• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.211-221
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• 2012

The process of embryo implantation requires physical contact and physiological communication between the conceptus trophectoderm and the maternal uterine endometrium. During the peri-implantation period in pigs, the conceptus undergoes significant morphological changes and secretes estrogens, the signal for maternal recognition of pregnancy. Estrogens secreted from the conceptus act on uterine epithelia to redirect $PGF_2{\alpha}$, luteolysin, secretion from the uterine vasculature to the uterine lumen to prevent luteolysis as well as to induce expression of endometrial genes that support implantation and conceptus development. In addition, conceptuses secrete cytokines, interferons, growth factors, and proteases, and in response to these signals, the uterine endometrium produces hormones, protease inhibitors, growth factors, transport proteins, adhesion molecules, lipid molecules, and calcium regulatory molecules. Coordinated interactions of these factors derived from the conceptus and the uterus play important roles in the process of implantation in pigs. To better understand mechanism of implantation process in pigs, this review provides information on signaling molecules at the conceptus-uterine interface during early pregnancy, including recently reported data reported.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.295-302
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• 2002

Uterine cells carry out proliferation and differentiation for preparation the embryonic implantation during pregnancy. Therefore regulation of the cell proliferation is an essential step for uterine preparation, but there is not much information about the proliferation related genes in pregnant uterus. To identify these implantation specific genes, a PCR-select cDNA subtraction method was employed and got a few genes. One of the identified genes is a novel gene encoding oral tumor suppressor doc-1. To detect the doc-1 expression on the pregnant uterus, dot blotting, RT-PCR, and in situ hybridization were employed. Dot blotting revealed that doc-1 mRNA expression increase after implantation. During normal pregnancy, doc-1 mRNA expression was detected as early as day 1 of pregnancy with RT-PCR. Its expression was increased about 15 times after embryonic implantation. doc-1 transcript was localized in luminal epithelial cells but it was very faint during preimplantation. After starting the implantation, it localized in the stromal cells; heightened expression of doc-1 correlates with intense stromal cell proliferation surrounding the implanting blastocyst on day 6 morning. However in the decidualized cells, the intensity of localized doc-1 mRNA was weak. From those results, it is revealed that doc-1 express at pregnant uterus of the mouse. In addition it is suggested that doc-1 is the gene regulating the proliferation of the luminal epithelial cells and stromal cells during early implantation and decidualization.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.249-253
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• 1990

Plasma progesterone concentrations were measured in 24 Korean native cows by a radioimmunoassay at 0, 6 and 20 days after insemination. As a result, 23 cows (95.8%) were judged to be in estrus with ovulation and one cow (4.2%) was judged to be in estrus without ovulation. Plasma progesterone concentrations at 20 days after insemination were $5.11{\pm}1.33$ (mean${\pm}$SD, range 3.20~7.86) ng/ml in pregnant cows and $0.35{\pm}0.10$ (range 0.30~0.50) ng/ml in nonpregnant cows. Of the 20 cows, 18 cows were confirmed the pregnant by rectal palpation at 60 days after insemination. The accuracy of the pregnancy diagnosis based on plasma progesterone concentration was 90 % for positive case and 100% for negative case.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.85-97
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was done to explore the lived experience of pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and early child rearing in married immigrant women in urban areas. Methods: Data were collected from February to April, 2011 through in-depth interviews. Nine immigrant women were selected in a metropolitan area through the purposive and snowball sampling method. After obtaining IRB permission and informed consent from the participants, all interviews were recorded with MP3 recorder and transcribed for analysis. Using the phenomenological approach, data collected through in-depth interviewing were analyzed following Colaizzi style. Results: Data analysis revealed 4 categories and 10 themes related to pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and early child rearing of married immigrant women in urban areas. These four categories were 'A clumsy foreigner's life with nostalgia', 'Crisis in the crisis', 'Unprepared for motherhood', and 'Living together with new family without regrets'. It was a common finding that they were not ready to be mothers because of the very short time for adjustment in Korea. Compared to rural, immigrant women urban women had various in social support systems. Conclusion: The results indicate that adequate education is needed for immigrant women regarding motherhood, and that this education should be culturally appropriate for these women.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.262-268
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• 2006

During endometrial differentiation the extracellular matrix (ECM) changes dramatically to prepare for implantation of the embryo. However, the genes regulating the ECM build-up in the uterine endometrium during early pregnancy are not well known. Using the PCR-select cDNA subtraction method, dermatopontin was identified in the uterus of a pregnant mouse on day 4 of gestation. Dermatopontin mRNA increased dramatically on day 3, and was at its highest level at the time of implantation. Administration of RU 486 significantly inhibited mRNA expression by day 4 of gestation, but ICI 182,780 did not. Progesterone markedly induced dermatopontin expression in ovariectomized uteri within 4 h of administration, whereas estrogen had little effect. In silico analysis revealed progesterone receptor binding sites in the dermatopontin promoter region. Decidualization did not induce expression of dermatopontin; instead dermatopontin mRNA became strongly localized at the interimplantation site. In situ hybridization revealed that expression gradually decreased in the luminal epithelial cells as pregnancy progressed, whereas it increased in the stromal cells. The pattern of localization and the changes of intensity of dermatopontin mRNA coincided with those of collagen. Collectively, these results strongly suggest that dermatopontin expression is steroid-dependent. They also suggest that, at the time of implantation, dermatopontin expression is primarily regulated spatio-temporally by progesterone via progesterone receptors, and is modulated by the decidual response during implantation. Dermatopontin may be one of the regulators used to remodel the uterine ECM for pregnancy.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.184-187
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• 2021

Radical trachelectomy is a fertility-preserving alternative to radical hysterectomy in carefully selected young women with early-stage cervical cancer. However, in cases with subsequent severe cervical stenosis, assisted reproductive techniques can be difficult. This is a case report of a 34-year-old patient who underwent robot-assisted radical trachelectomy and cerclage for early-stage (IB2) adenosquamous carcinoma. Three months after surgery, the patient underwent ovarian stimulation using a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist protocol. As it was impossible to perform transcervical embryo transfer due to the almost complete absence of the cervical opening, transmyometrial embryo transfer under ultrasound guidance was performed. This resulted in a successful singleton pregnancy. This is the first case of successful pregnancy conceived by in vitro fertilization with transmyometrial embryo transfer in a patient who had previously undergone robot-assisted radical trachelectomy.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.1445-1452
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• 2002

The present experiment was carried out to study the utilization of substrates in the mammary gland of crossbred Holstein Friesian during feeding on different types of roughage. Sixteen pregnant crossbred Holstein heifers consisted of two breed types of eight animals each; Holstein Friesian${\times}$Red Sindhi (50:50=50%HF) and Holstein Friesian${\times}$Red Sindhi (87.5:12.5=87.5%HF). Animals were divided into four groups of the same breed type in each group which were fed with either rice straw treated with 5% urea or pangola hay (Digitaria decumbens) as the source of roughage throughout the experiments. Four consecutive experimental periods were carried out in late pregnancy (20-23 days before parturition), early lactation (30 days postpartum), mid-lactation (120 days postpartum) and late lactation (210 days postpartum). Measurement of mammary blood flow in combining with measurement of AV difference was performed for the mammary uptake of substrates. In the period of lactation, udder blood flow was nearly three times higher than that of late pregnant period (p<0.05) in both 50%HF and 87.5%HF feeding on either hay or urea treated rice straw. During mid- and late lactation of both groups of 87.5%HF animals, mammary blood flow and milk yield showed decrease when compared to those during the early lactating period while the trends for persistency were apparent in both groups of 50%HF animals throughout experimental periods. The mean arterial plasma concentrations of glucose, acetate, $\beta$-hydroxybutyrate and free glycerol in each group remained constant throughout experimental periods. During late pregnancy in all groups, the AV difference and extraction ratio of glucose, $\beta$-hydroxybutyrate and triacylglycerol across the mammary gland markedly lowered (p<0.05), which coincided with a lower net uptake by the mammary gland in comparison to the early lactating period. The mean arterial plasma concentration, AV difference and extraction ratio for acetate showed no significant differences between late pregnancy and the early lactating period. The AV difference of free glycerol showed apparent release from mammary tissue during late pregnancy in all groups. In mid- and late lactation, the mammary uptake for glucose, acetate and $\beta$-hydroxybutyrate in both groups of 87.5%HF animals showed apparent decrease as compared to that in the early lactating period, whereas no appearances were observed in 50%HF animals feeding either hay or urea treated rice straw. The mean arterial plasma concentrations for free fatty acid (FFA) and triacylglycerol (C16 to C18) were higher in late pregnancy than in early lactation in both types of crossbred animals. The values of AV difference and the net uptake by the mammary gland for FFA were variable during late pregnancy and lactating periods in all groups. There were no significant differences for AV difference, extraction ratio and net uptake of triacylglycerol during lactation advance in both groups of 50%HF and 87.5%HF animals feeding either hay or urea treated rice straw. These results suggest that the adaptations to either hay or urea treated rice straw by the mammary gland of crossbred HF animals allow for an adequate nutrient supply during pregnancy and lactation. There is no difference in the mode of mammary uptake of substrates in the same crossbred animals in response to feeding hay or urea treated rice straw. The differences in utilizing nutrients by the mammary gland for milk production between 87.5%HF and 50%HF animals would be dependent on changes in both intra-mammary factors and extra-mammary factors.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.157-168
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• 2013

The objective of this study was to characterize the adverse effects of Ahnjon-Yichun-Tang during early pregnancy. Following successful mating, female Sprague-Dawley rats were given Ahnjon-Yichun-Tang(AYT) extract by oral administration daily with dose of 150mg (n=10), 300mg(n=10), 450mg(n=10) for 20 days of pregnancy. The rats in Control group(n=10) were orally administrated with Saline. All pregnant rats of Ahnjon-Yichun-Tang-treated and Control groups were sacrificed on day 20 of pregnancy. The pregnancy outcome was determined and the internal and reproductive organs of pregnant rat were observed. The fetuses were examined for the presence of various developmental toxic endpoints and stained with alcian blue and alizarin red S, and observed skeletal malformations. The results obtained in this study represent that there is no significant changes between Control and Ahnjon-Yichun-Tang-treated groups in body weight, organ weight, blood chemistry values, hematological values and pregnancy indexes of pregnant rat. The skeletal malformation of fetus was not observed as well. These results suggest that oral administration of Ahnjon-Yichun-Tang does not produce either maternal or developmental toxicity.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.867-872
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• 1994

Progesterone catabolizing enzyme, the enzyme $20{\alpha}$-hydroxysteroid dehydrgenase($20{\alpha}$-HSD) is pivotal in the regulation of ovarian function in rodents, which catabolizes progesterone into biologically inactive $20{\alpha}$-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one($20{\alpha}$-OHP). In this study was carried out the influence of $20{\alpha}$-HSD activity of ovarian function, we investigated changes in ovarian cytosol $20{\alpha}$-HSD activity and serume progesterone concentration during the estrous cycles and pregnancy in rat. During the estrous cycles, the $20{\alpha}$-HSD activities were highest on the progestrous, but serum progesterone concentration was lowest on this phase. During the pregnancy, the $20{\alpha}$-HSD activities were relatively higher early pregnancy(day-1-3 gestation) and late pregnancy(day 21 to parturition), serum progesterone concentration was maintained significantly high to day 19 of gestation. The $20{\alpha}$-HSD activities were lower during the middle pregnancy. From these results, ovarian $20{\alpha}$-HSD activities may possibly act as physiologically very important in the control and maintenance of estrous cycles in rat.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.523-527
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• 2007

Previous studies reported that exposure to noise during pregnancy adversely influenced the development of the fetus and neonate. In Oriental medicine, medications based on Angelicae gigantis radix have been known to be of efficacy in the treatment of various diseases. c-Fos, an immediate early gene whose expression is sometimes used as a marker for stimulus-induced changes in the metabolic activity of neurons. In the present study, the influence of postnatal Angelicae gigantis radix administration on c-Fos expression in the each region of hippocampus of offspring rats with prenatal noise stress during pregnancy was investigated. From the present results, exposure to the prenatal stress during pregnancy enhanced c-Fox expression, whereas exposure to postnatal Angelice gigantis radix suppressed c-Fos expression in the offsprings with prenatal noise stress during pregnancy. Based on the present study, Angelicae gigantis radix may provide new therapeutic opportunities as an agent to counteract the effects of prenatal noise stress- induced hippocampal dysfunction, and may be useful in the treatment of psychiatric problems in children of mothers who have experienced noise stress during pregnancy.