• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.335-343
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• 1997

The effect of thiol compounds on development and intracellular glutathione(GSH) concentrations of bovine embryos produced by in vitro maturation and in vitro fertilization(IVM/IVF) was examined in CRlaa medium with or without $\beta$-mercaptoethanol(0, 10, 25 and 50$\mu$MME) and cysteamine(0, 25, 50 and 75 $\mu$M). Numbers of cells comprising blastocysts were also counted using double fluorescence stain and the total glutathione levels(oxidized and reduced form) of morula and blastocyst embryos were than measured by an enzymatic method. Following routine IVM/IVF procedures oocytes and zygotes were cultured for 40 to 44h in CRlaa medium. Then 2 to 8-cell embyos had cumulus cell removed and were allotted randomly to the experimental medium. In Experiment 1, the proportion of embryos developing to and beyond morulae stages in 0, 10, 25 and 50 $\mu$M $\beta$-ME was 42.9%, 50.0%, 53.7% and 65.6%, respectively. Fifty $\mu$M $\beta$-ME group was significantly higher than those of any other groups (P<0.05). In Experiment 2, the percentages of embryos developed beyond morulae stages in 0, 25, 50 and 75 $\mu$M cysteamine was 42.9%, 40.4%, 60.0% and 59.2%, respectively. Fifty and 75$\mu$M cysteamine groups were significantly higher than in 0 and 25 $\mu$M cysteamine groups, but all of culture medium containing cysteamine(52.6%) was not significantly difference in control group(42.9%). In Experiment 3, the intracellular GSH concentrations of morulae and blastocyst embryos in 0 and 50 $\mu$M $\beta$-ME was 42.4 pM and 44.9 pM, 49.5 pM and 67.8 pM, respectively. Morulae embryos were not difference, but blastocyst embryos were significantly difference between treatments(P<0.05). In Experiment 4, the intracellular GSH concentrations of morulae in CRlaa with or without cysteamine were 39.8 pM and 45.6 pM, and blastocysts were 59.3 pM and 66.8 pM, respectively. Cell numbers of blastocysts were similar to in all experimental groups. These experiments indicate that thiol compounds can increase the proportion of embryos that developing to and beyond morulae stage and the intracellular GSH concentrations.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.1367-1372
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• 2000

The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of transgenic rabbit production by DNA microinjection using EGFP (Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein) gene. In this experiment EGFP coding sequences fused to CMV promoter were microinjected into rabbit one-cell embryos, and then GFP expression and gene integration were evaluated in preimplantation embryos and fetuses recovered on day 15 of pregnancy to determine efficiency of transgenic rabbit production. Effect of DNA concentration was also tested on development in vitro following microinjection and transgene integration in fetuses. Development of embryos in vitro was decreased by DNA microinjection, but the rates of pregnancy and implantation were not significantly affected by microinjection. As development progressed in vitro percentage of GFP expression in rabbit embryos was decreased, resulting GFP expression detected in 37.5% of blastocysts. The efficiencies for production of transgenic fetuses were 4.0% and 7.6%, respectively, when $10ng/{\mu}l$ and $20ng/{\mu}l$ of DNA concentration were microinjected. Transgenic fetuses were confirmed by GFP expression and PCR analysis of fetus genomic DNA. These results indicated that DNA microinjection itself damaged embryo development and DNA concentration affected the efficiency of transgenic rabbit production.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2002.06a
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• pp.6-6
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• 2002

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of recipient activation time on the nuclear remodeling, chromatin structure, pronuclear formation and in vitro development of bovine nuclear transfer embryos derived from adult ear skin cells. Somatic cells were transferred to enucleated oocytes after quiescent treatments by serum starvation or culture to confluency. Nuclear transfer embryos were activated with a combination of Ca/sup 2+/-ionophore and cycloheximide at 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, and 5 h after electrofusion. (omitted)

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.141-147
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• 1991

This stduy was carried out in order to investigate the effects of cryoprotective concentration and equilibration time on survival rate of ultrarapidly frozen in vitro fertilized bovine embryos. In vitro fertilized bovine embryos, following dehydration by cryoprotective agents and sucorese were directly plunged into liquid nitrogen and thawed in 38$^{\circ}C$ water. Survival rate was defined by development rate to the morula and blaqstocyst stage after in vitro culture of by FDA test. The results are summarized as follows : 1. The survival rates of in vitro fertilized bovine embryos after ultrarapid frozen-thawing in the freezing medium of 0.25M sucroese added 2.0M, 2.5M, 3.0M, 3.5M, 4.0M glycerol were 75.0%, 72.0%, 67.6%, 44.8% and 18.3% respectively. 2. The survival rates of in vitro fertilized bovine embryos after ultrarapid frozen-thawing in the freezing medium of 0.25M sucrose added 2.0M, 2.5M, 3.0M, 3.5M, 4.0M DMSO were 64.0%, 66.7%, 70.8%, 52.7% and 18.6, respectively. 3. The survival rates of in vitro fertilized bovine embryos after ultrarapid frozen-thawing in the freezing medium of 0.25M sucrose added 2.0M, 2.5M, 3.0M, 3.5M, 4.0M propanediol were 68.4%, 64.9%, 63.2%, 62.2% and 34.7%, respectively. 4. The survival rates of in vitro fertilized bovine embryos after ultrarapid frozen-thawing in the freezing medium of 2.50M glycerol added 0.1M, 0.25M, 0.5M, 0.75M, sucrose were 60.5%, 72.2%, 70.1% and 54.9%, respectively. The survival rate of in vitro fertilized embryos after ultrarapid frozen-thawing in the freezing medium of 2.5M glycerol added 0.25M sucrose were higher than concentration of 0.10M, 0.50M and 0.75M sucrose. 5. The equilibration time on the survival rate of in vitro fertilized bovine embryos was attained after short period of time(2.5~5min.) in the freezing medium added 0.25M sucrose and 3.0M DMSO higher than long period time(1~20min.).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.966-975
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• 1999

Technologies on preimplantation porcine embryos have been developed quickly and significantly. Successful development of systems for culture of porcine zygotes to the blastocyst stage has made it possible to utilize follicular oocytes for in vitro production of embryos and thus stimulated research on various embryo technologies. Recent technological development of embryo cryopreservation, separation of X- and Y-bearing spermatozoa and non-surgical embryo transfer has also made it easy to utilize in vivo- and in vitro-produced embryos for artificial manipulation to produce clones and transgenic pigs. Further progress in overcoming various problems associated with each embryo technology will result in acceptable efficiency to utilize porcine embryos with a high or increased quality. Combining these technologies will accelerate further expansion of the swine industry not only for meat production but also for the production of therapeutic recombinant proteins and xonografts.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.134-134
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• 2003

Bovine embryos produced by in vitro maturation, feretilization and development was examined for presevation and transfer. The fertilization medium used BO medium with 5 mM/$m\ell$ caffeine and 10$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ heparin and adjusted to a pH of 7.2 to 7.4. The final concentration of spermatozoa was adjusted to 1$\times$$10^{6}$ cells/$m\ell$ motile sperm during fertilization in vitro. At 8~10 hrs after insemination, the oocytes were transferred into CR1aa medium and cultured for 7 days. Embryos were preserved by vitrification method for transfer. When the embryos of early, blastocyst and expanded blastocyst stages were frozen-thawed, the proportions of embryos with normal morphology 83.6, 88.1 and 85.2%. (중략)

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.212-218
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• 1996

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of coculture for the development rate to morula/blastocyst stages of early porcine embryos, derived from oocytes matured and fertilized In vitro, with porcine cumulus cell monolayers(PCM) in the two different media, respectively. The rates of embryos developed to 2-, 4-, 8~16-cell and morula/blastocyst stage were 48.7, 40.5, 34.8 and 17.0% in Ham's F-10 with PCM, and 48.3, 35.6, 22.1, and 13.4% in TCM-HEPES with PCM, respectively. The above development rates to morula/blastocyst stages were significantly higher than those of the embryos cultured in the Ham's F-10 and TCM-HEPES without PCM(P<0.05). The in vitro development rates to the morula/blastocyst stage of I-cell embryos cultured in Ham's F-10 and TCM-HEPES without PCM were 0.0~1.0%. Especially, most of embryos were observed to arrest the development beyond 4-cell stages. As shown in the above results, the coculture of in vitro fertilized porcine embryos with PCM in the two different media enhanced the development of fertilized eggs to morula/blastocyst stages in vitro. However, we didn't find out any difference for the in vitro development to morula/blastocyst stages between Ham's F-10 and TCM-HEPES media.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 1998

The effect of oxygen tension on embryonic development in co-culture was evaluated from the standpoint of the reduction of dissolved oxygen concentration by the oxygen consumption of feeder cells. Three co-culture systems using bovine oviductal epitherial cells (BOEC), African green monkey kidney cells (Vero cells) or buffalo rat liver cells (BRLC) have been compared in terms of development of bovine embryos derived from oocytes matured and fertilized in vitro. Among the co-cultured embryo, Vero cells su, pp.rted the highest developmental rate (29%) and the other two showed the similar rates. When the co-cultures were incubated in three different oxygen tension such as 5, 10, 20% oxygen atmosphere, embryos co-cultured with Vero cells at 10%-O2 resulted in the highest percentage of development. From the measurement of oxygen consumption of feeder cells, BRLC consumed 1.38　10-10 mg-O2/min/cell which was higher than 0.94　10-10 and 0.26　10-10mg-O2/min/cell for Vero cells and BOEC, respectively. Based on the oxygen consumption data, the phenomena of optimum oxygen tension required in embryo development in vitro has been analyzed, and we suggested that gas phase oxygen concentration, oxygen consumption rate of feeder cells and the number of feeder cells should be considered for the design of optimal co-culture system for effective fertilization of embryos in vitro.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.201-210
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• 1996

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of early mouse embryonic development in vitro by co-culture with bovine and porcine oviductal epithelial cells (BOEC and POEC). The 2-cell embryos were collected from the oviducts of the superovulated and mated cultured in D-PBS /15% FCS at 48 hours after hCG injection. The in vitro developmental rate of blastocyst formation in the embryos were examined under the fllowing treatments; 1) TCM 199 added 15% HCS, 2) Ham's F-10 added 15% HCS, 3) MediCult IVF medium, 4) TCM 199 added 15% HCS + BOEC, 5) TCM 199 added 15% HCS + POEC, 6) Ham's F40 added 15% HCS + BOEC, 7) Ham's F-10 added 15% HCS + POEC,8) MediCult IVF medium + BOEC, 9) MediCult IVF medium + POEC. For a comparative study of in vitro development for 96 hours after hCG injection, were cultured with oviductal epithelial cell and media only. The obtained results were 2-cell embryos developed to the blastocyst stage in TCM 199, Ham's F-10 and MediCult IVF medium at the rates of 84.4,83.2 and 81.6%. respectively. The higher developmental rates(91~97%) of blastocyst formation was appeared when the embryos were co-cultured with a monolayer of bovine or porcine oviductal epithelial cells in TCM 199 or Ham's F-10 and MediCult IVF media. No significant difference in developmental rates was shown between bovine and porcine oviductal epithelial cells but significant difference in co-culture system in comparison between media only system and co-cultures. In conclusions, oviductal epithelial cells, BOEC and POEC, when co-culture with mouse early embryos improved the rates of development, blastocyst and hatching. Therefore, it is suggested that co-culture system using oviductal epithelial cells improve early embryonic developtnent in mouse.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.1057-1061
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• 2001

In this study we explored the possibility of performing nuclear transfer in the domestic cat and assessed the ability of different culture media to support in vitro development of reconstructed cat embryos. Donor somatic cells were derived from cultured cumulus cells or explants of oviduct tissue, and recipient cytoplasts from in vitro matured oocytes. A higher percentage of cleavage (84.6% and 86.5%) and development to the morula stage (35.9% and 44.2%) was found when reconstructed embryos receiving cumulus or oviduct cells were cultured in MK1 medium, compared with those cultured in CR1aa (58.7% and 72.5%, 13.8% and 13.6%, respectively). There was no significant difference between MK1 and CR1aa media with respect to the proportion developing to the blastocyst stage (15.4% and 17.3% vs 6.8% and 8.6%, respectively, p>0.05). There was no significant effect (p>0.05) of donor cell type (cumulus and oviduct cells) on the rates of fusion (65.0% and 52.5%), cleavage (84.6% and 86.5%), development to the morula (35.9% and 44.2%), and blastocyst (15.4% and 17.3%) stages when reconstructed embryos were cultured in MK1 medium. Similar results were found for the reconstructed embryos cultured in CR1aa medium. These results show that culture medium has a significant impact on the early development of reconstructed cat embryos, whereas donor cell type does not have a significant effect.