• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.305-310
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• 2019

Embryos produced with serum show the alterations in their ultrastructure, impaired compaction, abnormal blastulation, aberrant mRNA expression profiles and large calf syndrome with greater incidences of stillbirths and deaths after birth. The aim of the present study was to describe in vitro embryo production by analyzing embryo production, fetal production and pregnancy rate in free-serum medium. The OPU-IVP data used in this study from 2016. Approximately, sixteen cows (Hanwoo), which belonged to the Institute of Gyeongsang National University, were used. Two experimental group is used in this study. Serum groups were conducted in March to July and free-serum group was conducted in September to December. The recovered cumulus-oocyte complexes were morphologically classified to four grades based on the compaction of cumulus cells layers and homogeneity of the cytoplasm. The number of oocyte was significantly greater in serum groups than that in free-serum groups (29.61 ± 0.63 vs. 15.6 ± 0.62; p < 0.05). Between serum and free-serum groups indicate that average of 1st and 2nd grade oocytes were no difference (2.38 ± 1.67 vs. 2.38 ± 1.48; p > 0.05), but number of 3rd and 4th grade oocytes were greater in serum groups than that in free-serum groups (7.31 ± 7.64 vs. 5.60 ± 6.29; p < 0.05). Embryo cleaved competence was higher in rate in free-serum groups than that in serum groups (62.1% vs. 58.3; p < 0.05). However, blastocyst developmental rate was no difference between serum and free-serum groups (33.1% vs. 43.5%; p < 0.05). 986 recipients were used for embryo transfer. Pregnancy rate was indicated that between serum and free-serum group was no difference (54.6% vs. 56.3%; p < 0.05). In conclusion, we developed the free-serum system for production of in vitro bovine embryos in order to meet the developmental and qualitative requirements for large scale commercial use.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.237-242
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• 2003

These studies were carried out to establish an effective in vitro embryo transfer methods by analyzing several factors. The base media were TCM-199 solution for in vitro maturation(IVM) of bovine follicular oocytes and Fer-TALP solution for in vitro fertilization(IVF) and CRlaa medium for in vitro culture(IVC). IVC used the fertilized oocytes of 24-hr culture (day 1)after IVF. Embryos were cultured in drop-culture that contained 25 embryos per 10${mu}ell$. Blastocysts cultured for 7 to 9 in vitro were transferred to recipients. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The pregnancy rate according to different region of embryo transfer were 33.8％, 48.1％, 45.0％ and 35.3％ respectively. 2. The pregnancy rate according to the parity of recipient when embryos were transferred to nulliparous (42.9％) was higher than that of 1∼3nd parlous(36.9％), however there were not show significant difference each other. 3. According to the stage of blastocyst, the pregnancy rate when middle blastocysts (MB) (45.5％) were transferred to recipients were higher than that of late blastocysts (LB) (41.0％). 4. When IVF-derived blastocysts cultured for 7 to 9 day were transferred to recipients, the pregnancy rate was higher 7 day of blastocyst than that of 8 day or 9 day of blastocyst. The results of embryo transfer according to the regions, the parity of recipient and the development stage showed that blastocyst formed for 7day transferred to nulliparou were higher pregnancy rate than others.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.181-189
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• 1995

In this study, methods on fabrication of microtool and setting of micromanipulator were examined and relationship between first polar body extrusion rate and maturation time of follicular oocyte, enulceation rae and repetition of trial, and enucleation rate and maturation period were investigated. The results are as follows: 1. Suitable outside diameter of micropipette tube was 1mm. Holding pipette with less than diameter of oocyte was fitred for manipulation, and zona dissection needle was easily operated when its sharp-point had diameter of about 8 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ and length of 300${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. The injection pipette with 20~35${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ outside diameter was adequate for injection of blastomere into perivitelline space. 2. Separation of blastomere was effective when zona pellucida had cut with zonadissection needle and the embryo was pipetted gently with the pipette that had narrower diameter than that of embryo until separation of blastomeres had completed. 3. The extrusion rate of first polar body was 78% during 20~24% hours incubation for maturation. 4. According to repetitions of micromanipulation, the enucleation rate was increased to 85% and the time required for enucleation of a oocyte was shortened to 3 min. 5. The extrusion rate of first polar body and enucleation rate were 82 and 76% respectively, in the group of the oocytes cultured for 22 hours. However in the group cultured for 24 hours, the extrusion rate of first polar body and enucleation rate were 53 and 100% respectively.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.99-106
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• 1999

핵 이식에 공여되는 수핵난자의 효과적인 동결보존을 위하여 한우 성숙난자를 1.0 M dimethylsulfoxide(DMSO) 또는 1.0 M glycerol이 함유된 동결보호제를 이용하여 처리하거나, 동결보호제 처리 후 완만동결법을 이용한 동결융핼르 시행하여 상기 실험처리로 야기되는 투명대 경화현상을 관찰하였다. 도축장 유래의 난소에서 미성숙난자를 채취한 후 10% 소 태아혈청을 함유한 TCM-199을 이용하여 22∼24 시간 동안 체외성숙배양을 이해하였다. 배양후 작출된 성숙난자를 각각의 동결보호제로 처리, 혹은 처리 후 동격융해한 후 protease를 이용하여 투명 대의 경화현상 발생의 빈도를 조사하였다. 또한 동격란을 동결정액을 이용한 체외수정에 공여한 후 정자 침입농도능을 조사하였다. 동결보호제로 처리한 난자에 있어서 보호제의 종류와 관계없이 투명대 경화현상이 유의적 (P<0.05) 으로 증가하였으나 이후의 동결융해 처리에 의한 추가적인 경화현상의 발생은 증가하지는 않았다. 또한 투명대 경화현상의 발생양상을 동결보호제 처리 후 10분 간격으로 측정한 결과 DMSO의 경우 처리후 10분, glycerol의 경우 처리 후 20분 후부터 유의적으로 차를 발견할 수 없었으며, 수정율 및 난자 1개당 침입한 정자의 수는 동결란에서 유의적으로 증가하지 않았다. 본 연구의 결과 동결난자의 투명대 경화현상은 동결보호제 처리과정에서 이미 일어나지만, 이러한 투명대 경화현상이 난자의 동결보존 후 수정능에는 현자한 영향을 미치지 않는다는 사실이 규명되었다.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.67-74
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• 1997

This study was carried out to increase the viability of bovine frozen4hawed in vitro produced (IVP) embryos and pregnancy rate by direct transfer method. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were aspirated from excised Hanwoo ovaries and matured in TGM 199 for 20~22 hours at 38.5$^{\circ}C$ in 2% $CO_2$ in air. Matured oocytes were fertilized with capacitated sperm for 6 hours and then co-cultured with cumulus cells for 9 days. 63% of the oocytes cultured was deaved and 29% out of them developed into blastocysts. Good or excellent grade of blastocysts on D 7 or 8 were frozen with 1.8M ethylene glycol as a cryoprotectant for direct transfer. Frozen embryos were thawed at 2$0^{\circ}C$ water for 10 sec following 4~5 second in air. For the survival assay of frozen4hawed lVP blastocysts, they were cultured in TCM 199 supplemented with 100$\mu$M $\beta$-mercaptoethanol and 20% FCS for 72 hours. The percentage of embryos developed to re-expanded or hatched after 72 hours culture was 95. 5 and 77.3%, respectively. When frozen-thawed Ivp embryos were transferred to 43 synchronized recipients by direct transfer method, eighteen recipients (41.8%) was pregnant. The highest pregnant was in naturafly synchronized recipients (71.4%), but induced estrus by using PRID(29.2%) and PGF$_2$$\alpha$(20.0%) was showed lower pregnancy rate. The pregnancy rate was higher in day 7 blastocysts(56.0%) than day 8 blastocysts(22.2%). (Key words: in vitro produced, blastocyst, frozen-thawed, direct transfer)

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.281-287
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• 2009

As a simple and economical method for in vitro produced embryos, we have used BSA instead of serum for the production and embryo transfer of Hanwoo in vitro fertilized (IVF) embryos and obtained the following results: 1) When using serum (FBS; fetal bovine serum) or BSA-containing culture media as the initial culture media for immature oocytes, it is regarded as inappropriate to add only BSA to the culture solutions from maturation of the immature oocytes to development stage culture, but serum still needs be added though there is no significant difference in the concentration, with a change from 5% to 10%. 2) The results of culturing IVF embryos after development (4 cell stage) in the Medium199 solutions containing BSA instead of serum (FBS) showed that 0.3% BSA concentration is not optimal and 0.5% or higher BSA concentration has no significant difference among 0.5%, 0.7%, 1% and 2% (p > 0.05). 3) The post-freezing survival ratio after development in 5% FBS-Medium199 showed that 1% BSA concentration of the culture solution is the most suitable in the BSA concentrations of 0.3% (51%), 0.5% (67%), 0.7% (69%), 1% (77%) and 2% (75%). 4) The pregnancy rates of the transplanted fresh(not frozen) blastocyst had no significant concentration dependency (p > 0.5), and the average pregnancy rate was 63.8%. 14% of overweight calves were found among the calves given birth to by the transfer of IVF blastocysts cultured in the serum-added culture solution, but none was found in the experimental groups in which BSA was added instead of serum.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.335-343
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• 1997

The effect of thiol compounds on development and intracellular glutathione(GSH) concentrations of bovine embryos produced by in vitro maturation and in vitro fertilization(IVM/IVF) was examined in CRlaa medium with or without $\beta$-mercaptoethanol(0, 10, 25 and 50$\mu$MME) and cysteamine(0, 25, 50 and 75 $\mu$M). Numbers of cells comprising blastocysts were also counted using double fluorescence stain and the total glutathione levels(oxidized and reduced form) of morula and blastocyst embryos were than measured by an enzymatic method. Following routine IVM/IVF procedures oocytes and zygotes were cultured for 40 to 44h in CRlaa medium. Then 2 to 8-cell embyos had cumulus cell removed and were allotted randomly to the experimental medium. In Experiment 1, the proportion of embryos developing to and beyond morulae stages in 0, 10, 25 and 50 $\mu$M $\beta$-ME was 42.9%, 50.0%, 53.7% and 65.6%, respectively. Fifty $\mu$M $\beta$-ME group was significantly higher than those of any other groups (P<0.05). In Experiment 2, the percentages of embryos developed beyond morulae stages in 0, 25, 50 and 75 $\mu$M cysteamine was 42.9%, 40.4%, 60.0% and 59.2%, respectively. Fifty and 75$\mu$M cysteamine groups were significantly higher than in 0 and 25 $\mu$M cysteamine groups, but all of culture medium containing cysteamine(52.6%) was not significantly difference in control group(42.9%). In Experiment 3, the intracellular GSH concentrations of morulae and blastocyst embryos in 0 and 50 $\mu$M $\beta$-ME was 42.4 pM and 44.9 pM, 49.5 pM and 67.8 pM, respectively. Morulae embryos were not difference, but blastocyst embryos were significantly difference between treatments(P<0.05). In Experiment 4, the intracellular GSH concentrations of morulae in CRlaa with or without cysteamine were 39.8 pM and 45.6 pM, and blastocysts were 59.3 pM and 66.8 pM, respectively. Cell numbers of blastocysts were similar to in all experimental groups. These experiments indicate that thiol compounds can increase the proportion of embryos that developing to and beyond morulae stage and the intracellular GSH concentrations.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.25-34
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• 2003

Human thrombopoietin (hTPO) is a cytokine that plays a central role in megakaryopoiesis. To direct hTPO expression in the mammary gland, an expression vector was constructed by combining the promoter of bovine beta-casein gene, cDNA of hTPO and neomycin resistance gene (pBT-L neo). Fibroblast cells derived from cow's ear skin tissue were transfected with the expression vector (pBT-L neo) using Lipofectamine. Transfected cells resistant to G418 trea？nt were cultured to form the colonies for more than 2 weeks. The transformed colonies identified by PCR were further expanded prior to nuclear transfer. Reconstructed oocytes with transformed cells were electrofused, activated using calcium ionophore and 6-DMAP, and cultured in vitro for 7 days. Of 35 cell colonies analyzed by PCR, 29 colonies (82.9%) were positive for the hTPO gene. Cleavage and developmental rates to the blastocyst stage of reconstructed embryos with the transformed cells were 65.1% and 23.8%, respectively Of 29 blastocysts that developed from reconstructed embryos with the transformed cells, 27 embryos (93.1%) were transgenic. These results indicate that transgenic bovine embryos can be efficiently produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer using transformed cells.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.655-660
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• 1998

To produce blastocysts more efficiently, it is required to identity accurately the factors involving embryonic cleavage in the chemically defined medium. Effects of pyruvate, lactate, calcium and protein sources on early cleavage of bovine follicular oocytes were investigated. The percentage of IVF embryos cleaved to ${\geq}$ 2-cell or ${\geq}$ 8-cell was higher in pyruvate (+) and lactate (+) (48 or 14%) than in pyruvate (-) and lactate (-) (22% or 4%), than in pyruvate (+) and lactate (-) (28% or 5%) and than in pyruvate (-) and lactate (+) (40% or 10%). Lactate was more effective than pyruvate during early cleavage of bovine embryos in the chemically defined medium. The percentage of IVF embryo cleaved to ${\geq}$ 2-cell and ${\geq}$ 8-cell in calcium (-) (19 and 6%) was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than in calcium (+) (78 and 45%). The percentage of embryos developed to ${\geq}$ 2-cell showed no significant (p < 0.05) difference among BSA, 1 and 20% FBS (57, 57 and 57%). Also the percentage of A grade embryos developed to ${\geq}$ 2-cell showed no significant (p < 0.05) difference among BSA, 1 and 20% FBS (40, 35 and 28%). The percentage of embryos developed to ${\geq}$ 8-cell showed no significant (p < 0.05) difference among BSA, 1 and 20% FBS (33, 23, and 22%). However, the percentage of A grade embryos developed to ${\geq}$ 8-cell in BSA (24%) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than in 1 and 20% FBS (13 and 8%). The percentage of embryos developed to ${\geq}$ morula showed no significant (p < 0.05) difference among BSA, 1, 10 and 20% FBS (76, 76, 80 and 68%). The percentage of A grade embryos developed to ${\geq}$ morula in 10% FBS (59%) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than 20% FBS (43%). The percentage of embryos developed to blastocyst showed no significant (p < 0.05) difference among BSA, 1, 10 and 20% FBS (34, 41, 43 and 32%). However, the percentage of A grade embryos developed to ${\geq}$ blastocysts in 10% FBS (25%) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than in 20% FBS (8%).

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.207-212
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• 2006

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of mechanical enucleation methods, aspiration and squeezing, on the developmental ability of nuclear transfer bovine embryos. Enucleated oocytes made by both enucleation methods were fused to adult ear skin cells. After 7 days of culture, developmental ability up to blastocyst stage was similar in both squeezing($33.6{\pm}15.7%$) and aspiration enucleation methods($31.9{\pm}13.4%$). The proportion of blastocysts at Day 8 of culture was also similar between the aspiration($37.8{\pm}10.4%$) and squeezing enucleatign s($35.3{\pm}15.1%$). The mean cell number in Day 7 blastocysts was also similar between the both groups(aspiration: $110.3{\pm}39.2$ vs. squeezing: $103.7{\pm}42.8$). The ratio of apoptotic cells was also found to be not significant different between the both groups(aspiration: $2.8{\pm}2.6%$ vs. squeezing: $4.3{\pm}4.4%$). These results suggest that aspiration and squeezing methods, as mechanical enucleation technique, are both useful for the production of bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos.