• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.1117-1123
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• 2009

This study investigated the effects of IGF-I and EGF on the development of blastocysts or hatched blastocysts during the in vitro culture of embryos from immature porcine oocytes. After the in vitro maturation and fertilization of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) and their culture in vitro in PZM3 medium, we examined the embryo development rate for 168 h. When different concentrations of IGF-I (0, 1, 10, 20 ng/ml) were supplemented to fertilized porcine embryos in vitro, there were no significant differences in cleavage rate, blastocyst development rate or blastocyst hatching rate among the treated groups. On the other hand, when different concentrations of EGF (0, 1, 10, 20 ng/ml) were supplemented to the in vitro culture medium, blastocyst development rate was highest in the group in which EGF was not supplemented and, specifically, it was higher than in the 20 ng/ml treatment group (p<0.05). When 10 ng/ml IGF-I and 1 ng/ml EGF were supplemented separately or simultaneously, there were no significant differences among the treated groups in blastocyst hatching rate and the number of cells in each condition. This study demonstrated that the addition of IGF-I and EGF into PZM3 medium did not enhance development of the blastocyst stage and total cell number in blastocysts.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.175-180
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• 2015

Objective: Embryo loading (EL) is a major step in embryo transfer (ET) and affect on the success of in vitro fertilization (IVF). This study aimed to compare the effect of two different EL techniques on the rates of pregnancy and delivery in IVF/ET cycles. Methods: 207 fresh ET and 194 Frozen-thawed ET (FET) cycles were included in this retrospective study. Two groups (A and B) were defined based on the EL technique used. In group A, the entire catheter was flushed with Ham's F-10 medium. The embryos were then drawn into the catheter using one air bracket. In group B, $70{\mu}L$ of air was aspirated into the syringe and the catheter was flushed using Ham's F10 medium. The medium, air, embryos, air, and finally another layer of medium were then sequentially drawn into the catheter. The main outcome measures were the pregnancy and delivery rates. Results: The groups did not differ with respect to the etiology of infertility, the source of spermatozoa, the quality of the embryos, the type of EL catheter, and the ease of transfer. The pregnancy rate was similar between two groups. In fresh ET cycles, a higher delivery rate was observed in group B than it group A (78.1% vs. 60%, p=0.1). In FET cycles, the rate of delivery was significantly higher in group B than in group A to a nonsignificant extent (88.9% vs. 58.8%, p=0.06). Conclusion: EL techniques did not have a significant impact on the delivery rate in either fresh or FET cycles.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.57 no.8
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• pp.27.1-27.6
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• 2015

This study was designed to investigate the effects of ${\alpha}$-tocopherol and granulosa cells monolayer on nuclear maturation and cleavage rates of ovine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs). The COCs (n = 2814) were matured in maturation medium supplemented with various concentration of ${\alpha}$-tocopherol (0, 5, 10, $15{\mu}g/ml$), oocytes were incubated at $39^{\circ}C$ with 5 % $CO_2$ for 24 h in three culture systems: (a) maturation medium (MM; n = 884), (b) co-cultured with granulosa cells (CG; n = 982) and (c) co-cultured with granulosa cells and cells were further cultured in MM for 12 h (CG + 12hMM; n = 948). Our results showed that ${\alpha}$-tocopherol had no effect on GVBD and MII as compared to control group, but when ${\alpha}$-tocopherol added to maturation medium the rate of cleavage decreased. This indicates interaction of above mentioned factors in any of the treatments showed no significant differences on the rate of maturation and cleavage stages (MII, GVBD and cleavage) (p > 0.05). The oocytes co-cultured with granulosa cells for 24 h had beneficial effects on cleavage rate. The maximum MII and cleavage rates were achieved when oocytes had extra 12 h culture in the maturation medium without granulosa cells. Results also showed our modified co-culture system (CG + 12hMM), improved rates of MII and the cleavage in comparison with other studied maturation systems.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.175-184
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• 2022

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impacts of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and conditioned medium (CM) derived from endometrial stromal cells on mouse preantral follicle culture in a two-dimensional system to produce competent mature oocytes for fertilization. Methods: In total, 240 preantral follicles were isolated from female mouse ovarian tissue and divided into four groups. The preantral follicles were isolated three times for each group and then cultured, respectively, in the presence of alpha minimum essential medium (control), PRP, CM, and PRP+CM. The in vitro growth, in vitro maturation, and cleavage percentage of the preantral follicles were investigated. Immunocytochemistry (IHC) was also conducted to monitor the meiotic progression of the oocytes. Additionally, the mRNA expression levels of the two folliculogenesis-related genes (Gdf9 and Bmp15) and two apoptosis-related genes (Bcl2 and Bax) were investigated using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: In the PRP, CM, and PRP+CM groups, the preantral follicle maturation (evaluated by identifying polar bodies) were greater than the control group. The cleavage rate in the CM, and PRP+CM groups were also greater than the control group. IHC analysis demonstrated that in each treatment group, meiotic spindle was normal. In the PRP+CM group, the gene expression levels of Bmp15, Gdf9, and Bcl2 were greater than in the other groups. The Bax gene was more strongly expressed in the PRP and control groups than in the other groups. Conclusion: Overall, the present study suggests that the combination of CM and PRP can effectively increase the growth and cleavage rate of mouse preantral follicles in vitro.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.244-252
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• 2023

Objective: We evaluated the efficacy of the newly developed optimized in vitro culture (OIVC) dish for cultivating preimplantation mouse embryos. This dish minimizes the need for mineral oil and incorporates microwells, providing a stable culture environment and enabling independent monitoring of individual embryos. Methods: Mouse pronuclear (PN) zygotes and two-cell-stage embryos were collected at 18 and 46 hours after human chorionic gonadotropin injection, respectively. These were cultured for 120 hours using potassium simplex optimized medium (KSOM) to reach the blastocyst stage. The embryos were randomly allocated into three groups, each cultured in one of three dishes: a 60-mm culture dish, a microdrop dish, and an OIVC dish that we developed. Results: The OIVC dish effectively maintained the osmolarity of the KSOM culture medium over a 5-day period using only 2 mL of mineral oil. This contrasts with the significant osmolarity increase observed in the 60-mm culture dish. Additionally, the OIVC dish exhibited higher blastulation rates from two-cell embryos (100%) relative to the other dish types. Moreover, blastocysts derived from both PN zygotes and two-cell embryos in the OIVC dish group demonstrated significantly elevated mean cell numbers. Conclusion: Use of the OIVC dish markedly increased the number of cells in blastocysts derived from the in vitro culture of preimplantation mouse embryos. The capacity of this dish to maintain medium osmolarity with minimal mineral oil usage represents a breakthrough that may advance embryo culture techniques for various mammals, including human in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer programs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2011

Forty yeast strains isolated from soils taken from different locations in Egypt were tested for their P-solubilizing activities on the basis of analyzing the clear zone around colonies growing on a tricalcium phosphate medium after incubation for 5 days at $25^{\circ}C$, denoted as the solubilization index (SI). Nine isolates that exhibited P-solubilization potential with an SI ranging from 1.19 to 2.76 were genetically characterized as five yeasts belonging to the genus Saccharomyces cerevisiae and four non-Saccharomyces, based on a PCR analysis of the ITS1-26S region amplied by SC1/SC2 species-specific primers. The highest P-solubilization efficiency was demonstrated by isolate PSY- 4, which was identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae by a sequence analysis of the variable D1/D2 domain of the 26S rDNA. The effects of single and mixed inoculations with yeast PSY-4 and Bacillus polymyxa on the P-uptake and growth of corn were tested in a greenhouse experiment using different levels of a phosphorus chemical fertilizer (50, 100, and 200 kg/ha super phosphate 15.5% $P_2O_5$). The results showed that inoculating the corn with yeast PSY-4 or B. polymyxa caused significant increases in the shoot and root dry weights and P-uptake in the shoots and roots. The P-fertilization level also had a significant influence on the shoot and root dry weights and P-uptake in the shoots and roots when increasing the P-level from 50 up to 200 kg/ha. Dual inoculation with yeast strain PSY-4 and B. polymyxa at a P-fertilization level of 200 kg/ha gave higher values for the shoot and root dry weights and P-uptake in the shoots and roots, yet these increases were nonsignificant when compared with dual inoculation with yeast strain PSY-4 and B. polymyxa at a P-fertilization level of 100 kg/ha. The best increases were obtained from dual inoculation with yeast strain PSY-4 and B. polymyxa at a P-fertilization level of 100 kg/ha, which induced the following percentage increases in the shoot and root dry weights, and P-uptake in the shoots and roots; 16.22%, 46.92%, 10.09%, and 31.07%, respectively, when compared with the uninoculated control (fertilized with 100 kg/ha).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.1421-1423
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• 2003

Cross fertility between wild Japanese quail and domestic quail was explored in an experiment conducted on 18（3♂, 15♀）wild Japanese quails in Weishan Lake area, 18（3♂, 15♀）medium-sized domestic quails and 18（3♂, 15♀）pint-sized domestic quails, which were divided into nine groups. This study demonstrated that wild quail could succeed in crossing with domestic quail,producing fertilized eggs and hatching first filial generation. The findings indicated that there were no reproduction isolation between the wild Japanese quail and domestic quail, and that the best cross combination was between wild male quail and medium-sized domestic female quail, in which the fertility rate and hatchability of fertilized eggs amounted to 42.86% and 29.63% respectively. Based on the results, a new way could be adopted to protect, exploit and utilize genetic resources of wild quail.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.171-179
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• 1995

This study was carried out to investigate the fertilizing ability of round spematids isolated from seminiferous tubules. A round spermatid was introduced into the perivitelline space of a mature oocyte using Leitz micromanipulators and then subjected to electrofusion. Electrofusion was induced by applying a single DC pulse of 90V with a duration of 60$\mu$sec using Model 611 Square Wave Stimulator(Phipps and Bird, U.S.A) in 0.3 M sucrose fusion medium containing 0.05mM CaCl2 and 0.1mM MgSO4, Oocyte pre-activation was conducted by exposure to a single DC(80V, 80$\mu$sec) pulse in electrofusion medium at 1 hour before electrofusion. The incidence of fusion with pre-activated oocytes(23.8%, 57/239) was higher than that with nonactivated oocytes(6.7%, 3/45). The most of electro-stimulated mouse oocytes cleaved regardless of the success or failure of fusion. Karyotyping of embryos that developed into blastocysts after exposure to the fusion pulse were performe. We found that blastocysts from the fused oocytes were diploid whereas blastocysts from the unfused oocytes were haploid. About 11.7 and 11.5% of fused and unfused oocytes were developmental potentials of fused and unfused oocytes. Therefore, these results suggest that the mouse mture oocyte can be fertilized by fusion with a round spermtid and subsequently developed normally.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.283-289
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• 1996

This study was carried out to determine the sex of genomic and embryonic DNA using polymerase chain reaction(PCR). Bovine specific(216bp) and Y chromosome speicific DNA primers(l4lbp) were synthesized and tested for sexing. Bovine embryos used in this study were produced by in vitro fertilization. Few blastomeres for PCR were bisected by nicromanipulator and demi -embryos were cultured in TCM 199 medium containing 0.1% of solcoseryl. The results obtained were as follows; 1. Average optical density of genomic DNA extracted from blood of Hanwoo was 1.79$\pm$ 0.14. 2. 2. The ratio of the demi-embryos developed to blastocyst was 62.1 and 81.9% in morula and blastocyst, respectively. 3. When DNA of 2~4, 5~10 and more than 11 blastomeres was amplified with Y chromosome specific DNA primer by PCR, appreance rate of Y specific DNA band was 16.7, 46.2 and 40.0%, respectively. At least 5 to 10 blastomeres were required to determine the sex of embryos. 4. The rate of demi-embryos developed to blastocyst was 73.3% in TCM 199 medium supplemented with 0.1% solcoceryl. but 55.6% in control.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.161-171
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• 1989

The development of 2-cell mouse embryos to the blastocyst stage in vitro has been used as quality control for the culture media and supplements employed for human in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer(IVF-ET). 2-cell mouse embryos were cultured to the blastocyst stage in SECM, Medium 199-Earle's, Ham's F-10 I , Ham's F-10 II , Hoppe & Pitts, MEM and $HT_6$. The protein supplements contained in media were bovine serum albumine, fetal bovine serum and human fetal cord serum. The results were as follows; 1. The successful development was 81.3% in Medium 199-Earle’s, 91.9% in Ham’s F-10 I and 97.1% in $HT_6$. 2. 2-cell mouse embryos developed properly in all supplements but the best development was particularly noted in $HT_6$ media when HFCS was supplied as protein supplement.