• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.35-39
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• 1974

This experiment was studied on the peritoneal fluid wden it was used for nutrient solution of fertilized ova of rabbit when it was cultivated in vitro. The peritoneal fluid also can be gained much from the superovulated rabbits. The results was follow. 1. Wden 2. 4. 8. cell stage ova of rabbit were cultivated in peritoneal fluid in peritoneal fluid at 37'c for 48 Ths, each ova was developed by 78.1, 83.3, 91.7, and 93.6%, and these records were superior to when the blood serum was used. 2. When 2cell stage ova of rabbit was cultivated in peritoneal fluid 88% of Ova were repidly growth Far morula stage and 24 became blastocyst stage these records are nearly same to the records in morulel blood sevium. 3. At these ponts the rabbit peritoneal fluid can be used effectively for on culture fluid.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.141-145
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• 2004

Mucin coat is deposited on the embryos during passage through the oviduct in rabbit. When in vitro cultured blastocysts were transferred to the recipients, the lack of mucin coat might account in part for failure of pregnancy after transfer. The present study were carried out to investigate whether deposition of mucin coat were induced when in vitro cultured blastocysts were transferred to recipients. At 19 ～20 hours post-coitus one-cell embryos were collected by flushing oviducts. These embryos cultured for 72 hours were reached to blastocyst stage. And these blastocysts were transferred to the oviduct of asynchronized (one day later than the donors) and synchronized recipient. To confirm deposition of the mucin coat, blastocysts transferred to the oviduct were recovered at 24 and 48 hours after the transfer. Fifty eight percent of blastocysts recovered from uterus of asynchronous recipient at 24 hours after transfer and 92.9% of blastocysts recovered from uterus of synchronous recipient were 0～10 ㎛ of mucin coat thickness. And 11.8% of blastocysts of asynchronized recipients and 7.1% of blastocysts from asynchronized recipients were in 11～20 ㎛ of mucin coat thickness. When blastocysts were recovered from uterus at 48 hours after transfer, 87.0% of blastocysts from asynchronized recipients and 5.9% of blastocyst from synchronized recipients were in 0～10 ㎛ of mucin coat thickness. And 76.5% of blastocysts of synchronized recipients and 4.4% of blastocysts from asynchronized recipients were in 11～20 ㎛ of mucin coat thickness. From these results it is speculated that the low implantation rate of in vitro cultured rabbit blastocysts transferred to oviduct of recipient was caused by high degeneration of the embryo after transfer and inappropriate deposition of mucin coat.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2003

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of blastomere diameters and cell cycle stages on the subsequent development of nuclear transplant rabbit embryos (NT-embryos) using nuclei derived from the 16- or 32-cell stage embryos. All blastomeres and NT-embryos were cultured individually in modified Ham's F-10 medium supplemented with 10% rabbit serum (RS) at $38^{\circ}C$ and 5% $CO_2$ in air. The diameter of blastomeres from 16-cell stage embryos was found twice of those from 32-cell stage (51 vs 27 ${\mu}m$). Significant differences were observed in cleavage rates ($\geq$3 divisions) in the isolated single blastomeres (54 vs 48 for 16-cell; 28 vs 14 for 32-cell, p<0.05), but the fusion rates of oocytes with transferred nuclei were similar between small and large single blastomeres derived from either 16-cell or 32-cell stage embryos. When 16-cell stage blastomeres were used as nuclear donors, cleavage rates ($\geq$3 divisions) of the NT-embryos were greater in the small nuclear donors than in the large donors (73 vs 55%, p<0.05). On the contrary, significantly higher cleavage (43 vs 6%, p<0.05) and developmental rates (14 vs 0%, p<0.05) were observed in the large blastomere nuclear donor group of the 32-cell stage embryos. When the cell cycle stages were controlled by a microtubule polymerization inhibitor (Demicolcine, DEM) or the combined treatment of DEM and Aphidicolin (APH), a DNA polymerase inhibitor, fusion rates were 88-96% for the 16-cell donor group (without DEM treatment), which were greater than the 32-cell donor group (54-58%). Cleavage rates were also greater in the transplants derived from G1 nuclear donor group (93-95%) than those from the DEM and APH combined treatment (73%) for the 16-cell donor group (p<0.05). No significant difference was detected in the morula/blastocyst rates in either donor cell stage (p>0.05). In conclusion, it appeared that no difference in the developmental competence between large and small isolated blastomeres was observed. When smaller 16-cell stage blastomeres were used as nuclear donor, the cleavage rate or development of NT-embryos was improved and was compromised when 32-cell stage blastomeres were used. Therefore, control nuclear stage of the donor cell at $G_1$ phase in preactivated nuclear recipients seemed to be beneficial for the cleavage rate of the reconstructed embryo in the 16-cell transplant, but not for subsequent morula or blastocyst development.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.167-173
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• 2000

The principal objective of this study was to clone transgenic embryos in order to improve the efficiency of transgenic animal production by the combination of microinjection and nuclear transplantation techniques. Mature female New Zealand White rabbits were superovulated by eCG and hCG treatments, fllowed by natural mating. Zygotes were collected from the oviducts at 18∼22 h after hCG injection by flushing with D-PBS containing 5% fetal calf serum(FCS). Two to three picoliters of green fluorescent protein(GFP) gene wa microinjected into male pronucleus. The foreign gene-injected zygotes were cultured in TCM-199 or RD medium containing 10% FCS with a monolayer of rabbit oviductal epithelial cells in a 5% CO2 incubator. The morulae expressing GFP gene were selected and their blastomeres were separated for the use of nuclear donor. Following nuclear transplantation of fluorescence-positive morula stage blastomeres, 13 (21.3%) out of 61 fused oocytes developed to blastocyst stage and all of the cloned blastocysts expressed GFP. The results indicate that the screening of transgene in rabbit embryos by GFP detection could be a promisible method for the preselection of transgenic embryos. Also the cloning of preselected transgenic embryos by nuclear transplantatin could be efficiently applied to the multiple production of transgenic animals.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.1360-1366
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• 2001

The aims of this study were first to evaluate the effects of different levels (20, 40 and 100%) and sources (follicular size: large, >7 mm; medium, >5-7 mm; small, 3-5 mm) of porcine follicular fluid (pFF) on the in vitro maturation (IVM) of porcine oocytes, and the effects of fertilization treatments and different culture conditions on development of fertilized oocytes were also investigated. No differences in the maturation (63.6-76.6%) and cleavage (24.8-34.3%) rates were observed among the 20,40 and 100% pFF groups (p>0.05). The cleavage rates of oocytes cultured and fertilized in 40% and 100% pFF maturation media were significantly higher than those fertilized in m199-NBCS (51.0-61.2% vs. 12.8-31.8%. p<0.05), regardless of sources of the pFF. When oocytes were fertilized in m199-NBCS followed by culture in rabbit oviducts for 4 days, the cleavage rate in 40% pFF group was better than that in 100% pFF group (46.9% vs. 32.5%, p<0.05). Two oocytes recovered from the oviducts in the 40% pFF group developed to blastocysts after IVC. However, none developed to blastocysts when fertilized in the IVM medium after being transferred to rabbit oviducts. In conclusion, addition of pFF accompanied with gonadotropins (FSH, LH) in IVM medium enhanced maturation and cleavage rates of porcine oocytes. Direct addition of sperm suspension to IVM medium may be an alternative to simplify the fertilization procedures and to reduce the mechanical lesion during manipulation. Furthermore, rabbit oviducts provide a better environment for the in vitro fertilized oocyte developing to the morula and blastocyst stages.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 1995

The purposes of this study were to produce cloned rabbit embryos and offsprings by nuclear transplantation(NT) using in vitro matured oocytes as nuclear recipient cytoplasm and to determine the effect of frozen nuclei donor embryos on the production efficiency of cloned embryos. The 8cell embryos were collected from the mated does by flushing oviducts with Dulbecco's phosphate buffered saline containing 10% fetal calf serum(FCS) at 40 hours after hGG injection. A portion of collected embryos were preserved at 4$^{\circ}C$ for 24 hours and a portion of them were frozen by vitrification method. The embryos used for donor nuclei were synchronized in the phase of Gi /S transition. The in vitro matured oocytes were used as recipient cytoplasm following removing the nucleus and the first polar body. The synchronized blastomeres from fresh, cooled or frozen embryos were injected into the enucleated oocytes by micromanipulation and were electrofused by electrical stimulation of three pulses for 60 $\mu$sec at 1.0 W /cm in 0.28 M mannitol solution. The fused oocytes were co-cultured with a monolayer of rabbit oviductal epithelial cells in M-199 solution containing 10% FCS for 120 hours at 39$^{\circ}C$ in a 5% $CO_2$incubator. Following in vitro culture of the NT embryos to blastocyst stage, they were stained with Hoechst 33342 dye for counting the number of blastomeres by fluorescence microscopy. The nuclear transplant embryos developed in vitro to 2- to 4-cell stage were transferred into the oviducts of synchronized recipient does. The results obtained were summarized as follows: 1. The fusion rates of the blastomeres from fresh, cooled and frozen embryos with the in vitro matured and enucleated oocytes were 100, 95.8 and 64, 3%, respectively. 2. Development in vitro to blastocyst was significantly(p<0.05) different between the cloned embryos with the blastomeres from fresh, cooled or frozen embryos as 39.0, 20. 9 and 15.7%, respectively. 3. The mean numbers of cell cycle per day during in vitro culture of cloned embryos blastomeres from fresh, cooled or frozen embryos was 1.31, 1.29 and 1.16, respectively. 4. A total of 77 nuclear transplant embryos were transferred into 6 recipient does, of which two offsprings were produced from a foster mother 31 days after embryo transfer.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.877-886
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• 1995

The recycling nuclear transplantation(NT) technique has the powerful potential of producing a large number of genetically identical embryos and offsprings from one embryo. Multiple generational cloning by this technique utilizes the NT embryo itself as the donor for the next generation of cloning. In this experiment, we have produced the third generational cloned embryos by recycling NT. Further we examined comparatively the electrofusion rate and in vitro developmental potential in the cloned embryos of the first second and third generations. The embryos of 16-cell stage were collected from the mated does by flushing oviducts with Dulberco's phosphate buffered saline containing 10 % fetal calf serum(FCS) at 47 hours after hCG injection. In the first generation NT, the nuclear donor embryos were synchronized in the phase of Gl/S transition of 32-cell stage. The first and second generation NT embryos developed to 16-cell were used as donor nuclei for second and third generation. The recipient cytoplasms were utilized the oocytes collected at 14 hours after hCG injection, following revoming the nucleus and the first polar body by micromanipulation. The separated blastomeres were injected into the enucleated recipient oocytes by micromanipulation and were fused by electrical stimulation. The electrofusion rate was seen to be 78.0, 88.0 and 90.3 % in the first second and third generation NT rabbit embryos, respectively. The fused oocytes were co-cultured with a monolayer of rabbit oviductal epithelial cells in M-199 solution containing 10 % FCS for 120 hours at 39$^{\circ}C$ in a 5% $CO_2$ incubator. The in vitro developmental potential to blastocyst stage was significantly(P<0.05) decreased in the third(7.2 %) generation NT embryos compared to the first(53.1 %) and second(16.1 %) generation NT embryos. Following in vitro development to blastocyst stage, they were stained with Hoechst 33342 dye for counting the number of blastomeres by fluorescence microscopy. The mean blastomere numbers and cell cycle numbers of NT embryos during the culture period were significantly(p<0.05) decreased in the second(93.9 cells and 6.55 cylces) and third(81.5 cells and 1.35 cylces) generation, compared to the first(189.9 cells and 7.55 cylces) generation.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.223-229
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• 1987

This study was carried out to investigate effects of superovulation and time of embryo recovery on ovarian response, recovery rate and developmental stage of embryo in donor and effects of methods of synchronization, number of corpus luteum (CL), stage of embryo and time of embryo transfer on ovarian response, conception rate and number of newborn in recipients which were transferred on 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 days after synchronization. The results obtained are as follows; 1. The ovulation point of superovulated donor on 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 days after copulation was 23.3, 35.3 and 23.3, respectively. The number of embryos recovered from the donors on 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 days after copulation was 23.3, 25.8 and 19.8, respectively. The ovulation point and number of embryos recovered on 3.5 days were greater than those of 2.5 and 4.5 days. Among 232 embryos recovered on 3.5 days after copulation, 84 were blastocyst and 62 were hatching blastocyst. 2. The number of CL in recipients on 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 days after synchronization was 3.2, 2.9 and 3.8 and showed no difference among the days. 3. When the number of CL was 0, 2-3, 4-6 and more than 7 the pregnancy raet of recipients was 0, 37.5, 66.7 and 75%, respectively. The pregnancy rate of recipients increased as the number of CL increased. 4. The pregnancy rate of transferred morula, blastocyst and hatching blastocyst was 32.0, 37.2 and 24.7%, respectively. The blastocyst nhowed highest pregnancy rate. 5. When the recipients were synchronized by HCG, the number of CL, unruptured follicle, hemorrhage, pregnancy rate and number of young were 5.5, 6.4, 3.3, 72.7% and 3.3, whereas that of GnRH were 2.3, 4.4, 2.8, 25.0% and 1.2, respectively. Recipients synchronized by HCG showed better results than GnRH. 6. When the embryos were collected on 2.5 days after copulation and transferred to the synchromized recipients, the pregnancy rate and the number of young born was 62.58% and 3.1, respectively. Those of 3.5 and 4.5 days after copulation was 57.1% and 1.3, and 37.5% and 1.6. The 2.5 days showed higher pregnancy rate and number of young born than 3.5 and 4.5 days.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.179-188
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• 1993

The developmental capacity of bovine oocytes under three different culture systems was investigated in this experiment ; One was culture in TCM199 with bovine oviductal epithelial cells(BOEC) for in vitro culture, another was culture in TCM199 with BOEC for 2 days and then transfer of 4~8cell embryos to rabbit oviduct(RO) and the other was transfer of 1 or 2cell embryos to RO for in vivo culture. And the other concern of this experiment was to investigate the effect of culture period and transfer site on recovery. Immature bovine oocytes were cultured in TCM199 with granulosa cells for 22-24hrs and then fertilized in vitro using frozen-thawed semen treated with BO-caffine and BO-BSA. Fifteen to 18hrs after in vitro fertilization oocytes were cultured in TCM199 with BOEC or transferred to RO for 5 days. The rate of development to the morula or blastocyst was higher in transfer of 1 or 2cell embryos to RO(23.1%) than culture in TCM199 with BOEC(11.7%). But, there was no difference between transfer of 1 or 2cell embryos and transfer of 4~8cell embryos to RO(12.8%). Recovery under different culture periods in RO was significantly higher in 90~95hrs(70.1%) than 122~125hrs(50.9%, p<0.05) and recovery significantly increased when oocytes were transferred deeper in RO(2.5cm>, 47.7% ; 2.5~4.5cm, 63.9% ; 4.5cm<, 77.3%, p<0.05). The results show that transfer of 1 or 2cell embryos to RO is an effective means of supporting the further development of in vitro matured and fertilized bovine oocytes than culture in TCM199 with BOEC or transfer of 4~8cell embryos to RO, and recovery from RO increases when oocytes are transferred deeper and incubated shorter in RO.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.75-84
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• 1999

This study assessed development in vitro of pronuclear(PN) stage embryos cryopreserved by the method of either vitrification or slow freezing, by using of different cryoprotectants, and equilibration and cooling rate, in rabbit. Ethyleneglycol- ficoll- sucrose(EFS) or ethyleneglycol- polyvinylpyrrolidone - galactose- (EPG-I) for vitrification, and EPG- II for slow freezing as cryoprotectant were used. The pronuclear embryos were exposed to EFS for 0 to 5 min and diluted with D-PBS and/or pre-dilution with 0.5 M sucrose. To examine the viability of frozen-thawed embryos, PN embryos were co-cultured with bovine oviductal epitherial cell(BOEC) for 5 days to hatching blastocyst stage in 39 $^{\circ}C$ 5% $CO_2$incubator. The results obtained were as follows: The dilution with 0.5 M sucrose and D-PBS after the exposure to EFS for 1.0 min resulted in no significant(P＜0.05) decrease in the development of PN embryos to hatching blastocyst(72.0%), compared with controls. The development of PN embryos cryopreserved to hatching blastocyst was not significantly (P＜0.05) different between EFS for 1.0 min(72.0%), EPG-I for 1.0 min(72.0%) and EPG-II for 30 min(66. 7%). The post-thaw development of PN embryos to hatching blastocyst was similarly very low as 6.1% and 11.5% in vitrification with EFS and slow freezing with EPG-II, respectively. The incidence of post-thaw zona-crack in PN embryos cryopreserved by slow freezing with plunging to liquid nitrogen at －35$^{\circ}C$ was signicantly(P＜0.05) higher(25.0%), compared with －85$^{\circ}C$ (1.9%). These results indicated that the rabbit PN embryos could be cryopreserved with either vitrification or slow freezing procedure, and frozen PN embryos could be successfully developed in vitro to haching blastocyst. but the post-thaw development of cryopreserved PN embryos was still very low under the present conditions.