• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.141-145
• /
• 2012

The present study was conducted to develop a simple method for porcine oocyte maturation without $CO_2$ regulation. In experiment 1, we evaluated that the effect of $CO_2$ non-supplement on porcine oocyte maturation. Cumulusoocyte complexes (COCs) were collected from 2~6 mm follicles and divided into three groups (Control, tube-$CO_2$, and tube-non-$CO_2$). For control, COCs were cultured in 4-well multidish in a $CO_2$ incubator. For tube-$CO_2$, COCs were cultured in a round-bottom tube in a $CO_2$ incubator, and for tube-non-$CO_2$, COCs were cultured in a round-bottom tube sealed tightly without $CO_2$ supplement in a dry incubator. The proportion of oocytes reached to metaphase II (M-II) was not significantly different among three groups (87.9% to 91.4%). In experiment 2, we evaluated the effect of $CO_2$ non-supplement during oocyte maturation on development of embryos. Oocytes with a polar body were divided into two groups (Control and tube-non-$CO_2$) and applied 1.1 kV/cm or 1.2 kV/cm voltages for parthenogenetic activation. After activation, embryos were cultured for 6 days and examined the development. The proportion of embryos cleaved was not significantly different among treatment (86.3% to 91.5%). The proportion of embryo reached to blastocyst stage was not significantly different among treatment (13.9% to 25.2%). The cell number of blastocysts was not significantly different among treatment (29.0 to 32.4). In conclusion, oocytes cultured in a dry incubator without $CO_2$ supplement have enough competence to development after parthenogenetic activation. These results would be useful for transporting oocytes or embryos a long distance.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.281-288
• /
• 2000

This experiment was carried out to investigate the optimal activation condition for parthenogenetic development. In order to activate oocytes at 22 h post onset of maturation, the oocytes were subjected to 5 $\mu$M ionomycin(I) for 5 min ,10 $\mu$M calcium ionophore(Ca) for 5 min, 2 mM 6-dimethylamino-purine(DMAP) for 3 h and 10 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ cycloheximide(CH) for 6 h alone or in combination. The activated oocytes were cultured in modified CR$_1$aa at 5% $CO_2$, 5% $O_2$, 90% $N_2$. l. The cleavage rates after 48 h culture of oocytes treated with I, Ca, DMAP and CH were 12.7%, 14.1%, 28.9% and 22.9%, respectively. There was no blastocyst formation. 2. The cleavage rates after 48 h culture of oocytes treated with I ＋ DMAP, I ＋ CH, Ca ＋ DMAP and Ca ＋ CH were 96.9%, 82.1%, 93.1% and 34.7%, respectively. Developmental rates to blastocysts were 10.4%, 5.3%, 17.6% and 7.1 %, respectively. When oocytes were treated with Ior Ca followed by DMAP, the blastocyst formation rate was significantly higher than other groups(P <0.05). 3. According to single activation treatment, pronucleus formation rates were 5.4%, 3.6%, 28.3% and 28.8%, respectively, Whereas, all oocytes treated with the combined activation agents formed 100% pronucleus.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
• /
• 2001.10a
• /
• pp.58-58
• /
• 2001

This study was carried out to investigate the optimal activation condition for parthenogenetic development. In order to activate oocytes at 24 hrs post onset of maturation, the oocytes were cultured 3 - 13 μM Ca for 5 min., 5-8 ㎍/㎖ cytoclacin(CH) for 6 hrs, 0.5-2.0 mM 6-dimethylaminopurine(DMAP) for 3 hrs alone or combination. The activated oocytes were cultured in TCM-199 media at 5% CO₂, 95% N₂, 38℃. 1. The cleavage rate after 48 hrs culture of oocytes treated with 3-13 μM Ca for 5 min. were 9.6%-20.0% and 3.8-7.3%, respectively. When oocyte were treated with 10 μM Ca, the blastocyst formation rate was significantly higher than other group. 2. The cleavage rate after 48 hrs culture of oocytes treated with 5-8 ㎍/㎖ cytoclacin(CH) for 6 hrs, were 9.4%-21.8% and 0.0-7.3%, respectively. When oocyte were treated with 10㎍/㎖ CH, the blastocyst formation rate was significantly higher than other group. 3. The cleavage rate after 48 hrs culture of oocytes treated with 0.5-2.0 mM 6-dimethylaminopurine(DMAP) for 3 hrs were 9.1%-21.8% and 0.0-7.3%, respectively. When oocyte were treated with 2.0mM DMAP, the blastocyst formation rate was significantly higher than other group. 4. The cleavage rate after 48 hrs culture of oocytes treated with Ca＋CH, Ca＋DMAP, CH＋DMAP were 75.9%-93.5% and 9.7 -13.3%, respectively. When oocytes were treated with Ca followed by DMAP, the blastocyst formation rate was significantly higher than other group(p〈0.05). 5. When necleus transferred embryos co-cultured with BSA, EGF and CS, the developmental rate to blastocyst were higher than control group.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.233-240
• /
• 2003

This study was conducted to examine the effects of oocyte maturation period, phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) treatment and activation agent on the enucleation, fusion, activation or in vitro development of bovine nuclear transfer embryos. Bovine oocytes were enucleated at 16∼24 h of in vitro maturation (IVM). Adult ear skin cells treated or non-treated with PHA-P were transferred into enucleated oocytes. Reconstituted oocytes treated or non-treated with PHA-P were fused by a pulse of 1.5 kV/cm for 30 $\mu$sec. Fused oocytes were activated with a combination of calcium ionophore (A23187) and cycloheximide (CHXM) or dimethylaminopurine (DMAP), and cultured in vitro for 7∼9 days. Enucleation rate was significantly increased when oocytes were matured for 16∼18 h (70.2∼92.3%, P<0.05) compared to that of oocytes were matured for 20∼24 h (44.3∼53.4%). The location of metaphase-II plate was far off from the 1st polar body as maturation time was increased. PHA-P treatment of donor cells or reconstituted oocytes significantly improved fusion rate (P<0.05). Cleavage and blastocyst formation rates were significantly increased after activation with a combination of A23187 and DMAP (78.6% and 32.9%, respectively) compared to those of embryos activated with a combination of A23l87 and CHXM (48.5 and 15.2%, respectively). From the present result, it is suggested that high enucleation efficiency can obtained by using oocytes matured for 18 h. It also shows that PHA-P treatment can improve the fusion rate, and activation with a combination of A23187 and DMAP can enhance the embryo development.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.331-340
• /
• 1998

We determined the incidence of activation, male pronuclear formation and apposition of pronuclei in porcine oocytes following intracy-toplasmic injection of various porcine sperm components and foreign species spermatozoa, such as mouse, human or cattle. The porcine oocytes were activated by injection of a spermatozoon or an isolated sperm head. Neither isolated sperm tail nor perinuclear material removed sperm head activated oocytes. Because injection of mouse, bovine or human spermatozoon activated porcine oocytes, the sperm born activation factors is not strict species specific. Male pronuclear formation and pronuclear apposition were observed in the porcine oocytes following injection of porcine, bovine, mouse or human spermatozoa. The electrical stimulation following sperm cell injection did not enhance the incidence of male pronuclear formation nor pronuclear apposition comparent with sperm cell injection alone (p>0.1). Mitosis and two cell division in some oocytes were observed at 20 to 24 h after injection of porcine spermatozoon. However, none of oocytes following injection of mouse, bovine or human spermatozoa developed to the mitotic metaphase or normally divided to the two cell stage. These results suggested that the oocyte activating factor(s) presented in the perinuclear material and it is not species specific for the porcine oocyte.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.183-189
• /
• 1994

We examined early development in loach(Misgurnus mizolepis) embryos with parthenogenetic agents well-known in mammals. Female loach was superovulated with an intraperitoneal injection of 15 IU human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) per gram body weight. After 13 h of hCG injection, the oocytes were obtained from the abdomen. The oocytes were activated with 10% ethanol in tap water or fish Ringer's solution for 5, 10 and 15 minutes(eTW5, 10, 15 and eFRS5, 10, 15), respectively. The activation rates were 29% and 10% in eFRS10 and eFRS15, 5% and 6% in eTW10 and eTW15 by judging the cleaved blastomeres. Whereas, no parthenogenetic embryo was produced by tap water or fish Ringer's solution alone. The activation rate with the fish Ringer's solution was higher than that of tap water. No embryonic development was observed by calcium ionophore, A23187, at concentrations of 10, 20, 40 and 100$\mu$M when treated for 1, 2.5 and 5 minutes, respectively. The activation agents did not cause early development as in mammalian eggs. Therefore, the results suggest that fresh water fish may have a different egg activation pathway from that of mammals.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.257-260
• /
• 2004

Efficiency of somatic cell nuclear transfer was investigated in mice. First, oocyte activation was induced by SrCl₂, and the rate of development was compared with embryos from normal fertilization. Although more than one half of SrCl₂-treated oocytes developed to blastocysts (146/262, 55.7%), the rate of blastocyst formation was significantly lower than normal fertilization controls (59/79, 74.6%). Second, enucleation of oocytes was performed using Polscope that enables non-invasive visualization of metaphase spindles. Such approach could not only avoid damage of oocytes during an exposure to UV light often employed in conventional enucleation procedures, but could also assure the removal of nuclei from all oocytes operated because of monitoring the location of spindles during an entire process of enucleation. Morphologically normal blastocysts were obtained from the transfer of cumulus cell nuclei into enucleated oocytes. However, the rate of development into the blastocyst stage was still low (4/93, 4.3%). This reflects that the nuclear transfer procedure used in this study was not sufficiently optimized, and other factors may also impact greatly the efficiency of nuclear transfer. Including an induction of oocyte activation and method of enucleation tested in this study, a lot more elements are remained to be optimized to improve the efficiency of somatic cell nuclear transfer in mice.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.267-274
• /
• 2017

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is a biological membranes compound. As the antioxidant, it decreases the oxidized forms of other antioxidant substances such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and glutathione (GSH). To examine the effect of ALA on the in vitro maturation (IVM) of porcine oocytes, we investigated intracellular GSH and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and subsequent embryonic development after parthenogenetic activation (PA). Intracellular GSH levels in oocytes treated with 50uM ALA increased significantly (P < 0.05) and exhibited a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in intracellular ROS levels compared with the control group. Oocytes matured with 50 uM of ALA during IVM displayed significantly higher cleavage rates (67.8% vs. 83.4%, respectively), and higher blastocyst formation rates and total cell number of blastocysts after PA (31.6%, 58.49 vs. 46.8%, 68.58, respectively) than the control group. In conclusion, these results suggest that treatment with ALA during IVM improves the cytoplasmic maturation of porcine oocytes by increasing the intracellular GSH levels, thereby decreasing the intracellular ROS levels and subsequent embryonic developmental potential of PA.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.265-269
• /
• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of vitrification procedure for the cryopreservation of porcine oocytes and the utilization of vitrified oocytes as recipient cytoplasts for somatic cell nuclear transfer (NT), and observed that porcine oocytes are evaluated by pronuclear formation, and parthenogenetic development. Single fetal donor cells were deposited into the perivitelline space of vitrified enucleation oocytes, followed by electrical fusion and activation. NT embryos were cultured in NCSU-23 medium supplemented with 5% FBS, at $38.5^{\circ}C$ in 5% $CO_2$ and air. 1. When the developmental rates of the oocytes after being culture for $0{\sim}10$ hours vitrified with EDS and ETS were 42.0%, 38.0%, respectively. This results were lower than the control group(62.2%). 2. When the developmental rates of the oocytes after being culture for $0{\sim}10$ hours vitrified-thawed with sucrose and glucose, 5% PVP, NCSU-23 supplemented with 10% FBS were 33.3%, 25.9%, respectively. This results were lower than the control group(55.6%). 3. The fusion and development to the blastocyst stage between the NT embryos constructed with the vitrified and non-vitrified oocytes were significant differences. Developmental rate of oocytes and NT embryos constructed with the vitrified or non-vitrified oocytes were $13.0{\pm}2.4%\;and\;23.2{\pm}2.4%$, respectively.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.219-226
• /
• 1998

Enucleation of oocytes is an important limiting step for embryo cloning. We propose an enucleation technique based on the removal of chromatin after oocyte activation by aspirating the second polar body containing complemented chromatin. In a preliminary experiment to determine an optimal age of oocytes enucleation in rabbits, oocytes were enucleated at 15~20 hours post hCG. Recently ovulated oocytes were enucleated at a higher rate than aged oocytes. Microsurgical removal of the complemented chromatin in the second polar body was significantly more effective in enucleating than aspiration of a larger cytoplasm volume surrounding the first polar body of metaphase-arrested oocytes(96.8% versus 70.4%; P〈0.05). Moreover, compared with a nuclear transplantation protocol based on enucleation of metaphase-arrested oocytes and preactivated oocytes followed by treatment with 5 $\mu$M ionomycin for 5 min and 2 mM DMAP for 1 hr, there was no significant difference in the rate of blastocyst development. The ease with which modified technique can be performed is likely to render this technique widely useful for research and practice on mammalian cloning.