• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.349-357
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• 1998

This study was to investigate whether the viability of Hanwoo IVM/IVF/IVC blastocysts was maintained after vitrification and thawing. In vitro produced Hanwoo blastocysts were vitrified by two-step method: equilibrated in EG20 for 3 min, and then exposed in EFS40 ［40% ethylene glycol (EG), 18% ficoll and 10.26% sucrose in mDPBS containing 10% FBS ］and vitrified in L$N_2$for 30 - 45 sec. After thawing, in vitro survival was assessed as the re-expanded and hatched rates at 24 hand 48 h, respectively. The results obtained in these experiments were summarized as follows: From the 12 replicates, 52.5% of Hanwoo blastocysts were produced in vitro at day 7 after IVF. When the effects of freezing solution to the embryo survival were examined, there is no significant toxicity in exposure (100.0, 73.8%) compared to that af control group (100.0, 87.0%). However, when embryos were vitrified, high survival (86.2, 55.4%) was obtained although it was significantly lower than those of exposure and control group (p＜0.05). When the in vitro survival of vitrified embryos according to developmental stage and culture day were examined, it showed that more advanced embryo stage exhibited a significantly higher survival rate irrespective of culture day (p＜0.05). Also, even in the same development stage, the in vitro survival of day 7 embryos (re-expanded: 75.0~87.5%, hatched: 21.4~66.7%) was higher than those of day 8 embryos(re-expanded: 58.6~78.3%, hatched: 10.3~52.2%). Therefore, these results suggested that in vitro produced Hanwoo blastocysts can be successfully cryopreserved by simple two-step vitrification method using EFS40 freezing solution, particularly at the expanded and early hatching blastocyst stage regardless of embryo culture duration (day 7 or day 8 after IVF).

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.255-262
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of vitrification in open pulled straws (OPS) methods on in vitro survival ability of porcine embryos. For in vitro maturation of immature oocytes, the porcine ovaries were collected from local slaughter-house. The cumulus-oocytes complexes were aspirated from 2 to 6 mm follicles. The collected oocytes were cultured for in vitro maturation in NCSU-23 medium with 5 mM hypotaurine, 0.57 mM cysteine, 10% porcine follicle fluid, 10 IU/ml PMSG and 10 IU/ml hCG for $21{\sim}22$ hrs. Then, the oocytes were more cultured $21{\sim}22$ hrs in vitro maturation in medium removed hormones. The frozen-thawed spermatozoa were washed by centrifugation 2 times for 10 min at 1,500 rpm in D-PBS with 5.56 mM glucose, 0.33 mM Na-pyruvate, 100 IU/ml penicillin, $100 {\mu}g/ml$ streptomycin and 4 mg/ml BSA. The fertilization medium used mTBM with 2 mM caffeine and 2 mg/ml BSA and adjusted to a pH of 7.2 to 7.4. The final concentration of spermatozoa was adjusted to $2.5{\times}10^6$cells/ml motile sperm during fertilization in vitro. At 8 hrs after insemination, the oocytes were transferred into NCSU-23 medium with 5.0 mM hypotaurine, 4 mg/ml BSA and 10 ng/ml EGF and cultured for 7 days. When the blastocysts of different stages were frozen-thawed by OPS methods, the proportions of embryos with normal morphology were significantly (p<0.05) higher in embryos frozen-thawed at expanded blastocyst stage (38.9%) than in early blastocyst stage (28.3%). On the other hand, the proportions of embryos damaged after frozen-thawing were significantly (p<0.05) higher in embryos frozen at early blastocyst stages than in expanded blastocyst stage. In another experiment, the normal embryos morphology after frozen- thawing were further cultured for 48 hrs. After culture, the proportions of embryos hatched were 6.7, 20.0 and 33.3% for embryos frozen-thawed at early blastocyst, mid-blastocyst and expanded blastocyst stages. These finding indicate the possible broader application for OPS methods, as frozen-thawed embryos may be accompanied by developmental stage according to requirements of the survival ability after freezing of blastocyst stage in the pig.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.87-92
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• 2011

Objective: This study aimed to determine the safety and clinical effect of artificial shrinkage (AS) in terms of assisted hatching of fresh blastocysts. Also, we evaluated the correlation between patient age and the effect of AS on clinical outcome. Methods: Two AS methods, using a 29-gauge needle and laser pulse, were compared. Seventy-three blastocysts were shrunk using a 29-gauge needle and the same number of other blastocysts were shrunk by a laser pulse. We evaluated the shrunken blastocysts hourly and considered them viable if they re-expanded >70%. Blastocyst transfer cycles (n=134) were divided into two groups: a control group consisted of the cycles whose intact embryos were transferred (n=100), while the AS group consisted of the cycles whose embryos were replaced following AS (n=34). The implantation and pregnancy rates of the control group and AS group were compared ($p$ <0.05). Results: The re-expansion rates of the 29-gauge needle and laser pulse AS groups were similar (56 [76.7%] vs. 62 [84.9%], respectively). All of the remaining shrunken blastocysts were re-expanded within 2 hours. There was no degeneration of shrunken blastocysts. The total and clinical pregnancy rate of the AS group (23 [67.6%]; 20 [58.8%], respectively) was significantly higher than that of the control group (47 [47.0%]; 39 [39.0%], respectively). In the older patient group, there was no difference in the clinical outcomes between the AS and control groups. Conclusion: These results suggest that AS of blastocoele cavity, followed by the transfer, would be a useful approach to improve the clinical outcome in cycles in which fresh blastocyst stage embryos are transferred.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.299-306
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• 2021

Vitrification methods are commonly used for mammalian reproduction through the long-term storage of blastocyst produced in vitro. However, the survival and quality of embryos following vitrification are significantly low compared with blastocyst from in vitro production (IVP). This study evaluates that the survival of frozen-thawed bovine embryos was relevant to mitochondrial superoxide derived mitochondrial activity. Here we present supplementation of the cryopreservation medium with Mito-TEMPO (0.1 µM) induced a significant (p < 0.001; non-treated group: 56.8 ± 8.7%, reexpanded at 24 h vs Mito-TEMPO treated group: 77.5 ± 8.9%, re-expanded at 24 h) improvement in survival rate of cryopreserved-thawed bovine blastocyst. To confirm the quality of vitrified blastocyst after thawing, DNA fragmentation of survived embryos was examined by TUNEL assay. As a result, TUNEL positive cells rates of frozen-thawed embryos were lower in the Mito-TEMPO treated group (4.2 ± 1.4%) than the non-treated group (7.1 ± 3.5%). In addition, we investigated the intracellular ROS and mitochondrial specific superoxide production using DCF-DA and Mito-SOX staining in survived bovine embryos following vitrification depending on Mito-TEMPO treatment. As expected, intracellular ROS levels and superoxide production of vitrified blastocysts after cryopreservation were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) according to Mito-TEMPO supplement in freezing medium. Also, mitochondrial activity measured by MitoTracker Orange staining increased in the frozen-thawed embryos with Mito-TEMPO compared with non-treated group. These results indicate that the treatment of Mito-TEMPO during cryopreservation might induce reduction in DNA fragmentation and apoptosis-related ROS production, consequently increasing mitochondrial activation for developmental capacity of frozen-thawed embryos.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.94-100
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• 2015

Objective: The goal of this study was to ascertain optimal assisted hatching (AH) method in frozen embryo transfer. We compared the effect of depending on whether mechanical or laser-AH was performed before or after the vitrification of embryo development rate and blastocyst cell numbers. Methods: In order to induce superovulation, pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin followed by human chorionic gonadotropin were injected into 4- to 5-week-old female mice. 2-cell embryos were then collected by flushing out the oviducts. The Expanded blastocysts were recovered after the collected embryos were incubated for 48 hours, and were then subjected to artificial shrinkage (AS) and cross-mechanical AH (cMAH) or quarter-laser zona thinning-AH (qLZT-AH) were carried out using the expanded blastocysts before or after vitrification. After 48 hours of incubation, followed by vitrification and thawing (V-T), and blastocysts were fluorescence stained and observed. Results: The rate of formation of hatched blastocysts after 24 and 72 hours of incubation was significantly higher in the AS/qLZT-AH/V-T group than in the other groups (p<0.05). The cell number of the inner cell mass was higher in AS/V-T/non-AH and AS/V-T/cMAH groups than those of others (p<0.05). In the control group, the number of trophectoderm and the total cell number were higher than in the AS-AH group (p<0.05). Conclusion: The above results suggest that AS and AH in vitrification of expanded blastocysts lead to the more efficient formation of hatched blastocysts in mice.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.293-301
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• 1999

This study was to examine whether Hanwoo IVM/IVF/IVC blastocyst can be successfully survived in vitro/in vivo after vitrification and one-step dilution. For vitrification, blastocysts were serially exposed in glycerol (G) and ethylene glycol(EG) mixtures［10% (v Iv) G for 5 min., 10% G plus 20% EG (v/v) for 5 min., and 25% G plus 25% EG (v/v) for 30 sec.］ which is diluted in 10% FBS added D-PBS. And then they were loaded in the straw, placed in cold nitrogen vapor for 3 min. and plunged into L$N_2$(－196$^{\circ}C$). One-step dilution within the straw was done in $25^{\circ}C$ and 36$^{\circ}C$ water for about 5 min. and 3 min., respectively. Recovered embryos after one-step dilution were cultured in cumulus cell mono-layered drop for 48 h or were transferred into recipient cows. When the embryo survival in vitro was assessed to re-expanded and hatched rates at 24 hand 48 h after one-step dilution, the results of vitrified group (85.4, 43.8%) was high, although these results were significantly lower than normal development (100.0, 63.3%) of control group, respectively (P＜0.001, P＜0.05). When in vitro survival of vitrified groups according to developmental stage was compared, the results of fast developed embryos (expanded blastocyst and early hatching blastocyst stage) were significantly higher than those of delayed developed one (early blastocyst stage) after one-step dilution (early hatching: 88.0, 48.0%: expanded: 81.1, 45.3%; early: 66.7, 14.3%) (P＜0.05). Also, in case of in vitro survival of vitrified groups according to embryo age (day 7, 8 and 9), when embryo age was younger, in vitro survival was significantly higher (day 7: 67.3, 34.5%; day 8: 76.9, 40.7%; day 9: 60.9, 23.9%)(P＜0.05). Finally, when in vivo development potential of vitrified and one-step diluted Hanwoo blastocysts was examined, 4 of 8 recipient (50%) cows became confirmed pregnant. These results demonstrated that our vitrification and one-step dilution technique can be applied easily and effectively on field trial without the equipment and embryological skills required for conservative dilution and transfer.

• 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 Animal Reproduction
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.141-150
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• 1994

Morphological features of the interaction between the hatching blastocyst and implantation in pig were studied by electron microscopy. The observations extended from late blastocyst stage to the completion of trophoblastic erosion of the epithelium and early decidual transformation of the epithelium and early decidual transformation of the stromal cells. Between day 7 and 17 of pregnancy, blastocysts from 0.3 to 12 mm in diameter were flushed from the uterine horns of Dutch Landrace pigs. On the 7th of development in the pig blastocyst, the blastocyst shedded of the zona pellucida established the tips of microvilli and with bleb-like cytoplasmic protrusions of the epithelial cells. From day 11 on in pig embryo, the bilayered trophoblast undergoes a dramatic phase of elongation so that the initially spherical expanded blastocyst becomes tubular. In pig, close apposition to the uterine wall beg-ins at about 12 $^1$/$_2$ days and then attachment occurred during the afternoon of the 16th or 18th day post coitum. At this stage, embryonic loss compared with corpus luteum number is up to 40% of ovulated oocytes. Therefore, the implantation failture of these embryos may be mainly caused by morphological abnormality and failture of zona shedding.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2001.03a
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• pp.76-76
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• 2001

The objective of this study was to optimize the vitrification method of in vitro produced bovine embryos. Thus, in vitro produced embryos at 8 cell, morula and blastocyst stages were vitrified on electron microscope grids (EM grids) or in open pulled straws (OPS) with EG5.5 (5.5 M ethylene glycol, 1.0 M sucrose and 10% FBS in m-DPBS medium) freezing solution and their survival rates after thawing were compared. The embryos on EM grids or in OPS were briefly exposed to EG5.5 freezing solution and plunged directly into liquid nitrogen within 30 to 35 sec. Post-thawed embryos were serially diluted in 0.5, 0.25 and 0.125 M sucrose in m-DPBS, each for 1 min, and then cultured in CRI aa medium supplemented with 10% FBS. Embryonic survival rate was assessed as re-expanded and hatched rates of those embryos after warming. The rates of re-expansion embryos did not significantly different between EM grid (8 cell: 42.10%, morula: 66.66% and blastocyst: 77.08%) and OPS (8 cell: 47.36%, morula: 61.90% and blastocyst: 83.33%) methods. In addition, the hatched rates in EM grid (8 cell: 31.57%, morula: 57.14% and blastocyst: 72.91%) were similar to those in OPS (8 cell. 34.21%, morula: 50.00% and Blastocyst: 77.08%). Interestingly, even at the same blastocyst stage, the in vitro survival of day 7 embryos (EM grid: 79.48 and OPS: 87.18%) was higher than those of day 8 embryos (EM grid: 72.10 and OPS: 82.06%). The total cell number of blastocyst developed in vitro after vitrification was examined with Hoechst 33342 staining to compare the embryo quality among different treatment groups. The total cell number of blastocyst was not significantly different between vitrified groups (EM grid: 162.4$\pm$8.0 and OPS: 158.4$\pm$7.1) and unvitrified control (168.0$\pm$5.6). These results indicate that both vitrification containers can provide the high rate of embryo survival. Moreover, the OPS container may not need a cap to protect the container from floating after immersion in L$N_2$. Therefore, this study suggest that bovine embryos can be cryopreserved easily, effectively and successfully by vitrification method using EM grid or OPS with EG5.5 freezing solution. In the future, the Pregnancy rate would be investigated after transfer of our vitrified embryos into the appropriated recipients.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.47-56
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• 2000

This study was carried out to improve a technique of embryo transfer for twin calves production in Hanwoo cattle. Blastocysts for the donor of embryo transfer were classified into three criteria by accessment of morphology; early blastocyst, blastocyst and expanded blastocyst. Tow embryos were introduced transcervically into utrerine horn either of Hanwoo or Holstein by ipsilaterally or contralaterally to the corpus luteum. Thiry-six out of 57 recipients cows were inseminated by artificially on the next day of estrus, and followed by transfer of embryos into contralaterally. The pregnance rates of recipients following transfer of bovine embryos of day 7, 8 and 9 was 43.5, 18.2 and 8.3%, respectively. These results appeared that these was a significant (P<0.05) difference between on day-7 embryos and day-9 embryos, but not between on day-8 and day-9 embryos. Although there was not significant(P<0.05) difference in the pregnancy rates between the blastocysts(11/25, 44%) and expanded blastocysts(2/19, 10.5%) and between the blastocysts and early blastocysts(2/13, 15.4%), the embryos at blastocyst stage are more suitable than others for obtaining higher rate of pregnancy. There was no significant difference on pregnancy of the embryos transferred prior to presence(6/21, 29%) or absence (9/36, 25%) of artificial insemination. On pregnancy of Holstein, 2(15.4%) out of 13 recipients were pregnant in heifer. Similar Pregnancy rates were obtained between 1∼2 parities and 3∼4 parities by 30% (6/20) and 27.3%(3/11), respectively. Taken together, there was not significant difference in pregnancy rate due to small number of recipients used for this experiment. Both of Hanwoo and Holstein introduced the embryos by contralsterally to the corpus luteum were slightly higher pregnancy rate compare to by ipsilaterally (12/41, 29.3% vs, 3/16, 18.8%). The ratio of production of twin and single calves in Holstein was 20% (9/45) and 2.2% (1/45), respectively. However, in Hanwoo cows both of production of twin and single were similar as 8%. This result suggests that Holstein as recipients was superior to Hanwoo cows for production of twin calves. Out of all 15 pregnant, 12(80%) were produced a total of 22 normal calves in which the others composed of abnormal, as judging as 2(13.3%) for abortion and 1(6.6%) for stillbirth during the pregnant period.