• BMB Reports
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• 제47권11호
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• pp.609-618
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• 2014

DNA methylation at cytosines (5mC) is a major epigenetic modification involved in the regulation of multiple biological processes in mammals. How methylation is reversed was until recently poorly understood. The family of dioxygenases commonly known as Ten-eleven translocation (Tet) proteins are responsible for the oxidation of 5mC into three new forms, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), 5-formylcytosine (5fC) and 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC). Current models link Tet-mediated 5mC oxidation with active DNA demethylation. The higher oxidation products (5fC and 5caC) are recognized and excised by the DNA glycosylase TDG via the base excision repair pathway. Like DNA methyltransferases, Tet enzymes are important for embryonic development. We will examine the mechanism and biological significance of Tet-mediated 5mC oxidation in the context of pronuclear DNA demethylation in mouse early embryos. In contrast to its role in active demethylation in the germ cells and early embryo, a number of lines of evidence suggest that the intragenic 5hmC present in brain may act as a stable mark instead. This short review explores mechanistic aspects of TET oxidation activity, the impact Tet enzymes have on epigenome organization and their contribution to the regulation of early embryonic and neuronal development.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.243-251
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• 2005

Objective: Low-dose aspirin have been proposed to improving endometrial receptivity and pregnancy rate in COH-IVF by increasing endometrial perfusion. However, the effect of low-dose aspirin in COH-IVF could be negligible because there have been large quantity of other important factors responsible for changing endometrial perfusion accompanied by COH procedure. In contrast, in frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles which were not accompanied by COH procedure, the effects of low-dose aspirin in endometrial blood flow seems to be more certain than in COH-IVF cycles. In this study, we analyzed the effect of low-dose aspirin treatment on implantation and pregnancy rates in patients undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer Methods: From January 2003 to December 2003, total 264 cycles from 264 patients who attended infertility clinic at Samsung Cheil Hospital were enrolled in this study. All cases included in this study, embryos were frozen and thawed at the pronuclear stage and three days after incubation, at least 2 or more good quality embryos were transferred into uterus. In study group, low dose aspirin (100 mg/day) was administrated from the first or second date of menstrual day to 9 days after embryo transfer. On the other hand, control group did not take any medicine except estradiol valerate for endometrial priming. Several variables including implantation and pregnancy rates were compared in both groups. After then, each groups were stratified by endometrial thickness checked at embryo transfer (ET) day such as (28 mm versus <8 mm) and same variables above described were compared between study and control groups. Results: The mean age, infertility duration, endometrial thickness at embryo transfer day and mean number of transferred embryo were not significantly different in both groups. Also, implantation rates (study group: 15.8%, control group: 20.5%) and pregnancy rate (study group: 45.1%, control group: 43.5%) were not significantly different between two groups. (p>0.05) After we analyzed same variables stratified by endometrial thickness checked at embryo transfer day, we could not found any significant difference between study and control groups. Conclusions: Low-dose aspirin treatment seems to have no advantage of improving implantation and pregnancy rates in patients undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2007

본 연구는 체외 성숙된 난자와 동결 융해 정자를 이용한 돼지의 체외 수정 과정에서 난구 세포의 존재가 정자 침투율, 웅성전핵 형성률 그리고 후기배로의 체외 발육에 미치는 영향을 알아보기 위하여 수행되었다. 돼지 난소로부터 난자-난구세포 복합체를 채취하여 eCG/hCG, 10% 돼지 난포액, epidermal growth factor 등이 첨가된 TCM 199 배양액에서 44시간 배양하여 체외 성숙을 유도하였다. 성숙 배양 후 난구 세포를 제거한 난자와 난구 세포가 부착되어 있는 난자를 돼지 동결 융해정액을 이용하여 5mM caffeine과 10mM calcium chloride를 함유한 mTBM배양액에서 8시간 체외 수정하였다. 체외 수정 후 난자를 고정, 염색하여 정자 침투율과 웅성전핵 형성률을 조사하였고(실험 $1{\sim}3$) 일부 수정란을 North Carolina State University-23 배양액에서 체외 수정 후 156시간 배양하여 후기배로의 발육능을 검토하였다(실험 3). 실험 1에서는 정자 농도를 $7.5{\times}10^5/ml$로 조정하여 나화 난자와 난구 세포 부착난자에서 정자 침투율 및 웅성전핵 형성률을 조사하였다. 실험 2에서는 난구 세포 부착 난자의 체외 수정에 적합한 정자 농도를 구하기 위해 2, 3, 4, 및 $5{\times}10^6/ml$의 농도로 난자를 수정한 후 정자 침투율 및 웅성전핵 형성률을 조사하였다. 실험 3에서는 나화 난자 및 난구 세포 부착 난자를 각각 $7.5{\times}10^5/ml$의 정자 농도로 체외 수정한 후 후기배로의 발육률을 조사하였다. 실험 1의 결과 정자 침투율은 나화 난자에 비해 난구 세포 부착 난자에서 유의적으로 감소되었다(35.2% vs. 77.4%; p<0.01). 실험 2에서 다양한 정자 농도에 의한 정자 침투율과 정상 수정률을 바탕으로 판단했을 때 $4.6{\times}10^6/ml$의 정자 농도가 다른 정자 농도에 비해 난구 세포부착 난자의 체외 수정에 적합한 것으로 나타났다. 체외 수정과정에서 난구 세포 부착된 상태로 수정된 난자는 나화 난자에 비해 유의적으로(p<0.05) 높은 분할률(48.8% vs. 58.9%), 배반포 형성률(11.0% vs. 22.8%)과 배반포 세포수$(22{\pm}2\;vs.\;29{\pm}2)$를 나타내었다. 본 연구의 결과로부터 돼지의 체외 수정과정에서 난구 세포의 존재는 정자 침투를 저해하지만 분할률, 배반포 형성률 및 배반포의 세포수를 증가시키는 것으로 사료된다.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.89-96
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• 1998

Anti-phospholipid antihodies (aPL) have important roles in various pregnancy complications such as recurrent miscarrige, growth retardation, placental abruption and stillbirth. However, their biological actions on preimplantation development of oocytes are still unclear. In this study, we investigated whether either aPL containing sera or phospholipids could affect in vitro fertilization and development of mouse oocytes. Sera used in this study were collected from three patients and the presence of aPL in the sera was confirmed by enzymatic-linked immunosorbent assay. When mouse oocytes were cultured in a serum-free, Chatot, Ziomek and Bavister (CZB) medium (Experiment 1), addition of aPL-containing sera (10%) to CZB medium did not. significantly (P>0.05) influence sperm penetration of oocytes. However, development to the blastocyst stage was significantly (P<0.05) inhibited by serum addition, and formation of morulae (16-23% vs. 58%) and blastocysts (0-4% vs. 21%) was markedly reduced compared with no addition (Experiment 2). In Experiment 3, pronuclear stage embryos were cultured for 96 h in GZB medium supplemented with 1 $\mu$g /ml phosphatidyl ethanolamine, 1 $\mu$g/ml phosphatidyl inositol or 1 $\mu$g /ml phosphatidyl choline. No increase in embryo development was found after addition of the phospholipids to CZB medium. These results suggest that 1) aPL have an inhibitory role in preimplantation development of mouse embryos, and that 2) the action of aPL may be related to a specific phospholid (s) rather than the tested phospholipids in the present study.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.123-127
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• 1990

모성 및 부성 genome의 기능을 알아보기 위하여 미세조작기법과 Sendai virus를 이용한 핵융합 기술을 이용하여 2개의 자성전핵만으로 구성된 2배체의 gynogenetic 수정란을 그리고 2개의 웅성전핵만으로 구성된 2배체의 androgenetic 수정란을 인위적으로 작출하였다. 이들의 작출효율은 biparental 수정란에서는 56%, gynogenetic 수정란에서는 50% 그리고 androgenetic 수정란에서는 56% 이었다. 이들을 체외에서 배양한 결과 gynogenetic 및 androgenetic 수정란은 2-세포기 이후에는 biparental 및 intact 수정란에 비하여 그 발달능이 매우 저조하였으나 이들 중 25% 이상이 포배까지 발달한 수 있음을 확인하였다. Gynogenetic 및 androgenetic 수정란을 동기화된 수란생쥐의 난관내에 이식하였던 바, androgenetic 수정란은 전혀 착상 되지 않았으나, gynogenetic 수정란에서는 착상이 확인되었다. 핵이식기법으로 인위조작된 2배체의 biparental 수정란으로부터 28마리의 생쥐 신생자를 생산하였다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.447-456
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• 1999

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using epididymal and testicular sperm in patients with azoospermia. Methods: From March, 1993 to May, 1999, a retrospective clinical analysis was done of a total of 140 cycles in 112 patients who underwent ICSI. Subjects were divided into three groups: ejaculated-ICSI group included 42 cycles in 34 patients with ejaculated sperm who underwent ICSI due to severe oligospermia and past history of failed or poor fertilization in the previous in vitro fertilization and embryo tranfer (IVF-ET) cycles, microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (MESA-ICSI) group included 50 cycles in 42 patients with congenital absence of the vas deferens (CAVD) or unreconstructable obstructive azoospermia and testicular sperm extraction and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (TESE-ICSI) group included 48 cycles in 36 patients with no spermatozoa which can be retrieved from epididymis or non-obstructive azoospermia. Results: Normal two-pronuclear fertilization rates were similar in three groups: 64.4% for ejaculated-ICSI group, 59.4% for MESA-ICSI group and 60.4% for TESE-ICSI group. The pregnancy rates were 26.2%, 26.0% and 25.0% respectively. There were no significant differences in the fertilization, cleavage, and clinical pregnancy rates among ICSI cycles using ejaculated, epididymal and testicular sperm. Conclusion: Epididymal and testicular sperm obtained in azoospermic patients can fertilize oocyte successfully and may lead to be similar fertilization rates and clinical pregnancy rates to ejaculated sperm.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.315-323
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• 1994

Mammalian oviductal epithelial cells have been known to improve in vitro fertilization and embryonic development. Recently, co-cultured human embryos with the epithelial cells in human genital tract has been reported to improve the pregnancy rate. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of the epithelial cells of human genital tract on the development of mouse early embryos and human fertilized oocytes. The epithelial cells of human genital tract were collected from the fallopian tubes which were obtained during hysterectomy in fertile women and from the endometrium during endometrium biopsy. Collected human ampullary cells(HACs) and endometrial cells(HECs) were cultured for 10 days to establish primary monolayer. Second passaged HACs and HECs were obtained by trypsinization were cryopreserved in PBS with 1.5 M DMSO for later use. To investigate the effect when co-cultured with HACs and HECs, we tried to apply strict quality control on mouse embryo, from two cell to blastocyst prior to human trial. The results of quality control were as follows; In Group I (Ham's F10 with 10% FCS), Group IT (co-cultured with HACs) and Group ill (co-cultured with HECs), developmental rates to blastocyst were 63.3%(253/400), 76.0%(304/ 400),74.0%(296/400), respectively. Hatching rates were 36.8%(147/400), 41.80/0(167/400), 38.0%(152/400), respectively(p<0.05). To perform the human IVF, cryopreserved HACs were thawed at 37$^{\circ}C$ waterbath, seeded on the well dish and cultured for 48 hI'S. The pronuclear stage embryos were transferred to the seeded well dish. After 24 hRS, co-cultured embryos were examined and transferred to patient's uterus. The results of human IVF when co-cultured with HACs were that fertilization and developmental rates were 61.8% (256/414), 95.3% (244/256) as compared with 57.2% (279/488) and 94.6%(264/279) in Ham's F10 supplemented with 10% FCS(control). However, 62.9% (161/256) of co-cultured human embryos showed good embryos(no or slight fragmentation) as compared with 53.8 % (150/279) in control(p < 0.05). Pregnancy rate was 40.0% (12/30) when co-cultured with HACs whereas 30.6%(11/36) in control. In conclusions, co-culture system using HACs and HECs improved the developmental and hatching rates of mouse embryo. Also, in human IVF system when co-cultured with HACs, it improved both the quality of human embryos and the pregnancy rate.

• 한국가축번식학회지
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.305-315
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• 2001

본 연구의 목적은 외래 EGFP 유전자를 분화이전의 웅성생식세포에 도입한 후 이를 난모세포내에 미세주입하여 형질전환동물을 생산하는 기술을 개발하는 데에 있다. 이를 위하여 반수체 정자세포에서 특이적으로 발현하는 생쥐의 mTP1과 햄스터의 hPrm2 유전자 발현 시기를 RT-PCR로 조사한 결과 그시기는 생쥐와 햄스터에서 각각 18일령과 20일령으로 확인되었다. 이에 따라 외래 유전자의 침입이 용이한 감수분열 직전단계인 17일령의 생쥐와 19일령의 햄스터 정자세포를 EGFP 유전자가 포함된 배양액에 부유시킨 다음, 전기자극을 부여한 결과 0.18 ㎸/cm의 전기자극을 가한 후 72시간 배양한 정자세포의 28.5%와 32.1%에서 EGFP 유전자가 발현되는 것으로 확인되었다. EGFP유전자가 도입된 반수체 정자의 수정 및 발달 능력을 검증하기 위하여, 이들 정자세포를 햄스터 난자 내에 미세주입 하였으나, 형광현미경하에서는 EGFP유전자의 발현은 관찰할 수 없었다. 이에 이들 난자를 공시하여 PCR분석을 실시한 결과, 약 44%의 수정란에서 EGFP 유전자의 존재가 확인되었다. 이러한 결과로 보아 반수체 정자세포는 외래 유전자를 난자 내에 도입하기 위한 운반체로 이용될 수 있을 것으로 생각된다.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.107-115
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• 2001

본 연구는 최근 형질전환동물의 생산 및 복제동물 생산에 이용되고 있는 핵이식 기법을 시행할 때 재조합된 핵이식란의 활성화를 위해 널리 적용되고 있는 6-dimethylaminopurine (DMAP)의 활성화 효율과 근래에 제기되고 있는 단위발생란의 비정상적인 염색체 및 핵형에 대해 알아보고 적합한 활성화 유도물질을 찾고자 시행되어졌다. 도축장 유래의 난소에서 채란한 난자를 10% 거세한 수소혈청이 포함된 TCM-199배양에서 22시간동안 체외 성숙을 시킨 후 제 2감수분열 중기의 난자만을 선별해서 5$\mu$M ionomycin에서 5분간 처리하고 1.9 mM 6-dimethylaminopurine (DMAP)와 10$\mu\textrm{g}$/mL cycloheximide (CHX)에서 각 3시간동안 처리하여 활성화를 유도하였다. 활성화가 유도된 난자를 18시간 동안 체외 배양시 전핵 형성, 제 2 세포기까지 분할속도, 배 반포까지의 발달을 및 활성화 및 체외수정 후 108시간에 평균 세포수와 염색체를 분석하여 활성화 물질의 효율뿐만 아니라 문제점을 알아보고자 하였다. 1. 활성화 자극에 따른 난자의 전핵 형성은 ionomycin 처리 후 DMAP을 처리한 난자에서는 1PN 형성율이 9.1%로 ionomycin를 단독 처리하거나 ionomycin 처리 후 CHX를 처리한 난자에서의 1PN 형성율인 77.8와 79.0%보다 유의적 (P<0.05)으로 낮게 나타났으나, 3PN 형성율은 45.5%로 유의적 (P<0.05)으로 높게 나타났다. 따라서 ionomycin 처리 후 DMAP으로 활성화를 유도한 난자는 비정상적인 핵형을 가지지만 CHX로 활성화를 유도하였을 때는 정상적인 전핵 형성이 이루어지는 것으로 보인다. 2. 활성화 자극을 가한 난자의 체외 발달율은 ionomycin을 처리하고 DMAP으로 활성화 자극을 가하였을 때 분할율이 85.5%로 체외 수정한 대조군의 72.5%와 유사하였다. 그러나 ionomycin을 단독 처리하거나 ionomycin 처리 후 CHX로 활성화 자극을 가한 실험군의 분할율인 30.3와 57.9%에 비해 유의적 (P<0.05)으로 높게 나타났다. DMAP 처리군의 분할율은 대조군과 유사하였지만 배반포까지의 발달율은 12.3%로 대조군의 27.8%와는 유의적인 차이는 없으나 발달율이 낮은 경향으로 나타났다. 3. Ionomycin으로 처리 후 DMAP로 활성화 자극을 가한 실험군에서 난자의 발달속도는 활성화 자극 후 18시간 경과하였을 때 28%의 배분열율을 보여 분열속도가 가장 빨랐으며 활성화 자극 후 24~48시간동안 체외 배양을 하였을 때에도 ionomycin 단독 처리하거나 ionomycin 처리 후 CHX로 활성화 자극을 준 실험군에 비해 DMAP으로 활성화 자극을 가한 실험군이 유의적 (P<0.05)으로 빠른 발달속도를 보였다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.281-292
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• 1997

The objective of this study was to compare retrospectively the survival and pregnancy rates(PR) of cryopresered-thawed embryos obtained from intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF). Ninety-six cycles of cryopresered-thawed embryo transfer (ET) were performed in 79 patients from June, 1996 to September, 1997 and grouped as followings: 20 cycles (16 patients) inseminated by ICSI (ICSI Group) and 76 cycles (63 patients) by conventional IVF (IVF Group). Slow-freezing and rapid-thawing protocol was used with 1.5M propanediol (PROH) and 0.1M sucrose as cryoprotectant. All embryos were frozen-thawed at the two pronuclear (2 PN) stage excluding four cycles in which the early cleavage stage embryos were frozen, and allowed to cleave in vitro for one day before ET. The duration from freezing to thawing was comparable in both groups ($mean{\pm}SD$, $112.1{\pm}80.0$ vs. $124.8{\pm}140.1$ days). The age of female ($31.2{\pm}3.4$ vs. $32.6{\pm}3.3$ years) and the endometrial thickness prior to progesterone injection ($9.4{\pm}2.0$ vs. $9.3{\pm}1.8$ mm) were also comparable in both groups. There was no significant difference in the outcomes of cryopreserved-thawed ET between two groups: survival rate ($85.2{\pm}16.1%$ vs. $82.2{\pm}19.7%$), cleavage rate ($96.9{\pm}6.7%$ vs. $94.7{\pm}13.0%$), cumulative embryo score (CES, $54.5{\pm}31.1$ vs. $49.0{\pm}20.0$), preclinical loss rate (5.0% vs. 5.3%), clinical miscarriage rate (0% vs 29.4%), clinical PR per transfer (35.0% vs. 22.4%), implantation rate (9.9% vs. 5.6%), and multifetal PR (42.9% vs. 17.6%). In conclusion, human embryos resulting from ICSI can be cryopreserved-thawed and transferred successfully, and the survival rate and PR are comparable to conventional IVF.