• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.217-224
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• 1992

These studies were carried out ot investigate on the transferred embryo development following ultrarapid frozen for 8-cell and morula of in vitro fertilization mouse embryos. The post-thaw embryo survival was evaluated and compared by cell stage of embryos and by equilibration time before ultrarapid freezing. The results obatined were summerized as follows: 1. The effects of equilibration time of 3 vs. 6 minutes before ultrarapid freezing and after thawing on the morphological survival and the viability of 8-cell and morulas embryos were not significant. 2. When the ultrarapid frozen-thawed 32 eight-cell and 33 morula embryos, and 30 fresh blastocysts were transferred to pseudopregnant recipient mice, the number of normal offsprings produced were 9(28.1%), 14(42.4%) and 18(60.0%), respectively. From the above resutls, it was concluded that the optimal conditions of pH osmolality of the media for mouse IVF and embryo culture, and the period of sperm preincubation might be 7.1, 310 mOsm and 120 min., respectively,a nd somewhat high conception rate might be resulted from transfer of frozen embryos of morula stage and fresh embryos of blastocyst stage.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.91-95
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• 1993

The studies on the carried out to investigate the effects of co-culture with uterine fluids and uterine epithelial cells on the in-vitro fertilization and developmental rate of porcine follicular oocytes. The ovaries were obtained from slaughtered swine. The follicular oocytes surrounded with cumulus cells were recovered by aspirating follicular fluids from the visible follicles of diameter 3~5 mm. The follicular oocytes were cultured in TCM-199 medium containing hormones and 10% ECS for 46~48 hrs in a incubator with 5% $CO_2$ in air at 38.5$^{\circ}C$ and then matured oocytes were again cultured for 12~18 hrs with motile capacitated sperm by preincubation of heparin. The results obtained in these experiments were summarized as follows ; 1.The in-vitro maturation and fertilization rate of porcine oocytes co-cultured with uterine fluids in TCM-199 medium were 68.0% arid 55.7%, the rates were higher than of control, 56.5% arid 38.7%. 2. When the in-vitro fertilized oocytes were co-cultured with porcine uterine epithelial cells, the fertilization rate was 60.3%, the rates were higher than that of control, 35.7%. 3. When the in-vitro fertilized oocytes were co-cultured with porcine uterine epithelial cells, the development rate to be blastocyst was 12.4%, the rates were higher than that of control, 9.2%(p<0.05).

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.95-102
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• 2000

Techniques for manipulation of spermatozoa and oocytes have been widely used for in vitro production(IVP) of Hanwoo. This study was conducted to examine the effects of theophylline and heparin on frozen-thawed Hanwoo sperm for enhancing the efficiency of IVP technique. Oocytes were inseminated with forzen bull semen treated with either theophylline or heparin for examining the effect of each substance on fertilization and subsequent development. More (P<0.05) oocytes formed pronucleus and develop to the morula and blastocyst stages after inseminated with sperm treated with heparin than after inseminated with sperm treated with theophylline. The pregnancy rate after embryo transfer was higher after heparin treatment than after theophylline treatment, but did not differ significantly. There was no significant difference of offspring delivery between two groups. In conculsion, theophylline and heparin can be used for enhancing the efficiency of IVP system for Hanwoo. Considering characteristics of these substance, theophylline may be useful in the artificial insemination system, which requires vigorous sperm motility. While, heparin supporting sperm viability in vitro can be effectively used for improving in vitro-fertilization system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.3-7
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• 2002

In vitro embryo culture techniques provide significant contributions not only for a basic research of fertilization and early embryogenesis, but also for a low cost mass production of bovine embryos for transfer, embryo diagnosis, nuclear cloning and the production of transgenic cows. This presentation introduces newly developed serum-free media (IVD101 and IVMD101) that are effective far high yields of transferable embryos of excellent quality from in vitro-matured and fertilized oocytes. Both serum-free media are superior to a conventional serum-containing medium on the increased rates of blastocyst formation, post-thaw embryo viability, and pregnancy after transfer. Furthermore, reduced risks of calf mortality and large calf syndrome are also observed for the serum-free-derived embryos. Serum-derived embryos contain a large number of lipid droplets and immature mitochondria in their cytoplasm that may account for the lower production of transferable embryos and poor embryo quality.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.339-344
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• 1999

Objective: To evaluate incidence of microbial growth from the tip of the embryo transfer catheter after embryo transfer in relation to clinical pregnancy rate following in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. Method: This study was performed prospectively at the time of transcervical embryo transfer following conventional in-vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection procedures. Sixty three patients were enrolled in this study. Microbiological cultures were performed on endocervical swabs and embryo transfer catheter tips. Results: Positive microbial growths were observed from endocervical swabs in 45 (71.4%) women and from catheter tips in 30 (47.6%) women. There was no statistically significant difference seen in the mean number of oocytes fertilized or number and grade of embryos transferred between the group of patients without growth and the group of patients with positive microbial growth from catheter tips. The clinical pregnancy rate were 30.3% in the group of patients without growth and 13.3% in the group with positive microbial growth from catheter tips. This difference in clinical pregnancy rates was statistically significant. Conclusion: Our finding is that microbial contamination at embryo transfer may influence implantation rates. The major questions arising from our finding are whether eradication of endocervical micro-organisms is possible and whether their eradication will improve implantation rates.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.265-270
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• 2018

Up-to-date artificial insemination (AI) using frozen sperm consider as the most widely using technology for improvement of Korean Native Cow (Hanwoo) embryo production. However, it is time consuming, required at least 15~20 years to make more than 6 generations, and their offspring number is limited. To overcome such limitations, superovulation and in vitro fertilization have been developed. For superovulation, the number of produced embryos are not enough for commercialization and donor cows need rest period. This led to use of slaughterhouse ovary for in vitro fertilization, but it is impossible to repeat the collection from the same individual and it only can improve the genetic merits of offspring for one generation. Production of embryos using Ovum Pick-Up (OPU) technique, where oocytes can be repeatedly collected from living elite donor, might overcome these limitations. In this study, we investigated the possibility of using OPU technique from donors at different age and different session periods for mass-embryo-production. Oocytes were collected from 26 donor cows twice per week, 3 - 4 months per year, between 2013 and 2016. Results showed that, the average number of embryo produced in first year used donor was significantly higher than that in second year used donor ($3.89{\pm}2.85$ vs $3.29{\pm}2.70$), however, there was no significant difference between third year used donor ($3.51{\pm}3.32$) and other groups. Taken together, our data showed that repeated using of donor up to three years is possible for in vitro embryo mass-production. Moreover, OPU can be used as suitable embryo producing technique for livestock breed improvement.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.71-80
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• 2012

Biotechnologies for cloning animals and in vitro embryo production have the potential to produce biomedical models for various researches. Especially, pigs are a suitable model for xenotransplantation, transgenic production and various areas of reproductive research due to its physiological similarities to human. However, utilization of in vitro-produced embryos for transfer remains limited. Despite improvement over past few decades, obstacles associated with the production of good quality embryos in vitro still exist which limit the efficiency of cloning. One of major problems includes improper in vitro maturation (IVM) and culture (IVC). Oxidative stress caused from in vitro culture conditions contributes to inadequate IVM and IVC which leads to poor developmental competence of oocytes, failure of fertilization and embryo development. To reduce the oxidative stress, various antioxidants have been used to IVM and IVC system. However, limited information is available on the effects of resveratrol on livestock reproductions. Resveratrol is a polyphenolic natural product and well known as an antioxidant in foods and beverages (e.g. in grapes and red wine). Resveratrol is known to be cardioprotective, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiapoptotic. This paper will review the effects of resveratrol on in vitro maturation of oocytes and embryo development.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 1994

The objective of this study was to produce Korean native calves following transfer of in vitro matured, fertilized and cultured embryos into Holstein cows. The ovaries of Korean native cows or heifers were obtained from an abattoir and kept on 25 to 28$^{\circ}C$ and transported to laboratory within 2 hrs. The oocytes were matured in vitro (IVM) for 24 hrs in TCM-199 supplemented with 35$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml FSH, 10$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml LH, 1$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml estradiol-17$\beta$ and granulosa cells at 39$^{\circ}C$ under 5% CO2 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 (IVC) with bovine oviductal epithelial cells for 7 to 9 days. Late morulae and blastocysts produced in vitro were nonsurgically transferred to recipient cows by unilaterial. Recipients were monitored for estrus and for pegnancy by rectal plapation in 60 days after embryo transfer. One of them was pregnant to term and produced a female weighing 42.5kg at birth.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.181-188
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• 1997

This study was carried out to determine the effect of bovine follicular fluid(bFF), hormones, and fetal bovine serum(FBS) supplemented in the medium on the in vitro fertilization and development of bovine embryos. The ovaries were obtained from a local abattoir and placed in physiological saline kept at 30~32˚C and brought to the laboratory within 3~4 hours. The oocytes and follicular fluid were collected by aspiration from visible follicles, and the oocytes of grades I on the basis of the morphology of cumulus cells attached and the homogeneity of cytoplasmic granules were selected and used for maturation. The basal media used for oocyte maturation, fertilization and embryo development in vitro were Ham' F-10, TALP and TCM-199, respectively. The hormones supplemented in maturation medium were consisted of 35 pg /ml FSH, 10 pg /ml LH and 1 pg/mi estradiol-l7$\beta$. The bFF collected from 5~9 mm follicles was centrifuged, filtered and inactivated by heat-treatment at 56˚C for 30 min. FBS also was inactivated with the same method and kept at -20˚C until use. The embryos were co-cultured with the monolayer of bovine oviductal epithelial cells at 39˚C under 5% $CO_2$ in air for 9 days. The results obtained were summarized as follows: The fertilization rate of oocytes was found 87.4% from 10% FBS and hormones treatment for IVM, and 37.1% of these TVF embryos were developed to blastocyst stage in 10% FBS groups. Compared with this control system, the fertilization rate was decreased significantly(P<0.05) in the maturation without either FBS or hormones. These IVF embryos were developed to morula stage at the similar rate, but to blastocyst at significantly(P<0.05) lower rate in the embryo culture with or without FBS supplementation. The fertilization rate(82.9%) in hormones and 10% inactivated bFF was similar with 10% FBS and hormone groups(87.4%), but decreased significantly(P<0.05) in 20 or 30% bFF (61.0 or 66.0%), respectively. In vitro developmental competence to blastocyst stage in 10% FBS and 20% inactivated bFF(37.1% and 31.4%) was higher than in 10 or 30% inactivated bFF(20.0 or 19.2%) or 10, 20 and 30% fresh bFF(19.1, 21.0 and 17.5%) The results indicated that the in vitro fertillzation and development rate of the embryos should be improved in 10% FBS or 20% inactivated culture system and 20% inactivated bFF might be available economically for bovine oocyte maturation and embryo culture instead of fetal bovine serum.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 1999

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of $\alpha$-tocopherol and cysteamine with Whitten's medium in supporting the development on in vitro maturation(IVM), in vitro fertilization (IVF) and in culture(IVC) on porcine oocytes. When the immature oocytes were cultured of $\alpha$-tocopherol for 40h, the nuclear maturation rates were 39, 4, 52.5 and 54.1%, respectivley. The nuclear maturation rates of treat groups were signficantly (P<0.05) higher than those of non-treat groups. After matureation, the oocytes were inseminated in vitro in medium 199 with ejaculated spermatoza for examination of sperm penetration, polyspermy, male pronuclear(MPN) formation, and cleavage rate. Sperm penetration rates of treat higher than the control groups(P<0.05), and MPN formation rates were significantly(P<0.05) higher on treated groups (24.3~53.1%) than control groups(14.2~21.4%). After insemination, the cleavage rates at 120hr were groups higher than control groups(P<0.05).