electrophoresis of the PCR-amplified fragment. Southern blotting analysis of the samples showed 5 positive kids. A transgenic ratio of 10.53% was detected using PCR and 6.58% using Southern blotting. The positive kid rate assayed by PCR and Southern blotting of frozen-thawed goat semen was 3.61% and 9.27% higher than that of untreated semen. The results show that transgenic goats can be produced efficiently by the method of artificial insemination using sperm cells to integrate the exogenous DNA and intrauterine insemination allowed low numbers of DNA-transfected spermatozoa to be used, with satisfactory fertility.

• BMB Reports
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.253-262
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• 2006

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder and is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Although many studies showed that the aggregation of $\alpha$-synuclein might be involved in the pathogenesis of PD, its protective properties against oxidative stress remain to be elucidated. In this study, human wild type and mutant $\alpha$-synuclein genes were fused with a gene fragment encoding the nine amino acid trans activator of transcription (Tat) protein transduction domain of HIV-l in a bacterial expression vector to produce a genetic in-frame WT Tat-$\alpha$-synuclein (wild type) and mutant Tat-a-synucleins (mutants; A30P and A53T), respectively, and we investigated the protective effects of wild type and mutant Tat-$\alpha$-synucleins in vitro and in vivo. WT Tat-$\alpha$-synuclein rapidly transduced into an astrocyte cells and protected the cells against paraquat induced cell death. However, mutant Tat-$\alpha$-synucleins did not protect at all. In the mice models exposed to the herbicide paraquat, the WT Tat-$\alpha$-synuclein completely protected against dopaminergic neuronal cell death, whereas mutants failed in protecting against oxidative stress. We found that these protective effects were characterized by increasing the expression level of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in the neuronal cells and this expression level was dependent on the concentration of transduced WT Tat-$\alpha$-synuclein. These results suggest that transduced Tat-$\alpha$-synuclein might protect cell death from oxidative stress by increasing the expression level of HSP70 in vitro and in vivo and this may be of potential therapeutic benefit in the pathogenesis of PD.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.83-90
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• 2002

Objective : The purpose of the current series of experiments were to assess the effect of GM-CSF, as a medium supplement, on the development of mouse embryos and the expression of LIF and IL-1? mRNA. Materials and Methods: Mouse 2-cell embryos were collected from the oviducts of 6 weeks old ICR mice at 48 hours after hCG injection. Embryos were cultured in P-1 medium supplemented with mouse GM-CSF (0, 1, 5, 10 ng/ml). The embryo development to blastocysts and hatching blastocysts was assessed and the cell number in blastocyst was also examined. Using RT-PCR, the expressions of LIF and IL-1? mRNA in blastocyst were evaluated in the GM-CSF supplemented group and control group. Results: In mouse, the addition of GM-CSF increased the percentage of blastocysts (65.5%, 68.6%, 73.0% and 76.1% for control and 1, 5 and 10 ng/ml, respectively), and increased the proportion of hatching blastocysts (35.2%, 36.4%, 43.2% and 53.0% for control and 1, 5 and 10 ng/ml, respectively). The mean cell numbers in blastocyst were significantly increased in GM-CSF supplemented groups compared to control group. LIF and IL-1? expression in blastocyst were significantly higher in GM-CSF supplemented group than in control group. Conclusion: The results of experiment by mouse embryos showed beneficial effects of GM-CSF as a medium supplement. Furthermore, the addition of GM-CSF significantly increased the expression of LIF and IL-1? in mouse embryos. These results suggest that GM-CSF might be a important molecule in embryo implantation.