• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.55-65
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• 1999

There have been many reports to date regarding the role of GnRH as a local regulatory factor of ovarian function as studies of human and rat ovaries revealed GnRH and its receptor. In recent studies it has been shown that GnRH directly causes apoptosis in the granulosa cells of the rat ovary, and such results leads to the suggestion that the use of GnRH agonist for more stable long term ovarian hyperstimulation in human IVF-ET programs causes granulosa cell apoptosis which may lead to follicular atresia. Therefore this study attempts to determine if granulosa-luteal cell apoptosis occurs in patients during IVF-ET programs in which GnRH agonist is employed for ovarian hyperstimulation. The quality of oocyte-cumulus complexes obtained during ovum pickup procedures were assessed morphologically and then the fertilization rate and developmental rate was determined. Apoptotic cells among the granulosa-luteal cells obtained during the same procedure were observed after staining with Hematoxylin-eosin. The fragmentation degree of DNA extracted from granulosa-luteal cells was determined and comparatively analyzed. There was no difference in the average age of the patients, the number of oocytes retrieved, and fertilization and developmental rates between the FSH/hMG group and GnRH-long group. There was also no difference in the apoptosis rate and pyknosis rate in the granulosa-luteal cells between the two groups. However, when the oocyte-cumulus complexes were morphoogically divided into the healthy group and atretic group without regard for the method of hyperstimulation, the results showed that the number of oocytes obtained averaged $11.09{\pm}8.75\;and\;10.33{\pm}4.53$ per cycle, respectively, showing no significant difference, but the fertilization rate (77.05%, 56.99%, respectively, p<0.01) and developmental rate (65.96%, 41.51%, respectively, p<0.01) was significantly increased in the healthy group when compared to the atretic group. The degree of apoptosis in the granulosa-luteal cells showed that in the healthy group it was 2.25% which was not significantly different from the atretic group (2.77%), but the pyknosis rate in the atretic group (27.81%) was significantly higher compared to the healthy group (11.35%, p<0.01). The quantity of DNA fragmentation in the FSH/hMG group was 32.22%, while in the GnRH-long group it was 34.27%, showing no significant difference. On the other hand the degree of DNA fragmentation was 39.05% and 11.83% in the healthy group and atretic group, respectively, showing significantly higher increase in the atretic group (p<0.01). The above results suggest that death of granulosa-luteal cells according to the state of the oocyte-cumulus complex is more related to pyknosis rather than apoptosis. Also, the GnRH agonist used in ovarian hyperstimulation does not seem to directly affect the apoptosis of retrieved oocytes and granulosa-luteal cells, and which is thought to be due to the suppression of the apoptogenic effect of GnRH agonist as a result of the high doses of FSH administered.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.189-197
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• 2009

Two-pore domain $K^+(K_{2P})$ channels contribute to setting the resting membrane potential in excitable and nonexcitable cells. However, the cellular or tissue distribution and function of $K_{2P}$ channels expressed in mammalian germ cells and reproductive organs have not yet been reviewed by researchers. In this review, we focus on expression, localization and expected properties of $K_{2P}$ channels in germ cells and reproductive organs. The $K_{2P}$ channels are expressed in human cytotrophoblast cells, myometrium, placental vascular system, uterine smooth muscle, and pregnant term tissue, suggesting that $K_{2P}$ channels might be involved in the processes of pregnance. The $K_{2P}$ channels are also expressed in mouse zygotes, monkey sperm, ovary, testis, germ cells, and embryos of Korean cattle. Interestingly, $K_{2P}$ channels are modulated by changes in temperature and oxygen concentration which play an important role in embryonic development. Also, $K_{2P}$ channels are responsible for $K^+$ efflux during apoptotic volume decreases in mouse zygotes. These expression patterns and properties of the $K_{2P}$ channels in reproductive organs and germ cells are likely to help the understanding of ion channel-related function in reproductive physiology.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.56-60
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• 2005

Human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) and unconjugated estriol (uE3) were added to AFP to make what is commonly known as the Triple test. The Triple test combines results from these three tests and has been a standard screening procedure for several years. Recent studies have demonstrated the usefulness of adding inhibin-A to Down's syndrome risk assessment. The Quad test adds dimeric Inhibin-A (DIA) to the three other markers and uses the same computer program to calculate risk factors. Testing was performed between 14 and 21 weeks of gestation. Sample size were 648 samples and period of study was from 1, July, 2004 to 30, September, 2004. Used analytical methods for AFP, hCG and uE3 were radioimmunoassay (RIA) and dimeric inhibin A was enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Adding dimeric inhibin-A as a fourth marker to the standard triple test increases the detection rate from 62 % to 75 % with a false-positive rate of 5%. The DIA based Quad test has been shown to be the most effective second trimester screening test for Down's syndrome suitable for routine use. Increased DIA values are observed during normal pregnancy where a bimodal pattern response is seen. Values increase during the first trimester, decline after 14 weeks, and re-ascend between 17-25 weeks. Values for DIA may be additionally elevated during a Down's syndrome pregnancy. Dimeric inhibin A is a glycoprotein hormone made by the ovary and placenta. DIA levels are twice as high in Down's syndrome pregnancies. AFP, hCG, and uE3 levels vary with gestational age, and incorrect gestational dating will influence results. DIA levels do not vary substantially with gestational age, resulting in greater screening accuracy. Although the Quad test is an improvement over the Triple test, it is important to underscore the fact that a positive test on both should be done. Most women who initially screen positive will be found to be carrying normal babies when amniocentesis and definitive diagnostic chromosome analysis are done.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.327-333
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• 2009

Biological Characteristic of Obolodiplosis robiniae and insecticidal activity of some insecticides against larvae of O. robiniae were investigated. Egg was in oval shape, and its color was light orange and became red when close to hatch. Length of the major axis and the minor axis of egg was 0.4 mm and 0.1 mm, respectively. Larval color was milky and size was 2.6 mm. Pupa was deep brown and its size was about 3.2 mm. Wing and abdomen of adult was black and reddish, respectively. Size of female adult was about 3.3 mm, and larger than male adult. Number of eggs in the ovary was $192.3{\pm}50.7$. First emergence was from late April to late May, and second from late May to late June. Third emergence was from late June to late July. Newly emerged adult escaped from soil, and second and third emerged adult escaped directly from gall of Robinia pseudoacacia leaf. Egg parasitoid was identified as Platygaster robiniae and parasite rate was 51.6%. Among test insecticides, imidacloprid 10% WP and thiacoprid 10% FL showed very strong insecticidal activity against larvae of O. robiniae at 48h later after treatment.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.284-292
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• 2018

The melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), a cyclic hypothalamic peptide composed of 17 amino acids, was initially identified in chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) as a regulator of pigmentation. Mammalian MCHs are cyclic hypothalamic peptides composed of 19 amino acids that regulate food intake and energy homeostasis. The present study examined not only MCH expression of different tissues but also the melanohore aggregation and intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ influx of fMCH and the other MCH. Real-time qPCR showed that MCH expressed specially in the brain, gonad, and ovary, and expression of MCH was observed during the developmental stages. In the application of synthetic fMCH and both types of synthetic fMCH, dN-fMCH and dC-fMCH, scale melanophore induced significant changes in aggregation activity with various concentrations of MCH. Also, compared to hMCH and sMCH, fMCH exhibited a 36~99.85% increase in relative potency (%), whereas aggregation of dN-fMCH and dC-fMCH remained in a high concentration. However, dispersion was induced rapidly according to be low concentration of dN-fMCH and dC-fMCH. We show that fMCH and its derivates were bound human MCHR1 and rat MCHR expressed in HEK293T cells with nano-molar affinity and are likely to be ligand-induced to mobilize intracellular $Ca^{2+}$. These results may provide new ligands for binding assay with MCHew ligands, as a structure similar to the mammalian MCH structure was discovered in fish. Once the fMCH receptor system is in place, it can be compared to the MCH system of mammals in terms of MCH function.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2002

The present study was conducted to elucidate genes involved in the primordial-primary follicular transition. By using suppression subtractive hybridization, day1- and day5-subtracted cDNA libraries were obtained with the forward and reverse subtraction method, respectively. In toto, 357 clones were sequenced and analyzed by BLAST and RIKEN program. Sequences of 330 clones significantly matched database entries while 27 clones were novel. Forty-two and 47 genes with known functions were different between day1 and day5 ovaries. Four genes, GDF8, lats2, septin2, and wee1, from the day1 subtracted cDNA library, and 6 genes, HSP84, laminin2, MATER, MTi7, PTP, and wrn, from day5-subtracted cDNA library were chosen, and their differential expression was evaluated using RNAs from whole ovaries as well as captured primordial and primary follicles by laser captured microdissection. Results from the present study would provide insight for the future study on the mechanisms involved in primordial-primary follicle transition in the mouse in addition to the human ovary.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 2011

BCL-2 family essential proteins to play a pivotal role to perform in apoptosis signaling pathways and essential proteins for the regulation of cell death. BCL2L10 protein is a member of BCL-2 family and it regulates both anti-apoptotic and pro-apoptotic function of specific tissue or cell line. BCL2L10 of function and expression is not reported in ovary cell lines. In this study we reported that BCL2L10 were significant expression of KGN cell line. Ectopic expression of BCL2L10 induced cell death, and its cells killing effect was blocked by pan-caspase inhibitor of the Z-VAD-fmk. Ectopic expression of BCL2L10 protein led to the activation of caspase 9 and caspase 3, suggesting apoptotic cell death, and confocal microscopic analyses showed that BCL2L10 was partially localized in mitochondria. Thus, we provide a novel function of BCL2L10 in KGN cells, which was involved in the intrinsic cell death pathway.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2001.03a
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• pp.54-54
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• 2001

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a member of the glycoprotein hormone family which includes FSH, hCG, TSH. These hormone family is characterized by a heterodimeric structure composed a common $\alpha$-subunit noncovalently linked to a hormone specific $\beta$-subunit. The correct conformation of the heterodimer is also important for efficient secretion, hormone-specific post-translational modifications, receptor binding and signal transduciton. To determine $\alpha$ and $\beta$-subunits can be synthesized as a single polypeptide chain (tethered-hCG) and also display biological activity, the tethered-hCG molecule by fusing the carboxyl terminus of the hCG $\beta$-subunit to the amino terminus of the $\alpha$-subunit was constructed and transfected into chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells. We also constructed C-terminal deletion mutants (D9l, D89, D88, D87, D86, D84, D83) of single chain hCG to determine the biological function (secretion, LH-activity, receptor binding, cAMP production) of these mutants. Between six and eight stably transfected pools of cells expressing wild type and mutant hCGs were selected for neomycin resistant. The hCGs secreted by the stably transfected cells into serum-free media were collected and quantified by radioimmunoassay, as described in protocol (DPC(hCG IRMA). LH activity was in terms of testosterone production and aromatase activity in primary cultured rat Leydig cells. The tethered-wthCG was efficiently secreted and showed similar LH-like activity to the dimeric hCG. The D83hCG mutant was not detected in this assay. It is suggest that hCG C-terminal part is very important for hCG secretion. Now, we checking the LH-like activity of these mutant hCGs. These data indicate that the constructs of tethered molecule will be useful in the study of mutants that affect subunit association and/or secretion.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.47-58
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• 1987

It has been reported that the luteal function may be regulated by the intracellular $Ca^{++}$ level which may be adjusted partially by the high affinity $Ca^{++}-ATPase$ in luteal cell membranes. Then, one may expect that luteotropic and/or luteolytic agents, such as gonadotropins, prostaglandin $F_{2{\alpha}}\;(PGF_{2{\alpha}})$ and ouabain, affect the intracellular $Ca^{++}$ level. In this present study, therefore, we examined the effects of luteinizing hormone (LH, or human chorionic gonadotropin, hCG), $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ and ouabain on the kinetic properties of the high affinity $Ca^{++}-ATPase$ in light membrane, heavy membrane, and microsomal fractions from the highly luteinized ovary. LH (or hCG) increased the affinity and the Vmax for $Ca^{++}$ both in light membrane and heavy membrane. $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ increased the Vmax in light membrane and decreased the Km in heavy membrane for $Ca^{++}$ at low concentration $(5\;{\mu}g/ml)$. At higher concentration, however, $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ oppositly affected on kinetic properties, that shown at low concentration. Ouabain, a potent inhibitor of $Na^+-K^+-ATPase$, increased the Km at high concentration $(10^{-4}\;M)$, however, decreased the Vmax for $Ca^{++}$ in light membrane at low concentration $(10^{-6}\;M)$. Also, ouabain increased the Km for $Ca^{++}$ in heavy membrane without changes in the Vmax at both concentrations. It seems that LH and low dose of $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ increase the intracellular $Ca^{++}$ level and cause in activation of $Ca^{++}-ATPase$, however, higher dose of $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ and ouabain inhibit directly $Ca^{++}-ATPase$ activity and result in increase in intracellular $Ca^{++}$ level. According to the above results, we suggest that luteotropic and/or luteolytic agents regulate the luteal progesterone $(P_4)$ production through two different pathways; one is cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent and another is $Ca^{++}-dependent$. Intracellula. $Ca^{++}$ level regulated by the high affinity $Ca^{++}-ATPase$ may affect both pathways in a time-dependent fashion. LH (or hCG) acts on the luteal $P_4$ production via both pathways. The initial step is $Ca^{++}$ dependent, and the late step is cAMP dependent. $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ and ouabain increase the intracellular $Ca^{++}$ concentration so that basal luteal $P_4$ production is increased and LH-stimulated $P_4$ production is inhibited by the inhibiting LH-dependent adenylate cyclase activity.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.96-101
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• 2008

To induce of maturation and ovulation, ovary with different development stage of oocytes of sevenband grouper Epinephelus septemfasciatus(n=51, TL $69.1{\pm}1.0$ cm, BW $5.8{\pm}0.3$ kg) rearing indoor-tank in mature and spawning season(June to July) were investigated by cannulation. Female with yolk globule stage oocyte($300{\sim}500{\mu}m$) was injected with human chorionic gonadotropin(HCG, 500 IU/kg BW). Oocytes developed at diameter $300{\sim}700{\mu}m$ in 24 hrs after the HCG injection, and the distribution ratio of over $800{\mu}m$ of oocytes diameter in the cannulated eggs were $91.3{\sim}98.8%(95.1{\pm}3.7%)$ in 48 hrs after the HCG injection. Ovulation was induced from 7 out of 8 female after the HCG injection. The total volume of stripped eggs was 2,480 mL, and the volume of buoyant eggs was 1,360 mL. The fertilization and hatching rates of buoyant eggs were $56.2{\sim}94.9%$ and $70.7{\sim}97.9%$, respectively. These results suggested that HCG 500 IU/kg BW effects on maturation and ovulation of female sevenband grouper with yolk globule stage of oocyte.