• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.73-82
• /
• 1995

large scale production of cloned embryos requires the technology of multiple generation nuclear transplantation(NT) using NT embryos as the subsequent donor nuclei. The purposes of this study were producing the second generation cloned rabbit embryos, and also to determine the electrofusion rate and in vitro developmental potential comparatively in the cloned embryos of the first and second NT generation. The embryos of 16-cell stage were collected from the mated does by flushing oviducts with Dulbecco's phosphate buffered saline(D-PBS) containing 10% fetal calf serum(FCS) at 47 hours after hCG injection In the first generation NT, the nuclear donor embryos were synchronized in the phase of Gi /S transition of 32-cell stage. The first generation NT embryos which were developed to 8-cell were synchronized in Gi /S transition phase of the following 16-cell stage and used as donor nuclei for second generation Synchronization of the cell cycle of blastomeres was induced, first, using an inhibitor of microtuble polymerization, colcemid for 10 hours to arrest blastomeres in M phase, and secondly, using a DNA synthesis inhibitor, aphidicolin for 1.5 to 2 hours to arrest them in Gi /S transition boundary. The recipient cytoplasms were obtained by removing the nucleus and the first polar body from the oocytes collected at 14 hours after hCG injection. The separated donor blastomeres were injected into the enucleated recipient oocytes by micromanipulation and were electrofused by electrical stimulation of three pulses for 60 $\mu$sec at 1.25 kV /cm in 0.28 M rnannitol 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 first and second generation cloned embryos to blastocyst stage, they were stained with Hoechst 33342 dye for counting the number of blastomeres by fluorescence microscopy. The results obtained were summarized as follows: 1. The electrofusion rate was found to be similar as 79.4 and 91.5% in the first and second generation NT rabbit embryos, respectively. 2. The in vitro developmental potential to blastocyst stage of the second generation NT embryos (23.3%) was found significantly(p<0.05) lower, compared with that of the first generation NT embryos (56.8%). 3. The mean blastomeres counts of embryos developed to blastosyst stage following in vitro culture for 120 hours and also their daily cell cycles during the culture period were decreased significantly (p<0.05) to 104.3 cells and 1.33 cylces in the second NT generation, compoared with 210.4 cells and 1.54 cycles in the first NT generation, respectively.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.1-17
• /
• 1991

It is widely recognized that the embryonic or fetal loss after breeding is common in the cattle and that it is an important factor affecting reproductive efficiency. The causes of this loss have been subject of extensive researches and the results indicate that the embryonic mortality may he primary factor responsible for low pregnancy rates in non-embryo transfer bovine populations as well as embryo transfer programs. However, it's causes are still not clearly understood. The embryonic mortality or pregnancy rate has been influenced by various embryonic and maternal effects related to genetic and environmental factors. The timing and extent of embryonic mortality vanes greatly according to authors and estimating methods, because it is difficult to make direct measurements. The major important factors that may influence the embryonic losses or pregnancy rates after embryo transfer can be summeirized. 1.When an embryo is transferred to unmated recipients, the contralateral transfer to corpus luteum results in a lower survival rate than ipsilateral deposition. When the embryos are transferred for the production of twin calves, their survivals and twin pregnancies have quite inconsistent according to the transfer methods either to the unmated-synchronized or already mated recipients and more works are needed to accurrately clarify the previous results. 2.Although embryos can be cultured in vitro some hours without the great declines in pregnancy rates, the rates differ markedly among culture times and media but may be improved by co-transfer systems. 3.Embryo developmental stages and quality grades clearly affect the survival rate following freezing and the pregnancy rate after transfer and the selection of embryos without chromosome abnormalities and of high fertile semen may also be considered to increase the pregnancy rates. 4.Many researches have attempted to relate the plasma progesterone levels to pregnancy rates and others have done either direct progesterone supplementation or luteal stimulation by hCG treatment in order to increase the pregnancy rates. However, these effects on pregnancy rates are inconsistent and also contradictory. 5.The asynchrony between donors or embryos and recipients may he a major cause of embryo death and low pregnancy rate and the sensitivity to uterine asynchyony differs in according to the quality and stages of embryos. 6.The extremes of poor or over nutrition during early pregnancy in the recipients are detrimental to the survival of embryos and the good body condition is required to prevent a reduejion of pregnancy rates. The uterine pathogens in embryonic mortality or fertility have been questioned but the infection of C.pyogenes and Campylobacter fetus is still important pathogens. 7.The heat stress during early pregnancy may reduce conceptus weight and possibly increase the embryonic mortality.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.14 no.9
• /
• pp.1260-1266
• /
• 2001

The effect of protein supplementation, $O_2$ concentration and co-culture on the development of embryos produced by nuclear transfer using cultured cumulus cell was investigated. Recipient oocytes and cumulus cells were obtained from the ovaries of the slaughtered Hanwoo cows. Donor cumulus cells were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum at 5% $CO_2$ in air at $38.5^{\circ}C$. The 1 to 6 passages of cumulus cells were isolated and used as donor cells. The in vitro matured oocytes were enucleated and then the isolated donor cells were introduced. One $15{\mu}s$ pulse of 180 volts was applied to induce the fusion between karyoplast and cytoplast. The fused embryos were activated with $10{\mu}M$ calcium ionophore for 5 min and 2 mM 6-dimethylaminopurine for 3 h. To examine the effect of protein supplementation, nuclear transfer (NT) embryos were cultured in one of the following 4 treatments : 1) CR1aa + 3 mg/ml BSA for 7 days ; 2) CR1aa + 10% FBS for 7 days ; 3) CR1aa + 1.5 mg/ml BSA + 5% FBS for 7 days ; and 4) CR1aa + 3 mg/ml BSA for first 3 days and then CR1aa + 1.5 mg/ml BSA + 5% FBS for 4 days. Culture took place at 5% $CO_2$, 5% $O_2$ and 90% $N_2$ at $38.5^{\circ}C$. Although there were no significant differences in cleavage rate among different protein supplements, the rates of blastocyst formation were significantly different. When NT embryos were cultured in the medium supplemented with only BSA, they could develop to only morula not to blastocyst. However, when FBS was supplemented, NT embryos developed to blastocyst stage. In order to investigate the effect of $O_2$ concentration and co-culture, NT embryos were cultured in CR1aa + 1.5 mg/ml BSA + 5% FBS with or without cumulus cell co-culture at an atmosphere of 5% $CO_2$ in air (20% $O_2$) or 5% $CO_2$, 5% $O_2$, 90% $N_2$ (5% $O_2$) at $38.5^{\circ}C$ for 7 days. The percentage of blastocyst development was significantly higher when the NT embryos were cultured at an atmosphere of 5% $O_2$ than that of 20% $O_2$ (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between with and without cumulus cell co-culture at an atmosphere of 5% $O_2$ or 20% $O_2$. Fifty embryos were transferred to 25 recipients and 5 recipients were pregnant at 100 days. From 5 pregnant cows, only one cow was delivered of female twin. In conclusion, the embryos reconstructed by enucleation of metaphase II oocytes and introduction of the cycling and quiescent cumulus donor cells in Hanwoo had developmental potential to term after embryo transfer to recipient cows.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.125-131
• /
• 1992

The nudear changes of bovine oocytes during 24 hrs. of culture for mejotic maturation were examined. Bovine oocytes were collected from small(<2 mm), medium(2~6 mm) and large(>6mm) follicles and classified into three grades by their morphological characteristics. A total of 242 oocytes collected were obtained:from 184 small, 157 medium and 1 large follicles, respectively and were classified into 95 grade I, 155 grade H and 92 grade III oocytes. All the bovine oocytes collected and graded were washed with a basal medium and incubated in groups of 10 for 24 hrs in 5% $CO_2$ and 39$^{\circ}C$. The basal medium used was composed of TCM-199 supplemented with sodium bicarbonate, sodium pyruvate, streptomycin, penicillin G and 10% FCS. The oocytes were cultured in drops of 50,$\mu$l basal medium supplemented with 35$\mu$g /ml FSH, 10$\mu$g /ml LH and 1$\mu$g /ml estradiol-17$\beta$. The oocytes were fixed and examined on their chromosomal status by 1% acetorcein staining in the interval of 3 hrs. Most of the grade I oocytes developed to germinal vesicule stage at 0 to 3 hrs., germinal vesicle breakdown at 6 hrs., metaphase I at 9 to 15 hrs., anaphase I and telophase I at 18 hrs., and metaphase II and the first polar body at 24 hrs. after culture for meiotic maturation. However, it was found that compared to grade I oocytes, grade H and W oocytes reached earlier to germinal vesicle breakdown and most of them developed earlier to M II stage at 21 hrs. after culture.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.173-178
• /
• 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 Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.219-222
• /
• 2007

These study was carried out to investigate the effects of the collection time, culture time and activation of canine oocytes on in vitro maturation rates. The activated oocytes were cultured in 10% FCS+TCM-199 media containing hormonal supplements (10 IU/ml HCG, 10 IU/ml PMSG, 10 ug/ml gonadotropin) at 5% $CO_2$, 95% air, $38^{\circ}C$. 1. IVM rate of in vitro cultured cumulus-attached oocytes recovered from ovaries that collected at follicular and luteal stages of the reproductive cycles were 11.4% and 5.7%, respectively. IVM rate of oocytes recovered from ovaries that collected at follicular stages of the reproductive cycles was significantly higher than that of luteal stage (p<0.05). 2. When IVM was carried out at different periods of 40, 48, and 70 hrs, the IVM rates of oocytes matured in vitro were 2.9%, 8.6%, 5.7%, respectively. These results indicate that the IVM time between $48{\sim}70$ hrs gives the highest maturation rate for the oocytes matured at the different stages. 3. IVM rate of oocytes matured in vitro for 10 hrs after single and combined activation treatment by ET, IP and CH and Ca+DMAP, CH+DMAP, ET+CH were $11.5{\pm}1.2%,\;10.8{\pm}1.0%,\;9.6{\pm}1.2%\;and\;12.4{\pm}1.5%,\;11.8{\pm}1.5%,\;11.2{\pm}1.4%$ respectively. This was higher than that in both single and combined stimulated groups compared to control group ($6.2{\sim}7.2%$).

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.53-63
• /
• 1995

The effects of different protein sources (serum vs bovine serum albumin), growth factors (EGF and PDGF) and co-culture with various type of somatic cel1s (BOEC, MEF and BRL) on the in vitro development of in vitro matured / in vitro fertilized bovine oocytes were examined, and the viability of frozen/thawed embryos derived from IVM /IVF was examined. Cell numbers of blastocysts were also counted. In Experiment 1, CR$_1$aa with serum was superior to CR$_1$aa with BSA in producing morulae plus blastocysts from IVM /IVF oocytes(24.4% vs 30.4%, p>0.05). In Experiment 2, more morulae plus blastocysts(42.3%) were produced in CR$_1$aa containing long /ml EGF than in the control CR$_1$aa(33.3%). In Experiment 3, 2- to 8-cell embryos derived from IVM /IVF oocytes were randomly allotted to one of 4 culture groups : a) CR$_1$aa ; b) CR$_1$aa + ing /ml PDGF ; CR$_1$aa + Sng /ml PDGF ; CR$_1$aa + lOng /ml PDGF ; culture resulted in 21.3, 51.2, 41.4 and 45.9%(p<0.05), respectively, developing into morulae and blastocysts. In Experiment 4, 0 and Sng /ml PDGF added to CR$_1$aa coculture with BRL or BOEC yielded 47.5, 42.5, 33.8 and 41.6% morulae and blastocysts, respectively. In Experiment 5, the proportion of embryos into morulae and blastocysts was highest in CR$_1$aa with MEF coculture group(50.9%) compared to any other group(CR$_1$aa, 22.3%; CR$_1$aa+BRL, 32.9%; CR$_1$aa+BOEC, 33.8%, p>0.05). In Experiment 6, survival rate of blastocysts produced by in vitro fertilization when cryoprotectant was removed in 0.7M glycerol+0.7M sucrose and 0.7M sucrose solution for 10 min. after thawing at 2$0^{\circ}C$ (Exp. H, 58.8%) was slightly higher than when cryoprotectant was removed 10%, 6.7% and 3.3% glycerol for 10 min. after thawing at 37$^{\circ}C$ (Exp. I, 54.3%). These study indicate that growth factors and somatic cell co-culture can increase the proportion of embryos that develop into morulae and blastocysts without an increase in the cell number and frozen /thawed method employed this experiment was not different.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.241-245
• /
• 2005

Porcine oviduct epithelial cells (POEC) are widely used in co-culture experiments to improve early embryonic development, in vitro fertilization in embryo transfer programs for domestic animals and in vitro maturation of immature germ cells. POEC were mechanically isolated and cultured in tissue culture medium 199. Cells grew continuously, and confluent monolayers were formed after 7 days. After forming confluent monolayer of epithelial cells, supernatant was collected as the condition medium for maturing round spermatids in vitro. Round spermatids were also separated mechanically and cultured in the POEC condition medium. In this study we observed that $20\%$ of round spermatid cultured were matured into elongating spermatid after 24 h, and about $10\%$ of round spermatid cultured showed complete elongation (elongated spermatid) within $24\~48$ h of in vitro culture. No further development was observed within $50\~72$ h and transformed cells lost their viability after 72 h. These preliminary findings suggest that the condition medium from POEC may be possible to overcome the round spermatid block by improving the milieu of culture system.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
• /
• 2003.06a
• /
• pp.71-71
• /
• 2003

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a multifunctional cytokine that has been implicated in the regulation of pre-implantation embryo development across several species. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of mouse granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (mGM-CSF) on development of porcine parthenotes and nuclear transferred embryos, and on their expression of implantation-related genes. In the presence of bovine serum albumin, mGM-CSF did not increase the percentage of oocytes that developed to the blastocyst stage and at day 7 did not increase oocyte cell number. Addition of 10 mM GM-CSF to protein-free culture medium significantly increased the compaction and blastocoel formation of 1- to 2-cell parthenotes and cloned embryos developing in vitro. However, cell number was not increased when they were cultured in the presence of GM-CSF. Semi-quantitative reverse transcripts polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed that mGM-CSF enhances mRNA expression of the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor, but does not influence interleukin-6 or sodium/glucose co-transporter protein gene expression in blastocyst stage parthenotes. These results suggest that mGM-CSF may enhance viability of porcine embryos developing in vitro in a defined culture medium.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.39-46
• /
• 1994

This experiment was carried out to develop an in vitro culture system for rabbit embryos. The zygotes or 2-cell embryos were collected from the oviducts of the superovulated and mated does with D-PBS/10% FCS at 24 hours after hCG injection. The in vitro developmental rate of blastocyst formation and the number of nuclei in the embryos were examined under the following treatments; 1) TCM-199 with 10% FCS, 2) EBSS with 10% FCS, 3) rabbit vitreous humor(VH), 4) TCM-199 with 10% FCS＋BOEC, 5) TCM-199 with 10% FCS＋ROEC, 6) EBSS with 10% FCS＋BOEC and 7) EBSS with 10% FCS＋ROEC. For a comparative study of in vivo and in vitro development, the fresh blastocysts, which were developed in vivo for 96 hours after hCG injection, were collected from the uterus and their numbers of nuclei were counted. 1. The zygotes or 2-cell embryos developed to the blastocyst stage in TCM-199, EBSS and VH at the rates of 93, 92 and 89%, respectively. 2. The higher developmental rates 95~98% of blastocyst formation was achieved when the embryos were co-cultured with a monolayer of bovine or rabbit oviductal epithelial cells in TCM-199 or EBSS. No significant difference in developmental rates was shown between bovine and rabbit oviductal epithelial cells. 3. In a comparative study of in vivo and in vitro development, the total numbers of nuclei were significantly less in the in vitro cultured embryos(104~224) than the in vivo developed embryos(1, 0090 at 96 hours after hCG injectin. 4. The mean cell cycle numbers in the embryos cultured for 72 hours in TCM-199 with 10% FCS, EBSS with 10% FCS, TCM-199 with 10% FCS＋BOEC, TCM-199 with 10% FCS＋ROEC, EBSS with 10% FCS＋BOEC and in vivo was 7.38, 6.63, 7.76, 7.69, 7.01 and 9.92, respectively. From these results, it can be suggested the optimal culture system for in vitro culture of rabbit embryos is a co-culture system with bovine or rabbit oviductal epithelial cells in TCM-199 with 10% FCS. Considering the significant reduction in total numbers of nuclei in the in vitro cultured embryos, the advanced research on development of in vitro culture system for rabbit embryos is expected.