• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.299-307
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• 1995

The goal of cell stem cell technology is to produce a viable and genetically normal animal. To achieve this goal various laboratories have followed 2 different pathways beginning with either the culture of 1) single or pooled ICMs grown with or without a feeder layer or 2) single or pooled 16-20 cell stage embryos grown with a feeder layer. Also, thus far embryonic cell cultures or lines have been established by several methods including loose suspension culture for short-term cultures and more commonly murine or bovine fibroblast feeder layers for long-term culture. Pluripotent lines have been derived from 16-cell through blastocyst inner cell mass stages. The efficiency of establishing cell lines and cell proliferation apper to be affected by the number of cells or embryos starting the line. Most attempts to produce offspring from long term STO cell feeder layer cultured ICM or morulae derived ES cells have resulted in pregnancy failure in the first trimester when ES cells were used in cuclear transfer or have failed to retain ES cells in the progeny produced by chimerization. The exception is 1 chimeric fetus from use of morula ES cells in the chimerization with early embryonic cells. There is much to be learned yet about ES cell culture requirements for maintenance of totipotency. If bovine ES cell lines loose imprinting pattern and totipotency with long-term culture and passage as suggested for mouse ES cells, we may be limited to the use of short-term cultures for multiplication of embryos and efficient production of transgenic animals. No bovine ES cell system has yet met all of the criteria indicated for a totipotent ES cell line.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.167-173
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• 2008

Somatic cells such as oviduct epithelial cell, uterine epithelial cell, cumulus-granulosa cell and buffalo rat river cell has been used to establish an effective culture system for bovine embryos produced in in vitro. But nitric oxide (NO) metabolites secreted from somatic cells were largely arrested the development of bovine in vitro matured/ in vitro fertilized (IVM/IVF) embryos, suggesting that NO was induced the embryonic toxic substance into culture medium. The objective of this study was to investigate whether BOEC co-culture system can ameliorate the NO-mediated oxidative stress in the culture of bovine IVM/IVF embryos. Therefore, we evaluated the developmental rate of bovine IVM/IVF embryos under BOEC co-culture system in the presence or absence of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), as a NO donor, and also detected the expression of growth factor (TGF-$\beta$, EGF and IGFBP) and apoptosis (Caspase-3, Bax and Bcl-2) genes. The supplement of SNP over 5 uM was strongly inhibited blastocyst development of bovine IVM/IVF embryos than in control and 1 uM SNP group (Table 2). The developmental rates beyond morulae stages of bovine IVM/IVF embryos co-cultured with BOEC regardless of SNP supplement (40.4% in 5 uM SNP+ BOEC group and 65.1% in BOEC group) were significantly increased than those of control (35.0%) and SNP single treatment group (23.3%, p<0.05: Table 3). The transcripts of Bax and Caspase-3 genes were detected in all experiment groups (1:Isolated fresh cell (IFC), 2:Primary culture cell (PCC), 3:PCC after using the embryo culture, 4: PCC containing 5 uM SNP and 5: PCC containing 5 uM SNP after using the embryo culture), but Bcl-2 gene was not detected in IFC and PCC (Fig. 1). In the expression of growth factor genes, TGF-$\beta$ gene was found in all experimental groups, and EGF and IGFBP genes were not found in IFC and PCC (Fig. 2). These results indicate that BOEC co-culture system can increase the development beyond morula stages of bovine IVM/IVF embryos, possibly suggesting the alleviation of embryonic toxic substance like nitric oxide.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.99-108
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• 1998

The present study was performed to check the viability of eggs, filariform larvae and adults of Strongvloines venezueLensis exposed to various conditions for an in vitro maintenance. The eggs in the feces remained viable for about 25 days at $4^{\circ}C$ and 15 days at room temperature. However, the isolated eggs in sterile saline lost their viability within 24 hr at $4^{\circ}C$. The eggs in morula stage were very sensitive to air drying and rapidly lost their viability (=12 hrs. Filariform larvae survived for a maximum period of 45 days in fecal suspension and 28 days in 0.12% nutrient broth in polyvinyl culture bags maintained at $20^{\circ}C$. On the other hand, those isolated from nutrient broth cultures survived for a maximum period of 32 days in tap water and 22 days in sterile saline at $20^{\circ}C$. The mature adult worms obtained from experimentally infected rats survived maximally for 9 days in serum supplemented (10% rat-serum) 0.12% nutrient broth and 4 days in serum free nutrient broth at $37^{\circ}C$ while the culture media were changed at an alternate day. The adult female worms deposited fertile eggs in serum supplemented and serum free nutrient broth cultures, however, the hatched larvae (Ll) were not able to develop to the filariform stage in the culture media and found to die within 24 hr of maintenance. The present findings on an in vitro maintenance of different stages of 5. uenezueLetis may provide useful information for biological and biochemical studies with Strongyloines species. Key words: Strongvloides venezuelensis. viability in vitro maintenance, free-living filariform larvae (L3), embryonation of eggs

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.647-659
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• 1997

To overcome the difficulties of collecting and culture of primary cell from genital tract on embryonic development, the present study was carried out to investigate the critical effect of cell lines, such as BRL and Vero cell and its conditioned medium on the development of early Korean native cattle embryos in vitro. Oocytes collected from slaughterhouse ovaries were matured in TCM199 containing FSH, estradiol-$17{\beta}$ and FBS with granulosa cell monolayer for 24 hours and then fertilized in vitro using frozen-thawed, heparin-treated spermatozoa in TALP for 30 hours. And then early embryos (1-2cell) were cultured in TCM199 containing 10% FBS with BOEC, Granulosa, BRL, Vera cell monolayers and conditioned medium for 2~3 days. Development to morulae and blastocysts were recorded, also examined the number of blastomeres presented a valuable parameter for the evaluation of embryonic development. The early cleavage rates of in vitro fertilized embryos co-cultured, there was no differences between primary cell and cell lines(p<0.05). The rate of development to the later stage, coculture of BRL cell was significantly higher than that of the primary cell(p<0.05). The rates of development to morula and blastocyst were significantly higher in vero cell than BRL, Granulosa, Oviduct epithelial cell conditioned medium. In the result of effect of serum on development of early bovine embryos, the use of media containing serum were significantly higher than the use of not containing one on development of early and later stage of embryos. The result of number of blastomeres in blastocysts, there is no differences between primary cell and cell lines. The blastocysts from coculture were higher than from conditioned medium in blastomere cells. In summary, these experments have proved that the culture system in TCM199 with BRL, Vero cell monolayers is effective on in vitro development of early bovine embryos, In addition, it is effective to development of bovine embryos that containing serum in conditioned medium, or in co-culture rather than in conditioned medium alone. The use of cell lines opponent to primary cells is effective in bovine embryo culture.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1764-1768
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• 2009

This study was carried out to examine a concentration of steroid hormones and in vitro development of mouse embryos in culture supernatant of bovine granulosa cells (GC). To obtain the culture supernatant, granulosa cells were retrieved from mature follicles (6~15 mm diameter) and immature follicles (2~5 mm diameter) of bovine ovary and were cultured, respectively, in media of Ham's F-10 with 15% FCS for 16 days. Mature and immature granulosa cells formed their monolayers easily and showed similar growth patterns in culturing. There was no morphological difference between mature and immature granulosa cells. High levels of both progesterone and estradiol were detected in the culture supernatant of mature granulosa cells and immature granulsa cells, and the endocrine profiles of the two types of cells were similar. Progesterone secretion of granulosa cells was high in the late stage of culturing and estradiol secretion was high in the early stage of culturing. In vitro development rates of mouse embryos to morula, blastocyst and hatched blastocyst were significantly (p<0.05) higher in culture supernatant of mature granulosa cells (92.7%, 78.1% and 34.5%) and in culture supernatant of immature granulosa cells (96.4%, 78.5% and 26.8%) than in Ham's F-10 (86.7%, 41,7% and 13.3%). However, there was no difference between the culture supernatant of mature granulosa cells and the culture supernatant of immature granulosa cells in the development of embryos.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.233-242
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• 1993

The effects of in vitro maturation and sperm treatment condition on the in vitro fertilization (IVF) and developmental capacity of bovine oocytes were investigated and the development of embryos was compared under the 2 different co-culture system, with GC or BOEC. The cultured embryo to 16 cell or morula wre transferred into recipients or frozen by 2 different freezing method. The results obtained were summarized as follows; 1. In vitro maturation rates of vovine follicular oocytes cultrued in TCM199 with 10% FCS or ECS were 64.0% and 72.7%, but the case of addition of 10% FCS or ECS to TCM199 co-cultured with granulosa cells were 81.3% and 84.0%, respectively. IVM rate of three TCM199 added to granulosa cells was higher than that of media without granulosa cells. 2. When bovine follicular oocytes were matured in TCM199 with 10% FCS and GC and then fertilized in vitro by sperm treated with caffeine, embryo developments of bovine oocytes co-cultured with BOEC were 38.4% and 51.4%, respectively. But those of bovine oocytes co-cultured with GC were 52.2% by sperm treated with caffeine-heparin. 3. Cleavage rates of bovine oocytes cultured with 10% FCS alone and fertilized in vitro by sperm treated with caffeine-heparin was 33.0%. 4. When bovine follicular oocytes were matured in TCM199 with 10% FCS and GC, embryo developments of bovine ooctyes co-cultured with BOEC of GC were 46.0% and 50.2%, respectively. 5. When bovine follicular oocytes were matured in TCM199 with 10% ECS and GC, embryo developments co-cultured with BOEC or GC were 45.2% and 51.4%, respectively. 6. When Korean Native cow's follicular oocytes matured in TCM199 with 10% FCS and GC, embryo developed co-cultured with BOEC or GC were 45.2% and 51.4%, respectively. 6. When Korean Native cow's follicular oocytes matured in TCM199 with 10% FCS and GC, embryo developments of the bovine oocyte co-cultured with BOEC and GC were 41.8% and 60.1%. But with FCS 10% those of the bovine oocytes co-cultured with BOEC and GC were 42.0% and 48.4%, respectively. 7. When Holstein's follicular oocytes were matured in TCM199 with 10% ECS and GC, embryo developments fo the bovine oocytes co-cultured with BOEC and GC were 50.0% and 57.7%, but with ECS 10% those of the bovine oocytes co-cultured with BOEC and GC were 52.2% and 56.5%, respectively. 8. The viability of frozen-thawed embryos ranged from 60~80% and those of frozen-thawed embryos from vitrification was lower than that from conventional metiod. 9. The selected fresh embryos were transferred nonsurgically to 7 recipients but did not result in pregnancy.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.131-138
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• 2001

This experiment was designed to evaluate effects of nonspecific immunostimulator(NIS) Barodon-FX(equation omitted), anionic alkali mineral complex and far-infrared radiation solution on in vivo-produced mouse and in vitro-produced bovine embryos to blastocyst development. Proportion of mouse embryos developing into blastocyst was not greater in BSA- and Barodon-added medium than in BSA-control, but there was signifcantly different(P ＜ 0.05) in hatching and hatched blastocyst development between 0.25% Barodon-and PVP-contained medium(54.7%) than PVP-control(32.5%). BOEC and GC resulted in higher proliferation rate(24∼40% and 17∼22%, respectively) in 0.25∼0.5% Barodon-added medium than in controls, but proliferation of GC and CC greatly decreased in 1∼2% Barodon-added medium. Effect of Barodon on cell proliferation greatly varied among somatic cells. Proportion of early bovine embryos developing into morula and blastocyst was significantly greater(P ＜ 0.05) in 0.5% Barodon-added medium(50% and 63.6%) than in control(31.6% and 27.4%) under co-culture with BOEC and GC, but developmental rate was not different between other Barodon treatments and control. These data indicate that effect of Barodon on cell proliferation significantly varied between somatic cells and that addition of 0.5% Barodon in BOEC-coculture system may further improve blastocyst development in early bovine embryos.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.193-198
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• 2007

The present study was examined the expression patterns of cdx2 gone, n lineage marker, in the mouse and bovine developmental stage embryos and whether one blastomere of two- and/or four-cell bovine embryos develop to specific lineage (ICM or TE) of blastocyst by injection of Texas red conjugated dextran as a lineage tracer. It was also investigated the allocation of ICM and n cells in bovine blastocysts derived from one blastomere of two-and/or four-cell stage embryos. Firstly, it was observed that expression of cdx2 appeared symmetric and asymmetric distribution at the two-cell stage mouse embryos. from four-cell to morula stage mouse embryos, the expression of cdx2 gene was observed in almost all blastomeres. In case of bovine embryos, localization of cdx2 was similar to pattern of mouse embryos. The Dextran-labeled blastomere of two- and/or four-cell embryos contributed to both ICM and TE cells in bovine blastocysts. And also, it was confirmed that a single blastomere derived from two-cell stage bovine embryos could develop to the normal blastocyst with both ICM and TE cells. These results show that two-and/or four-cell stage is not the specific stage to determine the cell rate for ICM and TE, and which is not correlated with the expression of cdx2 gene.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.127-131
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• 2010

The objective of this study was to determine the mRNA expression patterns of several putative imprinted genes in in vivo and in vitro fertilized, parthenogenetic, and cloned porcine preimplantation embryos. Both maternally (Dlk1, IGF2, Peg1/Mest and Ndn) and paternally (IGF2r, H19 and Xist) imprinted genes were selected. We have used reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to investigate gene expression patterns in the porcine embryos. IGF2 transcripts were detected in the most of embryos. In nuclear transfer (NT), Peg1/MEST transcripts showed fluctuating pattern. Dlk1 was only expressed partially from the morula and blastocyst stage of NT embryos. Ndn gene expression was started somewhat early for in vivo embryos. However, the expressions of maternally imprinted genes were similar in all types of blastocysts (NT, in vivo and in vitro fertilized, and parthenogenetic embryos). The IGF2R gene expression level was somewhat irregular and varied among samples. However, for the majority samples of all types of embryos, IGF2R expression was diminished after one- to two-cell stages and reappeared at the morulae or blastocyst stage embryos. H19 gene was only expressed early in parthenogenetic and in vivo embryos. For NT embryos, H19 was only expressed in blastocysts. Xist expression was detected in all blastocysts with the earliest being in vivo 8-cell stage embryos and the last one being NT blastocysts. These putative imprinted genes appeared to have stage specific expression patterns with a fluctuating pattern for some genes (Peg/Mest, IGF2r, H19). These results suggest that stage specific presence of imprinted genes can affect the embryo implantation and fetal development.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.103-110
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• 2010

The first morphogenetic event of preimplantation development, compaction, was required efficient production of porcine embryos in vitro. Compaction of the porcine embryo, which takes place at post 4-cell stage, is dependent upon the adhesion molecule E-cadherin. The E-cadherin through ${\beta}$-catenin contributes to stable cell-cell adhesion. Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) signaling was found to support the integrity of E-cadherin based cell contacts. In this study, we traced the effects of ROCK-1 on early embryonic development and structural integrity of blastocysts in pigs. Then, in order to gain new insights into the process of compaction, we also examined whether ROCK-1 signaling is involved in the regulation of the compaction mediated by E-cadherin of cellular adhesion molecules. As a result, real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that the expression of ROCK-1 mRNA was presented throughout porcine preimplantation stages, but not expressed as consistent levels. Thus, we investigated the blastocyst formation of porcine embryos treated with LPA and Y27632. Blastocysts formation and their qualities in LPA treated group increased significantly compared to those in the Y27632-treated group (p < 0.05). Then, to determine whether ROCK-1 associates embryonic compaction, we explored the effect of activator and/or inhibitor of ROCK-1 on compaction of embryos in pigs. The rate of compacted morula in LPA treated group was increased compared to that in the Y27632-treated group (39.7 vs 12.0%). Furthermore, we investigated the localization and expression pattern of E-cadherin at 4-cell stage porcine embryos in both LPA- and Y27632-treated groups by immunocytochemical analysis and Western blot analysis. The expression of E-cadherin was increased in LPA-treated group compared to that in the Y27632-treated group. The localization of E-cadherin in LPA-treated group was enriched in part of blastomere contacts compared to that Y27632-treated group. ROCK-1 as a crucial mediator of embryo compaction may plays an important role in regulating compaction through E-cadherin of the cell adhesion during the porcine preimplantation embryo. We concluded that ROCK-1 gene may affect the developmental potential of porcine blastocysts through regulating embryonic compaction.