• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.123-128
• /
• 2011

In vitro maturation and activation of oocytes are primary steps towards biotechnological manipulation in embryology. The objectives of the present study were to determine the oocyte recovery rate per ovary, in vitro maturation rates of oocytes and rates of parthenogenetically activation of matured oocytes in Black Bengal goats. All visible follicles were aspirated to recover follicular fluid from individual ovaries (number of ovaries = 456). The immature cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs; n = 1289) were cultured in tissue culture medium (TCM)-199 supplemented with 10% (v/v) fetal bovine serum (FBS) for 27 hours at $39^{\circ}C$ with 5% $CO_2$ in humidified air. The matured oocytes (n = 248) were activated with 5 ${\mu}M$ ionomycin for 5 minutes followed by treatment with 2 mM 6-dimethylaminopurine (6-DMAP) for 4 hours. After activation, oocytes were cultured for another 14 hours in TCM-199 supplemented with bovine serum albumin (BSA) at $39^{\circ}C$ with 5% $CO_2$ in humidified air. The pronucleus formation in activated oocytes was determined by staining with 1% orcein (whole mount technique). Matured oocytes (n = 176) without activation stimuli were used as control. The mean number of oocytes recovered per ovary was $3.5{\pm}0.5$. The proportion of oocytes matured in vitro, confirmed by the presence of first polar body, was $42.1{\pm}4.7%$. Parthenogenetic activation, evidenced by formation of pronucleus, occurred in $37.2{\pm}15.8%$ of matured oocytes. No pronucleus formation was observed in control oocytes. In conclusion, a combination of ionomycin and 6-DMAP induces activation in one third of Black Bengal goats' oocytes.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.127-132
• /
• 2013

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of in vitro maturation (IVM) medium, cytochalasin B (CB) treatment during intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and electric activation on in vitro development ICSI-derived embryos in pigs. Immature pig oocytes were matured in vitro in medium 199 (M199) or porcine zygote medium (PZM)-3 that were supplemented with porcine follicular fluid, cysteine, pyruvate, EGF, insulin, and hormones for the first 22 h and then further cultured in hormone-free medium for an additional 21~22 h. ICSI embryos were produced by injecting single sperm directly into the cytoplasm of IVM oocytes. The oocytes matured in PZM-3 with 61.6 mM NaCl (low-NaCl PZM-3) tended to decrease (0.05

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.121-127
• /
• 1986

We have reviewed 59 cases of patients amoung 65 cases who underwent IVF and ET with reasonable indications irom 1984 and the results as follows. 1. Major indications for IVF and ET were tubal factor (40.7%), unexplained infertility (25.4%), endometriosis (15.3%), failed AID and AIH (10.1 %), and sperm abnormality (8.5%). 2. For superovulation of human oocytes, l00mg of clomiphene citrate and 75 IU of HMG used. The monitoring of oocyte maturation was bone by ultrasound examination and serum 17-${\beta}$ estradiol, LH values. The peak $E_2$ value was 956.36${\pm}$702.13 pg/ml. 3. The oocytes were obtained by laparoscopy 24-36 hours after the injection of HCG. 4. The mean numbers of follicles at laparoscopy was 3.06 and the successful rate of laparoscopy was 79.7%. 5. And 165 follicles were aspirated from which 98 oocytes were recovered, 59.4% of all follicles had at least one oocyte aspirated. 21.4% of the eggs were mature, 52.0% were moderate, 26.5%. were immature. 6. 67.3% of oocytes were cleaved and were transferred at 4-6 cell stages. 7. Four pregnancies including one chemical pregnancy and one spontaneous abortion were established by ${\beta}$-subunit, u-hCG and ultrasound examinations.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 1994

This experiment was investigated the effect of presence of granulosa cells from follicles of different size on bovine oocyte maturation, cleavage and development to late stage. The nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of oocytes in the IVM-IVF system are critical for subsequent embryo development. Granulosa cells when the co-cultured with oocytes may interact with cumulus-oocytes complexes and influence the development competence of the oocytes. Granulosa cells from medium (2~6 mm) and large(>1O mm) size follicles were recovered by aspiration, washed 3 times by centrifugation at 500 x g for 5 min. and used for co-culture at a concentration of 2~3 x 106 cells/mi. The oocytes were matured in vitro (IVM) for 24 hrs. in TCM-199 supplemented with 35 $\mu$g/ml FSH, 10 $\mu$g/ml LH, 1 $\mu$g/ml estradiol-17$\beta$ and granulosa cells at 39$^{\circ}C$ under 5% $CO_2$ in air. They were fertilized in vitro (IVF) by epididymal spermatozoa treated with heparin for 24 hrs., and then the zygotes were co-cultured in vitro (I VC) with bovine oviductal epithelial cells for 7 to 9 days. The assessment of maturation revealed that Grade J oocytes showed significantly(P

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.123-130
• /
• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of alpha-lipoic acid (aLA) as an antioxidant that decrease the reactive oxygen species (ROS) in bovine embryonic development. Slaughterhouse derived bovine immature oocytes were collected and 4 different concentrations (0, 5, 10 and 20 mM) of aLA was supplemented in bovine in vitro maturation (IVM) medium. After 20 hrs of IVM, maturation rates, levels of ROS and glutathione (GSH), and further embryonic development after parthenogenetic activation (PA) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) was investigated according to aLA concentrations. Maturation rate was significantly higher in 10 mM group than other groups (80.5% vs. 62.9, 73.9, 64.2%; P<0.05). In the levels of ROS and GSH in matured oocytes as an indicator of oocyte quality, significantly better results were shown in 5 and 10 mM groups compared with other 2 groups. After IVM, significantly higher rates of blastocyst formation were shown in 10 mM groups in both of PA (27.9% vs. 18.8, 22.3, 14.2%; P<0.05) and IVF (32.6% vs. 23.9, 27.3, 16.2%; P<0.05) embryos. In addition, significantly more cell total cell number and higher inner cell mass ratio in 10 mM PA and IVP blastocysts showed developmental competence in 10 uM groups. Therefore, based on the entire data from this study, using $10{\mu}M$ of aLA confirmed to be the optimal concentration for bovine oocyte maturation and embryonic development.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.357-365
• /
• 2020

The aim of present study was to investigate regulatory mechanism of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) during in vitro maturation (IVM) on nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of porcine oocytes. Basically, immature cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were incubated for 22 h in IVM-I to which hormone was added, and then further incubated for 22 h in IVM-II without hormone. As a result, relative cumulus expansion was increased at 22 h after IVM and it was enhanced by treatment of ALA compared with control group (p < 0.05). During IVM process within 22 h, cAMP level in oocytes was decreased at 6 h (p < 0.05) and it was recovered at 12 h in ALA-treated group, while oocytes in control group recovered cAMP level at 22 h. In cumulus cells, it was reduced in all time point (p < 0.05) and ALA did not affect. Treatment of ALA enhanced metaphase-I (MI) and MII population of oocytes compared with oocytes in control group at 22 and 44 h, respectively (p < 0.05). Intracellular GSH levels in ALA group was increased at 22 and 44 h after IVM (p < 0.05), whereas it was increased in control group at 44 h after IVM (p < 0.05). In particular, the GSH in ALA-treated oocytes during 22 h of IVM was higher than control group at 22 h (p < 0.05). Lipid amount in oocytes from ALA group was higher than control group (p < 0.05). Treatment of ALA did not influence to absorption of glucose from medium. Cleavage and blastocyst formation of ALA-treated oocytes were enhanced compared with control group (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that supplementation of ALA could improve oocyte maturation and development competence through increasing GSH synthesis, lipid storage, and regulation of cAMP accumulation during early 22 h of IVM, and these might be mediated by cumulus expansion.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.121-126
• /
• 2012

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of in vitro culture media on embryonic development of in vitro-matured (IVM) oocytes after parthenogenetic activation (PA) in pigs. Immature pig oocytes were matured in TCM-199 supplemented with porcine follicular fluid, cysteine, pyruvate, EGF, insulin, and hormones for the first 22 h and then further cultured in hormone-free medium for an additional 22~26 h. IVM oocytes were activated by electric pulses and cultured in porcine zygote medium-3 (PZM-3) and North Carolina State University-23 supplemented with essential and non-essential amino acids (NCSU-23aa). These media were further modified by supplementing 2.77 mM myo-inositol, 0.34 mM trisodium citrate, and $10{\mu}M$ ${\beta}$-mercaptoethanol (designated as mPZM-3 and mNCSU-23aa, respectively). Culture of PA embryos in mPZM-3 significantly increased development to the blastocyst stage than culture in NCSU-23aa (36.2% vs. 24.8%, p<0.05). Modified PZM-3 showed a significantly higher blastocyst formation than NCSU-23aa in both groups of embryos that were activated at 44 h and 48 h of IVM (51.0% vs. 35.5% and 49.0% vs. 34.2% in oocytes activated at 44 h and 48 h of IVM, respectively). Irrespective of the follicle diameter where oocytes were collected, embryonic development to the blastocyst stage was increased (p<0.05) by the culture in mPZM-3 compared to culture in NCSU-23aa (25.9% vs. 34.2% and 32.9% vs. 44.8% in embryos derived from small and medium size follicles, respectively). Our results demonstrated that culture media had significant effect on preimplantation development PA embryos and that mPZM-3 was superior to mNCSU-23 in supporting development to the blastocyst stage in pigs. This beneficial effect of mPZM-3 on embryonic development was not impaired by other factors such as time of oocyte activation and origin of immature oocytes (small and medium size follicles).

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.75-83
• /
• 1993

Purine has been identified in the preparation of follicular fluid and shown an activity in maintaining oocyte meiotic arrest. Therefore this study was performed to examine the inhibitory effect of purine on germinal vesicle break down(GVBD) in the presence and absence of human fetal cord serum(HFCS) or human mature follicular fluid(HMFF), as a protein source, in vitro culture. Immature oocytes(GV stage) were collected from ovaries of 21∼28 days old ICR mice by puncturing the antral follicles with a fine needle, at 48 hrs after PMSG injection. Some of the oocytes were denuded by drawing the cumulus-enclosed(complex) oocytes in and out of a pasteur pipet. Complex oocytes and denuded oocytes were cultured 3 hrs. in T6 media containing 0.75mM adenosine or/and 4mM hypoxanthine, with HFCS or HMFF. Their GVBD rates were observed at every 1 hr. during the culture time. Both adenosine and hypoxanthine have shown a time-dependent inhibitory effect on GVBD in complex and denuded oocytes and the inhibitory effect was maximized in culture medium containing hypoxanthine and adenosine. HFCS and HMFF increased the GVBD rates in the presence of the purines, thus HFCS and HMFF may contain a factor that could reverse the inhibitory effect of purines. Also complex oocytes were more sensitive to not only the inhibitory effect of purines but the promoting action of HMFF on GVBD than denuded oocytes. Therefore it was reconfirmed that granulosa cells play an important part in meiotic arrest and resumption.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.189-198
• /
• 2006

Objective: We previously described that Diva is highly expressed in matured metaphase II (MII) oocytes compared to immature germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes in mouse. We report here that the expression of Diva transcript as well as protein is oocyte-specific. To elucidate its physiological role in oocyte, the binding partner(s) of Diva has been identified by using immunoprecipitation (IP) followed by Mass Spectrometry. Methods: NIH/3T3 cells were transiently transfected for 24 h with either empty vector for control or FLAG-tagged mouse Diva construct, and IP was performed with anti-FLAG antibody. The immuno-isolated complexes were resolved by SDS-PAGE on a 12% gel followed by Coomassie Blue staining. For in-gel digestion, 15 bands of interest were excised manually and digested with trypsin. All mass spectra were acquired at a positive reflector mode by a 4700 Proteomics Analyzer (Applied Biosystems, Framingham, MA). Proteins were identified by searching the NCBI nonredundant database using MASCOT Peptide Mass Fingerprint software (Matrixscience, London). Results: Diva-associated complexes were formed in FLAG-tagged mouse Diva-overexpressed NIH/3T3 cells via IP using anti-FLAG-conjugated beads. Among the excised 15 bands, actin and actin-binding proteins such as tropomyosin, tropomodulin 3, and ${\alpha}$-actinin were identified. Binding between Diva and actin or tropomyosin was confirmed by IP followed by Western blot analysis. Both bindings were also detected endogenously in mouse ovaries, indicating that Diva works with actin and tropomyosin. Conclusions: This is the first report that immuno-isolated Diva-associated complexes are related to actin filament of the cytoskeletal system. When we consider the association of Diva with actin and tropomyosin, oocyte-specific Diva may play a role in modulating the cytoskeletal system during oocyte maturation.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.213-220
• /
• 2009

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of eCG and various concentrations (20, 40, and 80 ${\mu}g/ml$) of porcine FSH on nuclear maturation and intracellular glutathione (GSH) level of oocytes, and embryonic development after parthenogenetic activation (PA) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in pigs. Immature pig oocytes were matured in TCM-199 supplemented with porcine follicular fluid, cysteine, pyruvate, EGF, insulin, and hormones (10 IU/ml hCG and 10 IU/ml eCG or $20{\sim}80{\mu}g/ml$ FSH) for the first 22 h and then further cultured in hormone-tree medium for an additional 22 h. Nuclear maturation of oocytes ($85{\sim}89%$) was not influencem foreCG and various concentrations FSH. Embryonic development to the cleavage stage ($86{\sim}94%$) and mean number of cells in blastocyst ($33{\sim}37$ cells) after PA were not altered but blastocyst formation e-treignificaddlor(p<0.05) improvem forthe supplementation eith 80 ${\mu}g/ml$ FSHr(64%) compared to 47%, io8%, iand 47% in oocytes that were treated with eCG, 20,i and 40 ${\mu}g/ml$ FSH,i numectivelo. In SCNT, fusion ($78{\sim}83%$) of cell-cytoplast couplets and siosequent embryo cleavage ($82{\sim}88%$) were not influencem fordifferent gonadotropins but blastocyst formation tended to increase forthe supplementation eith 80 ${\mu}g/ml$ FSHr(25% vs. $11{\sim}18%$). Our nuults demonstrated that oocyte maturation and embryonic development after PA and SCNT e-frinfluencem fortype of gcem fortype of gits concentration. In this study, supplementation of maturation medium eith 80 ${\mu}g/ml$ FSHrimproved preimplantation development of PA and SCNT pig embryos, probably by increasing intracellular GSH concentration of matured oocytes.