• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.340-345
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• 2004

The embryotoxic effects of PCB (Aroclor 1248) on a Korean frog, Rana dybowskii was deter-mined by using the FETAX (Frog Embryo Teratogenesis Assay-Xenopus) protocol. The rates of mortality and malformed larvae were investigated by probit analysis. The results showed that PCB is highly embryolethal. From LC$_{50}$ of 1.48ppb and from EC$_{50}$ of 0.25ppb and TI of 5.7 were derived, which indicates PCB is to be considered a teratogenic compound. Specific malformations occurred in 62.0% as edema at the 0.1ppb, in 32.0% as tail deformations at the 1ppb, and in 68.0% as profound deformations at the 5ppb of PCB concentration which living embryos were exposed to. PCB suppressed the growth of head-tail length at a relatively low concentration (1.0ppb), and therefore growth inhibition as assessed by embryo length can be used as a sensitive indicator to evaluate the toxicity of pollutants in the environment. In conclusion, PCB must be considered highly embryotoxic to Rana dybowskii.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.768-774
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• 1995

These experiments were conducted to determine the change of sugar content during germination in corn, which were analyzed by using HPLC. Germination percentage and growth rate of Golden cross bantam 70 were higher than those of Suweon 19. The emergences of radicle and plumule of Golden cross bantam 70 were faster compared to those of Suweon 19. Three major components, sucrose, glucose and fructose, were detected during germination. Content of sucrose in two tested hybrids decreased rapidly as time passes. In embryo of Suweon 19, the content of sucrose was 38.92% on 12 hours after incubation but decreased to 4.52% on 72 hours. In that of Golden cross bantam 70, it decreased rapidly more than Suweon 19 from 53.03% on 12 hours to 8.18% on 72 hours. On the other hand, the contents of glucose and fructose increased.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.101-106
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• 2001

Present study was aimed to verify the role of insulin and TNF-$\alpha$ in development of preimplantation embryos. Mouse morula were cultured for 40 hr in the presence or absence of insulin(400 ng/ml) and TNF-$\alpha$ (50 ng/ml). The morphological development, cell number of blastomeres per blastocyst, and mitogen activated protein kinase(MAPK) activity were examined. The developmental rate and cell number per embryo were the highest in insulin treatment group and the lowest in TNF-$\alpha$ treatment group. There was no significant difference in developmental rate between control and insulin plus TNF-$\alpha$ group. Taken together, it suggested that TNF-$\alpha$ impaired embryonic development and that insulin rescued developmental impairment imposed by TNF-$\alpha$. In blastocysts, insulin treatment significantly increased MAPK activity. TNF-$\alpha$ decreased the MAPK activity in a concentration-dependent manner. In the TNF-$\alpha$(50 ng/ml) -primed embryos, activation of MAPK by insulin was attenuated. In conclusion, these results suggest that there was a cross talk between insulin and TNF-$\alpha$ by means of activation of MAPK in preimplantation embryos and that insulin might rescue damage of embryos exposed to TNF-$\alpha$.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.55-95
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• 2008

This research was performed with the aim of analyzing the 'expectation dynamics' of embryonic stem cell research which was revealed throughout the establishment process of Stem Cell Research Center from 2000 to 2002. Expectation dynamics is a chained process: expectation construction - raising fund - performing research. Normally, researchers are considerably circumspect and politically neutral in assessing the result of research. However, some researchers are very involved in building the expectation dynamics by developing an overestimated impact of the result, which can be understood as a kind of strategy for solving the financial problem and defending the criticism in terms of bioethics. Nowadays Biotechnology R&D costs a big budget and requires large site human resources, so building the expectation dynamics is a decisive element for a successful R&D performance, which makes the strategy-development in the political context much more important. By analyzing the actors-network of embryonic stem cell research in term of 'expectation dynamics', we can clarify the identify of embryonic stem cell researchers and draw a conclusion which is very helpful for decision makers and the public to make a decision related with embryonic stem cells.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.61-65
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• 2018

Our experiment studied that grafted stem cells reduced behavioral deficiency in rodent animal models of clip compressive surgery inducing spinal cord infarction. Our research proved the effect of embryonic stem cells to the spinal cord infarction caused by compressing T9-10 with an aneurysm clip, focusing the application of grafted stem cells for reduction of infarction and regeneration of spinal cord nervous injury. Therefore, our research suggests manifest results that implantation of mouse embryonic stem cell could show behavioral improvement after severe spinal cord damage. Therefore, mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) could be useful application for the method in neurological injury. Conclusively, stem cell implant therapy may enhance the effectiveness of stem cell implant for central nervous system injury.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.81-93
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• 1979

Metabolic changes of early mouse embryos treated with progesterone were investigated in order to elucidate the mode of action of progesterone on embryogenesis in vitro. The embryos were cultured, and labelled with radioactive precursors of macromolecules for certain periods in the absence or presence of various concentrations of progesterone by employing the microtube culture technique. The changes of transport and macromolecular synthesis systems of the embryos were examined by measuring the amounts of uptake and incorporation of the precursors. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Progesterone stimulated markedly the uptake of amino acids, but rather suppressed their incorporation by embryonic cells. 2. Progesterone suppressed both the uptake and incorporation of nucleotide precursors (uridine and thymidine) by embryonic cells. 3. Progesterone penetrated into the embryonic cell membranes and was taken up by them. The present results seem to indicate that the inhibition of the progesterone on the mammalian embryogenesis in vitro may not be directly related to the membrane transport system. They seem to imply that progesterone would penetrate into the embryonic cells and may directly block the biosynethetic pathways of macromolecules, and so lead to the inhibition of the embryogenesis in vitro.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 1984

In order to investigate the alkaline phosphtase activities in the mouse oocytes in matuation and preimplantation embryos in developing in culture, the enzyme activities were measured by means of biochemical method. The in vitro effect of levamisole which is known as an inhibitor of the lakaline phosphatase was also observed on the oocyte in maturation and the embryos in early embryogenesis. The results obtained were as follows: The enzyme activity was not detected in the embryos unitl the stage of 4-cell, but it appeared first in the 4-cell embryos and the level of the activity was steady through up to the blastocyst. Levamisole inhibited the alkaline phosphatase activity in the blastocyst, and the activity decreased by almost 70% at 10 mM and 50% at 1 mM as compared with the control. In addition, levamisole inhibited completely the formation of polar body by the oocytes. and induced degeneration of the preimplantation embryos at the dose of 0.5 mM or higher.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.570-578
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• 2023

Experiments on zebrafish embryo toxicity and whitening efficacy, which is an alternative experimental animal model, were conducted using coffee by-products. As a result of the embryo toxicity test treated with the coffee residue extract, the coagulation rate was 3, 3, and 5% at 24, 48, and 72 hpf and concentration of 125 ppm, respectively. The hatching rate of embryos was 73% at the highest concentration of 125 ppm. In the heart beat rate experiment of zebrafish larva, the heart beat rate after 72 hpf was confirmed to be 153 times/60 s' at a concentration of 125 ppm. The negative control group showed no significant change in heart rate compared to the control group at 148 times/60s', and showed low toxicity. In addition, as a result of evaluating the whitening effect in zebrafish, melanin formation was inhibited as the concentration of the coffee residue extract increased. The results of this study suggest the possibility that naturally derived by-product materials can be used as raw materials for cosmetics, and are expected to be used in the cosmetics industry as an example of research that increases the added value of natural product residue.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.311-319
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• 2009

Objective: Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have the capacity to differentiate into all of the cell types and therefore hold promise for cell therapeutic applications. In order to utilize this important potential of hESCs, enhancement of currently used technologies for handling and manipulating the cells is required. The cryopreservation of hESC colonies was successfully performed using the vitrification and slow freezing-rapid thawing method. However, most of the hESC colonies were showed extremely spontaneous differentiation after freezing and thawing. In this study, we were performed to rapidly collect of early passage hESCs, which was thawed and had high rate of spontaneously differentiation of SNUhES11 cell line. Methods: Four days after plating, partially spontaneously differentiated parts of hESC colony were cut off using finely drawn-out dissecting pipette, which is mechanical separation method. Results: After separating of spontaneously differentiated cells, we observed that removed parts were recovered by undifferentiated cells. Furthermore, mechanical separation method was more efficient for hESCs expansion after thawing when we repeated this method. The recovery rate after removing differentiated parts of hESC colonies were 55.0%, 74.5%, and 71.1% when we have applied this method to three passages. Conclusion: Mechanical separation method is highly effective for rapidly collecting and large volumes of undifferentiated cells after thawing of cryopreserved early passage hESCs.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.179-187
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• 1998

The effects of prostaglandins in hatching and implantation have been studied but the results were various, and those are not well known by the embryonic stage. The present study examined the effects of prostaglandin $E_2$(PG $E_2$) and prostaglandin $F_2$$_{\alpha}$ (PG $F_2$$_{\alpha}$) on the expansion and hatching of mouse embryos by embryonic stage. Also we tried to measure the concentration of prostaglandins of morula, expanded, and hatching embryos. In early morula stage embryos, high concentration of PG $E_2$(>100$\mu$M) showed cytotoxicity but PG $F_2$$_{\alpha}$ did not. The hatching was inhibited all groups but not gave negative effects on expansion. In 84 hr and 96 hr stage embryos, the hatching rate was decreased at all treatment groups but not inhibited the expansion. When combine prostaglandin with indomethacin, the hatching rate was increased significantly compared to the prostaglandin-treated groups, and as lower and lower the PG $E_2$ concentration, the hatching rate increased to the control level. The embryonic synthesis of PG $E_2$ increased dramatically but that of PG $F_2$$_{\alpha}$ increased gradually. PG $E_2$ showed cytotoxicity at early stage embryos much than late stage embryos, but PG $F_2$$_{\alpha}$ did not. Hatching was inhibited by the high PG $F_2$$_{\alpha}$ concentration. It is suggested that the inhibition of hatching might be at resulted from cytotoxicity of PG $E_2$ on embryo. However, it is thought that the mechanisms of inhibition of hatching are different between PG $E_2$ and PG $F_2$$_{\alpha}$. In conclusion, it can be suggested that PG $E_2$ and PG $F_2$$_{\alpha}$ concerned with the expansion and hatching, and their effects on hatching were different by the embryonic stage.$/ concerned with the expansion and hatching, and their effects on hatching were different by the embryonic stage.