• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.101-112
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• 1986

It is now common practice to attempt ovarian hyperstimulation in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) to promote the development of multiple preovulatory follicles and to maximize the number of mature egg available. There are several drugs for hyperstimulation such as clomiphene citrate only, clomiphene citrate and human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) and HMG only. Accumlated experience has shown that the hyperstimulation of the ovary in IVF-ET results in high pregnancy rate. But the hyperstimulation of the ovary in IVF-ET may cause the hyperandrogenism, so we must consider the adverse effect on pregnancy rate of the hyperandrogenism. Little is known about the functional significance of androgen for the follicular growth, however, the hyperandrogenism might interfere with oocyte maturation. The aim of the present investigation was to determine the serum profiles of estradiol, androstenedione and testosterone during the hyperstimulated menstrual cycles in IVF. The results were summarized as follows: 1. There was a gradual increase in the mean levels of serum estradiol, androstenedione, and testosterone approaching follicular maturation. 2. The mean serum estradiol levels in the hyperstimulated groups were significantly higher than that in the control group in late follicular phase and ovum retrieval (ovulation) day (p<0.01). 3. The mean serum androstenedione levels in the clomiphene citrate groups were significantly higher than that in the control group in late follicular phase (p<0.01). There was no statistically significant different in the mean serum androstenedione levels between the control group and the HMG group (p>0.05). 4. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean levels of testosterone among each group (p>0.05). 5. There was no statistically significant different in the mean levels of estradiol, androstenedione and testosterone between the fertilized patients and non-fertilized patients in clomiphene citrate and HMG group (p>0.05).

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.299-307
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• 2003

Objectives: The present study was conducted to evaluate the mobile transposon-like element, clone MTi7 (MTi7) expression in the mouse ovary and to determine its role(s) in the mouse oocytes by RNA interference (RNAi). Methods: MTi7 mRNA expression was localized by in situ hybridization in day5 and adult ovaries. Double stranded RNA (dsRNA) was prepared for c-mos, a gene with known function as control, and the MTi7. Each dsRNA was microinjected into the germinal vesicle (GV) stage oocytes then oocyte maturation and intracellular changes were evaluated. Results: In situ hybridization analysis revealed that MTi7 mRNA localized to the oocyte cytoplasm from primordial to preovulatory follicles. After dsRNA injection, we found 43-54% GV arrest of microinjected GV oocytes with 68%-90% decrease in targeted c-mos or MTi7 mRNA. Conclusions: This is the first report of the oocyte-specific expression of the MTi7 mRNA. From results of RNAi for MTi7, we concluded that the MTi7 is involved in the germinal vesicle breakdown in GV oocytes, and MTi7 may be implicated with c-mos for its function. We report here that RNAi provides an outstanding approach to study the function of a gene with unknown functions.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 1986

Follicular flxid (FF) and their matched oocytes were obtained from 58 follicles of 27 women who underwent an in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure with ovarian hyperstimulation by clomiphene citrate(n=8), hMG(n=9),FSH/hMG(n=10). Follicular aspiration was performed 36 hours after human chorionic gonadotropin administration. The concentcation of androstendione (ADD), testosterone (T) was correlated with hyperstimulation regimens, the morphology of the oocyte-corona-cumulus complex (OCCC), oocyte fertilization, and the incidence of pregnancy after embryo transfer. The results were as follows. 1. According to hyperstimulation regimens, there was no significant differance in FF ADD and T concentrations of the similar morphology of OCCC. 2. In clomiphene-treated and FSH/hMG-treated cycles, FF ADD concentrations of preovulatory oocytes were 43.09${\pm}$9.53 ng/ml and 59.46${\pm}$9.09 ng/ml, those of immature occytes were 96.98${\pm}$16.55 ng/ml and 116.13${\pm}$36.81 ng/ml, those of atretic oocytes were 246.5 ${\pm}$9.25 ng/ml and 634.25${\pm}$9.25 ng/ml respectively, reflecting the significant relationship between FF ADD level and morphologic maturity of OCCC (p<0.05). But in hMG-treated cycles, such relationship was not found (p>0.1). In clomiphene-treated and FSH/hMG-treated cycles, FF T concentrations of preovulatory oocytes were 11.37${\pm}$2.38 ng/ml and 11.68${\pm}$1.73 ng/ml respectively which were significantly lower than those of atretic oocytes (25.1${\pm}$7.50 ng/ml and 23.25${\pm}$0.95 ng/ml respectively) (p<0.05). But in all cycles, FF T concentrations of immature oocytes were not significantly different from those of preovulatory oocytes, artetic oocytes (p>0.1). 3. In hMG-treated and FSH/hMG-treated cycles, FF ADD concentrations of fertilized oocytes were 32.43${\pm}$4.09 ng/ml and 42.61${\pm}$4.82 ng/ml respectively which were significantly lower than those of non-fertilized oocytes (72.18${\pm}$17.31 ng/ml and 108.09${\pm}$17.32 ng/ml respectively) (p<0.05), but in clomiphene-treated cycles there was no significant difference (p>0.1). In FSH/hMG-treated cycles, FF T concentration of fertilized oocytes was 7.33${\pm}$1.06 ng/ml which was significantly lower than that of non-fertilized oocytes (20.3${\pm}$6.21 ng/ml) (p>0.02), but in clomiphne-treated and hMG-treated cycles there was no significant difference (p>0.1). 4. In all cycles FF ADD and T concentrations did not correlated with the success of pregnancy after embryo transfer. Above results suggested that FF ADD and T may play an important role in oocyte maturation and fertilization, but their relationship with the success of psegnancy was not found.