• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 2011

In this study, we examined the effectiveness of in vitro fertilization of porcine immature oocytes on the embryo development of blastocysts or hatched blastocysts and the number of cells according to the in vitro fertilization conditions. In the in vitro fertilization of in vitro matured porcine oocytes, there were no significant differences between treatment groups regarding fertilization rate, blastocyst rate, and embryo development of hatched blastocysts according to the storage periods of liquid sperm of 24, 48, and 72 hours. The embryo development rate of hatched blastocysts after the fertilization according to different spermatozoa concentrations ($0.4{\times}10^5$, $1.2{\times}10^5$, and $3.6{\times}10^5$ cells/ml) showed the highest rate in the group with a spermatozoa concentration of $1.2{\times}10^5$ cells/ml; in particular, this rate was significantly higher than that in the $0.4{\times}10^5$ cells/ml group (p<0.05). The total number of blastocysts cells as well as trophectoderms (TE) that developed in each treatment group were also significantly higher in the $1.2{\times}10^5$ cells/ml group than in any other groups (p<0.05). In contrast, the embryo development rate of blastocysts according to different co-incubation periods of sperm and oocyte (1, 3, and 6 hr) was high in the 6-hour group; in particular, the rate was significantly higher than that of the I-hour group (p<0.05). Furthermore, the total number of oocytes cells and TEs that developed was significantly higher in the 6-hour group than any other group (p<0.05). In this study, the most effective treatment conditions for porcine embryo development and high cell number were found to be as follows: a sperm storage period of less than 72 hours, a spermatozoa concentration of $1.2{\times}10^5$ cells/ml, and a 6-hour co-incubation period for sperm and ooocyte.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.143-151
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• 1991

An embryo-derived platelet activating factor (PAF) has been demonstrated to play an important role in reproduction. This report examined the effect of PAF on ovulation, fertilization, embryo development, implantation and fetal viability by using murine model. PAF had no stimulatory effect on ovulation and fertilization. But PAF had stimulatory effect on embryo development in in-vitro test, in spite of no effect on implantation and fetal viability. These results demonstrate that exogenous PAF could enhance embryo development and implantation and give suggestion that PAF may play an role in human IVF program.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.95-100
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• 2006

Brown rice with a giant embryo (GE) was observed on the quality parameters of the enlargement of embryo, nutritional components, and physical properties, in comparison to normal embryo brown rice (NE). Also, the effects of germination on the quality parameters were examined. GE embryo was approximately 2.68 times larger than of NE rice. Total free sugars were significantly higher in GE rice (71.96 vs. 41.17 mg/100 g), and germinated rice increased in fructose, but decreased in sucrose and maltose. No significant difference in mineral contents was found in GE and NE rice and their germinated rice, whereas a significant increment was observed on reducing sugars and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) contents in GE rice. The lower water absorption index (WAI) of GE rice resulted in relatively lower pasting viscosity, whereas the increased WSI in germinated rice might be attributable to the significant increment of soluble components in GE rice.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.87-88
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.89-90
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• 2005

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2009

Effects of salinity and standard toxic metals on fertilization and embryo development rates were investigated in the sea urchin, Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus. Spawning was induced by injecting $1{\sim}2$ mL of 0.5 M KCl into the coelomic cavity. Males released white or cream-colored sperms and females released yellow or orange-colored eggs. The fertilization rate was below 30% when salinity was 20 psu and lower, but was almost above 90% when salinity was 25 psu and higher. The embryo development rate was below 60% when salinity was 25 psu and lower, but was above 80% when salinity was between 30 and 35 psu. The fertilization and embryo development rates in the control condition(not including Cu and Cd) were greater than 90%, but decreased a high negative correlation with the increasing of Cu(r=-0.80, r=-0.78) and Cd(r=-0.90, r=-0.82) concentrations, respectively. The fertilization and embryo development rates were significantly inhibited in the addition of Cu($EC_{50}$=17.30 ppb, $EC_{50}$=10.32 ppb) and Cd($EC_{50}$=364.57 ppb, $EC_{50}$=244.04 ppb), respectively. These results suggest that salinity concentrations for successful fertilization and normal embryogenesis of H. pulcherrimus are above 25 psu and 30 psu, respectively, and the biological assays of fertilization and embryo development rates using H. pulcherrimus are useful methods for the ecological toxicity test of marine pollution elements.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.199-205
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• 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of uterine histotroph on embryo development and the expression of cysteine-rich protein 2 (CRP2), coatomer subunit gamma-2 (G2COP), myoglobin (MYG), vascular endothelial growth factor D (VEGFD), collagen alpha 4 chain (COL4) and galactoside 3-L-fucosyltransferase 4 (FUT4) proteins in porcine embryo during pre-implantation. Uterine histotroph (UH) was collected from uterine horn on corpus albican phase, and embryos were cultured in porcine zygote medium with UH for 168 hours. Cleavage and blastocyst formation of embryo were detected at 168 hours after in vitro fertilization. And CRP2, G2COP, MYG, VEGFD, COL4 and FUT4 proteins were observed using confocal laser microscope. In results, embryo cleavage rate was not significantly changed by UH, but blastocyst rate was significantly (P<0.05) decreased in UH-treated embryos. Moreover, CRP2, G2COP, MYG, VEGFD, COL4 and FUT4 proteins were expressed in blastomere. CRP2 in embryo was significantly overexpressed (P<0.05), but not G2COP, MYG, VEGFD, COL4 and FUT4 proteins. In summary, UH on corpus albican phase was increased CRP2 protein in embryo, and inhibited blastocyst formation in preimplantation porcine embryos, suggesting that CRP2 may play an interrupter on embryo development in pigs.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.237-243
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• 2018

Hedgehog (Hh) pathway plays a key role in development from invertebrate to vertebrate. It is known to be involved in cell differentiation, polarity, proliferation, including the development of vertebrate limb and the establishment of flies' body plan. To investigate how the regulation of Hh pathway affects the development of parthenogenetic murine embryos, the parthenogenetically activated murine embryos were treated with either cyclopamine (Cyc), an antagonist of Hh pathway, or purmorphamine, an agonist of Hh pathway. While Cyc did not affect the blastocyst formation and its total cell number, the chemical reduced the hatching rate of embryos and the expression levels of Fn1 mRNA. The results of the present study show the possibility that Cyc may affect the development of embryos at blastocyst stage by blocking Hh pathway and this may cause detrimental effect to the embryos at peri-, and post-implantation stages.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 1993

These experiments were carried out to determine the effect of pregnancy in bisected embryo. The embryos of ICR mouse were microsurgically bisected at morula and blastocyst stage using microsurgical blade attached a micromanipulator. These bisected embryos without zona pellucida were cultured up to blastocyst stage and cell count and diameter of stained blastomere, and transferred pseudopregnant mice. And the development of these bisected embryos was compared with the results of production of young of the corresponding intact embryos or cell stage. When the bisected mouse embryos were cultured in vitro for 20 to 24 hours in morula stage(77.2%) or 3 to 6 hours in blastocyst stage(84.1%), them were developed to the expanded blastocyst stage. There were no significant(P<0.05) differences in the development rate of bisected embryos between in morula and blastocyst stages. The embryo size of blastocyst developed in vitro from bisected embryo was small(P<0.05)than intact embryo. However, the number of blastomeres with bisected embryo (24.7+1.3and 21.5+1.2 respectively) were significantly(P<0.05) reduced, compared with that of intacted embryos(36.3+1.1 and 41.4+1.2 respectively). When compared with the result of pregnancy rate(63.6%) after surgical transfer of bisected morulae, a similar result(65.4%) was obtained with bisected blastocyst stage(P< 0.05). However, production of youngs (38.8%) after transfer of bisected morula, a similar result (38.1%) was obtained with bisected blastocyst stage (P<0.05).

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.85-93
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• 1997

These experiments were carried out to examine the development capacity of sexed and then bisected embryo from 8-cell to morula stage. Antisera to histocompatibility-Y(H-Y) antigen were prepared in inbred SD female rat by repeated immunization of spleen cell or testis supernatant from males of same strain. Male and female embryos were separated by delaying development of embryos against H-Y antibody. After sexing, rabbit embryos were bisected and aggregated. The results obtained from the these experiments were summuerized as follows: 1. When mouse and rabbit 8-, 16-cell and morular embryos were culature in H-Y antiserum, the ratio of embryo which has developed to hatching blastocyst was 53.4, 46.3 and 57.4% in mouse embryos, and 49.0, 52.0 and 61.0% in rabbit embryo, respectively. The ratio of mouse and rabbit embryos developed to hatching blastocyst showed nearly natural sex rate(50%), except rabbit mourla showed a little higher ratio(61.0%) as compared to natural sex ratio. 2. When rabbit demi-embryos from 8-, 16-cell embryo and morula were cultured, the percentage of demi-embryos was 70, 68 and 58% without zona pellucida removed, and 62, 69 and 51% with zona pellucida. The rate of aggregation was higher in 8- and 16-cell demi-embryos than in morula demi-embryo. 4. When sexed-demi-embryo was aggregated with another demi-embryo with demi-embryo with same sex, the rate of embryo developed to blastocyst was 60, 50 and 25%, respectively. Eight-cell demi-embryo showed highest rate. In conclusion, it showed that H-Y antiserum which was made by rat spleen cell enabled sexing rabbit embryos. And when rabbit sexed 8-, 16-cell and morula demi-embryo were aggregated, they were developed to eu-blastocyst which suggested the potential of sexed embryo manipulation.