• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.179-190
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• 1998

Prolactin (PRL) surge in cycling rats at proestrous afternoon has previously been reported as an inducer of apoptotic cell death of luteal cells. This death-inducing action of PRL seeins unusual, because PRL can he categorized as a cell-survival factor, if other known physiological functions of PRL are taken into account. In this study, the apoptotic action of PRL was assessed in cultured cells prepared from rat luteal tissue and underlying molecular /cellular mechanism of PRL-induced luteolysis was analyzed. The latest crop of corpora lutea (CLs) were enucleated from rat ovaries at 18:00 h on the proestrous day before the next ovulation. Donor rats were pretreated with CB154, a dopamine agonist, in order to he exempted from the endogenous PRL surge. The harvested GLs were dispersed and cultured with or without PRL (2$\mu$g /ml) for 24 or 48 h. An addition of PRL to the culture medium changed the parameters indicative of cell death via apoptosis: a decrease in cell viability (MTT) and an increase in chromatin condensation. Most of the DNA breakdown in nuclei induced by PRL occurred in steroidogenic cells which were identified by 3$\beta$-HSD activity staining, and the number of 3$\beta$-HSD-positivecells were significantly decreased. Interestingly, most of the cells with an apoptotic nucleus adhered to one or more intact and seemingly non-steroidogenic cells. Because the expression of Fas has heen shown to be abundant in murine ovary, and Fas is known to have an exact physiological role in occurrence of apoptotic cell death, the membrane form-Fas ligand (rnFasL) was quantified in the cell lysate. An addition of PRL increased expression of mFasL. Moreover, an addition of concanavalin A (ConA), a T-cell specific activator, in place of PRL, enhanced the apoptotic parameters. Cumulatively, the apoptotic PRL action was addressed to cells unknown than steroidogenic lute~ cells. The most prohable candidate for the direct target cells is Tcells in the luteal tissue that can express mFasL in response to PRL.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.153-160
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• 1994

This study evaluated the influence of cell stage of donor nucleus on nuclear injection, electrofusion and in vitro development in the rabbit to improve the efficiency of nuclear transplantation in the rabbit. The embryos of 8-, 16- and 32-cell stage were collected from the mated does by flushing viducts with Dulbecco's phosphate buffered saline(D-PBS) containing 10% fetal calf serum(FGS) at 44, 54 and 60 hours after hCG injection. The blastorneres separated from these embryos were used as donor nucleus. The ovulated oocytes collected at 14 hours after hCG injection were used as recipient cytoplasm following removing the nucleus and the first polar body. The separated blastomeres were injected into the enucleated oocytes by micromanipulation and were electrofused in 0.28 M mannitol solution at 1.5 kV /cm, 60 $\mu$sec for three times. The fused oocytes were cocultured with a monolayer of rabbit oviductal epithelial cells in M-199 solution containing 10% FGS for 72~120 hours at 39$^{\circ}C$ in a 5% $CO_2$ incubator. The cultured nuclear transplant embryos were stained with Hoechst 33342 solution and the number of cells were counted by fluorescence microscopy. The successful injection rate of 8-, 16- and 32-cell-stageblastomeres into enucleated oocytes was 86.7, 91.0 and 93.9%, respectively. The electrofusion rate of 8-, 16- and 32-cell-stage blastomeres with enucleated oocytes was 93.3,89.3 and 79.0%, respectively. Development of blastomeres to blastocyst was similar with 8-,16- and 32-cell-stage donor nuclei(26.2, 25.8 and 26.6%, respectively, P<0.05). The mean number of cell cycle per day during in vitro culture in nuclear transplant embryos which received 8-, 16- and 32-cell- stage nuclei was 1.87, 1.81 and 1.43, respectively.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.221-228
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• 2014

Despite that porcine spermatogonial stem cells (pSSCs) have been regarded as a practical tool for preserving eternally genetic backgrounds derived from pigs with high performance in the economic traits or phenotypes of specific human diseases, there were no reports about precise definition of niche conditions promoting proliferation and maintenance of pSSCs. Accordingly, we tried to determine niche conditions supporting proliferation and maintenance of undifferentiated pSSCs for short-term. For these, undifferentiated pSSCs were progressively cultured in different composition of culture medium, seeding density of pSSCs, type of feeder cells and concentration of growth factors, and then total number of and alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity of pSSCs were investigated at post-6 day culture. As the results, the culture of $4{\times}10^5$ pSSCs on mitotically in activated $2{\times}10^5$ STO cells in the mouse embryonic stem cell culture medium (mESCCM) supplemented with 30 ng/ml glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) was identified as the best niche condition supporting effectively the short-term maintenance of undifferentiated pSSCs. Moreover, the optimized short-term culture system will be a basis for developing long-term culture system of pSSCs in the following researches.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.321-325
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• 2014

The present study was performed on farm animals to test the effectiveness of progesterone-releasing intravaginal device (Cue-Mate$^{(R)}$ 1.56 g) and injection of prostaglandin $F_{2{\alpha}}$ ($PGF_{2{\alpha}}$) for synchronization estrus in Hanwoo cattle. The cattle were at random stage of the estrus cycle. The cows were artificially inseminated at day 7 after Cue-Mate withdrawal, using commercial semen from Korean native bulls. There was a season effect on the estrus synchronization rate. It was higher in spring (94.3%) followed by winter (93.3%), autumn (90.4%) and summer (67.2%). In summary, The results of this study revealed that season has influences on estrus behavior of cattle with no significant effect on pregnancy rate. In summary, we suggest summer reproductive management to alleviate the effects of heat stress. It should be based on intensive cooling combined with hormonal treatment. Given that different subgroups of cows benefit differently from the treatments, selective hormonal administration should be considered.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.339-344
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• 2006

This study was to investigate the optimal short-term storage diluents for goat spermatozoa. Semen was collected with electro-ejaculation from two goats. The collected semen was diluted in BTS and centrifuged at 500 g for 5 minutes. The supernatant was discarded and diluted with BTS, Modena or Triladyl$^{(R)}$ and stored at 4 or $17^{\circ}C$ for 8 days. The motility of spermatozoa in BTS and Modena stored at $4^{\circ}C$ was rapidly decreased at day 1. The motility of spermatozoa in BTS at $17^{\circ}C$ was decreased to 30$\sim$45% at day 2. In Modena at $17^{\circ}C$, the inappropriate motility fur artificial insemination (AI) was reached at day 4. The spermatozoa stored in Triladyl$^{(R)}$ at 4 or $17^{\circ}C$ were more viable and higher motility up to day 4. In conclusion, liquid storage of goat spermatozoa in Triladyl$^{(R)}$ at 4 or $17^{\circ}C$ for 4 days showed permissible viability for AI.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2013

Alpha-tocopherol as an antioxidant acts in preservation of chilled semen by preserving cell membrane damage from lipid peroxidation. Optimum concentrations of ${\alpha}$-tocopherol in egg yolk-citrate (EYC) extender need to be studied in crossbred bull's semen. Different concentrations of ${\alpha}$-tocopherol viz. 0, 1, 2, 4 and 6mg per ml of extender were used. Semen was collected once a week from four bulls used to regular collection, aged 4 to 7 years, weighing 320 to 450 kg, and with body condition score 4 to 4.5 and scrotal circumference 23 to 32 cm. Semen was evaluated routinely and sperm morphology was viewed under light microscope at ${\times}1,000$ magnification after fixing with buffered formal saline. Over 90% had normal head, acrosome, mid-piece and tail. Semen was diluted with egg-yolk-citrate extender to produce $15{\times}10^6$ spermatozoa/ml and 0, 1, 2, 4 and 6 mg/ml ${\alpha}$-tocopherol were added. The semens amples were kept at $8^{\circ}C$. Sperm motility and viability were examined daily up to 5 days under light microscopy at ${\times}200$ magnification. Sperm viability was acceptable (${\geq}40%$) up to the $4^{th}$ day with all concentrations of ${\alpha}$-tocopherol and up to the $5^{th}$ day with 2 mg/ml ${\alpha}$-tocopherol. Sperm motility was acceptable (${\geq}40%$) up to the $3^{rd}$ day irrespective of ${\alpha}$-tocopherol concentration, and up to the $4^{th}$ day with 2 mg/ml ${\alpha}$-tocopherol. It is suggested that the lifespan of chilled semen may be extended up to 4 days by adding 2mg/ml ${\alpha}$-tocopherol.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2001.03a
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• pp.73-73
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• 2001

This study was to examine whether the vitrified, one-step diluted and direct transferred Hanwoo IVM/IVF/IVC blastocysts can be successfully survived in vivo and they were succeeded into the live birth. For vitrification, blastocysts were serially exposed in glycerol (G) or/and ethylene glycol (EG) mixtures [10% (v/v) G for 5 min, 10% G plus 20% EG (v/v) for 5 min, and 25% G plus 25% EG (v/v) for 30 sect] which is diluted in 10% FBS added D-PBS. Thawing of straw was carried out in air for 10 sec and then in water bath of $25^{\circ}C$ for 20 sec. One-step dilution within the straw was done in water bath of $25^{\circ}C$ for 1 min. Vitrified and one-step diluted embryos were directly transferred into 36 (natural or hormone induced synchronized) recipient cows in 6 areas of Kyungsang Buk-Do. Pregnancies were confirmed at first when recipient cows did not return to the subsequent estrus cycle, and later by manual palpation per rectum on day 45, 90 and then living calves were derived into parturition. Overall pregnancy was 33.3%(12/36), However, higher pregnancy was obtained when the recipients exhibited estrus one day earlier than the age of transferred embryos (53.3 vs 25.0-27.3%), irrespective of synchronization methods. Also, parous recipients became pregnant higher than nulliparous heifers, And, there were not different in pregnancy rates by the aspect of corpus luteum (CL) quality of recipients (good, 29.4; fair, 37.5; poor, 33.3%). One hundred eight of frozen-thawed Hanwoo blastocysts were directly transferred into 36 recipient cows. In 12 of pregnant cows, 3 cows were aborted and 9 cows were calved [single, 66.7% (6/9): twin, 33.3% (3/9)]. Total embryo implantation rate was 11.1% (12/108). However, 9 Hanwoo calves were lived. Therefore, these results demonstrate that direct transfer technique of vitrified and one-step diluted bovine blastocysts can be applied easily and effectively with the higher pregnancy rate on field trial without the equipment and embryological skills.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.275-282
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• 2004

This study was carried out to examine the effects of development media and those change on in vitro development (IVD) of porcine oocytes matured and fertilized in vitro. Putative embryos, which were matured in vitro in modified NCSU-23 (mNCSU-23) supplemented with 10％ porcine follicular fluid (pFF) and were fertilized in mTBM, were developed in vitro as the experimental scheme. The results are as follows. When porcine putative embryos were cultured in vitro in NCSU-23 or CZB/Pig-MEM, the percentage of oocytes cleaved was not different between two systems, but the percentage of blastocysts in NCSU-23 was significantly higher than in CZB/Pig-MEM (P<0.05). And when porcine putative embryos were cultured in vitro in NCSU-23 during 7 days with or without changing media at day 5, which was supplement with or without 10％ fetal bovine serum(FBS), the percentage of oocytes cleaved, blastocysts at day 6, and the cell number of ICM, TE and total of blastocysts at day 7 were not different among three treatments. As a result of this study, it is supposed that NCSU-23 be more favorable, to develop porcine embryos derived from IVM/IVF, than CZB/Pig-MEM, but that demonstration on the effects of changing medium with fresh one stand in need of the more experiments.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.65-71
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• 2017

The elevated temperature and high humidity has been known as main reason for heat stress on animals and cause detrimental effects on productivity of organisms and physiological conditions of normal bioactivities. The aims of this study were to evaluate the relationship between time of heat shock simulation during in vitro maturation and developmental competence of subsequent embryo after in vitro fertilization. Heat shocked cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) of Korean native cattle were subjected to normal conditions for 22, 21, 18 and 12 h respectively and transferred to heat stress inducing condition at $40.5^{\circ}C$ in other incubator for 0 (control), 1 and 4 h. After maturation for 22 h, the oocytes were fertilized and cultured in mSOF media for 8 d and examined the developmental capacity of embryos. There were no differences in maturation and cleavage rates between 0, 1 and 4 h heat socked oocytes, but blastocysts formation were lower in the 4 h heat stressed oocytes. The apoptotic cells of developed blastocysts were also increased in at day 8 with 4 h heat shocked oocytes. These results indicate that heat shock on oocytes during maturation could cause negative effects on the developmental competence of embryos.

• 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.