• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.133-138
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• 2016

Objective: To determine the incidence of embryo retention (ER) in the transfer catheter following embryo transfer (ET) in blastocyst transfer and investigate whether retransferring retained embryos has an impact on reproductive outcomes in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization-ET. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 1,131 blastocyst transfers, which comprised 223 single blastocyst transfer (SBT) and 908 double blastocyst transfer (DBT) cycles. Each SBT and DBT group was classified depending on whether ET was performed without retained embryos in the catheter during the first attempt (without-ER group) or whether any retained embryos were found following ET (ER group) for the purpose of comparing reproductive outcomes in a homogenous population. Results: The overall incidence of finding retained embryos was 2.8% (32/1,131). There were no retained embryos in SBT cycles. In DBT cycles, implantation rates (30.0% vs. 26.6%), positive ${\beta}-hCG$ rates (57.2% vs. 56.2%), clinical pregnancy rates (45.3% vs. 46.9%), and live birth rates (38.9% vs. 43.8%) were not significantly different between the without-ER and ER groups. There were no significant differences in the mean birth weight (g) $2,928.4{\pm}631.8$ vs. $2,948.7{\pm}497.8$ and the mean gestational age at birth ($269.3{\pm}17.2days$ vs. $264.2{\pm}25.7days$). A total of nine cases of congenital birth defects were found in this study population. Eight were observed in the without-ER group and one in the ER group. Conclusion: Our results suggest that retransfer of retained embryos does not have any adverse impact on reproductive outcomes in blastocyst transfer cycles. Furthermore, our results support finding that SBT might be advantageous for decreasing the incidence of retained embryos in catheters.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.57-64
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• 2003

Objective : We investigate the effects of multiple attempts of embryo transfer because of retained embryos in the catheter and of contaminated mucus on the transferred catheter. Materials and Methods: We respectively analysed data between November 1998 and August 2002 from 305 patients of 369 cycles who underwent IVF-ET. Of these patients, 47 patients of 50 cycles (Group 2) were required multiple trial of embryo transfer. They were compared with an age-matched control groups (Group 1) with female factor infertility. Pearson's $?^2$ and Fisher's tests were used to compare proportions between discrete variables. Noncategorical data were compared using t-test. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: Embryos were significantly more likely to be retained when catheter was contaminated with mucus (Group 1: 22.4%; Group 2: 44.0%). The clinical pregnancy rates, however, for the contaminated mucus or not, were 46.8%, 43.5% respectively. There was no significant difference clinical pregnancy rate between those who had all their embryos transferred at the first attempt (45.4%) and those who required more than one attempt (48.0%). Conclusions: Contaminated mucus in the catheter is associated with failed embryo transferred at the first attempt. Embryo transfers, however, that are repeated attempts do not adversely affect pregnancy rates following IVF-ET.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2000

The successful gene transfer and transient expression was demonstrated in olive flounder embryos using lipofected sperm. Olive flounder sperm interacted with foregn plasmid DNA encapsidated by positively charged liposome. The maximum plasmid copy number that associated with the sperm was 5 copies/sperm based on the examination of DNA blot assay. The foreign DNA was transferred into fertilized eggs without any adverse effect on fertilization and survival of embryos (P>0.05) and retained in embryos until at least 42 hours with successful expression. The maximal expression was detected in 18 hours after fertilization at 18$^{\cird}C$ and gradually decreased with development of embryo. Most of DNA transferred into embryos persisted extrachromosomally without significant sign of integration or replication.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.160-167
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• 2003

In order to investigate the effects of developmental stage of embryos and plant growth regulators on mass production of Zantedeschia spp. Southern Light, immature zygotic embryos of Zantedeschia spp. Southern Light were cultured on Murashige and Skoog(1962) basal media or containing 2,4-D, NAA and BA. Globular embryos did not grow on any of the 2,4-D, NAA and BA combinations. The most suitable stage of immature zygotic embryo culture on the induction callus and multiple shoot was at early cotyledonary embryo stage, and at this stage of embryos were germinated up to 87.5%. The whitish watery callus and yellowish compact nodular callus produced on all 2,4-D, NAA and BA media. The best combination for inducing embryogenic callus was 0.5 mgL NAA and 1.0 mg/L BA. Whitish watery calli have been subcultured for more than 8 months and have retained their producing ability, Plant regeneration was only obtained by direct shoot development and yellowish compact nodular calli. Abundant plantlets were regenerated from cotyledonary stage of embryo culture on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L NAA and 1.0 mg/L BA. Supplementation of the media with 10％ coconut water showed as the best concentration for plant differentiation from direct developed of shoots. The number of regenerated plants from one embryo could be seperated 25-35s plantlets. All yellowish compact callus-derived plantlets were transferred to pots containing a mixture of vermiculite, perlite and sand(1:1;1 v/v) and 100% of divided plantlets were phenotypically normal.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.42 no.11 s.282
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• pp.718-721
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• 2005

The high temperature tetragonal phase of zirconia containing $1.40{\~}1.60\;mol\%$ of yttria can be fully retained at room temperature by rapid cooling. The metastable tetragonal phase transforms into the monoclinic phase athermally upon subzero cooling. The transformation exhibited an athermal burst transformation. The effects of yttria content and grain size on the athermal martensitic transformation were studied in detail. The burst temperature linearly decreased with increasing yttria content or decreasing grain size. To consider the distribution of martensite nuclei, the Weibull modulus of the athermal martensitic transformation was evaluated from the distribution of the burst transformation temperature. From the Weibull analysis, the distribution of embryos appears to be more homogeneous than that of the defects responsible for the fracture of similar material.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.135-142
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• 2001

A novel sterategy has been established to determine the origin of the Primordial Germ Cells (PGCs) in avian embryos directly and the developmental fate of the PGCs for the application to Poultry biotechnology. Cells were removed from 1) the centre of area pellucida, 2) the outer of area pellucida and 3) the area opaca of the stage X blastoderm (Eyal-Giladi & Kochav, 1976). When the cells were removed from the centre of area pellucida, the mean number of circulating PGCs in blood was significantly decreased in the embryo at stage 15 (Hamburger & Hamilton, 1951) as compared to intact embryos. When the cells were replenished with donor cells, no reduction in the PGCs number was observed. The removal of cells at the outer of area pellucida or at the area opaca had no effect on the number of PGCs. In case, another set of the manipulated embryos were cultured ex vivo to the hatching and reared to the sexual maturity, the absence of germ cells and degeneration of seminiferous tubules was observed in resulting chickens derived from the blastoderm in which the cells were removed from the centre of the area pellucida. It was concluded that the avian Primordial Germ cells are originated at the center of area pellucida. Developmental ability of the cells to differentiate into somatic cells and germ cells in chimeras were analyzed. Somatic chimerism was detected as black feather attributed from donor cells. Molecular identification by use of female - specific DNA was performed. It was confirmed that the donor cells could be differentiated into chimeric body and erythrocytes. Donor cells retained the ability to differentiate into germline in chimeric gonads. More than 70% of the generated chimeras transmitted donor derived gametes to their offspring indicating that the cells at the center of area pellucida had the high ability to differentiate into germ cells. A molecular technique to identify germline chimerism has been developed by use of gene scan analysis. Strain specific DNA fragments were amplified by the method. It would be greatly contributed for the detection of germline chimerism. Mixed- sex chimeras which contained both male and female cells were produced to investigate the developmental fate of male and female cells in ovary and testes. The sex combinations of donor and recipient of the resulting chimeras were following 4 pairs; (1) chimeras (ZZ/ZZ) produced by a male donor (ZZ) and a male recipient (ZZ), (2) chimeras (ZW/ZW) produced by a female donor (ZW) and a female recipient (ZW), (3) chimeras (ZZ/ZW) Produce by a male donor (ZZ) and a female recipient (ZW), (4) chimeras (ZW/ZZ) produced by a female donor (ZW) and a male recipient (ZZ). It was found that genetically male avian germ cells could differentiate into functional ova and that genetically female germ cells can differentiate into functional spermatozoa in the gonad of the mixed- sex chimeras. An ability for introduction of exogenous DNA into the PGCs from stage X blastoderms were analyzed. Two reporter genes, SV-$\beta$gal and RSV-GFP, were introduced into the PGCs. Expression of bacterial/gal was improved by complexing DNA with liposome detectedcc in 75% of embryos at 3 days embryos. At the embryos incubated for 1 day, expression of the GFP was observed all the embryos. At day 3 of incubation, GFP was detected in about 70% of the manipulated embryos. In case of GFP, expression of the transgene was detected in 30 %e of the manipulated embryos. These results suggested that the cells is one of the most promising vectors for transgenesis. The established strategy should be very powerfull for application to poultry biotechnology.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1652-1656
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• 2004

The aim of this study was to obtain mature ova or embryos at a single cell stage, which can be used in avian transgenesis and nuclear transfer through multiple ovulations, in vitro fertilization and culture. Chicken anterior pituitary extract (CAPE) or acetone-dried chicken anterior pituitary extract (ACAPE) was used to induce multiple ovulations in hens pretreated with pregnant mare' serum gonadotrophin (PMSG). In vitro fertilization of the multiple ovulated ova was performed by inseminating sperm onto the germinal disks in m-Ringer' solution and incubating the ova at 41$^{\circ}C$, 5% $CO_2$ for 10 h in DME-F12 medium containing 20% liquid albumen. The in vitro fertilization process was observed using an environmental scanning electron microscope. When normal laying hens (white Leghorn) were administered daily with PMSG (100 IU), egg laying ceased in most hens within 3 to 8 days. Ovulation began to occur about 7.5 h after injection of CAPE and ACAPE. The number of ovulated ova was 1.00${\pm}$0.00, 2.33${\pm}$0.52 and 2.20${\pm}$0.45, respectively, after receiving 100, 200 and 300 mg CAPE. The number of ovulated ova was 2.00${\pm}$0.00, 2.86${\pm}$0.69 and 3.00${\pm}$1.22, respectively, after receiving 10, 15 and 20 mg ACAPE. The fertilized and cultured ova were able to develop into embryos up to the 32 cell stage. The present experiments demonstrated that multiple ovulations can be induced by CAPE and ACAPE successfully, and the ova resulted from the treatment retained the capability for further fertilization and embryonic development. These data provide new information to support the establishment of an in vitro culture system for future avian transgenesis studies.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Poultry Science Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.75-77
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• 2000

Retaining migratory activity is a prerequisite for the manipulation and use of PGCs. This study was conducted to examine whether migratory activity is retained in the primordial germ cells(PGCs) from gonads at the later embryonic developmental stage. In the present study, gonads were dissected from 5-, 6- and 10-day-old quail embryos and treated with trypsin-EDTA for the degradation of gonadal tissue. Gonadal PGCs (gPGCs) were purified by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation and labeled with PKH26 fluorescent dye. The PKH26-labeled gPGCs were microinjected into the blood vessels of recipient quail embryo. After further incubation of 3 days, the manipulated recipients were embedded in paraffin and sectioned. The gPGCs were detected by their fluorescence under the fluorescent microscopy and the confocal laser microscopy. As a result, 10-day-old quail gPGCs as well as 5-and 6-day-old gPGCs, could migrate to recipient embryonic gonads and settle down. These results suggest that the 10-day-old gPGCs have the properties of circulating PGCs at early stage. Therefore the PGCs from 10-day old embryonic gonads can be used for the tools of genetic manipulation.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.1787-1799
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• 2022

Objective: Choline deficiency, one main trigger for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is closely related to lipid metabolism disorder. Previous study in a choline-deficient model has largely focused on gene expression rather than gene structure, especially sparse are studies regarding to alternative splicing (AS). In modern life science research, primary hepatocytes culture technology facilitates such studies, which can accurately imitate liver activity in vitro and show unique superiority. Whereas limitations to traditional hepatocytes culture technology exist in terms of efficiency and operability. This study pursued an optimization culture method for duck primary hepatocytes to explore AS in choline-deficient model. Methods: We performed an optimization culture method for duck primary hepatocytes with multi-step digestion procedure from Pekin duck embryos. Subsequently a NAFLD model was constructed with choline-free medium. RNA-seq and further analysis by rMATS were performed to identify AS events alterations in choline-deficency duck primary hepatocytes. Results: The results showed E13 (embryonic day 13) to E15 is suitable to obtain hepatocytes, and the viability reached over 95% by trypan blue exclusion assay. Primary hepatocyte retained their biological function as well identified by Periodic Acid-Schiff staining method and Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity assay, respectively. Meanwhile, genes of alb and afp and specific protein of albumin were detected to verify cultured hepatocytes. Immunofluorescence was used to evaluate purity of hepatocytes, presenting up to 90%. On this base, choline-deficient model was constructed and displayed significantly increase of intracellular triglyceride and cholesterol as reported previously. Intriguingly, our data suggested that AS events in choline-deficient model were implicated in pivotal biological processes as an aberrant transcriptional regulator, of which 16 genes were involved in lipid metabolism and highly enriched in glycerophospholipid metabolism. Conclusion: An effective and rapid protocol for obtaining duck primary hepatocytes was established, by which our findings manifested choline deficiency could induce the accumulation of lipid and result in aberrant AS events in hepatocytes, providing a novel insight into various AS in the metabolism role of choline.