• Toxicological Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.357-363
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• 1998

The teratogenic potential of the anticonvulsant drug phenytoin (PHT) has been well documented both in the human and in the experimental animals. However there are few reports on the effects of PHT on embryonic development in rats in vitro. The present study was performed to evaluate the teratogenic effects of PHT using whole-embryo culture system in rats. Sprague-Dawley rat embryos were explanted on gestational day (GD) 9.5 and cultured for 48 hrs in the immediately centrifuged and heat-inactivated rat serum containing 0,25,50, or $100{\mu}g$ PHT/mL. At the end of culture period the embryos were scored for morphological development according to the procedure of Van Maele-Fabry, and their total protein contents were determined. At 100 ${\mu}$g/mL of culture medium. PHT caused significant reduction in developmental score and protein content of embryos and a high incidence morphological abnormalities (100%). Characteristic malformations included altered yolk and embryonic circulation, craniofacial hypoplasia, neural tube schisis, branchial arch defects, abnormal ratation, and limb bud hypoplasia, among others. There were no adverse effects on embryonic growth and development at concentrations of 25 and 50 ${\mu}$g /mL of culture medium. The results indicated that the dysmorphogenic effect of PHT on cultured embryos is due to a direct interference with embryonic development.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 1998

This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of ITS and EGF on embryonic development of in vitro matured and fertilized bovine oocytes in culture medium su, pp.ementing with or without calf serum. When fertilized oocytes were cultured in TCM-199 containing 0, 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0\ulcorner/ml ITS with 5% calf serum, the rates of development to blastocyst stage and the cell number of blastocysts were not significantly different among all treatments. And also monolayer of cumulus/granulosa cells prepared in containing calf serum and ITS were no beneficial effects of embryonic development. On the other hand, when EGF was su, pp.imented to TCM-199 containing calf serum or calf serum free, embryonic development rates(24.0 2.8% to 29.2 1.7% or 8% to 9%) and cell number of blastocysts(p<0.05) were significantly increased compared with EGF-free(22.1 2.1 or 1.0%, p<0.05). But when fertilized oocytes were cultured with cumulus/granurosa cells in TCM-199 containing EGF and calf serum, the rate of embryos development to the blastocyst stage and cell number of blastocysts were not significantly different compared with EGF-free and any concentrations. These results showed that ITS and EGF was not improved the development of bovine embryo in vitro matured and in vitro fertilized with calf serum and/or monolayer of cumulus/granulosa cells.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.75-86
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• 1995

Embryos and fetuses are more sensitive to various environmental agents than adults of children biological effects following the exposure, such as intrauterin, malformation, have intimate conception with the prenatal exposure. There have been many studies on radiation and other agent. However, imformation about the ultrasound effects is limited. It is very important to study the effect of ultrasound with these kinds of fatera in consideration of ultrasound protection and safty. In this study, embryonic and fefal effects of ICR mouse embryos irradiated on 24, 48, 12 and 192 hpc of preimplantation and organogenesis period at the intensity of $0.5{\sim}3\;W/cm^2$ were investigated. Many type of external malformation observed in mouse irradiated on 72 hpc and 192 hpc. However, the embryos irradiated on 24 hpc and 48 hpc, at witch embryos had less then 6 cells and were pre-compaction stage, had no sensitivity for external malformation. The threshold doses of external malformation in mouse irradiated on 72 hpc and 192 hpc, at which embryos were consisted of $16{\sim}32$ cells and neural formation stage, were $1\;W/cm^2$ and $0.5\;W/cm^2$.

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

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.313-319
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to analyze whether FSH and LH hormone treatment directly or indirectly affect embryo development in embryonic development. To determine this, we compared the development of embryonic cells through the expression pattern of MMPs. As a result, 33.8% of blastocysts were formed in FSH added group, 20.8% in LH added group and 10% in FSH + LH added group. In addition, the activity of MMP-9 was highly detected in the FSH-added group, and the expression of Casp-3 was much lower than that of the other groups. These results suggest that the addition of FSH seems to increase the activity of MMP-9 in embryonic cells, and that LH, on the contrary, may activate MMP-2 activity. In addition, the expression level of MMP-2 in the FSH-added group was high in the Trophoblast cell group and in the LH-added group, the hormone ideal secretion might affect the development of the embryonic cell.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.221-227
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• 2013

Embryonic stem (ES) cells have potential for use in evaluation of developmental toxicity because they are generated in large numbers and differentiate into three germ layers following formation of embryoid bodies (EBs). In earlier study, embryonic stem cell test (EST) was established for assessment of the embryotoxic potential of compounds. Using EBs indicating the onset of differentiation of mouse ES cells, many toxicologists have refined the developmental toxicity of a variety of compounds. However, due to some limitation of the EST method resulting from species-specific differences between humans and mouse, it is an incomplete approach. In this regard, we examined the effects of several developmental toxic chemicals on formation of EBs using human ES cells. Although human ES cells are fastidious in culture and differentiation, we concluded that the relevancy of our experimental method is more accurate than that of EST using mouse ES cells. These types of studies could extend our understanding of how human ES cells could be used for monitoring developmental toxicity and its relevance in relation to its differentiation progress. In addition, this concept will be used as a model system for screening for developmental toxicity of various chemicals. This article might update new information about the usage of embryonic stem cells in the context of their possible ability in the toxicological fields.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.171-177
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• 1996

It was carried out to find the carbohydrate metabolism for the glycogen utilization and the effects of low temperature(1$\circ$C, 5$\circ$C)on embryonic development of the silkworm, Bombyx mori L. The content of sorbitol and glycerol in the chillihg eggs stored at 5$\circ$C or 1$\circ$C on 24 hours after oviposition showed the highest level on the 50th day. After that, the corresponding value in the eggs stored at 5$\circ$C were decreased, and the value in the eggs stored at 1$\circ$C maintained the similar level. The trehalose level was rapidly increased on 50$\sim$60th day or thereabouts, and then, it was accumulated. When the eggs stored at low temperature were tranaferred and developed the embryo at 25$\circ$C, sorbitol and glycerol were respectively changed to glycogen. Futhemore, the content of trehalose and glucose showed specific of patterns with each embryonic stage at low temperature. With the aforementioned results, the intemediary metabolism of carbohydrate was discussed with regard to embryonic development of non-diapause eggs of silkworms.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.160-168
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• 2017

Optimizing the conditions for stem cell culture is an essential prerequisite for the efficient utilization of stem cells. In the culture of fish embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or ESC-like cells, embryo extracts are important for stable growth, but there is no rule for determining the developmental stage of the embryos used to obtain extracts. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of the developmental stage of extract donor embryos on the culture of Oryzias dancena ESC-like cells. O. dancena ESC-like cells were cultured in different media containing each of four types of embryo extract depending on the developmental stage of the extract donor embryos. Growth, morphology, colony-forming ability, alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity, and embryoid body (EB) formation of the cells were investigated. While the developmental stage of the extract donor embryos did not influence the growth, morphology, AP activity, or EB formation of ESC-like cells, colony-forming ability was affected and the pattern of the effects differed completely between the two ESC-like cells investigated. These results suggest that the developmental stage of extract donor embryos should be selected carefully for the culture of ESC-like cells, according to the research purpose and type of cell line.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.79-79
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• 2003

Embryonic stem cells are capable of differentiating into a variety of cell lineages. However, the ultimate results of differentiation in vitro greatly depend on the duration of treatment and kinds of differentiating inducers added. In order to investigate the efficiencies of various differentiation inducers and the methods of treatment, we examined differentiation patterns of human embryonic stem cell (hESC, MB03) according to several different protocols. Exp. I) Upon differentiation using retinoic acid and ascorbic acid (RA/AA), embryoid bodies (EB, for 4days) derived from hESC was exposed to Rh (10$^{-6}$ M) and AA (50 mM) for 4 days, and were allowed to differentiate in N2 medium for 7, 14, 21, or 28 days. Exp. II) When bFGF was used, neuronal precursor cells were selected for 8 days in N2 medium after EB formation. After selection, cells were expanded at the presence of bFGF (20 ng/ml) for another 6 days followed by a final differentiation in N2 medium for 7, 14, 21 or 28 days. Exp. III) In addition, to examine the effects of neurotrophic factors in the production of mature neurons, groups of cells were exposed to either BDNF (5 ng/ml) or TGF-$\alpha$(10 ng/ml) during the 28 days of final differentiation. Differentiation patterns of RA/AA or bFGF treated groups were very similar; approximately 82% and 83% of the cells, respectively, were positive for anti-NF200 antibody, while it was about 10% and 11%, respectively, for anti-NF160 antibody in 28 days in N2 medium. Alsor, cells expressing TH were as low as 5%, while the cells doubled when matured at the presence of either BDNF or TGF-$\alpha$. Cells immunoreactive to anti-GAD antibody were approximately 20%. These results suggest that a maturation step rather than differentiation induction step, which is formation of EB, effects more decisively to the ultimate differentiation pattern.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.73-78
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• 2000

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are pluripotent cell lines, which derived from preimplantation embryo. These cells have been used as a vehicle of foreign DNA for production of transgenic mammals. this experiment was performed to examined the possible use of blastodermal cells derived from hen's egg for germline manipulation. Stage X blsdtodermal cells isolated from fertilized eggs were cultured in DMEM containing 15% fetal calf serum. Blastodermal cells wre co-cultured on the chicken embryonic fibroblast (CEF) or mouse embryonic fibroblast(MEF) cells. to examine the effects of growth factors on stem cell growth, bFGF and LIF were added. There was no significant difference in colony formation of putative ES cells between CEF and MEF as a feederlayer, but the addition of growth factors enhanced the proliferation and inhibited differentiation of blastodermal cells. To characterize the cell colonies as a putative ES cells, putative embryonic cell colonies were stained by periodic acid Schiffs (PAS) reagent. The putative ES cell colonies showed intensive positive reaction similar to the property of undifferentiated PGC upto 20days in vitro, but not in other cell types. this result demonstrates that PAS-positive cell colonies may be used for the study of establishment of chicken ES cell lines for the production of transgenic chicken.