• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.144-151
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• 2019

Alopecia has emerged as one of the biggest interests in modern society. Many studies have focused on the treatment of alopecia, such as transplantation of hair follicles or inhibition of the androgen pathway. Hair growth is achieved through proper proliferation of the components such as keratinocytes and dermal papilla cells (DPCs), movement, and interaction between the two cells. The present study examined the effect of the hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway, which is an important and fundamental signal in the cell, on the morphology and the viability of human keratinocytes and DPCs. Upregulation of Hh signaling caused a morphological change and an increase in epithelium-mesenchymal transition-related gene expression but reduced the viability of keratinocytes, while the alteration of Hh signaling did not cause any change in DPCs. The results show the possibility that the regulation of Hh signaling can be applied for the treatment of alopecia.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2015

The cold shock of spermatozoa is associated with oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species. This study was conducted to evaluate the toxicity of natural antioxidant green tea extract (GTE) in lactose-egg yolk (LEY) extender during boar sperm cooling prior to freezing. Spermatozoa were cooled to $5^{\circ}C$ for 3 h in LEY extender containing 0 (control), 1, 10, 100 or 1,000 mg/l of GTE, re-suspended with LEY-glycerol-Equex extender and cooled at $5^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. Sperm progressive motility, viability and phosphatidylserine (PS) translocation were evaluated. PS translocation was assayed by flow cytometry using Annexin V-FITC apoptosis detection kit. The sperm function including progressive motility, viability and PS translocation was not significantly different regardless of GTE concentrations (P>0.05). In conclusion, this study demonstrated non-toxicity of GTE supplement in LEY extender during sperm cooling.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.164-170
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• 1989

These experiments were carried out to develop the practical technique for the production of identical twins in cattle. Morula and blastocyst stage embryos collected from superovulated donors were bisected into halves by micromanipulation. The resulting demi-embryos were transferred to the uterine horn ipsilateral to the corpus luteum of synchronous recipients. The viability of demi-embryos after splitting was also evaluated by culturing demi-embryos with and without a zona-pellucida. The results obtained in these experiments were summarized as follows : 1. Of total 132 embryos collected by superovulation from 29 donors, 37 embryos were morular and 30 at blastocyst stages. 2. Total 111 demi-embryos were produced from 67 embryos by bisection and 98% of those were normal in morphology. 3. The viability of the demi-embryos cultured with zona-pellucida ranged from 70 to 76.5% and that of the demi-embryos without from 53.8 to 69.2%. 4. The viability of demi-embryos obtained from morula was 63.6% and that of demi-embryos from blastocyst was 73.3%, respectively. 5. 35 demi-embryos were transferred to 21 recipients, 7 of which were confirmed to be pregnant by rectal palpation at 55∼60 days after embryo transfer. One of them produced a calf and 6 are still on pregnancy.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2005

This experiment was carried out to investigate the extender, cooling rate and concentration of glycerol for freezing of boar semen. The result obtained were summarized as follows: 1. Optimal cooling rate was $0.17\~022^{\circ}C/min$ from 25 to $5^{\circ}C$ in LEY extender on the viability and normal acrosome after thawed. 2. The LEY extender was effective in protecting frozen boar semen from cold shock among the extenders(p<0.001, respectively). 3. The sperm viability and normal acrosome rates after thawing was showed greater in the 3 or $4\%$ of glycerol concentration than $2\%$ in LEY extender. 4. Viability of sperm was higher when both 15mM of fructose and 3 or $4\%$ glycerol were added to the LEY extender compared with other concentrations of fructose and glycerol were added it(p<0.001).

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.239-243
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• 2008

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of type of the sugar supplemented to the extender on the vigor, viability and intact acrosomal rates of frozen-thawed dog spermatozoa. The ejaculated semen was diluted with TRIS-citric acid extender containing 200mM TRIS, 73mM citric acid, 6% (v/v) glycerol, 20% (v/v) egg yolk, 1% (v/v) antibiotics (streptomycin/penicillin), 44 mM sugar, which was either glucose, fructose or glucose-fructose combination, and distilled water to make the final volume of 100ml. Extended semen samples were cooled at $4^{\circ}C$ for an hour, packaged in 0.25ml straws, equilibrated for 10 minutes in liquid nitrogen vapor, and frozen in liquid nitrogen. Samples were thawed by placing straws into $37^{\circ}C$ water for 120 seconds. After thawing, vigor, viability and intact acrosomal rates of frozen-thawed semen were compared according to type of sugar. No significant differences were observed between glucose and fructose groups. In addition, combination of the 2 sugars also did not show any significant differences in the vigor, viability and intact acrosomal rates. In conclusion, glucose and fructose were equally efficient as sugar supplements for freezing extender.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.221-226
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• 2017

Spermatozoa viability can be assessed by microscopy, flow cytometry, and other methods using fluorescent stain. Flow cytometry can be used to examine the morphological and functional characteristics of spermatozoa in a short time. The purpose of this study was to compare the viability of cryopreserved spermatozoa in Jeju black cattle by two dual fluorescent stain methods. Semen of Jeju black cattle raised in Subtropical Livestock Research Institute, National Institute of Animal Science, RDA were collected with artificial vaginal technique. Sperm was diluted with $Triladyl^{(R)}$-egg yolk diluent and then was performed cryopreservation. There was no significant difference in viability of spermatozoa according to the two dual fluorescent stain methods. However, when the distribution of spermatozoa according to the staining method was compared, the spermatozoa group stained with 6-CFDA/PI was more clearly distinguished than the spermatozoa group stained with calcein AM/PI.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.18-19
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• 2006

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.331-339
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• 2015

This research was performed to determine the temperature requirements for embryo growth and radicle emergence of Hepatica asiatica Nakai, a perennial herb native to Korea. Seed viability, embryo growth, and radicle emergence were monitored in seeds exposed to various temperatures (10, 15, $20^{\circ}C$ and $30{\rightarrow}15^{\circ}C$). Laboratory experiments at various temperatures revealed that (1) embryo elongation occurred effectively between 10 and $15^{\circ}C$; (2) radicle emergence occurred only at $15^{\circ}C$; (3) a warm stratification (2-8 weeks at $30^{\circ}C$) was not required for embryo elongation and radicle emergence, and led to inhibition of radicle emergence; (4) application of gibberellic acid ($GA_3$) promoted embryo growth, but not radicle emergence. These results suggested that H. asiatica seeds have two separate mechanisms to overcome dormancy, either by $GA_3$ (morphological dormancy) or temperature (physiological dormancy), and warm stratification is not involved in breaking radicle dormancy. These findings indicate that H. asiatica seeds have morphophysiological dormancy.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.141-148
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• 2014

Quercetin and genistein, plentifully present in fruits and vegetables, are flavonoid family members that have antioxidative function and plant-derived phytoestrogen activity. The antioxidative effects of quercetin and genistein on boar sperm characteristics and in vitro development of IVF embryo were investigated. The sperm motility was increased by addition of genistein $50{\mu}M$ for 6 hr incubation compared to control (p<0.05). The sperm viability was increased by addition of quercetin 1 and $50{\mu}M$ and genestein 1 and $50{\mu}M$ for 3 hr incubation. In addition, the sperm viability seemed to be increased dose-dependantly by addition of quercetin or genistein 1 and $50{\mu}M$, respectively (p<0.05). The membrane integrities were not increased by quercetin or genistein treatments for 3 hr or 6 hr incubation period except for quercetin $1{\mu}M$ for 3 hr incubation. In mitochondrial activities, addition of quercetin $50{\mu}M$ for 6 hr incubation increased mitochondrial activity but decreased at $100{\mu}M$ concentration compared with control (p<0.05). When porcine IVF embryos were cultured in PZM-3 medium supplemented with low concentrations of quercetin ($1{\sim}10{\mu}M$), the developmental rates to morula and blastocyst increased but significantly decreased at high concentrations of quercetin ($25{\sim}50{\mu}M$). The highest developmental rate to blastocysts among all concentrations of quercetin was shown at quercetin $10{\mu}M$ (p<0.05). The developmental rates to morula or blastocysts at low ($0.01{\sim}1{\mu}M$) and high ($5{\sim}10{\mu}M$) concentrations of genistein were not significantly different among all treatment group and genistein did not affect on IVF embryo development. These results suggest that quercetin and genistein seem to have positive effects at certain concentrations on sperm characteristics such as motility, viability and mitochondrial activity. In addition, low concentrations of quercetin (1, 5 and $10{\mu}M$) in this experiment, seem to have beneficial effect on porcine IVF embryo development but genistein did not affect on it at all given concentrations ($0.01{\sim}10{\mu}M$).

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.233-239
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• 1997

Embryos of most mammalian species grown in vitro would undergo developmental arrest at the approximate time of genomic activation. Stage-specific cell block and the resulting rapid loss of embryo viability in conventional culture media have limited the duration for which embryos may be cultured prior to transfer. As a result, embryos are usually transferred to the uterus at the 4-to 8-cell stage to avoid the loss of viability associated with long-term in vitro culture. Early transfer has led to asynchrony of the endometrium-trophectoderm interaction at the time of implantation and a resultant reduction in the rate of implantation. To overcome these problems, a variety of co-culture systems has been devised in which embryos can develop for a longer period prior to embryo transfer. Vero cells, derived from African green monkey kidney, share a common embryologic origin with cells from the genital tract. In addition, they are potentially safe to use, since they are highly controlled for viruses and other contaminants. Therefore, co-culture using Vero cells has been widely utilized to enhance embryo viability and development, although not without controversies. We thus designed a series of experiments to demonstrate whether Vero cells do indeed enhance mouse embryo development as well as to compare the efficacy of co-culturing mouse 1-cell embryos on Vero cell monolayer in both Ham's F-10 and human tubal fluid (HTF) culture media. 1-cell stage ICR mouse embryos were cultured either in the presence of Vero cells (Group A) or in conventional culture medium alone (Group B). In Ham's F-10 significantly more 3-to-8cell embryos developed in group A than group B (59.8 versus 10.0%; p<0.01). In contrast, there was no significant difference in embryonic development both group A and group B in HTF. However, significant differences were noted only in later embryonic stage (13 and 0%; p<0.05 of group A and B respectively, hatching or hatched). In Ham's F-10, we also could observe the beneficial effect of Vero cell on hatching process (70.7 and 42.1%; p<0.05 of group A and group B respectively).