• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.285-297
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• 1995

The mammalian oviduct is a place where ontogeny of an animal begins. Nowadays, however, it is possilbe to manipulate a part of physiological events occurring in the oviduct so that fertilization of gametes and early embryonic development of zygotes could proceed outside oviductal environment. Rabbit zygotes readily develop to blastocysts in a conventional culture condition. Most of the mouse fertilized eggs do so when cultured under a specific environment, e.g., in a medium containing ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid. Similarly, a significant number of zygotes from rat, sheep, pig or cattle can develop to blastocysts if they are cultured in the presence of particular component which appear to be somewhat species-specific. Instead of changing the components of medium, somatic cells including oviductal epithelial cells, have widely been used to improve mammalian embryonic development in vitro. Many investigators have reported that mammalian zygotes, whether fertilized in vivo or in vitro, could develop to blastocysts when they were cultured on a monolayer of various kinds of somatic cells or even in a somatic cell-conditioned medium. While little is known about the nature of embryotrophic factor(s) produced in vitro by somatic cells, the existence fo oviduct-specific protein(s) has consistently been demonstrated in many laboratories. Some of these proteins are reported to be associated with oviductal eggs. However, the physiological role of these proteins has still to be determined. Recently we observed that the perivitelline space of mouse oocytes was fluorescently stained with various fluorochrome-protein conjugates following ovulation into the oviducts or upon their expossure to oviductal extracts. Furthermore, it was also found that cattle or pig oviductal fluid gave similar results when examined using mouse ghost ZP. These observations lead to suggest that mammalian oviduct induces changes of biochemical properties of oocytes. Further studies are needed to clarify the nature of oviductal factor(s) and the physiological meaning of the reaction.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.49-50
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• 2004

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.9
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• pp.1360-1366
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• 2022

Objective: The present study analyzed the influence of co-transferring embryos with high and low cloning efficiencies produced via somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) on pregnancy outcomes in dogs. Methods: Cloned dogs were produced by SCNT using donor cells derived from a Tibetan Mastiff (TM) and Toy Poodle (TP). The in vivo developmental capacity of cloned embryos was evaluated. The pregnancy and parturition rates were determined following single transfer of 284 fused oocytes into 21 surrogates and co-transfer of 47 fused oocytes into four surrogates. Results: When cloned embryos produced using a single type of donor cell were transferred into surrogates, the pregnancy and live birth rates were significantly higher following transfer of embryos produced using TP donor cells than following transfer of embryos produced using TM donor cells. Next, pregnancy and live birth rates were compared following single and co-transfer of these cloned embryos. The pregnancy and live birth rates were similar upon co-transfer of embryos and single transfer of embryos produced using TP donor cells but were significantly lower upon single transfer of embryos produced using TM donor cells. Furthermore, the parturition rate for TM dogs and the percentage of these dogs that remained alive until weaning was significantly higher upon co-transfer than upon single transfer of embryos. However, there was no difference between the two embryo transfer methods for TP dogs. The mean birth weight of cloned TM dogs was significantly higher upon single transfer than upon co-transfer of embryos. However, the body weight of TM dogs did not significantly differ between the two embryo transfer methods after day 5. Conclusion: For cloned embryos with a lower developmental competence, the parturition rate and percentage of dogs that remain alive until weaning are increased when they are co-transferred with cloned embryos with a greater developmental competence.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2012

DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1) gene contains three different isoform transcripts, Dnmt1s, Dnmt1o, and Dnmt1p, are produced by alternative usage of multiple first exons. Dnmt1o is specific to oocytes and preimplantation embryos, whereas Dnmt1s is expressed in somatic cells. Here we determined that porcine Dnmt1o gene had differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in 5'-flanking region, while those were not found in the Dnmt1s promoter region. The methylation patterns of the porcine Dnmt1o/Dnmt1s DMRs were investigated using bisulfite sequencing and pyrosequencing analysis through all preimplantation stages from one cell to blastocyst stage in in vivo or somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The Dnmt1o DMRs contained 8 CpG sites, which located in -640 bp to -30 bp upstream region from transcription start site of the Dnmt1o gene. The methylation status of 5 CpGs within the Dnmt1o DMRs were distinctively different at each stage from one-cell to blastocyst stage in the $in$ $vivo$ or SCNT, respectively. 55.62% methylation degree of the Dnmt1o DMRs in the $in$ $vivo$ was increased up to 84.38% in the SCNT embryo, moreover, $de$ $novo$ methylation and demethylation occurred during development of porcine embryos from the one-cell stage to the blastocyst stage. However, the DNA methylation states at CpG sites in the Dnmt1s promoter regions were hypomethylated, and dramatically not changed through one-cell to blastocyst stage in the $in$ $vivo$ or SCNT embryos. In the present study, we demonstrated that the DMRs in the promoter region of the porcine Dnmt1o was well conserved, contributing to establishment and maintenance of genome-wide patterns of DNA methylation in early embryonic development.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.103-108
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• 1996

Through the previous studies(I,II), it was observed that human follicular fluid(HFF) was more effective than human fetal cord serum(HFCS) on promoting meiotic resumption of oocytes and improving embryonic development of mouse in vitro. On the basis of these results, we have gradually exchanged HFCS with HFF as protein supplement in human ART. This study was performed to investigate the efficiency of HFF on improving the pregnancy rate in ART. Oocytes were retrieved transvaginally from patients treated with pituitary suppression with GnRH-agonist and ovarian stimulation with human menopausal gonadotro-pin(HMG) and pure follicle stimulating hormone(FSH). Aspirated oocytes were rinsed and cultured in TCM-199 containing HFF, and the concentrations of HFF were adjusted to 10, 20, and 30% according to the use for insemination, embryo growth and embryo transfer, respectively. As possible as, we tried to do embryo transfer into fallopian tube to mimic the coincidence of the cell stage with the place of sojourn in vivo, so we performed various ART programs(IVF & ET; in vitro fertilization, ZIFT; zygote intra fallopian-tube transfer, ZIFT & ET) according to the tubal conditions of patients. On the while, intra cytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI) was used to assist IVF of the patients who had shown poor standard IVF results by immunological or severe male factor. Of the 255 cycles of ART programs using HFF as protein supplement, 118 cycles were turn out to be succeeded in pregnancy(46.2%, per cycle, p<0.05), while 21 pregnancies were achieved in the 69 cycles using HFCS(30.4%). The 255 cycles using HFF were subdivided into cycles with the type of ART programs, and each pregnancy rate of the ART programs were 44.7% (IVF & ET, 76/170 cycles), 53.4%(ZIFT, 31/58 cycles) and 40.7% (ZIFT & ET, 11/27 cycles), respectively. In the 61 ICSI cycles using HFF, 28 cycles succeed in pregnancy(45.9%), while 7 pregnancies were obtained in the 17 ICSI cycles using HFCS. Also the ongoing pregnancy rate in the group using HFF(78.8%, 93/118 cycles) was higher than that in the group using HFCS(61.9%). Therefore, we found that the use of HFF as protein supplement was more suitable and effective than the use of HFCS to improve the pregnancy rate in ART.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2014

Objective: Estrogen related receptor ${\beta}$ (Esrrb) is a member of the orphan nuclear receptors and may regulate the expression of pluripotencyrelated genes, such as Oct4 and Nanog. Therefore, in the present study, we have developed a method for delivering exogenous ESRRB recombinant protein into embryos by using cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) conjugation and have analyzed their effect on embryonic development. Methods: Mouse oocytes and embryos were obtained from superovulated mice. The expression of Oct4 mRNA and the cell number of inner cell mass (ICM) in the in vitro-derived and in vivo-derived blastocysts were first analyzed by real time-reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and differential staining. Then 8-cell embryos were cultured in KSOM media with or without $2{\mu}g/mL$ CPP-ESRRB protein for 24 to 48 hours, followed by checking their integration into embryos during in vitro culture by Western blot and immunocytochemistry. Results: Expression of Oct4 and the cell number of ICM were lower in the in vitro-derived blastocysts than in the in vivo-derived ones (p<0.05). In the blastocysts derived from the CPP-ESRRB-treated group, expression of Oct4 was greater than in the non-treated groups (p<0.05). Although no difference in embryonic development was observed between the treated and non-treated groups, the cell number of ICM was greater in the CPP-ESRRB-treated group. Conclusion: Treatment of CPP-ESRRB during cultivation could increase embryos' expression of Oct4 and the formation rate of the ICM in the blastocyst. Additionally, an exogenous delivery system of CPP-conjugated protein would be a useful tool for improving embryo culture systems.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.147-153
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• 2004

본 실험에서는 수술적 방법을 이용하여 난관 절제술을 실시한 성숙 난자의 회수율과 카데터를 이용한 난자 회수율 그리고 새롭게 고안된 개 난자 회수용 니들을 이용한 회수율을 비교하였으며, 각각의 회수 방법이 성숙난자의 외형에 미치는 영향을 조사한 결과는 12두에서 난관절제술로 채취한 성숙난자의 회수율은 89.7% 이었다. 수술적 회수방법에서는 본 연구실에서 개발한 난자 회수용 니들을 난관내에 삽입-결찰한 후 난관-자궁 접합부에서 난자 회수용 배지를 관류하는 방법으로 평균 83.0%의 회수율을 얻었다. 이 같은 결과는 TomCat 카테터를 이용한 회수율 (68.9%)과 난자 회수용 니들을 결찰하지 않고 관류한 방법 (73.5%) 보다 유의적으로 높은 회수율을 나타내었다 (p<0.05). 또한 난관 절제술과 각각의 수술적 방법으로 회수한 난자의 형태학적 차이는 관찰할 수 없었으나 난관 절제술과 난자회수용 니들을 결찰하여 회수한 난자의 형태와 난질이 Tom Cat 카테터나 결찰하지 않은 니들을 이용하였을 때보다 영향을 덜 받는 경향을 나타내었다 (각각 72.0%, 73.8%와 62.8%, 69.6%).

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.605-616
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• 2006

A wide variety of drugs and endogenous bioactive amines are organic cations (OCs). Approximately 40% of all conventional drugs on the market are OCs. Thus, the transport of xenobiotics or endogenous OCs in the body has been a subject of considerable interest, since the discovery and cloning of a family of OC transporters, referred to as organic cation transporter (OCTs), and a new subfamily of OCTs, OCTNs, leading to the functional characterization of these transporters in various systems including oocytes and some cell lines. Organic cation transporters are critical in drug absorption, targeting, and disposition of a drug. In this review, the recent advances in the characterization of organic cation transporters and their distribution in the small intestine are discussed. The results of the in vitro transport studies of various OCs in the small intestine using techniques such as isolated brush-border membrane vesicles, Ussing chamber systems and Caco-2 cells are discussed, and in vivo knock-out animal studies are summarized. Such information is essential for predicting pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and in the design and development of new cationic drugs. An understanding of the mechanisms that control the intestinal transport of OCs will clearly aid achieving desirable clinical outcomes.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.275-281
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• 2008

The ability to preselect the sex of piglets is advantageous in the pig industry. The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility of using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with sorted spermatozoa to produce piglets with a preselected sex. Pig embryos were produced by ICSI of frozen X- and Y-sperm that had been separated by flow cytometry. The developmental competence of the embryos was investigated in vitro and in vivo. The populations of X- and Y-spermatozoa were 52.7% and 47.3%, respectively in our samples. The in vitro development of ICSI embryos was enhanced by longer of in vitro maturation of oocytes ($44{\sim}48\;h$ vs. $40{\sim}43\;h$). Their cleavage ($65{\sim}70%$) and blastocyst formation ($9{\sim}12%$) rates were not significantly different between male and female ICSI embryos, or between sorted and unsorted sperm-derived embryos. One pregnancy was established in a recipient that was transferred with 110 female ICSI embryos, but the pregnancy was terminated on Day 89 of gestation. Our results suggest that the separation X- and Y-spermatozoa by flow cytometric sorting can be a useful tool in combination with ICSI for the production of pig embryos and piglets of preselected sex.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.209-216
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• 1998

The purpose of present study is to improve the efficiency of fusion and the developmental rates of nuclear transplanted embryos to produce genetically identical twins from Korean native cattle. The diameter of aspirated follicles had no significant effect on the recovery rates of oocytes collected by ovum pick-up technique. The fusion rates of nuclear transplanted embryos were significantly higher in 50 and $100{\mu}s$ DC duration groups(73.3 and 72.0% ; respectively) than that in $30{\mu}s$ group(55.6% ; p<0.05). The cleavage rates of nuclear transplanted embryos appeared to be significantly higher in donor nuclei derived from in vivo (65.0%) than in those from in vitro (50.5% ; p<0.01), but the developmental rates to morulae and blastocysts were not significantly different between them(13.7 vs 10.9%, respectively).