• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.105-111
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• 1994

The effects of human or mouse leukemia inhibitory factor(hLIF or mLIF) were examined as a means of increasing the development of in vitro matured(IVM) and in vitro fertilized (IVF) oocytes into morulae or blastocysts. Cell numbers of blastocysts were also counted using Hochest dye staining. Two-to 8-cell embryos derived from bovine IVM/IVF oocytes were cultured 5 to 6 days in CRI aa with or without mLIF or hLIF. All culture media were contained 3mg/ml bovine serum albumin. In experiment 1, the proportion of embryos developed to morulae and blastocysts in CRI aa containing 5,000U/ml mLIF(37.8%) was slightly higher than those of CRIaa containing 1,000U/ml mLIF(34.6%) and 0 U/ml mLIF(27.4%; P>0.05). In experiment 2, 0, 1,000 and 5,000U/ml of hLIF added to CR1aa media yielded 27.6%, 43.0% and 35.5% morulae and blastocysts, respectively(p>0.05). These were no significant increases in cell number among treatments(p>0.05). These results were indicating that mLIF or hLF can increase the proportion of embryos that develop into morulae and blastocysts without and increase in the cell number.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2001

To investigate the effect of co-transfer of trophoblastic vesicle (TV) with frozen-thawed in vitro Produced (IVP) bovine embryo on pregnancy rate, IVP blastocysts were transferred to synchronized recipients. Elongated blastocysts were recovered at Day 13 to 15, and dissected more than 4 pieces to removed the embryonic disc. Throphoblastic fragments were cultured for 48 hours to make throphoblastic vesicles (TVs). TVs were cryopreserved in ethylene glycol or vitrification solution and frozen-thawed TVs were co-transferred to recipients with frozen-thawed IVP embryos. 1 The recovery rate of elongated blastocyst on Day 13 to 15 was 22.5% (18/80) and the size of recovered elongated blastocysts was 0.2∼5.0mm. 2. Eighteen elongated blastocysts were dissected into 88 pieces and 61.4% of those pieces were formed to TV (54/88) 3. The viability of frozen-thawed TV in ethylene glycol was higher than in vitrified solution (92.8% vs. 68.8%) 4. The pregnancy rate in co-transfer with frozen-thawed TV and IVP blastocyst was better than transfer only IVP blastocysts (50.0% vs. 23.1%).

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 2023

Objective: This study compared the outcomes of single blastocyst transfer cycles, using day- 5 poor-quality blastocysts and day-6 high-quality blastocysts. Methods: We analyzed 462 frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles performed at our center from January 2014 to December 2019. The cycles were divided into two groups: a day-5 poor-quality blastocyst transfer group (group A) and a day-6 high-quality blastocyst transfer group (group B). The clinical outcomes were tested. Results: In groups A and B, respectively, the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR; 61.65% vs. 67.17%, p=0.258), implantation rate (IR; 61.65% vs. 67.17%, p=0.258), and live birth rate (LBR; 69.51% vs. 77.83%, p=0.134) showed no significant differences. Moreover, when day-3 embryo quality was considered, the CPR, IR, and LBR were also similar in group A and group B (p>0.05). Conclusion: The clinical outcomes of day-5 poor-quality blastocysts and day-6 high-quality blastocysts were similar, suggesting that the developmental speed of the embryo might be more important than embryo quality for the clinical outcomes of single blastocyst transfer in FET cycles.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2004.07a
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• pp.27-27
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• 2004

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.71-76
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• 1996

This experiment was carried out to investigate the developmental ability of bovine embryos matured and fertilized in vitro to the gastrulation stage. The bovine oocytes were collected from 2∼5mm follicles, matured for 20∼24hrs in 5% CO2 incubator and then fertilized with frozen-thawed semen. On day 9 after IVF and after freezing and thawing the hatching abilities of expanding blastocysts were examined. Cleavage rate and production rate to expanding blastocysts were 59.7%(955/1604) and 20.7%(333/1604), respectively. Hatching rate of day-9 expanding blastocysts was 54%(40/74), that after freezing and thawing was 56%(79/141). Also, developmental ability of hatched blastocysts to the primitive streak stage was 26%(6/23).

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.251-256
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• 1995

Two experiments were conducted to study the production of in vitro fertilized bovine embryos and the viability of blastocysts cryopreserved by vitrification. In experiment 1, production rate of in vitro matured bovine oocytes after fertilization in medium containing bovine oviduct epithelial cells (BOEC), cumulus cells and granulosa cells to blastocysts were 18.4, 14.6 and 13.1%, respectively. Developmental percentages of blastocysts produced at day 6, 7 and 8 were 8.5, 10.6 and 15.2% respectively. Hatching rate of bovine embryos produced was 60.0%. In experiment 2, post-thawed surviving embryos in a vitrification solution consisting of 7.15M ethylene glycol, 2.5 mM ficoll and 0.3 M sucrose were 36.4% (56/154). Also, survival rate of bovine embryos after exposed to vitrification solution at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 min were 84.0, 88.0, 71.0, 48.0 and 24.0% respectively.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.37-41
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• 1998

This study was conducted to investigate the survival and hatching rates after refrozen-thawed bovine IVF blastocysts. The survival rates after refrozen-thawed bovine IVF blastocysts produced on day 7, day 8 and day 9, were 66.6%(16/24), 62.5%(15/24) and 65.3%(17/26), respectively. The survival and hatching rates after the first frozen-thawed bovine JVF blastocysts were 90.0%(27 /30) and 70.0%(21 /30), but in refrozen-thawed bovine IVF blastocysts were 66.2%(49 /74) and 45.9%(34 /74), respectively. The results of this study were suggest that refrozen-thawed bovine IVF embryos had survival ability.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.29-33
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• 2007

This study was conducted to examine the development of in vitro fertilized (IVF) and nuclear transfer (NT) embryos following vitrification IVF and NT embryos developed to the blastocyst stage were equilibrated by 3 steps, vitrified and thawed, and their survival and hatching rates were examined. In IVF embryos, higher survival (82.1%, 96/117) and hatching rates (64.1%, 75/117) were obtained respectively after thawing and culture in expanded blastocysts compared to blastocysts (p<0.05). High survival and hatching rates were also obtained by vitrification of NT blastocysts, especially in expanded and hatching blastocysts (81.1 and 78.3%, respectively). The result of this study shows that IVF and NT blastocysts, especially late stage blastocysts, are successfully cryopreserved by vitrification.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.173-178
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• 1998

The objective of this study was to evaluate the embryonic development ability and the appearance of blastocysts of bovine in vitro fertilized oocytes cultured in different culture media, and also to evaluate survival rate after thawing of frozen embryos by using 1.5 or 1.8M ethylene glycol(EG) with sucrose or trehalose. Fertilized oocytes were divided into three groups; i ) monolayer of cumulus /granulosa cell prepared by TGM 199+5% calf serum(TGM199), ii)GRlaa+5% CS, iii)SOF+5% CS, and they were cultured after insemination for 9 days, at 39˚C, under 5% $CO_2$ in air, but SOF+5% CS was cultured at 39˚C, under 5% 02, 5% GO2, 99% N2. Blastocysts derived from GRlaa + 5% CS on day 7~8 after insemination were frozen by using 1.5M EG or 1.8M EG with/without 0.2M sucrose or O.1M trehalose. The development rate of blastocysts on day 7 after insemination in SOF+5% CS was significant higher than in TCM199 or CR1aa(P<0.05). The appearance rate of blastocysts on day 7-8 after insemination was higher than in TCM199, when fertilized oocytes were cultured in GRlas or SOF. The survival rate of frozen blastocysts after thawing tended to increase, when blastocysts were frozen by using 1.8M EG with 0.2M sucrose or O.1M trehalose. These results indicated that SOF or CRlaa media with amino acids was superior to TCM199 with monolayer in terms of blastocyst development in culturing of in vitro fertilized bovine nocytes, and sucrose or trehalose was supposed to prevent embryos from the freezing shock.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2020

Background: This study was conducted to analyze clinical factors that can affect pregnancy rates in normal responders undergoing the freeze-all policy in in vitro fertilization. Methods: We evaluated 153 embryo transfer cycles in 89 infertile women with normal response to controlled ovarian stimulation (COS). After COS, all embryos were cultured to the blastocyst stage, and good quality blastocysts were vitrified for elective frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET). Clinical variables associated with COS and the results of COS and culture, including the number of retrieved oocytes, fertilized oocytes, and frozen blastocysts were compared between the pregnant group and the non-pregnant group. Results: After a single cycle of COS for each patient, 52 patients became pregnant while 37 did not. Significant differences were observed in the number of matured oocytes, fertilized oocytes, frozen blastocysts, and transferred embryos. The number of frozen blastocysts in the pregnant group was almost twice that in the non-pregnant group (5.6±3.1 vs. 2.8±1.9, p<0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the 4 frozen blastocysts was 0.801 in the pregnant group. Conclusion: In the freeze-all policy, the number of matured oocytes, number of fertilized oocytes, and number of frozen blastocysts might be predictive factors for pregnancy.