• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2009

Objective: To compare the clinical outcomes of ICSI with sperm retrieved from testicular tissue in patients with obstructive azoospermia (OA) or hypospermatogenesis (HS). Methods: From January 2003 through December 2006, 155 patients with OA (241 cycles) and 28 patients with HS (34 cycles) were included in this study. We compared clinical outcomes of ICSI with testicular sperm such as fertilization rate, implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate and delivery rate. Data were statistically analyzed using t-test and ${\chi}^2$-test. Results: Testicular spermatozoa could not be retrieved in 1 out of the 21 cycles where fresh testicular sperm extraction in HS patients. Fertilization rate (FR) was significantly higher in OA than HS (75.6 % vs. 62.6%, p<0.001). Cleavage rate (CR) per fertilized zygote was also significantly higher in OA than that in HS (66.8% vs. 54.8% p<0.001). However, there were no significant differences in good embryo rate (GER), clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), implantation rate (IR) and delivery rate (DR). Conclusion: Our results show that testicular sperm of HS does not affect CPR, IR, and DR although it has shown reduced FR and CR.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.201-206
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• 2001

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of spring (March~May) and summer (June~August) influencing semen characteristics, frozen-thawed sperm viability and serum testosterone concentration in Yorkshire boars. Results of this study were as follows: 1. There were no significant differences in the semen volume, pH and sperm concentration of sperm-poor fraction of Yorkshire boars between spring and summer. However, sperm concentrations of sperm-rich fractions in spring were higher than those in summer (P＜0.05). 2. Sperm motility and normal acrosome of raw semen in Yorkshire boars did not differ significantly between spring and summer, However, motility and normal acrosome of frozen-thawed sperm were higher in spring season than in summer season (P＜0.05). 3. Serum testosterone concentrations in Yorkshire boars were 4.04 ng/$m\ell$ in spring and 2.85 ng/$m\ell$ in summer. Serum testosterone concentrations in spring were higher than those in summer (P＜0.05). 4. In conclusion, when serum testosterone concentrations in Yorkshire boars were higher, frozen-thawed sperm viability was higher.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.21-44
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• 2000

This study was carried out to investigate sperm storage, and the fate of spermatozoa in the female reproductive tract during hibernation in Korean greater horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum korai. (1) Numerous sperm occurring in uterine lumen and glands were engulfed, and disappeared by the polymorphouclear leucocytes during the hibernation. (2) The stored sperm present in caudal isthmus of oviduct only, the heads of sperm toward the oviductal epithelial cells. Therefore, the projected sperm during the mating season are only alive in the caudal isthmus of oviduct in the long hibernation. The present result suggests that the caudal isthmus of oviduct may play an important role as the principal storage site in capacitation of sperm. (3) In March, the sperm do not occur in the caudal isthmus of oviduct. It suggests that the stored sperm in the caudal isthmus of oviduct should migrate to the ampulla of the site of fertilization to meet ovum in the period of ovulation. The results of this experiment consider that prolonged sperm storage, fate of sperm and sperm migration in the long hibernation have a kind of mechanism for the fertilization.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.94-102
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• 1993

동양달팽이(Nesiohelix samarangae)의 자성생식기 중 정자낭(spermatheca)의 미세구조를 투과전자현미경을 이용하여 관찰하였다. 성체의 정자낭의 내강에서는 정자와 이와 관련된 물질들 또는 상피로부터의 분비물질들이 관찰되었다. 정자낭의 내강을 둘러싸고 있는 벽의 상피는 단층원주상피로서 내강과 연한 세포의 원형질막은 미세융모를 가지고 있었으며 섬모는 가지고 있지 않았다. 이 미세융모들의 기부에서는 고배율 하에서 pinocytotic vesicle들이 관찰되었고 때로 세포의 분비물을 세포 밖으로 방출하는 모습도 관찰되었다. 세포들의 상부세포질에는 많은 수의 mitochondria가 있었고, 때로 분비과립과 lysosomd들이 존재하기도 하였다. 이들보다 아래에는 잘 발달한 골지체와 과립소포체(RER)들이 있었다. 이 부위에서 분비과립들이 많이 형성되어 있는 모습이 세포에 따라 관찰되었고, 그 아래에 즉, 각 세포의 하반부 세포질에 상하로 긴 핵이 관찰되었다. 세포의 기부 원형질막은 상부 세포질 내로 깊게 그리고 수없이 많이 주름을 이루고 있어 인접한 세포와의 경계를 구분할 수 없을 정도였다. 기저막의 아래에는 근육다발과 색소세포들이 결합조직 내에서 관찰되었고, 정자낭의 외막은 큰 액포로 인하여 세포질들이 원형질막 주변으로 밀려나 있는 특이한 세포들로 이루어져 있었다. 정자낭의 기능은 정자를 일시 저장하며 정자낭 상피에서 분비되는 소화액들로 정자를 일차적으로 세포외 소화하고 소화되지 않은 물질들을 흡수하여 이차적으로 세포내소화하는 것으로 생각된다.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2002.06a
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• pp.13-13
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• 2002

수정촉진 peptide(Fertilization Promoting Peptide; FPP) 는 체내에서 정자-난자의 결합시 투명 대내에서 glycoprotein 과 progesterone에 의해 정자침입이 활성화 될 때까지 첨체반응을 억제함으로써 정자의 수정상태 유지를 위하여 필요한 물질로 알려져 있다. 한편, 정자내에 존재하는 lectin과 같은 단백질 및 효소 등은 투명대내에 존재하는 oligosaccharide 잔기를 합성시킨다. 본 연구는 돼지 정자-난자의 체외수정시 투명대내 FITC-labelled 처리된 lection의 결합과 FP의 영향을 검토하고자 수행되었다. (중략)

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.11-13
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• 2001

사람을 포함한 포유류의 정자형성과정은 시상하부에서 분비된 생식소자극호르몬 방출호르몬 (gonadotropin releasing hormone)의 영향 하에 뇌하수체에서 합성 분비되는 난포자극호르몬 (follicle stimulating hormone; FSH) 과 황체화호르몬 (luteinizing hormone; LH)에 의해서 조절된다. LH의 라이디히 세포 (Leydig cells) 자극으로 인한 testosterone 의 합성분비가 성체(adult)의 정자형성과정과 그 유지(maintenance)에 매우 결정적이다. 반면, FSH는 미성숙 개체의 정소에서 일어나는 예비적 정자형성과정에 있어 중요한 역할을 하며, 성체에서도 질적인 면에서의 정자형성과정에 관여하는 것으로 사려된다. 그러므로, 시상하부-뇌하수체-정소의 축(axis)을 이루는 어느 한 성분에서라도 이상이 생기면 정자의 형성과정은 치명적인 영향을 받을 수 있다. (중략)

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.291-300
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• 1998

This study was carried out to elucidate the effect of progesterone, estradiol 17 beta and cholesterol in follicular fluid on sperm chemotaxis for fertilization. By inducing swim-up migration through sucrose layer into bMSS containing progesterone, estradiol 17 beta and/or cholesterol, their effects on sperm migration and sperm movement were examined. And the results obtained were as follows; 1. Progesterone inhibited sperm migration and movement, but significantly attracted capacitated-sperm at the level of 50 $\mu$g/ml. 2. Estradiol 17 beta inhibited sperm migration and movement, but didn＇t significantly inhibit migration of capacitated-sperm at the level of 10$\mu$g/ml. 3. Cholesterol significantly stimulated sperm migration and movement at the level of 50$\mu$g/ml, but didn＇t attact capacitated-sperm. 4. Progesterone and estradiol 17 beta reduced the effect of cholesterol stimulating sperm migration and movement. But estradiol 17 beta and cholesterol didn＇t reduce the effect of progesterone attracting capacitated-sperm. In conclusion, progesterone of 50$\mu$g/ml in bMSS attracted the capacitated-sperm, cholesterol of 50$\mu$g/ml stimulated sperm migration and movement, but estradiol 17 beta of 10$\mu$g/ml didn＇t affect sperm swim-up separation.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.293-301
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• 2008

Objective: To evaluate outcomes of patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) undergoing the testicular sperm extraction (TESE) combined with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with different histopathologic subgroups. Method: A total of 122 embryo-transferred TESE/ICSI cycles were compared among NOA subgroups; Germ-cell aplasia (GA, 40 cycles), Maturation arrest (MA, 32 cycles) and severe hypospermatogenesis (S-HS, 50 cycles). Obstructive azoospermia (OA, 667 cycles) patients were served as a control. TESE/ICSI outcomes such as fertilization rate (FR), clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR) were evaluated. Results: The 2PN FR of embryo-transferred TESE/ICSI cycle was 58.1% in GA, 42.2% in MA and 48.0% in S-HS, which was significantly lower than that of OA (72.9 %, p<0.001). For ICSI-spermatozoa cycles, there were no significant differences in CPR (22.6%, 29.4% and 26.1%) and LBR (16.1%, 29.4% and 19.6%) among NOA subgroups. The CPR of ICSI-spermatid cycles was 0.0%, 9.1% and 0.0% without a live birth. For ICSI-spermatocyte cycles, no clinical pregnancies occurred in any group. Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the FR of embryo-transferred TESE/ICSI cycles among NOA subgroups. The FR among all NOA subgroups was significantly lower than that of OA. Testicular histopathology in NOA did not affect successful pregnancy if spermatozoa extraction from the testis is successful and embryo transfer is possible.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.99-116
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• 1985

소의 번식효율을 증가시키기 위한 기초실험으로서 6%, 10% 및 20%의 bovine serum albumin 을 사용한 선인들의 방법과 tyrode액을 사용하여 시도한 저자의 방법으로 소의 원정액, 희석정액 및 일반시판 냉동정액으로부터 고활력정자를 분리수집하여 정자의 각종 성상과 광학현미경적 형태를 비교관찰한 결과는 다음과 같다. 1. 원정액으로부터 bovine serum albumin을 사용하여 분리한 정자는 대조군에 비하여 운동성, 운동성 정자수, 정상정자율 및 전진운동성이 현저히 높았고 정자회수율은 6%일 때 가장 높았다. 2. 원정액으로부터 bovine serum albumin을 사용하여 고활력정자를 분리한 후 냉동한 정액의 정자운동성, 정상정자율 및 전진운동성은 대조군에 비하여 현저히 높았고, 이러한 현상은 bovine serum albumin의 농도가 20%일 때에 가장 현저하게 나타났다. 3. Bovine serum albumin을 사용하여 분리한 고활력정자의 냉동전 및 냉동후의 광학현미경적인 기형율은 대조군에 비하여 현저히 낮았다. 4. Bovine serum albumin을 사용하여 분리한 고활력정자는 전자현미경으로 세포막의 확장 및 공포 형성, acrosome의 확장과 density loss의 변형율이 대조군에 비하여 낮았다. 5. 일반시판 냉동정액으로부터의 고활력정자의 분리는 bovine serum albumin을 사용할 때는 어려웠으나, tyrode액을 사용한 이 실험에서는 가능하였다. 6. 원정액, 희석정액 및 냉동정액의 고활력정자회수율은 tyrode 액을 이용하여 80분간 정치하였을때 현저히 높았다. 7. Tyrode 액을 이용하여 원정액, 희석정액 및 냉동정액으로부터 분리된 고활력정자의 운동성, 전진운동성 및 정상정자율은 대조군에 비하여 현저히 높았다. 8. Tyrode 액을 이용하여 원정액, 희석정액 및 냉동정액으로부터 분리한 고활력정자의 광학현미경적 기형율은 대조군에 비하여 현저히 낮았다.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 2003

Initiation and activation of sperm motility are prerequisite processes for the contact and fusion of male and female gametes at fertilization. The phenomena are under the regulation of CAMP and $Ca^{2+}$ in vertebrates and invertebrates. Mammalian sperm requires $Ca^{2+}$and cyclic AMP for the activation of sperm motility. Cell signaling for the initiation and activation of sperm motility has been well studied in the ascidians, Ciona intestinalis and C. savignyi and salmonid fishes. In Ciona, whose cell signaling for activation of sperm motility has been established, the sperm-activating and -attracting factor released from unfertilized egg requires extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ for activating sperm motility and eliciting chemotactic behavior of the activated sperm toward the egg. On the other hand, the cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation of protein is essential for the initiation of sperm motility in salmonid fishes. A decrease in the environmental Ti concentration surrounding the spawned sperm causes a li efflux and $Ca^{2+}$ influx through the specific $K^{+}$ channel and dihydropyridine-sensitive L-/T- type $Ca^{2+}$ channel, respectively, thereby leading to the membrane hyperpolarization and $Ca^{2+}$ influx. The membrane hyperpolarization synthesizes cyclic AMP, which triggers the luther Process of cell signaling, i.e., cyclic AMP-dependent protein phosphorylation, to initiate sperm motility in salmond fishes.almond fishes.