• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.377-383
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• 1997

The effects of embryo number and incubation volume on the development of mouse embryos were evaluated. The growth rate of two-cell mouse embryos to attached blastocyst stage and the growth rate of blastocysts to early somite stage were assessed after culture in different incubation volumes and embryo densities. Embryos were collected from ICR female mice superovulated with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin and human chorionic gonadotropin and mated by ICR males. In experiment 1, groups of one, five, ten, twenty 2-cell embryos were cultured in 10-, 50-, 500-, 1000-${\mu}l$ drops of BWW media under mineral oil at $37^{\circ}C$ in a humidified atmosphere of 5% $CO_{2}$ and 95% air. As the incubation volume decreased, significantly (p<0.05) higher rates of embryos reached morular and blastocyst stage on day 3 and 4 culture, respectively. In experiment 2, groups of one, five, ten, twenty blastocysts were cultured in 1- and 2-ml volumes of CMRL 1066 media under same condition as in experiment 1. However the reverse was the result. Decreasing the number of embryos incubated per volume from 1 to 20 significantly (p<0.05) increased the number of blastocysts reaching the late egg cylinder (LEC) and early somite (ES) stage on day 6 and 8 culture, respectively, regardless of incubation volume. Blastocysts cultured in 2ml had higher (p<0.05) development rates to LEC and ES stage on day 6 and 8 culture, respectively, than embryos cultured in 1ml. Our results suggest that the effects of embryo number and incubation volume on the development of mouse embryos are stage specific and the shifting point was between hatching and EEC stage.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제45권3호
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• pp.122-128
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• 2018

Objective: To determine whether fragment removal on in vitro fertilization (IVF) day 2 improved the subsequent development and pregnancy outcomes of fragmented embryos compared to similar-grade embryos without fragment removal. Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis involving 191 IVF cycles in which all embryos had over 10% fragmentation (grade 3 or 4) on day 2 of the IVF-embryo transfer cycle from March 2015 to December 2017. IVF cycles were divided into the fragment removal group (n = 87) and the no fragment removal group (n = 104) as a control cohort. Before fragment removal, embryos with fragmentation on day 2 were incubated in $Ca^{2+}$- and $Mg^{2+}$-free biopsy medium under paraffin oil for 30 minutes. Microsurgical fragment removal was performed with later-assisted hatching and a handmade suction micropipette that had an outer diameter of $30{\mu}m$. Results: There were no significant differences in the characteristics of the patients between the control and the fragment removal groups. After fragment removal and subsequent in vitro culture for 24 hours, the number of blastomeres ($7.1{\pm}1.7$ vs. $6.9{\pm}1.6$) was comparable between the transferred embryos in the two groups, but the morphological grade of the embryos in the fragment removal group ($1.9{\pm}0.7$) was significantly higher than that of the control group ($3.1{\pm}0.5$, p< 0.01). The clinical pregnancy (43.7%) and implantation rates (25.8%) in the fragment removal group were significantly higher than those in the control group (28.8% and 14.0%, respectively; p< 0.05). Conclusion: Early fragment removal on day 2 significantly improved the subsequent development and pregnancy outcomes of fragmented embryos.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제37권4호
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• pp.339-348
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• 2010

목적: 본 연구는 체외수정 및 배아이식술 (In vitro fertilization-embryo transfer, IVF-ET)에서 인간의 파편화된 배아를 대상으로 수행한 파편제거술이 배아의 발달과 임상적 결과에 미치는 유용한 결과를 조사하고자 수행하였다. 연구방법: 본 연구는 전향적 연구로서 한나여성의원과 미즈메디병원에서 수행되었으며 IVF-ET 시술을 받는 60명의 환자를 대상으로 하였다. 실험군으로서 29명 환자의 106개의 파편화된 배아를 대상으로 이식하기 전 미세수술적 파편 제거술을 수행하였고 대조군으로서 31명의 환자의 122개의 파편화된 배아의 파편을 제거하지 않고 이식하였다. 파편 제거술이 파편화된 배아의 형태학적 변화와 임상적 결과에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. 결과: 실험군 배아의 평균 형태학적 등급은 G2.79였으나 파편제거술 이후 G1.63 (p<0.001)로 유의하게 향상되었다. 대부분의 파편화된 배아는 파편제거 후 이어지는 배양과정 동안 파편화 현상이 재 발생하지 않았으며 파편이 제거된 배아의 발달에 파편제거술이 유용한 효과를 미치는 것이 관찰되었다. 실험군의 착상률과 임신율은 각각 12.3%와 31.3%이었으나 대조군은 각각 6.6%와 22.5%를 나타내었다. 이러한 두 군간의 결과의 차이는 낮은 시술 건수로 인해 통계학적 유의성은 없었다. 결론: 미세수술적 파편제거술은 파편화된 배아의 형태학적 등급뿐만 아니라 지속적인 발달능력을 향상시켰다. 파편제거술은 파편에 의해 손상된 세포간 전달체계의 복원과 파편에 의한 해로운 물질의 생성 가능성을 제거함으로써 주위의 할구들에게 이로운 효과를 나타낸 것으로 생각된다.

• 한국가축번식학회지
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.95-104
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• 2002

본 연구는 사람의 조혈촉진 유전자(hEPO)가 도입된 형질전환 돼지를 생산하기 위해 사계절동안 수행하였다. 약 8∼15개월령의 순종의 랜드레이스 경산돈 및 미경산돈 42두는 유전자 미세주입을 위한 1세포기 단계의 수정란 채란 및 이식을 위해 사용하였으며, 발정동기화 및 과배란 방법은 PG 600 주입 후 9일간 매일 20mg의 altrenogest를 사료에 첨가하여 급여하였다. Altrenogest를 9일간 급여 후 1,500IU의 PMSG와 500IU의 hCG를 주입하므로서 과배란을 유도하였다. 미세주입을 위한 유전자는 mouse whey acidic protein(mWAP) 프로모터에 hEPO 유전자를 연결하여 준비하였으며, 호르몬 처리후 23두의 공란돈으로 부터 650개의 난자를 회수하였으며, 이 중 83.1%(540/650)는 DNA 미세주입을 위해 전핵을 관찰할 수 있는 1-세포기의 수정란이었다. 이중 유전자가 미세주입 된 543개의 난자를 19두의 수란돈에 이식하였으며 7두의 임신돈으로부터 47두의 자돈을 생산하였다. 생산된 자돈 47두로부터 꼬리조직으로부터 분리된 DNA의 PCR 검정 결과 수컷 1두가 형질전환 양성반응을 나타내어 2.13%의 형질전환율을 나타내었으며, 이러한 연구의 결과는 생체반응기(bioreactor)연구에 있어서 형질전환 돼지생산의 성공적이며 유용한 정보를 제공할 것으로 사료된다.

• 한국동물생명공학회지
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• 제34권3호
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• pp.232-239
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• 2019

In general, cloned pigs have been produced using the somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technique with various types of somatic cells; however, the SCNT technique has disadvantages not only in its low efficiency but also in the development of abnormal clones. This study aimed to compare early embryonic development and quality of SCNT embryos with those of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) NT embryos (iPSC-NTs). Ear fibroblast cells were used as donor cells and iPSCs were generated from these cells by lentiviral transduction with human six factors (Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc, Nanog, Klf4 and Lin28). Blastocyst formation rate in iPSC-NT (23/258, 8.9%) was significantly lower than that in SCNT (46/175, 26.3%; p < 0.05). Total cell number in blastocysts was similar between two groups, but blastocysts in iPSC-NT had a lower number of apoptotic cells than in SCNT (2.0 ± 0.6 vs. 9.8 ± 2.9, p < 0.05). Quantitative PCR data showed that apoptosis-related genes (bax, caspase-3, and caspase-9) were highly expressed in SCNT than iPSC-NT (p < 0.05). Although an early development rate was low in iPSC-NT, the quality of cloned embryos from porcine iPSC was higher than that of embryos from somatic cells. Therefore, porcine iPSCs could be used as a preferable cell source to create a clone or transgenic animals by using the NT technique.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제14권3호
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• pp.357-363
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• 1998

The teratogenic potential of the anticonvulsant drug phenytoin (PHT) has been well documented both in the human and in the experimental animals. However there are few reports on the effects of PHT on embryonic development in rats in vitro. The present study was performed to evaluate the teratogenic effects of PHT using whole-embryo culture system in rats. Sprague-Dawley rat embryos were explanted on gestational day (GD) 9.5 and cultured for 48 hrs in the immediately centrifuged and heat-inactivated rat serum containing 0,25,50, or $100{\mu}g$ PHT/mL. At the end of culture period the embryos were scored for morphological development according to the procedure of Van Maele-Fabry, and their total protein contents were determined. At 100 ${\mu}$g/mL of culture medium. PHT caused significant reduction in developmental score and protein content of embryos and a high incidence morphological abnormalities (100%). Characteristic malformations included altered yolk and embryonic circulation, craniofacial hypoplasia, neural tube schisis, branchial arch defects, abnormal ratation, and limb bud hypoplasia, among others. There were no adverse effects on embryonic growth and development at concentrations of 25 and 50 ${\mu}$g /mL of culture medium. The results indicated that the dysmorphogenic effect of PHT on cultured embryos is due to a direct interference with embryonic development.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.55-64
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• 2005

Objective: Human infertility clinics have been faced the demand for improving clinical results. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of microsurgical removal of damaged blastomeres (DB) in frozen-thawed embryos on the clinical outcomes. Methods: From January 2003 to May 2004, out of 258 thawing ET cycles were divided into three groups: Group-1 (n=46): Intact cleavaged embryos after thawing. Remained cycles with embryos containing DB were randomly divided into two groups. Group-2 (n=102): Drilling zona pellucida (ZP) of frozen-thawed embryos by acidified Tyrode's solution. Group-3 (n=110): Drilling ZP and removal of DB. Embryos after microsurgical manipulation were transferred into the uterus of patients. Results: Clinical profiles and the mean number of transferred embryos among three groups were not different. Pregnancy and implantation rates were similar in three groups. It were 30.4% and 9.3% in Group-1, 29.4% and 7.8% in Group-2, and 26.4% and 7.6% in group-3, respectively. Miscarriage rate in Group-3 (37.9%) was slightly higher than those in Group-1 and Group-2 (14.3% and 23.3%), but it was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Intact cleaving embryos after DB removal showed higher potent of pregnancy and implantation. We could not find any improvement of clinical outcome by removal of DB in frozen-thawed embryos.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.235-240
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• 2014

생쥐 2세포기, 4세포기, 8세포기를 각 발생 단계에서 채취하여 동결 보호제를 첨가한 서로 다른 배양액에서 배양하고, 배아의 동결 보존 및 융해 시 급속 처리와 저속 처리 단계로 비교하여 이들 조건이 배아의 생존과 발현에 미치는 영향을 조사하여 다음의 결과를 얻었다. 동결 보호제로 처리하여 배양액을 달리한 경우, 급속 단계에서는 모든 배양액에서 비슷한 발생율을 보였고, 저속단계의 4세포기와 8세포기는 D-PBS에서 높은 발생율을 보였다(P<0.05, P<0.01). 배아의 발생 시기에 따른 동결 보존 후, 발생율은 2, 4, 8세포기로 넘어갈수록 발생율의 증가를 보여 8세포기에서 발생율이 가장 높았다(P<0.01). 동결 보호제의 처리단계에 따른 발생율은 2세포기의 급속 단계에서는 유사하였으나, 4세포기와 8세포기는 저속단계에서 높은 발생율을 보였으며(P<0.05), 특히 8세포기에서 가장 높았다(P<0.01).

• 대한치과교정학회지
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.667-676
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• 1996

We have examined the in vitro stage-related chondrogenic potential of human mandibular and limb bud mesenchyme cells using micromass culture. Our results indicate that limb bud mesenchyme cells as early as stage 16 by Carnegie system (37 days), well before the initiation of in vivo chondrogenesis, have chondrogenic potential which is expressed in micromass culture. These results are correlated with stage-related chondrogenic potential of human limb bud in vivo as a result of Alcian blue staining. The proliferation of chondrogenic cells increased in the first 3 days after culture and then decreased. These results were correlated with the cell cycle analysis of which the number of $G_0^1/G_1$ phase increased markedly after 3 days of culture, while the percentage of cells in S phase was decreased. On the other hand, it was rarely differentiated in the mandible. We examined the effects of two PKC modulators such as phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), a potent activator of PKC, and staurosporine (STSN), an inhibitor of PKC. PMA inhibited the chondrogenesis, whereas STSN promoted the chondrogenesis in a dose dependent manner. In addition, PMA exerted no inhibitory effect when the cells were pretreated for 24 h with STSN, implying that the chondrogenic events might be settled at an early step in vitro and FKC may act as a negative modulator. Collectively, these results demonstrate, for the first time, the stage-related chondrogenic potential of human mandibular and limb bud mesenchyme cells and the role of PKC during chondrogenesis in vitro & in vivo.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.135-140
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• 2008

Recent studies on nuclear transfer and induced pluripotent stem cells have demonstrated that differentiated somatic cells can be returned to the undifferentiated state by reversing their developmental process. These epigenetically reprogrammed somatic cells may again be differentiated into various cell types, and used for cell replacement therapies through autologous transplantation to treat many degenerative diseases. To date, however, reprogramming of somatic cells into undifferentiated cells has been extremely inefficient. Hence, reliable markers to identify the event of reprogramming would assist effective selection of reprogrammed cells. In this study, a transgene construct encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under the regulation of human Oct4 promoter was developed as a reporter for the reprogramming of somatic cells. Microinjection of the transgene construct into pronuclei of fertilized mouse eggs resulted in the emission of green fluorescence, suggesting that the undifferentiated cytoplasmic environment provided by fertilized eggs induces the expression of EGFP. Next, the transgene construct was introduced into human embryonic fibroblasts, and the nuclei from these cells were transferred into enucleated porcine oocytes. Along with their in vitro development, nuclear transfer embryos emitted green fluorescence, suggesting the reprogramming of donor nuclei in nuclear transfer embryos. The results of the present study demonstrate that expression of the transgene under the regulation of human Oct4 promoter coincides with epigenetic reprogramming, and may be used as a convenient marker that non-invasively reflects reprogramming of somatic cells.