• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.49-53
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• 2007

Astaxanthin is a kind of carotenoid compounds, having a antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The antioxidative mechanism by which carotenoid scavenge free radicals has been clearly elucidated, but has not tried for the development of mammalian preimplantation embryo. This study was conducted to investigate the antioxidative effect of astaxanthin on in vitro development of porcine in vitro fertilized embryos. Porcine embryos derrived from in vitro fertilization (IVF) were cultured in 5% $CO_{2} in air at $38.5^{\circ}C$ in PZM-3 medium supplemented with different dosages of astaxanthin ($0,\;1,\;5\;and\;10{\mu}M$) and taurine (0, 1, 2.5 and 5 mM) as a positive control, and execute to compare the effects of various antioxidants such as taurine, melatonin and asculatin on in vitro development. The proportions of embryos developed to the blastocyst stage were increased when $1\;and\;5\;{\mu}M$ of astaxanthin (26.6 and 23.4%, respectively) and 1 and 2.5 mM taurine (25.8 and 26.4%, Respectively) were supplemented, compared to controls (p<0.05). Also, various antioxidant-treated groups were significantly higher rates of blastocysts (astaxanthin, 27.4%; taurine, 29.1%; melatonin, 26.8%; aesculetin, 27.9%, respectively) than control (18.8%). There was no difference in mean cell number of blastocysts between antioxidants and control. This result indicates that astaxanthin has an antioxidant feature when porcine IVF embryos were cultured in vitro.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.207-219
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• 2014

Three-dimensional (3D) culture system is useful technique for study of in vivo environment and it was used various experiments. This study was investigated to establish of embryo co-culture system and changes of PAs activity in 3D cultured endometrial cells of pigs. In results, growth of stromal cells into gel matrix were detected only with endometrial and myometrial cells. The most rapid growth of stromal cells were confirmed in $2.5{\times}10^5cells/ml$ and gel matrix containing 15% FBS. Expression of urokinase-PA (uPA) after treatment of hCG (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 IU/ml) were higher than without hCG, but, there are not significant difference among the treatment. On the other hand, expression of uPA after treatment of $IL-1{\beta}$ (0.1, 1, 10 and 100 ng/ml) were higher than without $IL-1{\beta}$, but, there are not significant difference. Expression of uPA after treatment of estrogen (0.2, 2, 20 and 200 ng/ml) were not difference, but PA activity was significantly decreased (p<0.05). Blastocyst was producing in PZM-3 medium containing FBS and endometrial cells were grown in PZM-3 medium. When embryos development with cultured endometrial cells, cleavage rates were not significant difference and blastocyst were not produced in co-culture with stromal cells and 3D culture system. 3D culture system had similar activity to in vivo tissue and these features are very useful for study of in vivo physiology. Nevertheless 3D culture system was not proper in embryo co-culture system. Therefore, we suggest that 3D culture system with embryo co-culture need continuous research.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.319-327
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• 2011

This study investigated whether the addition of porcine sperm cytosolic factor (SCF) at fusion/activation affects in vitro development of porcine parthenogenetic(PA) and nuclear transfer (NT) embryos. To determine the optimum concentration of SCF, control group of oocytes was activated with 0.3M mannitol (1.0 mM $CaCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$), other three groups of oocytes were parthenogentically activated with the fusion medium (0.1mM $CaCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$) supplemented with 100, 200 or 300 ${\mu}$g/ml SCF, respectively. Matured oocytes were activated with two electric pulses (DC) of 1.2 kv/cm for 30 ${\mu}$sec. The activated embryos were cultured in PZM-3 under 5% $CO_2$ in air at $38.5^{\circ}C$ for 6 days. Oocytes activated in the presence of SCF showed a significantly higher blastocyst rate than control (p<0.05). Apoptosis rate was significantly lower in 100 ${\mu}$g/ml SCF group than other groups (p<0.05). Cdc2 kinase activity in control and SCF treatment group of oocytes was determined using MESACUP cdc2 kinase assay kit at 1, 5, 10, 15, 30, 45 and 60 min after activation. Cdc2 kinase activity was significantly decreased (p<0.05) in SCF group than MII oocytes or control within 5 min. For NT embryo production, reconstructed oocytes were fused in the fusion medium supplemented with 0.1 mM $CaCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$ (T1), 1.0 mM $CaCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$ (T2) and 0.1 mM $CaCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$ with 100 ${\mu}$g/ml SCF (T3). Fused embryos were cultured in PZM-3 under 5% $CO_2$ in air at $38.5^{\circ}C$ for 6 days. Developmental rate to blastocyst stage was significantly higher in T3 than other groups (23.0% vs. 13.5 to 15.2%) (p<0.05). Apoptosis rate was significantly lower in T3 than T1 or T2 (p<0.05). The relative abundance of Bax-${\alpha}$/Bcl-xl was significantly lower in in vivo or SCF group than that of control (p<0.05). Moreover, the expression of p53 and caspase3 mRNA was significantly lower in in vivo or SCF group than that of control (p<0.05). These results indicate that the addition of SCF at fusion/activation might improve in vitro development of porcine NT embryos through regulating cdc2 kinase level and expression of apoptosis related genes.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제20권10호
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• pp.1510-1516
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• 2007

These experiments were carried out to optimize the parameters of electrical activation, methods of parthenogenetic activation and embryo culture in vitro and meanwhile to isolate embryonic stem cells-like (ESCs) derived from porcine parthenogenetic blastocysts (pPBs). These results showed that, as the electric field strength increased from 1.0 to 2.7 kV/cm, the cleavage rate of parthenogenetic embryos increased gradually but the rate of oocyte lysis was significantly increased when using 2.7 kV/cm field strength. The rate of cleavage in 2.2 and 2.7 kV/cm groups was significantly increased in comparison with that of the 1.0 kV/cm group. A voltage field strength of 2.2 kV/cm DC was used to investigate blastocyst development following activation with a single pulse of 30 or $60-{\mu}sec$ pulse duration. The optimum pulse duration was 30-${\mu}sec$, with a blastocyst rate of 20.7%. Multiple pulses were inferior to a single pulse for blastocyst yield (8.0% vs. 29.9) (p<0.05). For porcine oocyte parthenogenetic activation methods, the rates of cleavage (79.0% vs. 59.8%) and blastocysts (19.4% vs. 3.4%) were significantly increased in electrical activation in contrast to chemical activation with ionomycin/6-DMAP (p<0.05). Rates of cleavage and blastocyst formation in NCSU-23 and PZM-3 embryo media were higher than those of G1.3/G2.3 serial culture media, but there was no significant difference among the three groups. The total cell number of blastocysts in PZM-3 embryo culture media containing $5{\mu}g/ml$ insulin was significantly higher than that of the control (no insulin) ($44.3{\pm}9.1$ vs. $33.9{\pm}11.7$). For isolation of PESCs-like, the rates of porcine blastocysts attached to feeder layers and ICM colony formation in Method B (nude embryo culture) were better than those in Method A (intact embryo culture).

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.121-128
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• 2006

본 연구는 고품질의 돼지 체외 수정란을 생산하기 위하여 체외 성숙 배지에 첨가하는 polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP)의 분자량, 첨가 농도 및 시간(실험 1)과 체외 성숙 수정 배양 단계에서 PVP의 첨가(실험 2)가 배 발생과 세포수에 미치는 효과를 검토하였다. 돼지 미성숙 난자의 체외 성숙은 NCSU 23 용액, 체외 수정은 mTBM 용액, 체외 배양은 PZM 3 용액을 이용하였다. 체외 성숙용 배지에서 PVP의 분자량, 농도 및 첨가 시간에 따른 수정율과 배반포 발달율은 차이가 없었다. 그러나 배반포의 부화율은 분자량 40,000(30.1%), 0.5%(28.6%) 및 $0{\sim}44$시간(37.5%) 첨가군이 다른 시험군에 비하여 유의하게 높았다(p<0.05). 분자량 40,000 0.5% PVP를 체외성숙, 수정 및 배양 배지에 각각 첨가(W) 또는 미첨가(W/O)한 결과, 수정율은 체외성숙 수정 배양에서 W-W/O-W 군이 69.3%, 배반포 발달율과 부화율은 W-W/O-W 및 W-W/O-W/O 군이 각각 12.6과 30.0% 및 14.0과 37.5%로서 다른 군에 비하여 유의하게 높았다(p<0.05). 총 세포 수와 Trophoblast 수는 처리군 간에 유사한 경향이었으나, Inner cell mass 수는 W/O-W/O-W 군이 평균 7.4개로서 가장 높았다 (p<0.05).

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.155-160
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• 2007

본 연구는 돼지 체외수정란 생산효율을 향상시켜 돼지의 품종개량, 형질전환 돼지생산 등과 멸실위험에 처해 있는 유전자원의 보존을 위한 기술로 활용하기 위해 미성숙 난포란의 적정 체외성숙 시간을 알아보고, 배양액의 종류 및 체외 배양시의 산소 농도에 따른 체외수정란의 생산 효율을 확인한 결과는 다음과 같다. 1. 돼지 미성숙 난포란의 체외성숙 시간별 제2감수분열중기(M II)까지 성숙된 비율이 체외성숙 38, 40, 42시간째에 각각 61.1%, 42.9% 및 69.6%를 나타내어 그 비율이 70% 미만으로 낮은 반면, 체외성숙 44, 46, 48시간째에 각각 73.7%, 94.1% 및 100%의 체외성숙률을 나타내어 최소한 44시간 이상의 체외성숙이 필요한 것으로 조사되었다. 2. 체외배양액의 종류에 따른 배반포 발달률이 NCSU-23 18.8%, PZM-5 16.3%를 나타내어 유의적인 차이를 보이지 않았으며(p>0.05), 산소분압에 따른 배반포 발달률이 5% 산소분압에서 11.9%, 20%의 산소분압에서 15.8%를 나타내어 두 군간의 유의한 차이는 보이지 않았다(p>0.05). 3. 체외배양 7일째 발달된 배반포 수정란의 총세포수는 40개 내 외를 나타내었다. 이상의 결과, 돼지 미성숙 난포란의 체외성숙 시간은 44시간 정도가 적정한 것으로 확인되었으며, 서로 다른 배양액과 산소농도가 돼지 체외수정란의 배발달에 있어서 유의적인 차이를 나타내지는 못하였다.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.199-205
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• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate the effective genetic resources preservation system using the frozen boar semen. The porcine oocytes were matured for 44 hours in NCSU-23 medium with or without 10% Porcine Follicle Fluid (PFF), 0.5 ${\mu}g/ml$ porcine FSH, 0.5 ${\mu}g/ml$ equine LH, 1.0 ${\mu}g/ml$ 17 $\beta$-estradiol ($E_2$) and 10 ng/ml Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) under mineral oil at $38.5^{\circ}C$ in humidified atmosphere of 5% $CO_2$ in air. After 44 h of culture, the oocytes were inseminated with frozen-thawed semen and fresh semen prepared with mTBM medium for 6 h. Later, set of 50 presumptive zygotes were transferred into 4-well dish (500 ${\mu}l$) of IVC medium. for embryos freezing, slow-freezing and vitrification methods were used as a cryopreservation. Differences among treatments were analyzed using General Linear Model Procedure by SAS Package (version 6.12) differences were considered significant when p<0.05. Following IVF and IVC, the rates of cleavage and blastocysts formation were significantly higher (p<0.05) in hormone supplemented group than that of hormone-free group (25.7 vs, 12.1). The development rates to cleavage and blastocysts were significantly higher in PZM-5 group than NCSU-23 group (60.3%, 46.6% vs 27.4%, 11.1%). Further improvement was achieved when PZM-5 was supplemented with FBS. Cleavage rates was significantly higher in fresh semen source group than frozen semen (66.7% vs 43.7%). However in blastocysts rates was similar two groups. Post-thaw survival rates of embryos were 1.2% and 2.2% in slow-frezing and vitrification groups, respectively. The results of our study suggest that it is still possible to improve the culture conditions and boar semen cryopreservation for enhance reproductive technology and animal genetic resources conservation.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.283-287
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• 2015

The aim of the present study was to investigate the ovulation rate and its relationship to fertilization ability in Landrace, Durock and Crossbred pigs. Gilts were natural mated at a body weight of at least 120 kg under the same hormone treatment. Embryos were surgically collected 1 day after natural mating (Day 0). Embryos derived from in vivo-fertilized oocytes were cultured in medium PZM-3. The ovaries were examined and the pathological findings were recorded. The number of corpus hemorrhagicum was counted, and was assumed to equal the ovulation rate. There was no difference in the number of corpus hemorrhagicum (20.4, 28.8 and 23.2) and ovulation (13.5, 26.8 and 17.2) in the Landrace, Durock and Crossbred pigs. The two pronucleus formation was 76.0, 80.0 and 86.9%. The Day-7 embryos had blastocyst rates of 68.0, 75.0 and 73.9%. There was no difference in the number of total cells and apoptotic cells. In the future, more studies require determining relationships between ovulation and fertilization rate in different species of pigs.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.157-162
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• 2009

This study was performed to comprehend the developmental characteristics of cloned embryos knocked out (KO) of $\alpha$-1,3-galactosyltransferase (GalT) gene. Immature oocytes were collected and cultured for 40 hrs (1-step) or 20hrs (with hormone) + 20hrs (without hormone) (2-step). The embryos transferred with miniature pig ear fibroblast cell were used as control. The reconstructed embryos were cultured in PZM-3 with 5% $CO_2$ in air at $38.5^{\circ}C$ for 6 days. To determine the quality of the blstocysts, TUNEL and quantitative realtime RT-PCR were performed. The embryos were transferred to a surrogate (Landrace) at an earlier stage of the estrus cycle. The maturation rate was significantly higher in 2-step method than that of 1-step (p<0.05). The blastocyst development of GalT KO embryos was significantly lower than that of normal cloned embryos (p<0.05). The total and apoptotic cell number of GalT KO blastocysts was not different statistically from control. The relative abundance of Bax-$\alpha$/Bcl-xl ratio was significantly higher in both cloned blastocysts than that of in vivo blastocysts (p<0.05). Taken together, it can be postulated that the lower developmental potential and higher expression of apoptosis related genes in GalT KO SCNT embryos might be a cause of a low efficiency of GalT KO cloned miniature pig production.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.273-278
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• 2007

This study was conducted to examine the protein kinase inhibitors, 6-dimethylaminopurine (DMAP) and cycloheximide (CHXM) on the development and chromosome constitution of porcine parthenogenetic embryos. In vitro matured oocytes were activated by electric stimuli (ES) or a combination of ES with culture in 2 mM DMAP or $10{\mu}g/ml$ CHXM for 4 hr. Activated oocytes were cultured in PZM-3 for 6 days. Some 1-cell embryos and blastocysts were fixed by air dry method to analyze the chromosome constitutions and/or total cell number. Blastocyst development of DMAP-treated group (26.7%) was significantly higher (p<0.05) than those of CHXM-treated and ES control groups. Ploidy in 1-cell stage embryos was not different among groups (77.3 to 81.0%), however, proportion of diploid chromosome constitutions was high in DMAP-treated group (61.9%, p<0.05). In the blastocyst stage, proportion of diploid chromosome plates was significantly high in DMAP-treated group (64.2%, p<0.05), and proportion of abnormal chromosome plates was higher in CHXM-treated group (36.6%, p<0.05) than DMAP-treated group (28.3%,). Proportion of embryos with abnormal chromosome constitutions was slightly increased by DMAP (40.0%) and CHXM (42.1%) treatment due to the increasing of mixoploid (47.4 and 52.0%). The present study shows that the DMAP treatment increase the development of porcine parthenotes. However, parthenogenetic activation by ES or combined treatment with ES and DMAP or CHXM detrimentally affects the chromosome constitutions of porcine parthenotes during early embryonic development, leads to increased abnormal ploidy in the blastocyst stage.