• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.355-361
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• 2022

Melanin pigments are the main cause of skin color. They are produced in melanocytes and then transferred to keratinocytes, which eventually gives the skin surface a variety of colors. Although many skin-lightening or depigmenting agents have been developed, the demand for materials to reduce pig- mentation is still increasing. Here, we tried to find materials for skin-lightening or depigmentation using natural compounds and found that mistletoe (Viscum album var. coloratum) extracts (ME) had an inhibitory effect on tyrosinase activity. As a result, ME significantly reduced pigmentation in human primary melanocytes. In addition, a promoter reporter assay revealed that ME inhibited the transcription of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), melanophilin (MLPH), tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP-2), and tyrosinase (TYR) genes in HM3KO melanoma cells. In addition, ME decreased the protein level for pigmentation-related molecules, such as TYR and TRP-1. Furthermore, it markedly inhibited the melanogenesis of zebrafish embryos, an in vivo evaluation model for pigmentation. To elucidate the action mechanism of ME, we investigated its effects on intracellular signaling. Eventually, the ME dramatically decreased the phosphorylation of the cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB), AKT, and ERK. The data suggest that ME may inhibit the melanogenesis pathway by regulating the signaling pathway related to pigmentation. Taken together, these data propose that ME can be developed as a depigmenting or skin-lightening agent.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.389-397
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• 2001

Cocaine-amphetamine regulated transcript (CART), a satiety factor regulated by leptin, is associated with food intake and motor behavior. In knock out studies, Leu34Phe mutation of human CART gene resulted in obese phenotype but mice carrying a targeted deletion of the CART gene exhibited no dramatic increase of body weight on normal fat diet. To establish a new transgenic mouse model for determining the function of CART on feeding behavior in vivo, we constructed the fusion gene, CART gene under the control of neurofilament light chain promoter, which regulates gene expression at the stage of neuronal differentiation. Transgenic mice were generated by microinjection method and screened by PCR and Southern blot analyses. In these transgenic mice, overexpression of CART was detected by in situ hybridization in spinal cords and brains at 13.5 days post-coitum embryos. At six weeks of age, RT-PCR analysis showed that exogenous CART mRNA was expressed strongly in brains and spinal cords, but not much in other tissues. Our results suggest that these transgenic mice provide a new model to investigate the function of CART gene in neuronal network associated with feeding behavior.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.311-318
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• 1997

Bypassing acrosome reaction and fusion process in intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI), most of injected spermatozoa still contain intact acrosome contents and plasma membrane. It Is not known yet what acrosome contents and plasma membrane of spermatozoa have effect on the development of embryo. For further understanding of fertilization process after ICSI, we studied the time of pronucleus formation, disappearance and first cleavage in human zygote, and pregnancy rate in relation to acrosome reaction rate of spermatozoa after ICSI. Seventy cycles undergoing ICSI program were randomly selected. Sperm suspension from 38 cycles were treated 50% human follicular fluid(hFF) for 3 hours in order to induce acrosome reaction, others were not treated as control. Acrosome reaction in hFF treated and non-treated group was assessed by fluorescein isothiocyanate(FITC)-conjugated Arachis hypogea(PNA) and Pisum sativum agglutinin(PSA). Oocytes were classified into 'good' and 'poor' according to their morphology. After ICSI, fertilization of oocytes were assessed by detection of two pronuclei at 16 hours. The pronuclei disappearance and first cleavage of zygotes were observed at 24 hours, and then embryos were transferred to uterus after culture for 72 hours. The rate of acrosome reaction of spermatozoa in hFF treated group was significantly higher than that in control(p<0.01). Fertilization rates of good oocytes were not different both control and hFF treated group(81.3%(174/206) vs. 72.1%(102/130)). But, in poor oocytes, the fertilization rates in hFF treated group(72.1%(149/183)) were increased compared than those of control group (63.6%(98/140), p<0.01). In either good or poor oocytes, the rates of pronuclei disappearance in hFF treated-spermatozoa injected oocytes were higher than control (59.1%(103/174), 56.4%(84/149) vs. 32.4%(33/102), 37.8%(37/98), p<0.01). Also, the rates of thirst cleavage were increased in hFF treated group (31%(54/174), 24.1%(36/149)) compared than those of control group (10.8%(11/102), 13.2%(13/98), p<0.01). The pregnancy rates of hFF treated group (42.1%(16/38)) were slightly higher than control group (28.1%(9/32), p>0.05). But, the pregnancy rate of group which possessed more than one cleavaged zygote at 24 hours was higher than group which did not (45.2%(19/42) vs. 21.4%(6/28), p<0.05). From these results, the development of zygotes were faster in higher acrosome reacted sperm group than lower acrosome reacted sperm group after ICSI. Our results may be explained that acrosomal membrane and plasma membrane are easily detached from spermatozoa in acrosome reacted spermatozoa compared with acrosome intact sperm in the cytoplasm of oocyte during pronuclear formation. We conclude that the injection of acrosome reacted spermatozoa will increase the pregnancy rate as they can induce fast embryonic development in ICSI.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.211-216
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• 1997

The present study was carried out to evaluate whether the coculture system of human embryos with Vero cells can improve the quality of embryo or overcome the repetitive implantation failures in order to obtain pregnancy. From January to December 1996, a total 202 cases which patients with the problems of repetitive implantation failures (group I) or those with the poor embryonic quality in their previous cycles (group II) was analysed. The quality of cocultured embryo, pregnancy, on-going and implantation rates between coculture and control groups were compared. Of 93 cases in group I, coculture was performed in 34 cases and conventional IVF for the rest. Of 109 cases in group II, 36 for coculture and 73 for conventional IVF. In group I, pregnancy, on-going and implantation rates in coculture group (14/34 (41.2%), 9/34 (26.5%), 16/81 (19.8%), respectively) were higher than those of control (11/59 (18.6%), 8/59 (13.6%), 12/152 (7.9%), respectively). There is significance in the pregnancy and implantation rates (p=0.028 and p=0.015). In group II, pregnancy, on-going and implantation rates in coculture group (8/36 (22.2%), 5/36 (13.9%), 8/87 (9.2%), respectively) were higher than those of control (5/73 (6.8%), 3/73 (4.1%), 3/158 (1.9%), respectively). Like the result of group I, there is significance in the pregnancy and implantation rates (p=0.028 and p=0.022). Coculture system with Vero cells works well in the groups of the two indications. Although the case of 3 day-coculture was small as 15 cases in group II, 3 day-coculture improved pregnancy rate (4/15 (26.7%)). Therefore, 3 day-coculture with assisted hatching is recommended to the patients with poor embryonic quality. In conclusion, coculture system with Vero cells can be suggested as an effective method which improves pregnancy rate in those who have repetitive implantation failures or whose embryonic quality was poor in their previous cycles.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.11-17
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• 1998

This study was carried out to investigate the in vivo developmental potential of mouse zona-hatched blastocysts (HBs). The HBs were cultured in vitro until day 5 and day 6 from zygotes produced in vivo and classified to small (S-HBs), medium (M-HBs) and large (L-HBs) on the basis of embryo diameters. The results obtained in these experiments were summarized as follows ; 1) when the blastocysts at day 4 were further cultured for $24\sim48hr$, HBs obtained at day 5 and day 6 culture in vitro were 29.1% and 22.8%, respectively. 2) Also, when the total cell number of HBs were counted, cell numbers of classified HBs on day 5 and day 6 to small ($77.3\pm5.3$, $59.6\pm4.4$), medium ($83.7\pm4.0$, $66.8\pm3.5$) and large ($100.7\pm2.6$, $88.9\pm3.8$) were increased as their size increases. Especially, there were significantly different between S-HBs and L-HBs (p<0.01). 3) In addition, when the classified HBs were transferred into when the classified HBs were transferred into day 3 pseudopregnant recipients, the pregnancy and implantation rates of S-HBs (28.6%, 15.7%), M-HBs (44.4%, 30.9%) and L-HBs (62.5%, 49.1%) at day 5 were increased as their size increases. However, this pattern was not showed in embryo transfer of day 6 HBs. But, when the live fetuses formation against total implantation rates were observed, the result (87.5%) of S-HBs of day 5 was significantly higher than that of the others (p<0.01). Therefore, this study demonstrates that in vitro cultured healthy HBs can not only be developed normally with good pregnancy rates, implantation rates and live fetuses formation, but also served as a fundamental data for utility of supernumerary HBs in human blastocyst transfer.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.79-89
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• 2001

Steroid hormones control the expression of many cellular regulators, and a role thor estrogen in mouse oocytes has been well documented. The preovulatory $E_2$increment is generally accepted as the endocrine process regulating induction of in vivo oocyte maturation To address whether the activity of the T-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel is altered by 17 beta-estradiol ( $E_2$), we examined the actions of $E_2$on the calcium channel of mouse oocytes and early embryos. Oocrtes were collected from the oviduct of mice treated with pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and human choronic gonadotropin (hCG). Whole cell voltage clamp technique and confocal microscopy were used to examine that $E_2$increase intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration ([C $a^{2+}$]$_{i}$ ) via voltage dependent $Ca^{2+}$ channel (VDC) and estrogen receptor (FSR), and $E_2$concentration by the use of radioimmunoassay (RIA) were examined in mouse. The results obtained were as follows: The peak of $Ca^{2+}$ current induced by $E_2$increased 122% to 1.50$\pm$0.03 nA from 1.23$\pm$0.21 nA (n=15) in the presence of 5 mM extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration ([C $a^{2+}$]$_{o}$ ). The increased $Ca^{2+}$ current was temporally associated with $Ca^{2+}$ transients. The intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ level increased 207%~30 s following the addition of 1${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ $E_2$(relative fluorescence intensity: 836.4$\pm$131.2 for control, n=10, 1736.4$\pm$192.0 in the presence of $E_2$, n=10). $E_2$increased amplitude of $Ca^{2+}$ current and [C $a^{2+}$]$_{i}$ . $E_2$-induced $Ca^{2+}$ current and $E_2$concentration in blood were showed difference on the stage of embryo. These results suggest that $E_2$modulate $Ca^{2+}$ channel to increase $Ca^{2+}$ influx.$Ca^{2+}$ influx.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.91-100
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• 2023

The early life history of Silurus microdorsalis living in Jahocheon Stream was studied by observing egg and morphological development. Live fish were captured in June 2018, then reared in a circulating filtration system under a 14L : 10D photoperiod with a water temperature of 18℃. To artificially induce spawning, females were injected with 0.5 mL of Ovaprim (Syndel, Nanaimo, BC, Canada) per kg of body weight, and males were injected with 10,000 IU/kg body weight of human chorionic gonadotropin. Approximately 15 h later, eggs were artificially inseminated by the dry method. Mature eggs were light pale yellow, which separated them from immature eggs. Fertilized eggs were 2.16±0.06 mm (n=8) in diameter and fully hatched at 181 h after fertilization. The fertilization rate was 63.1±2.2%, and 10.0±3.7% of the embryos were malformed at 18℃. The rates of development were 181 h at 18℃, 109 h at 21℃, and 76 h at 24℃. The larval size immediately after hatching was 4.64±0.22 mm (n=8), and the larvae displayed negative phototaxis at 1 day after hatching. The total larval length on 7 days after hatching was 12.47±0.53 mm, with 25~30 basal anal fin rays and 14~16 basal caudal fin rays observed. The total larval length was 14.13±0.51 mm on 9 days after hatching, and approximately 90% of the black endoplasmic reticulum was deposited on the head and body. The dorsal fin had formed, and a single basal body was observed. On 15 days after hatching, the total larval length was 16.69±0.31 mm; the number of basal caudal fin rays (18 poles) was an integer because 2 dorsal fin basal rays and 60~63 anal fin basal rays were observed. The total larval length was 28.96±1.10 mm on 50 days after hatching; the numbers of caudal fins (n=18), dorsal fins (n=3), pectoral fins (n=11), and anal fin basal rays (n=67~73) were integers.