• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.161-170
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• 2015

These studies were conducted to establish the practical Hanwoo (Korean native cattle) improvement system through the combining of embryo transfer technology and confirming individual Hanwoo oocyte culture system and to investigate that correlation of Hanwoo carcass classification (intramuscular marbling) and oocyte donor for blastocyst production in vitro. In case of Hanwoo, the carcass meat quality grades were divided to grade $1^{{+}{+}}$, $1^{+}$, 1, 2, and 3 depends on fat distribution of longest muscle cross-sectional surface. As results, the numbers of follicular oocytes collected from individual fundamentally-registered Hanwoo yielded $1^{{+}{+}}$, $1^{+}$, 1, 2 and 3 meat quality were 9.5, 9.4, 8.5, 8.8 and 8.8 per ovary, respectively. The numbers of retrieval oocyte from follicles were significantly higher in the cattle yield $1^{{+}{+}}$, $1^{+}$ meat quality than in the cattle yield 1, 2 and 3 meat quality (p<0.05). The rates of blastocyst formation were 18.2, 21.3, 29.4, 30.9, and 31.5% in the cattle yield $1^{{+}{+}}$, $1^{+}$, 1, 2 and 3 meat quality of after in vitro maturation, respectively. It was significantly lower in the cattle yield $^{{+}{+}}$ and $1^{+}$ meat quality than in the cattle yield 1, 2 and 3 meat quality (p<0.05). In order to evaluate embryos quality, TUNNEL assay was conducted for each meat quality grade using blastocyst stage embryo on day 8. The results showed that apoptosis cell number was higher tendency in the cattle yield $1^{{+}{+}}$and $1^{+}$ meat quality (81 and 79, respectively) than in the cattle yield 1, 2 and 3 meat quality (51, 48 and 50, respectively) but there was no statistical significance in each group. After embryo transfer, the conception rate of recipient was 53.5 (23 out of 43), 52.1 (38 out of 73) and 58.0% (58 out of 100) in the meat quality of 1, $1^{+}$ and $1^{{+}{+}}$, respectively. These results showed that the conception rate was significantly higher in the cattle yield 1 meat quality than in the cattle yield $1^{{+}{+}}$, $1^{+}$, 2, and 3 meat quality (p<0.05). In summary, these results indicate that the application of confirming Hanwoo individual oocyte culture system and embryo transfer technology can make good use of the genetic resources conservation and improvement of Hanwoo. Relevance of the meat quality grade and reproductive ability of carcasses of Hanwoo will be considered to be one of the effective means for the associated research with obesity and reproduction.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.50-56
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• 2019

These studies were conducted to evaluate developmental competence of follicular oocyte collected from the ovaries of Hanwoo cows with the high offspring meat quality (1++ and 1+ grade). Cumulus oocyte complexes from individual cows were matured, fertilized and cultured using protocols of in-vitro maturation (IVM), invitro fertilization (IVF) and in-vitro culture (IVC). The rates of blastocyst development from Hanwoo cows with the offspring meat quality grades of 1++ and 1+ were 18.6 and 21.2%, respectively. The rates of blastocyst development were 26.3, 20.7, 20.7, 17.2 and 31.2% from Hanwoo cows with the meat quality grades of 1++, 1+, 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Fiftyseven transferable embryos were recovered from 11 Hanwoo donor cows (5.2/head) with the high offspring meat quality grades of 1++ and 1+ in vivo, and the pregnancy rate after embryo transfer was 61.1%. In conclusion, these results suggest that in vitro embryo production from the ovaries of cows with the high meat quality grades using individual culture system can be used an efficient method for livestock improvement. In addition, for the successful industrialization of embryo transfer, conception rate should be improved.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.53-60
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• 2011

Objective: This study was carried out to compare the clinical outcome of elective single cleavage-embryo transfer (eSCET) to that of elective single blastocyst-embryo transfer (eSBET) in human IVF-ET. Methods: This study was a retrospective study which analyzed for 614 women who visited the Daegu Maria Clinic from August 2008 to December 2009. All were under 37 years old and had more than 8 mm of endometrial thickness on the day of hCG administration and at least one good quality embryo on day 3. The eSCETs were performed on day 3 (n=450) and the eSBETs were conducted on day 5 (n=164). Results: The numbers of retrieved oocytes, fertilized oocytes, and day 3 good quality embryos were significantly lower in the eSCET group (12.1${\pm}$6.0, 8.2${\pm}$4.6, and 4.2${\pm}$3.1, respectively) compared to the eSBET group (16.7${\pm}$7.2, 12.1${\pm}$5.0, and 8.5${\pm}$4.5, respectively; p<0.001). However, the clinical pregnancy, implantation, on-going pregnancy, and live birth rates of the eSCET group (46.7, 46.9, 40.0, and 36.7%, respectively) were not statistically different from those of the eSBET group (51.2, 51.8, 45.1, and 43.9%, respectively; p=0.318, 0.278, 0.254, and 0.103, respectively). Conclusion: These results suggested that elective single embryo transfer should be performed regardless of the developmental stage to women less than 37 years old who had more than 8 mm of endometrial thickness on the hCG administration day and at least one good quality embryo on day 3 in order to reduce the twin pregnancy rate without reducing the whole pregnancy rate.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.299-304
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• 1998

Despite the rapid development of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in recent years, implantation rates after replacement of embryos into the uterine cavity remains low. Several techniques such as culture conditions based on formulations of human tubal fluid and various ART techniques as GIFT, ZIFT, TET have been adopted in recent years to improve embryo viability in vitro and implantation rates. Also, coculture of human IVF-derived embryos have been used in an effort to increase the number of viable embryos following IVF and to improve synchrony between the developing embryo and the uterine environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the use of co culture with autologous cumulus cells has a significant beneficial effect on the development of embryos in vitro and its relation to the pregnancy rates in 120 patients with previous failed IVF-ET from September, 1995 to January 1998. We obtained the results from which significant improvement in the quality of viable embryos were observed using a coculture system with autologous cumulus cells, but pregnancy rates in this group of patients did not differ from the rate in the standard IVF group during the same period. Our study shows that a simplified short-term coculture system with autologous cumulus cells may help rescue moderate quality embryos to cleave regularly.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.235-238
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• 2002

The present study was undertaken to find out possibilities for superovulation and recovery of freezable/transferable embryo from repeat breeding crossbred cows. For this study a total of 10 Holstein crossbred cows having history of failure of conception even after more than 4~5inseminations were taken and superovulated using Folltropin-V at 100 to 140% dose schedule. The results indicated that out of 10 donors, 8 responded to superovulatory treatment and yielding a total of 94 embryos, out of which 45 were of transferable/freezable quality. The mean ovulations and mean transferable embryos were 11.5$\pm$2.91 and 4.5$\pm$1.66, respectively. These observations suggests that the repeat breeding cows having conception failure after several artificial inseminations can be used as donors for production of embryos and calves through embryo transfer technology.

• 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.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1988

An observational study was conducted to evaluate the effect of anterior pituitary gonadtropin on super-ovulation in donors, embryo quality, development stage of embryo, transfer location, corpus luteum quality of recipient, ease of transfer and induced versus natural estrus on pregnancy rates. The data were collected from 451 non-surgical transfers of fresh and frozen bovine embryos. 1. The average number of CL, formed in ovaries which were stimulated with follicular stimulating hormone, and/or APG, were 11. 1${\pm}$1.21, 12.3${\pm}$1.84, respectively. The numbers of embryos recovered were 8.2${\pm}$1.35, 8.7${\pm}$ 1.39, and the numbers of transferable embryos were 6.4${\pm}$0.98. 6.6${\pm}$1.01. respectively. 2 There was no effect of spontaneous versus prostaglandin-induced estrus of recipients on pregnany rates of either fresh (61.5% vs. 59.5%) or previously frozen(54.5% vs. 58.5%) embryos. 3. There were significant differences(p<0.05) in pregnancy rates for embryo grade 1(63.6%), grade 2 (45.4%) and grade 3 (30.4％) in fresh group and for grade-1 (60.5%), grade-2 (47.8%) and grade-3 (18.1%) in previously frozen embryos. 4. The recipients transfered with embryo morulae were found to have a lower (p<0.05) pregnancy rates than those transfered with embryos of blastocyst in be th fresh and previously frozen embryos. 5. There was no significant difference between transfer locations in pregnancy rates using both fresh and frozen embryos. 6. Attempts to select recipients for high pregnancy rates on the basis of corpus luteum (CL) quality were performed. CL were classified into 3 quality grades, on the basis of size and prominence. Quality grades 1 and 2 group had higher (p<0.05) pregnancy rates than grade-3 group using both fresh and frozen embryos. 7 Ease of transfer was ranked to a scale of one to three on the basis of increasing difficulty (time required). Transfers ranted as ease score 1 and 2 had significantly higher (P<0.05) pregnancy pregnancy rates (45.8%, 66.6%) than ease score 3 (27.7%, 31.8%) using both fresh and frozen embryos respectively.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.122-126
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• 1987

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of the glycerol equilibration methods and embryo grades before freezing on the survival rate after thawing in mouse embryos. The results obtained from this study were as follows: 1. The number of embryos of grade I(Excellent), II(Good) and III(Fair) before freezing in this study was 97(27.4%), 160(45.2%) and 97(27.4%), respectively. 2. The average survival rate of frozen-thawed embryos in 3 and 5 steps glycerol equilibration was 66.7% and 64.1%, and the rate of transfererable embryos after culture was 68.9% and 69.0%, respectively. 3. Out of embryo grade I and II before freezing, the transferable rate after thawing was 75.2% and 48.1%, respectively, and grade I embryos before freezing was higher transferable rate than that of grade II.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.28-41
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• 1990

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.97-108
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• 2003

In-vitro fertilized Hanwoo embryos were biopsied for sex determination by PCR. Biopsied embryos were incubated for 1∼2 hours for the recovery. Those sexed Hanwoo embryos were transferred to 49 Hanwoo and 16 Holstein recipients from February 2000 to February 2001. Of 65 recipients, 14 cows(12 Hanwoo and 2 Holstein) delivered the same offspring as sex-determined by PCR, therefore the conception rate was 21.5%. 1. Total 65 embryos(male 35, female 30) were transferred to recipients, and 14 calves (male 6, female 8) were delivered. In comparison between sex by PCR method and sex of calves born after embryo transfer, the accuracy of sex determination was 100.0%. 2. The conception rate after transfer with biopsied embryo between Hanwoo and Holstein was 24.5% and 12.5% 3. The conception rate after transfer with biopsied embryo between fresh and frozen-thawed embryos was 23.5% and 14.3%. 4. The conception rate according to the season when embryo was transferred was 11.8, 29.4, 23.5 and 20.0% for spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively. 5. The conception rate according to embryo quality after biopsy was 41.7, 30.0 and 0.0% for excellent, good and fair quality. 6. The conception rate according to thickness of uterine horn was 71.4, 18.9, 11.8 and 0.0% for 0, +, ++ and +++ thickness. 7. The conception rate according to the site in the uterine hem where embryo was put was 30.0, 20.0 and 10.0% for cranial, mid, and caudal part of uterine horn. 8. The conception rate according to the quality of corpus luteum ipsilateral to the uterine horn where embryos was transferred was 41.2, 14.3 and 15.4% for excellent, good and fair quality. 9. The conception rate according to the time required for embryo transfer was 18.2, 30.0, 30.0, 0.0 and 25.0% for 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 minutes. 10. The conception rate according to parity of recipients was 26.5, 19.1, 14.3 and 0.0% for the primiparous, the 2nd parous, the 3rd parous and the 4th parous recipients. These results indicated that fresh embryos are more demanded than frozen-thawed embryos for good conception rate in embryo transfer with biopsied-sexed embryo. Also, it was indicated that we should consider embryo-recovering condition, recipient's uterine thickness, transfer site in uterine horn, quality of corpus luteum, time required for transfer and parity of recipient to achieve good conception rate in ET with biopsied-sexed embryos.