• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.239-243
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• 2001

Selection of oocyte cryopreservation method is a prerequisite factor for developing an effective bank system. Compared with slow freezing method, the vitrification has various advantages such as avoiding intracellular ice crustal formation. In our previous, we attempted to employ a vitrification method using ethylene glycol and an electron microscope grid for cryopreservation of mouse oocytes. However, A high incidence of spindle and chromosome abnormalities was detected in thawed oocytes after vitrification. We examined whether the addition of a cystoskeleton stabilizer Taxol $^{TM}$, to the vitrification solution could promote the post-thawed survival and subsequent development of stored oocytes. More oocytes developed to the 4-cell (44.7% vs. 69.7%), 8-cell (31.8% vs. 64.2%), morula (24.7% vs. 54.3%), and blastocyst (20.3% vs. 49.2%) stages after the addition of Taxol$^{TM}$ to the cryoprotectant than after no addition. 21 and 26 mouse pups were born after transfer of blastocyst derived from oocytes vitrified without and with Taxol. The addition of Taxol to vitrification solution greatly promoted post-thaw preimplantation development of ICR morose oocytes.tes.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.147-157
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• 1998

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of in vitro fertilization, culture and embryo development according to in vitro maturation rate, protectant composition and equilibrium time after frozen /thawing of bovine immature oocytes. This results obtained in studies on the effect of different cryoprotectants on the viability, maturation and development of in vitro bovine oocytes were as follow: 1.The post-thawing of immature oocytes matured to metaphase II during culture time for 0 to 26 h, and those group (62~3%) were low than control group (76.7%). The optimal maturation time of frozen-thawed immature oocytes was at 24 h. 2.The viability of cryopreserved immature oocytes was not affected by sort of cryoprotectants. The developmental competence of frozen4hawed oocytes was not affected by cryoprotectants. These results indicate that an optimal maturation time of frozen /thawed immature oocytes was at 24h. Furthermore the viability of cryopreserved immature oocytes was not affected by sort of cryoprotectants and developmental competence of frozen /thawed oocytes.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.45-56
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• 1997

Befor fertilization, mammalian oocytes undergo meiotic maturation, which consists of nuclear and cytoplasmic differentiation. In this study, changes of $Ca^{2+}$ stores in mouse oocytes were examined during meiotic maturation and the role of $Ca^{2+}$ in the regulation of the maturation was investigated by using monoclonal antibodies against smooth endoplasmic reticulum $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase(SERCA-ATPase) and calreticulin. Observations were made under epifluorescence microscope and/or confocal laser scanning microscope. In immature oocytes which did not resume meiotic maturation, SERCA-ATPases were mostly localized in the vicinity of the germinal vesicle and calreticulins were distributed evenly throughout the cytoplasm. In mature oocytes, SERCA-ATPases were observed throughout the cytoplasm, butwere absent from the nuclear region. In contrast, calreticulins were localized mostl in the cortex of the oocyte and were absent from the cytoplasm. However, bright fluoresence stainings were wbserved in the perimeiotic spindle region of mature oocyte when labeled with antibodies against calreticulin. These results indicate that mouse oocytes undergo distinct rearrangement of the localization of $Ca^{2+}$-ATPases and calreticulins during meiotic maturation. Thus it can be suggested that redistribution of the $Ca^{2+}$ stores, as revealed by differential fluorescence stainings, is deeply involved in the regulatory mechanism of mammalian oocyte maturation.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.70-78
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• 1989

Mouse eggs recovered from oviducts at one hourly intervals between 10 and 20 hours after administration of hCG were fixed, stained and then investigated the rate of in vitro fertilization and nuclear maturation. In case of out- bred ICR mice, ovulations were occured between 11 and 13 hours after hCG injection. The stages of in vitro maturation of eggs recovered from female mice at various times after hCG injection were metaphase I, anaphase I, telophase I and metaphase II. However the majority was metaphase I(17.6 to 44.4%) and metaphase II(42.9 to 80.0%) stage. When the eggs were inseminated with epididymal spermatozoa, the fertilization rate was declined as the egg recovery time after hCG administration was delayed. That is, the proportion of eggs undergoing fertilization became higher(68.1 to 77.4%) in the eggs at 12 to 15hr after injection of hCG than those(17.5 to 56.4) at 16 to 20 hr after injection of hCG. Also, when nuclear maturation of the unfertilized eggs were observed at 8 hours after insemination, the majority was in metaphase I and metaphase II and no anaphase I and telophase I were observed.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.213-219
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• 1998

This study was carried out to investigate on the improvement of fertilizing ability of in vitro matured oocytes from sperm density, motility and polyvinylpyrrolidine (PVP) concentration, by intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI) into the bovine oocytes. 1. The in vitro fertilization and cleavage rates of oocytes from 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 5.0 ($\times$106/ml) sperm concentration by IVF and ICSI of bovine oocytes were 45.0%~65.0%, 65.0%~90.0% and 10.0%~30.0%, 35.0%~70.0%, respectively. 2. The in vitro fertilization and cleavage rates of oocytes from 20, 40, 60, 80% of sperm motility by IVF and ICSI of bovine oocytes were 47.8%~75.0%, 78.3%~90.0% and 8.7%~25.0%, 34.8%~70.0%, respectively. 3. The in vitro fertilization and cleavage rates of oocytes from 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.05% of PVP concentration by microinjection of single into the bovine oocytes were 72.7%, 90.9%, 83.3%, 76.9% and 45.5%, 72.7%, 58.3%, 61.5%, respectively and these values of 0.02% addition of PVP were higher than other concentrations of PVP. 4. The in vitro fertilization and developmental rates of oocytes by IVF and ICSI methods were 63.3%~64.6%, 26.7%~29.2% and 88.2%, 47.1%, respectively. This ICSI method was improved high fertilization rates of bovined oocytes.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.293-301
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• 1996

In the present study, mouse follicular oocytes and 2-cell embryos(late -zygote stage embryos included) were cultured on the electric pad for electric stimulation in the culture incubator. In addition, follicular oocytes and embryos were tested for maturation and development under higher temperature condition($39^{\circ}C$).Mouse follicular oocyte maturation were not affected by anion electric stimulation and there is no significant difference in GBVD and MI between the control and experiment group after 4hr culture. In the embryo culture, it was found that more morula and blastocyst were found in the electric stimulation group rather than the control(96hr). This may seem to be caused with cytoplasmic $Ca^{2+}$ transient rise by electric stimulation(anion pad). On the other hand higher temperature incubation ($39^{\circ}C$) on the anion pad caused all the embryos degenerated within $12h{\sim}24hr$ culture. This was quite different from large animal embryos(bovine, pig, sheep), in which beneficial effect of high temperature incubation for oocyte maturation and embryo development were found.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.201-206
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• 1986

These experiments were conducted to know whether RNA syntheis is involved in the cumulus expansion and oocyte maturation of mouse cumulus-oocyte complexes in vitro. Mouse cumulus-oocyte complexes(COC's) were cultured in the presence of cordycepin, an inhibitior of RNA synthesis and its effect on the cumulus expansion and oocyte maturation were examined. The results were as follows. 1. Continuous presence of cordycepin in the medium(200${\mu}g/ml$) inhibited the HCG-induced cumulus cell expansion of mouse complexes. This inhibition was reversible. 2. When the COC'S were preincubated with different concentration of cordycepin plus HCG for 3 hours and then transferred to the plain medium, the HCG induced cumulus expansion was suppressed at $100{\mu}g/ml$ of cordycepin. 3. When the COC'S were cultured with cordycepin after HCG stimulation(3hrs), the cumulus expansion were not suppressed by cordycepin. 4. Oocyte meiotic maturation did not appear to be affected by cordycepin. The data presented here imply that RNA synthesis is involved in the cumulus expansion process and that mouse oocytes are more resistant to RNA synthesis inhibitor than cumulus cells.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.195-200
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• 1986

In order to know when the cumulus cells of mouse follicles get ability to expand in vitro, the oocyte cumulus complexes obtained from different growing ages of mice were cultured in the medium containing HCG and their rate of expansion were observed and at the same time their maturation rate was examined. The growth of follicles was also checked by histological method. It was impossible to isolate the oocyte-cumulus complexes from 13 or 15 days old mouse ovaries. The oocyte-cumulus complexes collected from 17 days old mouse were partially induced to expanded by HCG, and from 19 days, most of the complexes were induced to full expansion. The rate of cumulus cell expansion by HCG and the oocyte maturation increased steadly during the growing ages to adult. Thus, the time for follicles to get competence for expansion and maturation seems to be closely related. Antral follicles were appeared from 17 days old mice and Graafian follicles were seen from 21 days old mice. The competence for cumulus expansion increased during follicle growth up to 21 days old mice.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.245-255
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• 2002

In order to obtain the basic information for seedling production of venus clam, Protothaca jedoensis, the annual reproductive cycle was investigated mainly by histological observation from September 1998 to August 1999. P. jedoensis was dioecious. The gonads are located between the digestive diverticula and muscle tissue of the foot. The ovary was composed of a number of ovarian sacs, and the testis was composed of several testicular tubules. The condition index was reached its maximum (20.0) in February, and then decreased to 11.5 in June. In August, the value was the lowest (9.0) and then increased slowly. Minimum size for the sexual maturation of individuals were 38.4 mm in shell length. One the other hand, the size of mature oocytes was ranged to $50-60\mu{m}$ in diameter and testis-ova was observed in testis of the mature stage. The reproductive cycle of P. jedoensis could be classified into five successive stages: early active (December to February), late active (January to April), ripe (March to July), partially spawned (June to August) and spent/inactive (July to January) stages.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.133-139
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• 1999

This study was carried out to investigate in vitro/in vivo development of vitrified-thawed immature mouse oocytes. Immature mouse oocytes were vitrified with EFS40 (40% ethylene glycol, 18% ficoll and 0.5 M sucrose). Thawed oocytes were matured for 16 hr in vitro. Matured oocytes with the first polar body were fertilized with the concentration of 1~2$\times$10$^{6}$ $m\ell$ of epididymal sperm. After fertilization, cleavage ($\geq$ 2-cell) and in vitro/in vivo development rates were examined. $\pi$ Ie results were summarized as follows: in vitro maturation rate of immature mouse oocytes in vitrified-thawed group was similar to that in exposed group (67.5%) and control (66.3%), but cleavage rate of vitrified-thawed oocytes (64.9 %) and blastocyst formation rate (59.0%) were significantly different compared to those of exposed group (83.7 and 74.7%) and control (90.7 and 83.7%) (p＜0.05). However, when the blastocysts derived from immature mouse oocytes vitrified-thawed were transferred to pseudopregnant mouse, total implantation (31.3%) was slightly lower than that in control (40.8%), but live fetus formation rate (66.7%)was slightly higher than that in control (58.1%), there was not significantly different. Therefore, when the blastocyts produced in vitro were transferred into recipients, although the development in vitro of oocytes vitrified-thawed was decreased, live fetus formation rate was similar to that of control group. The present results indicate that immature mouse oocytes can be frozen successfully by vitrification with EFS40.