• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.109-114
• /
• 1983

A mechanism of taurine transfer across the rat small intestine was elucidated by using the in situ recirculation perfusion or loop method. Taurine uptake was saturable, Km= 39.9 mM, and energy dependent, and required sodium. The close structural analogues, aminomethane sulfonic acid, .gamma.-amino-butyric acid, hypotaurine, and .betha.-alanine, reduced significantly taurine uptake when present in 10-fold excess. The .alpha.-amino acid, glycine, did not inhibit uptake. Hence, all of these findings lead to a conclusion that a carrier-mediated transport system for taurine exists in the small intestine.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
• /
• 2003.11a
• /
• pp.87-87
• /
• 2003

Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, $^{+}NH_3CH_2CH_2{SO_3}^{-}$) is endogenous $\beta$-amino acid which is essential in fetal nutrition and development and is present in abundant quantities in several tissues of fetus. In utero, taurine deficiency causes abnormal development and abnormal function of brain, retina, kidney and myocardium. Thus, transfer of taurine into fetus is important during embryonic development. Taurine transporter (TauT) has 12 hydrophobic membrane -spanning domains, which is typical of the $Na^{+}$- and $Cl^{-}$-dependent transporter gene family. Among the various biosynthetic enzymes of taurine, cysteine sulfinic acid decarboxylase (CSD) is the rate-limiting enzyme for biosynthesis of taurine. However, the enzyme activities of taurine biosynthesis are limited in early stage of embryonic development. To analyze the expression period of TauT and CSD during embryonic development, we have investigated the gene expression of TauT and CSD using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in mouse and chicken embryos. RT-PCR anaylsis revealed that both TauT and CSD mRNAs were already expressed at Day-4.5 in mouse embryo. In chicken whole embryo, TauT and CSD mRNAs began to appear on developing times of 48 hrs and 12 hrs, respectively. TauT mRNA was detected in the organs of heart, brain and eye of the day-3 chicken embryo. Our data show that TauT and CSD mRNAs were expressed in early stage of embryonic development.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.145-151
• /
• 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of taurine and vitamin E on ovarian granulosa cells damaged by bromopropane (BP) in pigs. We evaluated cell viability, plasma membrane integrity (PMI) and apoptotic morphological change in porcine ovarian granulosa cells. The cells were treated with 1-BP (0, 5.0, 10, and $50{\mu}M$), 2-BP (0, 5.0, 10, and 50 mM), taurine (0, 5.0, 10, and 25 mM), and vitamin E (0, 100, 200, and $400{\mu}M$) for 24 h. $10{\mu}M$ 1-BP and $50{\mu}M$ 2-BP inhibited viability and PMI, and induced apoptosis in porcine ovarian granulosa cells (p < 0.05). Cell viability and PMI were increased by taurine (10 and 25 mM) and vitamin E (100 and $200{\mu}M$), and apoptosis decreased (p < 0.05). Finally, the porcine ovarian granulosa cells were co-treated with BPs ($10{\mu}M$), taurine (10 mM) and/or vitamin E ($200{\mu}M$). Cell viability and PMI in the co-treated cells were increased, and apoptosis was decreased. In conclusion, taurine and vitamin E can improve cell viability and inhibition of apoptosis in porcine ovarian granulosa cells damaged by bromopropane.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.13-17
• /
• 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of taurine and vitamin E on sperm characteristics damaged by bromopropane (BP) in pig. We evaluated toxicity of BP on viability, membrane integrity and mitochondrial activity of spermatozoa. 1-BP (0, 2.5, 5.0, 10, and $50{\mu}M$), 2-BP (0, 2.5, 5.0, 10, and $50{\mu}M$), taurine (0, 5.0, 10, and $25{\mu}M$) and vitamin E (0, 50, 100, and $200{\mu}M$) were treated in fresh boar semen for 6 h. 10 and $50{\mu}M$ of 1-BP and 2-BP inhibited sperm viability, membrane integrity and mitochondrial activity in fresh boar semen (P<0.05). $25{\mu}M$ of taurine increased sperm viability and membrane integrity (P<0.05), $100{\mu}M$ of vitamin E enhanced viability and mitochondrial activity of sperm (P<0.05). Finally, $10{\mu}M$ of 1-BP and 2-BP was co-treated with taurine ($25{\mu}M$) and vitamin E ($100{\mu}M$) in the fresh boar semen. The co-treated samples did affected viability, membrane integrity and mitochondrial activity of sperm. In conclusion, taurine and vitamin E can improve and maintain sperm quality in fresh boar semen.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.131-138
• /
• 1995

Essential and non-essential amino acids supplemented to culture medium stimulate mammalian embryo development in vitro. Amino acids such as glycine, taurine and alanine are concentrated in the lumen of oviduct and uterus and it can he thought that these amino acids may have physiological role on fertilization and embryo development. Our aim of this experiment was to investigate the effects of essential and non-essential amino acids, taurine or glycine supplemented to fertilization medium on the cleavage and subsequent in vitro development of bovine oocytes matured and fertilized in vitro. Immature oocytes were obtained from slaughtered Holstein cows and heifers and matured in TCM199 containing 10% fetal calf serum, 2.5 $\mu$g /mL of FSH and LH and 1 $\mu$g / mL of estradiol with granulosa cells in vitro. After maturation, oocytes were coincubated with sperm in fertilization medium supplemented with Minimum Essential Medium (MEM) essential and non-essential amino acids, taurine (3.75 mM) or glycine (10 mM) for 30 hours in vitro. Inseminated oocytes were cultured in synthetic oviduct fluid medium (SOEM) containing MEM essential, non-essential amino acids and 1 mM glutarnine up to 8 days after fertilization.Supplementation of fertilization medium with MEM essential and non-essential amino acids lowered significantly (p<0.05 and p<0.001) the cleavage rate after 30 hours of IVF (53.3%) and at Day 3 (62.7%: Day 0: the day of I VF) compared to control (64.3% and 77.3%, respectively). Subsequent developmental rates to morulae (Mo) and expanding blastocysts (ExBL) also significantly decreased (p<0.001 and p<0.05 for Mo and ExBL) when oocytes were coincubated with sperm in the medium containing MEM amino acids. Taurine added to fertilization medium have not increased the cleavage rate over the control, whereas glycine showed significantly lower (p<0.01) cleavage rate at Day 3 than that of taurine, but there was no significant difference in the developmental rates to Mo and ExBL of bovine embryos irrespective of the supplementation of taurine or glycine to fertilization medium. In conclusion, supplementation of fertilization medium with essential and non-essential amino acids, taurine or glycine has no beneficial effect on in vitro cleavage and development of bovine oocytes matured and fertilization in vitro.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2004

These studies were carried out to improve the reproductive efficiency through embryos transfer of Hanwoo IVM/IVF embryos. Following routine IVM/IVF procedure, oocytes and zygotes were cultured far 40 to 44 h in CRlaa medium with BSA. Then 2 to 8-cell embryos were removed the cumulus cell and were cultured in CRlaa medium containing 10% fatal bovine serum and 2.5 mM taurine in 5% $O_2$ and 5% $CO_2$ at 38.5$^{\circ}C$. The fresh embryos of the morulae and blastocysts cultured for 6 to 9 days in vitro or the frozen-thawed embryos were transferred into recipients. The pregnancy rates of the blastocyst produced for 6, 7, 8, and 9 days in vitro culture were 59.4, 68.2, 66.0 and 100%, respectively. In the developmental stage, pregnacy rates of early blastocysts (61.1%), blastocysts(64.7%) and expanded blastocysts(69.5%) were higher than that of morulae stage(20.0%). The pregnancy rates according to the corpus luteum grades of A, B and C in recipients were 73.6, 62.9 and 50.0%, respectively. Effects of donor-recipients synchrony of after day 2, 1 and 0, before day 1 and 2 on the pregnancy rates were 35.7, 65.5, 72.6, 67.9 and 60.0%, respectively. Pregnancy rates of the body condition score of recipients $\leq$2(71.3%) were higher than those of $\geq$3.0 score(40.0%). The pregnancy rates according to the parity of recipients when embryo was transferred to cow(70.6%) was higher than in heifer(59.1%). The pregnancy rates according to hormone treatment before embryo transfer were 69.9% in hCG + GnRH administration group and 63.0% in control group. Fresh and frozen-thawed embryos on the pregnancy rates were 70.6 and 36.4%, respectively. Pregnancy rates in single and AI+single was 90.0% and 64.8%. Pregnancy rates in twin induction was better than in single. These results indicate that pregnancy rates after transfer were affected on the embryo ages, donor-recipient synchrony, body condition score of recipients, corpus luteum status, parity and hormone treatment to recipients.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.493-498
• /
• 2018

There has been widespread warming and a general increase in summer temperatures over the Korean peninsula ($0.5^{\circ}C$/10 years from 2001 to 2010). South Korea is transforming into a subtropical region, and the productivity of livestock is affected by the climatic changes. In this study, we investigated whether the summer heat waves affect the developmental competency of Korean native cattle (Hanwoo), a taurine type of cattle with a small portion of indicine varieties. We collected oocytes during the summer (heat stress, HS) and autumn (non-HS condition) and examined the developmental competencies including in vitro maturation and preimplantation embryo development. No significant differences were observed between the HS and non-HS oocytes in nuclear maturation (extrusion of the polar body); however, the cleavage and blastocyst rates were significantly lower in the HS group than those in the non-HS group. The lower developmental competence of the HS oocytes compared to the non-HS is, in part, due to insufficient cytoplasmic maturation because of a higher production of Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels as well as peri/cortical distributed mitochondria in the HS oocytes after in vitro maturation. Next, we examined the ROS and mitochondria distribution and found a significant increase in the levels of ROS in the HS oocytes and a polarized distribution (pericortical cytoplasm) of mitochondria in the HS oocytes. In summary, impaired cytoplasmic maturation of oocytes from exposure to HS affects the preimplantation embryo development by dysfunction of mitochondria. To improve reproductive performance, embryo transfer using cryopreserved embryos/oocytes is recommended in the hot summer season of South Korea.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.255-262
• /
• 2006

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of vitrification in open pulled straws (OPS) methods on in vitro survival ability of porcine embryos. For in vitro maturation of immature oocytes, the porcine ovaries were collected from local slaughter-house. The cumulus-oocytes complexes were aspirated from 2 to 6 mm follicles. The collected oocytes were cultured for in vitro maturation in NCSU-23 medium with 5 mM hypotaurine, 0.57 mM cysteine, 10% porcine follicle fluid, 10 IU/ml PMSG and 10 IU/ml hCG for $21{\sim}22$ hrs. Then, the oocytes were more cultured $21{\sim}22$ hrs in vitro maturation in medium removed hormones. The frozen-thawed spermatozoa were washed by centrifugation 2 times for 10 min at 1,500 rpm in D-PBS with 5.56 mM glucose, 0.33 mM Na-pyruvate, 100 IU/ml penicillin, $100 {\mu}g/ml$ streptomycin and 4 mg/ml BSA. The fertilization medium used mTBM with 2 mM caffeine and 2 mg/ml BSA and adjusted to a pH of 7.2 to 7.4. The final concentration of spermatozoa was adjusted to $2.5{\times}10^6$cells/ml motile sperm during fertilization in vitro. At 8 hrs after insemination, the oocytes were transferred into NCSU-23 medium with 5.0 mM hypotaurine, 4 mg/ml BSA and 10 ng/ml EGF and cultured for 7 days. When the blastocysts of different stages were frozen-thawed by OPS methods, the proportions of embryos with normal morphology were significantly (p<0.05) higher in embryos frozen-thawed at expanded blastocyst stage (38.9%) than in early blastocyst stage (28.3%). On the other hand, the proportions of embryos damaged after frozen-thawing were significantly (p<0.05) higher in embryos frozen at early blastocyst stages than in expanded blastocyst stage. In another experiment, the normal embryos morphology after frozen- thawing were further cultured for 48 hrs. After culture, the proportions of embryos hatched were 6.7, 20.0 and 33.3% for embryos frozen-thawed at early blastocyst, mid-blastocyst and expanded blastocyst stages. These finding indicate the possible broader application for OPS methods, as frozen-thawed embryos may be accompanied by developmental stage according to requirements of the survival ability after freezing of blastocyst stage in the pig.