• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.239-250
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• 1996

The objective of the present experiments were to determine whether micromanipulative and electro-stimulation conditions for blastomere survival overlapped those for oocyte activation in porcine. Eggs selected for in vitro development potential of blastomeres isolated from 4-cell embryos and oocyte activation by electrostimulation were equilibrated for 5~10 min, in 0.3M sucrose solution containing 7.5$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml cytochalasin B, and then electrostimulated for 30$\mu$sec using one pulse of 100, 120, 150 or 180 volts DC with electrodes 0.2mm apart. Single blastomeres were inserted into empty zona pellucida prior to electrostimulaticn. Then they were cultured in 20${mu}ell$ drops of fresh BECM to observe their developmental ability in vitro in a humidified incubat or at 38.5$^{\circ}C$. The results obtained from these experiments are as follows : 1. When one pulse of 100, 120, 150 or 180 volts DC for 30$\mu$sec were applied to porcine oocytes having the slit formed on zona pellucida for activation, activation rates were 65.1, 66.7, 70.7 and 91.7%, respectively. Higher activation rate was observed in 180V. 2. Infact oocytes incubated for 30 min, in 0.3M sucrose solution after electrostimulation were significantally different from control group with increasing of voltages(p<0.05). When voltages used for electrostimulation were increased, activation rates of oocytes were improved in all treatment groups. 3. When zona punctured-oocytes were only electrostimulated, or incubated in 0.3M sucrose solution for 30 min. after electrostimulation at 180 volt DC, activation rates were 90.5 and 95.5%, respectively. And activation rates of zona punctured-oocytes were significantly different from the groups for which zona pellucida was not punctured(P<0.05). 4. When single blastomeres form 4-cell transferred into empty zona pellucida were incubated for 0, 15 and 30 min. in 0.3M sucrose solution after electrostimulation using one pulse of 180 volt DC for 30 $\mu$sec, developmental rates of electrostimulated-single blastomeres to blastocyst were 72.5, 59.0 and 51.2%, respectively, and the ratio of control group developed to blastocyst were 80.0%. 5. The average cell number in electrostimulated-blastomeres developed to blastocyst were 7.9~10.8, and reduced than the cell number in diploid control ; Also cell number decreased with increasing of voltages. The results of these experiments indicate that the optimal condition for achieving in vitro developmental ability of single 4-cell blastomeres and oocyte activatin is 1 pulse, duration 30 $\mu$sec. in 180 volt, and incubation of blastomeres and oocytes in 0.3M sucrose solution after electrostimulation was not significantally different from another treatment groups. The results also show that this condition is suitable for nuclear transplantation using porcine eggs.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2004

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of fusion and/or activation protocol on in vitro development of porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos. Porcine fetal fibroblast cells were transferred into the perivitelline space of enucleated in vitro matured oocytes. Cell fusion and activation were induced simultaneous fusion/activation (SA) or delayed activation (DA) with or without cytochalasin B (CB) treatment with electic pulses in 0.28 M mannitol-based medium. The SCNT embryos were cultured in vitro for 7 days and stained with Hoechst 33342 to determine the number of nuclei. After 7 days culture, cleavage and blastocyst formation rates were 72.4% and 7.6% in SCNT and 76.3% and 20.4% in parthenotes. To examine the effect of electric field strengths on development of SCNT embryos, oocytes were fused two pulses of 110 V/mm, 130 V/mm or 150 V/mm for 30 sec post-injection. The fusion and cleavage rates in 130 V/mm group (70.2% and 72.6%) and 150 V/mm group (72.6% and 70.5%) were higher (P<0.05) than 110 V/mm group (47.1% and 48.6%), respectively. However, the rate of embryos developing to the blastocyst stage (8.1%, 9.7% and 10.7%) were not different among three groups. The cleavage rates and the blastcyst formation rates were not different among three treatment groups (SA group, 71.4% and 9.7%; SA+CB treatment group, 74.7% and 8.0%; DA+CB treatment group, 70.8% and 11.2%, respectively). And, no different in the number of cells in blastocysts was observed among the three groups (22.5$\pm$12.8, 23.3$\pm$11.2 and 21.6$\pm$10.4, respectively). These result suggest that two pulses of 130 V/mm or 150 V/mm for 30 sec with SA treatment or DA treatment are enough for fusion/activation of porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos to develop to the blastocyst stage.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.952-957
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• 2008

We evaluated the effects of various factors (e.g., serum, inhibitors of protein synthesis, and cytoskeleton and protein kinases) on early PMA-induced THP-1 cell adhesion using an adhesion assay with Sulforhodamine B (SRB) staining, which was used to assess the proliferation of the attached cells. THP-1 cell adhesion to a plastic substrate was detected 1 hr after exposure to Phorbol 12-Myristate 13-Acetate (PMA) and peaked after 18 hr. At concentrations > 25 nM PMA, the level of adhesion did not change. Based on our preliminary results, we used 25 nM PMA and 5 hr of culture as standard assay conditions. Early PMA-induced cell adhesion was not affected by the presence of serum or PD 98059 in the culture medium, but was affected by the addition of PKC inhibitors and cycloheximide. In the presence of actin inhibitor with PMA, the cell adhesion increased when comparing with PMA treatment only. Thus, early PMA-induced adhesion of THP-1 cells does not require serum in the culture medium, MAP-kinase activation, or actin polymerization, but does require de novo protein synthesis and PKC activation. Our SRB-based cell adhesion assay may be used to screen other PKC inhibitors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.26 no.2 s.52
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• pp.152-158
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• 2004

Among short-term in vitro genotoxicity assays, micronucleus assays are rapid, inexpensive, and less labor-intensive system. We have undertaken a comparative study of sensitivity of cigarette smoke condensate(CSC) by general micronucleus(MN) assay and cytokinesis-block micronucleus(CBMN) assay. In this study, V79 Chinese hamster cells were employed to evaluate and compare the genotoxicity of CSC of Kentucky Reference Cigarette 2R4F by 2 kinds of in vitro MN assay methods. To determine the optimum concentration of cytochalasin B(CYB) to obtain the maximal number of binucleated cells for CBMN assay, triplicate cultures of growing cells were treated with CYB for 15 h. CYB treatments caused a concentration-dependent increase in cytotoxicity($1\~4{\mu}g/mL$) and proportion($0.25\~1\;{\mu}g/mL$) of binucleated cells. These data suggested that 1 ug/mL of CYB is as an optimum dose for CBMN assay in binucleated V79 cells. Short treatment(4 h) of CSC induced a micronucleated cells with a concentration-dependent response in the presence or absence of CYB, but CSC-induced MNs were weakened when S9 was present. Long treatments(19 h) of CSC also induced a significant increase MN formation with a concentration-dependent response. At a concentration of 75 ${mu}g/mL$, the MN cell frequencies of general MN assay and CBMN assay were $6.5\%\;and\;11.7\%$, respectively. Linear regression analysis revealed a good correlation in CBMN assay between a concentration of CSC and MN cell frequency. All these data indicated that CBMN assay is more sensitive to the induction CSC-induced MN than general MN assay.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2004

This study was conducted to investigate the developmental ability of caprine embryos after somatic cell interspecies nuclear transfer. Donor cells were obtained from an ear-skin biopsy of a caprine, digested with 0.25% trypsin-EDTA in PBS, and primary fibroblast cultures were established in TCM-199 with 10% FBS. After maturation, expanded cumulus cells were removed by vigorous pipetting in the presence of 0.3% hyaluronidase. The matured oocytes were dipped in D-PBS plus 10% FBS＋7.5 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml cytochalasin B and 0.05 M sucrose. The reconstructed oocytes were electrically fused with donor cells in 0.3 M mannitol fusion medium. After the electofusion, embryos were activated by electric stimulation. Interspecies nuclear transfer embryos with bovine cytoplasts were cultured in TCM-199 medium supplemented with 10% FBS including bovine oviduct epithelial cells for 7∼9 day. On the other hand, the NT embryos with porcine cytoplasts were cultured in NCSU-23 medium supplemented with 10% FBS for 6∼8 day at $39^{\circ}C, 5% CO_2$ in air. In caprine-bovine NT embryos, the cleavage(2-cell) rate was 36.8% in confluence and 43.8% in serum starvation. The developmental rate of morula- and blastocyst-stage embryos was 0.0% in confluence and 18.8% in serum starvation. In caprine-porcine NT embryos, the cleavage(2-cell) rate was 76.7% in confluence and 66.7% in serum starvation. The developmental rate of morula and blastocyst stage embryos was 3.3% in confluence and 3.0% in serum starvation, and no significant difference was observed in synchronization treatment between donor cells. In caprine-bovine NT embryos, the cleavage(2-cell) rate of cultured donor cells was 30.8% and 17.6% in 5∼9 and 10∼14 passage(P＜0.05). The developmental rate of morula and blastocyst stage embryos were significantly higher(P＜0.05) in 5∼9 passage(23.1%) than in 10∼14 passage(0.0%) of cultured donor cells. In caprine-porcine NT embryos, the cleavage rate was significantly higher(P＜0.05) in 5∼9 passage(86.7%) than in 10∼14 passage(50.0%) of cultured donor cells. The developmental rate of morula and blastocyst stage embryos were 3.3 and 0.0% in 5∼9 and 10∼14와 passage of cultured donor cells. In caprine-bovine NT embryos, the developmental rate of morula and blastocyst stage embryos were 22.6% in interspecies nuclear transfer, 33.9% in in vitro fertilization and 28.1% in parthenotes, which was no significant differed. The developmental rate of morula and blastocyst stage embryos with caprine-porcine NT embryos were lower(P＜0.05) in interspecies nuclear transfer(5.1%) than in vitro fertiltzation(26.9%) and parthenotes(37.4%).

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2003

This study was conducted to investigate that the immature and mature oocytes of porcine can be cryopreserved by vitrification. Oocytes were centrifuged to polarize the cytoplasmic lipid droplets. The lipids were removed from cytoplasm by micromanipulation. Delipated oocytes were centrifuged after being preincubated with cytochalasin B(CB) fer 10 min, and lipid droplets were removed. Centrifuged oocytes were treated with CB and centrifuged to polorize lipid droplets but not delipated and control oocytes is not-treatment. Oocytes of three types were vitrified in electron microscope(EM) grids. The results of survival, maturation and cleavage rates were as follows. 1 The survival rates of immature oocytes were 15.1%, 0% and 0% in the Delipated, Centrifuged and Control after vitrification, respectively, and its rate of Delipated wassignificantly higher than Centrifuged and Control(P<.01). 2. The survival rates of mature oocytes were 12.21%, 0% and 0% in the Delipated, Centrifuged and Control after vitrification, respectively, and its rate of Delipated was significantly higher than Centrifuged and Control(P<.01). 3 The maturation rates of immature oocytes were 37.5% and 68.9% for metaphase II in the Delipated after vitrification and Non-vitrification, respectively, and its rate of Non-vitrification was significantly higher than Delipated after vitrification(P<.01). 4. The cleavage rates of immature oocytes were 12.5%, 0%, 0% and 56.1% in the Delipated, Centrifuged, Control after vitrification and Non-vitrification, respectively. It's rate of Delipated was higher than Centrifuged and Control, but there were no significant difference, and its rate of Non-vitrification was significantly higher than Delipated, Centrifuged and Control(P<.05). 5 The cleavage rates of mature oocytes were 25.0%, 0%, 0% and 67.9% in the Delipated, Centrifuged, Control after vitrification and Non-vitrification, respectively. It's rate of Delipated was higher than Centrifuged and Control, but there were no significant difference, and its rate of Non-vitrification was significantly higher than Delipated, Centrifuged and Control(P<.05).