• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.237-245
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• 2000

This study was carried out to elucidate whether sperm contain a factor inducing second polar body extrusion and to search for an effective collection method of the sperm factor Thus, sperm extract, dialyzed sperm-extract or liquid chromatographic fractions of sperm extract was microinjected into ovulated oocytes. And the microinjected oocytes were incubated for 24 hours to investigate about the extrusion of second polar body. The results obtained were as follows; 1. Sperm extract significantly increased the second polar body extrusion. 2. Sperm extract showed five major fractions at retention volumes (RVs) 1.25, 1.37, 1.84, 2.10 and 2.67ml after separation with Superose 12 column. These sperm extract fractions did not significantly increase the second polar body extrusion. 3. Dialyzed sperm-extract significantly increased the second polar body extrusion 4. Dialyzed sperm-extract showed three maior fractions at RVs 1.88, 2.14 and 2.77ml after separation with Superose 12 column. Of these fractions, the fraction RV2.14 significantly increased the second polar body extrusion. In conclusion, sperm extract contained a factor inducing the second polar body extrusion and the factor was contained largely in fraction RV2.14 after dialysis and liquid chromatographic fractionation of sperm extract.

• 한국가축번식학회지
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.369-375
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• 2002

A sperm factor(s) for oocyte activation during fertilization has not been clearly identified. In this study to elucidate an oocyte activation factor(s), mouse sperm were sonicated and ultra-filtered with a 30 kilo-daltons (KD) cutoff membrane and the ultra-filtrate was then sequentially fractionated over Suporose 12 column and Superdex column, The recovered fractions were micro-injected into Mⅱmouse oocytes and second polar body formation (PBF) was examined. Suporose fraction RV2.10 prepared from sperm extract significantly increased PBF. Of Superdex fractions re-separated from Suporose fraction RV2.10, fraction RV2.12 also had the strongest PBF activity. By analyzing with micro-reverse phase column (URPC), the Superdex fraction RV2.12 appeared to be glutamic acid. In microinjection test, glutamic acid significantly increased PBF. This study suggests that glutamic acid should be a type of sperm factor for second polar body formation related to oocyte activation.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.97-101
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• 1999

Male genital tract inflammatory conditions may be associated with unexplained infertility. The presence of cytokine such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$) was reported in the semen of infertile men. However, the effect of these cytokines on human sperm function is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the in-vitro effects of TNF-alpha on human sperm motility with computer assisted sperm analysis. Washed sperm from 16 normal men were incubated without and with TNF-${\alpha}$ (0.1, 10, 1000 ng/ml). The changes of parameters of sperm motility were recorded at different time intervals (0, 5, 24 hour). There was no significant change of parameters of sperm motility in the incubation with TNF-${\alpha}$. It is suggested that TNF-${\alpha}$ alone does not interfere with the sperm motility and more studies are needed.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.197-204
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• 2011

Egg activation is a crucial step that initiates embryo development upon breaking the meiotic arrest. In mammalian, egg activation is accomplished by fusion with sperm, which induces the repeated intracellular $Ca^{2+}$- increases ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$ oscillation). Researches in mammals support the view of the $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ oscillation and egg activation is triggered by a protein factor from sperm that causes $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ release from endoplasmic reticulum, intracellular $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ store, by persistently activation of phosphoinositide pathway. It represents that the sperm factor generates production of inositol trisphosphate ($IP_3$). Recently a sperm specific form of phospholipase C zeta, referred to as PLCZ was identified. In this paper, we confer the evidence that PLCZ represent the sperm factor that induces $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ oscillation and egg activation and discuss the correlation of PLCZ and infertility.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.57-63
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• 1993

From September 1988 to August 1992, two different methods of preparing human sperm before intrauterine insemination(IUI) were compared using the semen samples of seventy-three infertile couples. The sperms were prepared by a swim-up after sperm washing or by a continuous percoll gradient technique. Fourteen of 35 women conceived during IUI cycles using a sperm washing and swim-up method (40%), and 12 of 38 women conceived during IUI cycles using a percoll gradient technique(31.6%). Among the group with male infertile etiologic factor only, one of 5 women conceived during sperm washing and swim-up cycles(20%); one of 4 women conceived during percoll gradient cycles(25%). On the contrary, among the group with cervical factor only, six of 10 women conceived during sperm washing and swim-up cycles (60%) ; Five of 17 women conceived during percoll gradient cycles(29.4%). It is suggested that sperm separation by sperm washing ar -up is a useful technique for intrauterine insemination in cervical infertility, and sperm separation in percoll gradient appears to be more valuable for intrauterine insemination of male subfertility.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.81-88
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• 2003

정자의 운동개시는 수정시에 정자와 난자가 만나기 위한 전제조건이다. 동물의 정자는 CAMP와Ca2'의 조절기구에 의해서 정자의 운동개시가 일어난다. 정자운동 활성 및 개시를 위한 세포 신호전달기구는 멍게류와 연어과 어류에서 많은 연구가 이루어져 왔다. 멍게류의 경우, 난에서 분비되는 정자 활성 및 유인물질(sperm-activating and -attracting factor)은 정자 활성 및 난으로의 유인을 위하여 외부의 $Ca^{2+}$을 요구한다. 한편 연어과 어류의 정자에서는 Cyclic AMP 의존형의 단백질 인산화가 정자 운동개시 기구에 관여한다. 방정된 정자 주위의 $K^{+}$ 농도의 감소는 특정한 $K^{+}$ channel 및 dihydropyridine 감수성의 L-/T- type $Ca^{2+}$ channel을 통한 $K^{+}$ 유출과 $Ca^{2+}$ 유입에 의해 세포막의 과분극과 세포내 $Ca^{2+}$ 이온의 농도증가를 가져온다. 세포막의 과분극에 의해서 합성된 cyclic AMP는 정자 운동개시의 주요기구인 cyclic AMP의존형의 단백질 인산화를 유도한다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.35-43
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• 2009

목 적: 정액 내 tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$) 농도와 정자 DNA 손상 및 정액 검사 소견과의 관련성을 평가하고자 하였다. 연구방법: 정액 표본은 45명의 건강한 남성에서 자위에 의하여 획득하였다. 정자의 상태는 컴퓨터 정액 분석기를 이용하여 판정하였으며, 두부의 DNA 손상은 TUNEL 분석방법에 의해 측정하였다. TNF-${\alpha}$ 농도는 동결-융해된 정장액에서 ELISA법으로 측정하였다. 결 과: 정자 DNA 손상율은 1.9%에서 53% (mean ${\pm}$ SD, 12.4${\pm}$9.6%)로 매우 광범위하게 나타났다. 단변량분석에 의하면 DNA 손상 정도와 정자의 농도, 운동성과는 관련이 없었으나, 직진운동성 (linearity)과는 음의 상관 관계를 나타내었으며 (r=-0.325, p=0.03) 연구 대상 남성의 연령과는 양의 상관 관계를 나타내었다 (r=0.484, p=0.001). 정액내에 존재하는 TNF-${\alpha}$ (>1 pg/mL)는 연구 대상 남성의 73.3% (33/45)에서 검출되었으며 평균 농도는 4.9 pg/mL, 범위는 1.1에서 22.6 pg/mL이었다. 정액 검사 상의 정자 상태와 정자 DNA 손상과는 유의한 관련성이 나타나지 않았다. 결 론: 본 연구에서는 정자 DNA의 손상이 남성의 연령과 관련성이 있음을 확인하였으나, TNF-${\alpha}$와의 관련성은 확인할 수 없었다.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제9권3호
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• pp.269-277
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• 1994

The objective of this study was to develop an effective in vitro production system capable of obtaining more porcine embryos from immature oocytes These experiments were conducted to examine the effect of sperm factor on the IVF and IVD, and the effect of coculture with somatic cells on the IVD of embryos. Although the concentration of epididymal sperm for IVF did not affect on cleavage rate, but 5 x 105 sperm/mi showed the highest cleavage rate(48.7%) and the developmental potential of IVF oocytes from this concentration was also greatly higher (P$^{\circ}C$-stored sperm for l2hrs and the cleavage rate from fresh sperm was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that from frozen sperm, but the developmental potential after IVF was slightly high from the frozen sperm. The cleavage rate of IVF oocytes cocultured with oviductal epithelial cells and cumulus cells was 76.3% and 72.9%, respectively. There was no difference between two coculture systems but this rate was significantly higher(P<0.05) than that of medium alone(42.0%).

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• 제56권4호
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• pp.518-525
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• 2023

Septin4 belong to a family of polymerizing GTP-binding proteins that are required for many cellular functions, such as membrane compartmentalization, vesicular trafficking, mitosis, and cytoskeletal remodeling. Since, Septin4 is expressed specifically in the testis, we aimed to determine the association between Septin4 gene expression with sperm quality, DNA damage, and stress oxidative level in infertile patients. The present study included 60 semen samples that grouped into three groups: normozoospermia (n=20), asthenozoospermia (n=20), astheno-teratozoospermia (n=20). Initially, semen parameters were analyzed by using the World Health Organization protocol. The mRNA expression of Septin4 in sperm was examined using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Oxidative stress markers, i.e., total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and malondialdehyde, were determined by ELISA kit. The current study showed a statistically significant highly positive correlation in Septin4 gene expression with sperm motility, normal morphology, viability, capacity, and sperm mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). However, it showed significant negative correlation with sperm DNA fragmentation. Septin4 had a significant correlation with stress oxidative factor and antioxidant enzyme levels. In conclusion, Septin4 gene expression provides clinical useful information for the diagnosis of male infertility. It might be a marker for discrimination between fertile and infertile patients. The current study showed a statistically significant highly positive correlation in Septin4 gene expression with sperm motility, normal morphology, viability, capacity, and sperm MMP. However, it shows significant negative correlation with sperm DNA fragmentation. Septin4 had a significant correlation with stress oxidative factor and antioxidant enzyme levels.

• Animal Bioscience
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• 제34권8호
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• pp.1253-1270
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• 2021

Assessment of male fertility is based on the evaluation of sperm. Semen evaluation measures various sperm quality parameters as fertility indicators. However, semen evaluation has limitations, and it requires the advancement and application of strict quality control methods to interpret the results. This article reviews the recent advances in evaluating various sperm-specific quality characteristics and methodologies, with the help of different assays to assess sperm-fertility status. Sperm evaluation methods that include conventional microscopic methods, computer-assisted sperm analyzers (CASA), and flow cytometric analysis, provide precise information related to sperm morphology and function. Moreover, profiling fertility-related biomarkers in sperm or seminal plasma can be helpful in predicting fertility. Identification of different sperm proteins and diagnosis of DNA damage has positively contributed to the existing pool of knowledge about sperm physiology and molecular anomalies associated with different infertility issues in males. Advances in methods and sperm-specific evaluation has subsequently resulted in a better understanding of sperm biology that has improved the diagnosis and clinical management of male factor infertility. Accurate sperm evaluation is of paramount importance in the application of artificial insemination and assisted reproductive technology. However, no single test can precisely determine fertility; the selection of an appropriate test or a set of tests and parameters is required to accurately determine the fertility of specific animal species. Therefore, a need to further calibrate the CASA and advance the gene expression tests is recommended for faster and field-level applications.