• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 2009

Objectives: Seminal concentration of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$) relevant to sperm nuclear DNA integrity has not been studied. The present study aimed to evaluate seminal concentration of TNF-${\alpha}$ in correlation with sperm parameters and nuclear DNA integrity in asymptomatic healthy donors. Methods: Semen samples were obtained by masturbation from forty-five healthy donors. Results: Sperm quality was assessed by computer-assisted semen analysis and nuclear DNA integrity measured by the TUNEL assay in raw semen. TNF-${\alpha}$ concentrations were measured by ELISA in frozen-thawed seminal plasmas. Sperm DNA fragmentation rates were ranged between 1.9% and 53.0% (mean${\pm}$SD, 12.4${\pm}$9.6%). Univariate analysis revealed that DNA fragmentation rate was not associated with sperm concentration or motility but had a correlation with linearity negatively (r=-0.325, p=0.03) and age positively (r=0.484, p=0.001). The mean seminal concentration of TNF-${\alpha}$ was 4.9 pg/mL with a range from 1.1 to 22.6 pg/mL. The TNF-${\alpha}$ concentration had no correlation with clinically relevant parameters of sperm quality or nuclear DNA fragmentation rate. Conclusion: Our results indicate that sperm nuclear DNA fragmentation may be not associated with seminal TNF-${\alpha}$ level or sperm quality in asymptomatic healthy donors.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 1998.07a
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• pp.68-69
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• 1998

정액의 ml당 정자수는 $1.13 \pm 0.34 \times 10^{10}$이었고 spermatocrit는 $64.8 \pm 1.4$였으며, 정장의 삼투질농도는 $266 \pm 2$ mOsm/kg이었다. 총 단백질 함량과 총 지질 함량은 정장에 비해 정자에서 높은 값을 보였고, glucose는 검출되지 않았다. 황복 정자를 16일간 $0 \pm 0.5 \circ C$에서 냉장보존 하였을 때, 수정률은 0-0.7%로 보존효과가 저조한 것으로 나타났다. 황복 정자의 냉동보존을 위한 희석액으로는 marine fish Ringer's solution, 동해방지제로는 5% DMSO가 적합하였으며, 이때의 수정률은 $79.3 \pm 7.5$%였다.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2005

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of semen characteristics, frozen-thawed sperm viability and serum FSH, LH, estradiol-17β and testosterone concentrations between breeds and among seasons in boars. In all seasons, Yorkshire boars produced higher semen volume compared with Duroc boars, whereas sperm concentration did not differ significantly between Duroc and Yorkshire boars. Semen volume in spring was higher compared with summer, autumn and winter in both Duroc and Yorkshire boars, but sperm concentration did not differ significantly among seasons. Sperm motility and normal acrosome rate of frozen-thawed sperm produced in spring were higher than those in summer, autumn and winter in both Duroc and Yorkshire boars. Sperm motility of frozen-thawed sperm in Yorkshire boars was higher than that in Duroc boars regardless of seasons. However, normal acrosome rate did not differ significantly between Duroc and Yorkshire boars. Serum FSH concentration in Yorkshire boars was lower than that in Duroc boars in all seasons. However, there were no significant differences on serum FSH concentration of Duroc and Yorkshire boars among seasons. Serum LH and estradiol-17β concentrations did not differ significantly between Duroc and Yorkshire boars. Also, there were no significant differences in serum LH and estradiol-17β concentrations of Duroc and Yorkshire boars among seasons. Serum testosterone concentration in Yorkshire boars was higher than that in Duroc boars in all seasons. In both breeds, serum testosterone concentrations were higher in spring than in summer, autumn and winter. In conclusion, when serum FSH concentrations were low, semen volumes were high, and when serum testosterone concentrations were high, sperm motility and normal acrosome rate of frozen-thawed sperm were high.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 1999

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of intracytoplasmic injection of $Ca^{2＋}$ and human sperm extract on the parthenogenetic activation of mouse oocytes. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The mouse oocytes were injected with 10 pl of PBS medium containing 0, 1.7 and 5 mM calcium concentrations, respectively. Activation rate of the oocytes with formation of pronuc1ei and extrusion of the second polar bodies was 14.5, 9.8 and 14.9% at the above calcium concentrations, respectively. There were no significant differences in the activation rates among the calcium concentrations. 2. The mouse oocytes were injected with 10 pl of non-heated human sperm extract, and cultured for 12~15 h in the PBS media with the 0, 1.7 and 5 mM calcium concentrations, respectively. Activation rate(51.8%) of the oocytes at the 1.7 mM calcium concentration was significantly higher than those at the 0 and 5 mM calcium concentrations. 3. The mouse oocytes were injected with 10 pl of heated human sperm extract, and cultured for 12~15 h in the PBS media with the 0, 1. 7 and 5 mM calcium concentrations, respectively. No significant differences were found in the activation rates (11.8~17.0%) among the calcium concentrations. 4. The mouse oocytes were injected with 10 pl of PBS medium, non-heated sperm extract and heated sperm extract, and cultured for 12~15 h in the PBS media with 1.7 mM calcium concentrations, respectively. Activation rate (54.5%) of the oocytes injected with the non-heated sperm extract was highest. There were significant differences in the activation rates among the above injection materials (P＜0.05). 5. The mouse oocytes were injected with 10 pl of 1 and 6 days old non-heated sperm extracts, and cultured for 12＜15 h in the PBS media with 1.7 mM calcium concentrations, respectively. Activation rate(60.0%) of the oocytes injected with 1 days old sperm extract was significantly higher than that (11.1%) injected with 6 days old sperm extract. The results obtained in this study suggest that non-heated human sperm extract may contain sperm-associated oocyte-activating factor such as oscillin.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.149-154
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• 2005

연구목적: 정자의 첨체상태는 수정능과 상관관계가 있다. 본 연구는 사람 정자의 동결보존 시 Fertilization promoting peptide (FPP) 처리가 첨체 유지에 효과가 있는지를 알아보고자 실시하였다. 연구재료 및 방법: 사람 정자는 정액검사를 의뢰한 시료를 사용하였으며, 적정농도를 조사하기 위하여 25, 50, 100 nM FPP를 신선정자에 처리한 뒤 시간별로 첨체의 변화를 조사하였다. 또한 적정화된 50 nM FPP를 정자의 동결-융해 시에 처리한 뒤 첨체 변화를 조사하였다. 첨체 변화는 FITC - pisum sativum lectin (PSA) 염색방법을 이용하여 조사하였다. 결 과: FPP 농도 변화와 처리시간에 따른 사람 정자의 첨체 변화를 조사하였던 바, 50 nM FPP 처리군에서 대조군보다 높은 온전한 첨체비율을 얻을 수 있었다. 정자의 동결-융해 시, 동결액과 융해액에 50 nM FPP 첨가가 온전한 첨체를 유지하는 비율을 조사하였던 바, 신선 정자의 결과보다는 유의하게 낮지만 무 처리군보다 유의적으로 높은 온전한 첨체를 얻을 수 있는 것을 알 수 있었다. 또한 동결액에만 또는 융해액에만 50 nM FPP 처리를 하더라도 무 처리군보다 유의하게 높은 온전한 첨체 비율을 획득할 수 있음을 알 수 있었다 (p<0.001). 결 론: 사람 정자의 동결보존 시 50 nM FPP 첨가는 자발적으로 발생하는 첨체반응을 억제하고, 온전한 첨체를 유지할 수 있어 수정능 보유에 기여할 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.53-59
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• 2000

Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are exogenous chemicals which interfere several aspects of natural hormone properties. EDs with estrogenic activity have been recently reported to cause animal reproductive problems. This study was performed to investigate the effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on the mouse spermatogenesis in vivo. Male ICR mice were orally injected on a daily basis with low dose of BPA 20 mg/kg, high dose of BPA 200 mg/kg, or corn oil (vehicle control) for 7 days, and litter size and weights of body, testis, and cauda epididymis were measured. The level of serum testosterone and the expression of TGF- $\beta$$_1$ mRNA were also analyzed using RIA and RT-PCR, respectively. Also, morphological differences of testes after treatments were examined. Sperm concentration and level of serum testosterone showed a decreasing tendency detected as untreated >corn oil >low >high dose BPA treated mice, although there were no significant statistical differences. Interestingly, in mice treated with a high dose of BPA, partial disappearance of spermatozoa in seminiferous tubular lumen and the expression of TGF-$\beta$$_1$ mRNA were observed. Spermatogenesis was disrupted through TGF-$\beta$ system in the seminiferous tubules, resulting in no development of germ cells. Similarly, the litter size treated with a high dose of BPA was significantly different from that of untreated control group. In conclusion, these results that a high dose of BPA (200 mg/kg) acts as an endocrine disruptor during apermatogenesis in male mice md that there are BPA-specific lesions in the adult male reproductive tract might represent a permanently altered responsiveness to testosterone by BPA in the affected target tissue.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.251-258
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• 2013

This study aims to find out a suitable cryoprotective agent (CPA) for cryopreservation and its optimum concentration in order to conduct planned artificial seed production of Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas and to preserve superior sperm. For this, we tried to understand toxicity and the effect of cryopreservation by CPA type and concentrations first and then looked into cell damage of the sperm after thawing. Toxicity analysis on the sperm of Pacific oyster according to different CPA and immersion time shows that dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) comes first when it comes to survival rate and mobility followed by ethylene glycol (EG), glycerol and methanol. To identify the optimum CPA and its level, filtered seawater was used as a diluent before cryopreservation for 30 days. As a result, cryopreserved sperm of Pacific oyster with 15% of DMSO showed the highest survival rate and activation. Also, we observed the cryopreserved and thawed sperm with Scanning electron micrographs by CPAs and concentrations. Consequently, DSMO showed the lowest cell damage followed by EG, methanol, glycerol and the level was 15, 20, 10, 5% respectively. In a nutshell, it is proven that the optimum CPA and its level is 15% of DMSO.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.127-132
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• 1999

This study was carried out to investigate the general characteristics such as volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, sperm abnormality on whole semen, removed seminal plasma(RSP) semen and fractional semen of small dogs, and the effect of temperature and preservatio time and cryopreservation on motility of whole and removed seminal plasma semen. Multiple ejaculates were collected from small dogs by the digital manipulation of penis. 1. Average sperm concentration, sperm motility and abnormal sperm rates of whole semen and RSP semen were 5.07$\pm$2.32$\times$10$^{6}$ cells/$m\ell$, 95.42$\pm$2.65%, 4.42$\pm$0.157% and 4.69$\pm$3.27~4.25$\pm$3.65$\times$10$^{6}$ cells/$m\ell$, 91.17$\pm$3.85~88.52$\pm$3.85%, 6.57$\pm$0.43~5.54$\pm$0.52%, respectively. 2. Average semen volume per ejaculate, sperm concentration, sperm motility and abnormal sperm rate of 1st fractional semen were 0.92$\pm$0.7$m\ell$, 4.57$\pm$0.78$\times$10$^{6}$ cells/$m\ell$, 10.72$\pm$3.21% and 5.50$\pm$0.70%. Average semen volume per ejaculate, sperm concentration, sperm motility and abnormal sperm rate of 2nd fractional semen were 2. 14$\pm$0.19$m\ell$, 2.01$\pm$0.12$\times$10$^{6}$ cells/$m\ell$, 95.44$\pm$4.21% and 4.31$\pm$0.53%. Average semen volume per ejaculate, sperm concentration, sperm motility and abnormal sperm rate of 3rd fractional semen were 2.66$\pm$0.23$m\ell$, 2.35$\pm$0.21$\times$10$^{6}$ cells/$m\ell$, 90.71$\pm$2.63%, 6.33$\pm$0.91%, respectively. 3. Motility of whole semen and RSP semen were higher at 2$0^{\circ}C$ than at 4$^{\circ}C$ or 37$^{\circ}C$. When preservation temperature was 2$0^{\circ}C$, sperm motility were 98.32% at 1 hr, 92.15% at 5 hrs, 90.23% at 10 hrs 82.08% at 15 hrs 70.07% at 20 hrs 60.02% at 20 hrs 37.19% at 40 hrs respectively. 4. Average sperm motility of frozen 2nd fraction semen and RSP semen were 33.3$\pm$8.7, 54.7$\pm$9.5%, respectively. Sperm motility was significantly higher in frozen 2nd fraction semen and RSP semen compared with control group.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.321-327
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• 2009

This study aimed to examine the testis toxicities of metal compound, manganese (Mn), which may be generated as mist or fume in the industrial sites. As well as serum prolactin (PRL) concentration was analyzed because Mn accumulation in basal ganglia up-regulates serum PRL and hyperprolactinemia consecutively induces the testis toxicity. Male F344 rats were divided into the 4 groups (2 controls and 2 Mn treated groups, n=10) on the basis of the test condition (inhalation, Mn $1.5mg/m^3$ or not) and treatment period (for 4-weeks and 13-weeks). The treatment time was 6 hr. a day, 5 days a week for the whole body. Basic tests including changes in body weight, feed rate were observed. Blood and testis Mn concentration, and testis toxicity test such as the number and deformity test of sperm were also observed. Serum PRL level was analyzed by ELISA to certify the relationship between the Mn induced increase of the serum PRL level and sperm production. Blood and testis Mn concentrations were significantly and dose-dependently increased. Sperm count was decreased in Mn-treatment groups than control in a treatment time dependent manner. Morphological analysis of cauda epidydimal sperm showed that the frequencies of morphologically abnormal sperms such as bent tail and small head were increased in the both Mn-treatment groups than control. A significant increase in serum PRL levels was found in response to Mn treatment but it was not hyperprolactinemia range. These results suggest that treatment of Mn up-regulates the serum PRL concentration and induces the testis toxicity. The No Aversed Effect Level (NOAEL) of inhaled Mn on the male rat testis may be under the $1.5mg/m^3$.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.87-90
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• 2007

The effects of static magnetic field on the human biological system are becoming increasingly more important with the adaption of static magnet in the medical community. It is the goal of this paper to review the effects of static magnetic fields on oxygen saturation level in blood. The results of this paper show that the oxygen saturation level increased in the blood in index finger when the static magnetic dipole was fitted on index finger.