• Toxicological Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 1993

LBD-007, a newly developed recombinant human interferon alphaA, was at dose levels of 0, 3$\times$$10^6$, 6$\times$ $10^6$ and 12$\times$1$10^6$ IU/kg/day administered subcutaneously to Sprague-Dawley male rats from premating to mating period and to females from premating to early gestation period. Effects of test agent on reproductive performance of both sexes and embryonic development were examined. 1. No treatment-relared changes in food consumption, body weight and necropsy findings were observed in parent animals.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.213-222
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• 2023

Cryopreservation is an option for the preservation of pre- or post-pubertal female or male fertility. This technique not only is beneficial for human clinical applications, but also plays a crucial role in the breeding of livestock and endangered species. Unfortunately, frozen germ cells, including oocytes, sperm, embryos, and spermatogonial stem cells, are subject to cryoinjury. As a result, various cryoprotective agents and freezing techniques have been developed to mitigate this damage. Despite extensive research aimed at reducing apoptotic cell death during freezing, a low survival rate and impaired cell function are still observed after freeze-thawing. In recent decades, several cell death pathways other than apoptosis have been identified. However, the relationship between these pathways and cryoinjury is not yet fully understood, although necroptosis and autophagy appear to be linked to cryoinjury. Therefore, gaining a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cryoinjury could aid in the development of new strategies to enhance the effectiveness of the freezing of reproductive tissues. In this review, we focus on the pathways through which cryoinjury leads to cell death and propose novel approaches to enhance freezing efficacy based on signaling molecules.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.117-125
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• 2015

Iron is required for cell viability but is toxic in excess. While the iron-mediated malfunction of testicular cells is well appreciated, the underlying mechanism(s) of this effect and its relationship with fertility are poorly understood. Ferritin is a ubiquitous intracellular protein that controls iron storage, ferroxidase activity, immune response, and stress response in cells. Ferritin light chain protein (FTL) is the light subunit of the Ferritin. Previously, we had identified the FTL in bovine spermatozoa following capacitation. In present study, to investigate the role of Ferritin in sperm function, mice spermatozoa were incubated with multiple doses (1, 10 and $100{\mu}M$) of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), an iron donor. SNP was increased Ferritin levels in a dose-dependent manner. The Ferritin was detected on the acrosome in spermatozoa by immunocytochemistry. Short-term exposure of spermatozoa to SNP increased tyrosine phosphorylation and the acrosome reaction (AR). Finally, SNP affected a significant decrease in the rate of fertilization as well as blastocyst formation during early embryonic development. On the basis of these results, we propose that the effects of Ferritin on the AR may reduce overall sperm function leads to poor fertility in males and compromised embryonic development.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.157-163
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• 2012

The male reproduction is precisely controlled by a number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. These factors usually involve in expressional regulation of various molecules influencing on sperm production in the testis. A number of ways are employed to control the transcription of specific genes, including epigenetic modifications of DNA and histone molecules. DNA methylation of CpG dinucleotides is a commonly used regulatory mechanism for testicular genes associated with the fertility. Previous studies have demonstrated the infertility induced by improper DNA methylation of these genes. In the present research, we attempted to determine transcriptional expression of some of these genes in the rat testis at different postnatal ages using real-time PCR analysis. These genes include neurotrophin 3 (Ntf3), insulin-like growth factor II (Igf2), JmjC-domain-containing histone demethylase 2A 1 (Jhm2da), paired box 8 transcription factor (Pax8), small nuclear ribonucleoprotein polypeptide N (Snrpn), and 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (Mthfr). The expression levels of Ntf3, Igf2, and Snrpn genes were the highest at the neonatal age, followed by transient decreases at the prepubertal age. Expression of Jhm2da and Mthfr genes were continuously increased from the neonate to 1 year of age. The levels of Pax8 mRNA at the early ages were higher than those at the later ages of postnatal development. These findings suggest that expression of some fertility-associated testicular genes in the rat during postnatal period could be differentially regulated by the control of the degree of DNA methylation.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.550-558
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• 2015

To analyze the linkage relationships among molecular markers recently reported to be linked to onion (Allium cepa L.) Ms, a restorer-of-fertility locus, in onion (Allium cepa L.), three single nucleotide polymorphism markers were converted into cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) markers based on onion transcriptome sequences and the rice genome database. Analysis of the recombinants selected from 4,273 segregating plants using CAPS and other linked markers demonstrated the jnurf13 and jnurf610 markers to perfectly co-segregate with the Ms locus. In contrast to jnurf13, the jnurf610 marker was not in perfect linkage disequilibrium with the Ms locus in diverse breeding lines. Thus, the jnurf13 marker and the marker for identification of cytoplasm types were utilized to enhance the efficiency of onion breeding through four applications. First, 89 maintainer lines containing the normal cytoplasm and homozygous recessive Ms genotypes were successfully identified from 100 breeding lines. Second, these two molecular markers were used to analyze the main sources of male-fertile contaminants frequently found in the male-sterile parental lines during F1 hybrid seed production. The majority of the contaminants contained heterozygous Ms genotypes, indicating that pollen grains harboring the dominant Ms genotype may have been introduced during propagation of the maintainer lines. Therefore, the genetic purity of the two maintainer lines was analyzed in the third application, and the results showed that both maintainer lines contained 13-21% off-types. Finally, the two markers were used to increase the seed yield potentials of two open-pollinated varieties containing sterile cytoplasms by removing the plants harboring homozygous recessive and heterozygous Ms genotypes.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2024

Ras-related (Rab) proteins, integral members of the monomeric G-protein family, play a pivotal role in regulating intracellular vesicular transport. These proteins contribute to male reproductive processes, specifically in acrosome formation, exocytosis, and sperm motility. Although a prior study indicated a correlation between Rab3A and sperm motility, including motion kinematic parameters such as mean dance, this association has only been explored within a limited sample size. Therefore, further verification is required to confirm the correlation between Rab3A and sperm motility parameters. In the present study, Rab3A expression, sperm motility, and motion kinematic parameters were analyzed in 150 boar spermatozoa. Additionally, correlations between Rab3A expression and sperm kinematic characteristics were evaluated statistically. The results revealed significant associations between Rab3A protein expression levels and various motion kinematic parameters. Specifically, Rab3A levels exhibited positive correlations with average path velocity (p<0.05), mean amplitude of lateral head displacement (p<0.05), and curvilinear velocity (p<0.01). Consequently, it is proposed that Rab3A protein plays a crucial role in male fertility through its correlation with sperm kinematic characteristics, making it a potential marker for sperm motility-related assessments.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.108-114
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• 2014

Male factors account for 20%-50% of cases of infertility and in 25% of cases, the etiology of male infertility is unknown. Effective treatments are well-established for hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, male accessory gland infection, retrograde ejaculation, and positive antisperm antibody. However, the appropriate treatment for idiopathic male infertility is unclear. Empirical medical treatment (EMT) has been used in men with idiopathic infertility and can be divided into two categories based on the mode of action: hormonal treatment and antioxidant supplementation. Hormonal medications consist of gonadotropins, androgens, estrogen receptor blockers, and aromatase inhibitors. Antioxidants such as vitamins, zinc, and carnitines have also been widely used to reduce oxidative stress-induced spermatozoa damage. Although scientifically acceptable evidence of EMT is limited because of the lack of large, randomized, controlled studies, recent systematic reviews with meta-analyses have shown that the administration of gonadotropins, anti-estrogens, and oral antioxidants results in a significant increase in the live birth rate compared with control treatments. Therefore, all physicians who treat infertility should bear in mind that EMT can improve semen parameters and subsequent fertility potential through natural intercourse.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.49-57
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• 1980

A $F_1$ hybrid out of 143 crosses of rape (Brassica napus) using cytoplasmic-genetic male sterility yielded 5.18 tons per hectare. European and native varieties used, were found out to have 78% and 58% of genes restoring fertility, respectively. The $F_1$ hybrids of three way cross using non-isogenic maintainer showed higher heteroses than those of double cross. To produce F 1 hybrids of three way cross, three stages of crossing operations are needed and seeds produced from about 60 hectares can be covered to 60, 000 hectares.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.622-637
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• 2017

Fatty acids such as n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are critical nutrients, used to improve male reproductive performance through modification of fatty acid profile and maintenance of sperm membrane integrity, especially under cold shock or cryopreservation condition. Also, PUFA provide the precursors for prostaglandin synthesis and can modulate the expression patterns of many key enzymes involved in both prostaglandin and steroid metabolism. Many studies carried out on diets supplemented with PUFA have demonstrated their capability to sustain sperm motility, viability and fertility during chilling and freezing as well as improving testis development and spermatogenesis in a variety of livestock species. In addition to the type and quantity of dietary fatty acids, ways of addition of PUFA to diet or semen extender is very crucial as it has different effects on semen quality in male ruminants. Limitation of PUFA added to ruminant ration is due to biohydrogenation by rumen microorganisms, which causes conversion of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids, leading to loss of PUFA quantity. Thus, many strategies for protecting PUFA from biohydrogenation in rumen have been developed over the years. This paper reviews four aspects of PUFA in light of previous research including rumen metabolism, biological roles, influence on reproduction, and strategies to use in male ruminants.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.93-100
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• 2022

This study is a descriptive survey study that applies the planned behavior theory to identify the factors influencing the childbirth intention of unmarried men and women. Data were collected from April 05 to April 23, 2021 for 168 unmarried men and women. As a result of the study, in general characteristics, male, old, highly educated, occupational, and non-regular workers had statistically significantly higher childbirth intentions. As a result of examining the correlation between the variables constituting the theory of planned behavior(TPB), it was found that the more positive the attitude toward childbirth, the greater the subjective norm, and the greater the perceived behavior control, the higher the intention to give birth. Multiple regression analyses showed that the factors affecting fertility intention on men and women. The factors affecting fertility intention in men was attitude, with an explanatory power of 62.2% and the factors affecting fertility intention in women were attitudes and perceived behavioral control, and the explanatory power of these variables on fertility intention was 69.0%. In order to increase the intention to give birth, a comprehensive approach is needed, and the research is meaningful in that the results of this study provided basic data in the development of policies and education programs related to low birth rates in the future.