• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.2 no.4
• /
• pp.595-598
• /
• 1989

Bovine embryos/ova obtained from in-vitro fertilization were either co-cultured on a monolayer of bovine cumulus cells or cultured in medium alone. Embryos/ova co-cultured with cumulus cells developed to 8-cell (30.9%), morula (29.8%) and blastocyst stages (26.6%) after 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8 days of culture, respectively, while embryos/ova cultured in medium alone failed to develop beyond 8-cell (0-13.3%), morula (0-1.5%) and blastocyst stages (0%). The results of this study demonstrated the beneficial effect of cumulus cells on the development of bovine embryos.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.53-60
• /
• 2015

Environmental conditions during early mammalian embryo development are critical and some adaptational phenomena are observed. However, the mechanisms underlying them remain largely masked. Previously, we reported that AQP5 expression is modified by the environmental condition without losing the developmental potency. In this study, AQP11 was examined instead. To compare expression pattern between in vivo and in vitro, we conducted quantitative RT-PCR and analyzed localization of the AQP11 by whole mount immunofluorescence. When the fertilized embryos were developed in the maternal tracts, the level of Aqp11 transcripts was decreased dramatically until 2-cell stage. Its level increased after 2-cell stage and peaked at 4-cell stage, but decreased again dramatically until morula stage. Its transcript level increased again at blastocyst stage. In contrast, the levels of Aqp11 transcript in embryos cultured in vitro were as follows. The patterns of expression were similar but the overall levels were low compared with those of embryos grown in the maternal tracts. AQP11 proteins were localized in submembrane cytoplasm of embryos collected from maternal reproductive tracts. The immune-reactive signals were detected in both trophectoderm and inner cell mass. However, its localization was altered in in vitro culture condition. It was localized mainly in the plasma membrane of the blastocysts contacting with external environment. The present study suggests that early stage embryo can develop successfully by themselves adapting to their environmental condition through modulation of the expression level and localization of specific genes like AQP11.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.69-74
• /
• 2016

Skin-derived precursors (SKPs) have potential to differentiate to various cell types including osteoblasts, adipocytes and neurons. SKPs are a candidate for cell-based therapy since they are easily accessible and have multipotency. Most mammalian cells are exposed to a low oxygen environment with 1 to 5% $O_2$ concentration in vivo, while 21% $O_2$ concentration is common in in vitro culture. The difference between in vitro and in vivo $O_2$ concentration may affect to the behavior of cultured cells. In this report, we investigated the effect of hypoxic condition on stemness and proliferation of SKPs. The results indicated that SKPs exposed to hypoxic condition for 5 days showed no change in proliferation. In terms of mRNA expression, hypoxia maintained expression of stemness markers; whereas, oncogenes, such as Klf4 and c-Myc, were downregulated, and the expression of Nestin, related to cancer migration, was also downregulated. Thus, SKPs cultured in hypoxia may reduce the risk of cancer in SKP cell-based therapy.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.96-102
• /
• 1995

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of energy source on development of in vitro matured and fertilized porcine 2-cell embryos. The effects of glucose and phosphate for in vitro development of porcine 2-cell embryos were determined using modified BMOC-II medium. The results obtained are as follows. 1. In the absence of glucose and phosphate in the culture medium, 15.2% of porcine embryos developed 4-cell stage or further but morula formation was completely blocked. 2. The addition to 5mM glucose in the culture medium decreased rate of embryo reached 4-cell stage or further but increased morula stage as compared with addition to 0mM and 2.5mM glucose, regardless of the presence of phosphate. The addition to glucose in the culture medium without phosphate increased rate of embryo reached 4-cell stage or further and morula stage as compared with both addition to glucose and phosphate, regardless of added glucose concentration.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.253-258
• /
• 2012

This study was carried out to effects of ethylene glycol concentration, sucrose and culture day of in vitro production embryo on slow-down freezing in Hanwoo. 6, 7, 8 and 9 day embryos produced in vitro were frozen using 1.8M EG+0.1M sucrose, 1.8M EG+0.5% BSA and 1.5M EG+0.1M sucrose media. Survivability was confirmed after frozen-thawed 24 and 48h and ICM, TE cell number were counted by Hoechst 33342 and PI staining after frozen-thawed 24h. As a result, 1.8M EG+0.1M sucrose group was most significantly (p<0.05) higher compared with the other treatment groups on survivability, TE and total cell number after frozen-thawed 24h ($94.2{\pm}2.6%$, $94.67{\pm}3.4$ and $129.67{\pm}5.5$). ICM number did not found significant (p<0.05) differences between the three treatment groups. in 6, 7, 8 and 9 day of embryos using three types of freezing media, frozen-thawed, 1.8M EG+0.1M sucrose groups with embryos cultured 8 day was significantly (p<0.05) highest survivability to $98.3{\pm}1.7%$ after frozen-thawed 24h. 1.5M EG+0.1 sucrose group with embryos cultured 9 day was significantly higher survivability than group of embryos cultured 8 day after frozen-thawed 24 and 48h. In conclusion, 1.8M EG+0.1M sucrose media is considered to be effective to cryopreservation of embryos cultured 8 and 9 day.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.357-363
• /
• 1998

The teratogenic potential of the anticonvulsant drug phenytoin (PHT) has been well documented both in the human and in the experimental animals. However there are few reports on the effects of PHT on embryonic development in rats in vitro. The present study was performed to evaluate the teratogenic effects of PHT using whole-embryo culture system in rats. Sprague-Dawley rat embryos were explanted on gestational day (GD) 9.5 and cultured for 48 hrs in the immediately centrifuged and heat-inactivated rat serum containing 0,25,50, or $100{\mu}g$ PHT/mL. At the end of culture period the embryos were scored for morphological development according to the procedure of Van Maele-Fabry, and their total protein contents were determined. At 100 ${\mu}$g/mL of culture medium. PHT caused significant reduction in developmental score and protein content of embryos and a high incidence morphological abnormalities (100%). Characteristic malformations included altered yolk and embryonic circulation, craniofacial hypoplasia, neural tube schisis, branchial arch defects, abnormal ratation, and limb bud hypoplasia, among others. There were no adverse effects on embryonic growth and development at concentrations of 25 and 50 ${\mu}$g /mL of culture medium. The results indicated that the dysmorphogenic effect of PHT on cultured embryos is due to a direct interference with embryonic development.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.219-230
• /
• 2000

This study was carried out to determine the factors on achieving good viability of embryos biopsied fur sexing, to investigate pregnancy rate following embryo transfer(ET) with sexed embryos, and to confirm the accuracy for the calves bort following ET with sexed embryos by polymerase chain reaction(PCR). To investigate viability of Hanwoo embryos after biopsy for sexing, fresh and frozen/thawed embryos were biopsied according to different developmental day of blastocysts, different stage of blastocysts, and different biopsy grade and the embryos themselves were incubated for 2 hours in TCM199 after microsection to be evaluated morphologically for recovery as blastocyst. The results obtained were as follows : 1. The rate of oocytes cleaved in vitro and the rate of blastocyst of the cleaved oocytes were 52.5% and 21.6%, respectively. The rate of blastocyst on day 8 was 11.2%, denoting the highest rate during whole culture period posterior to in vitro fertilization(IVF) 2. After biopsy for sexing, the viability rate of blastocyst on day 7, 8 and 9 was 75.0%, 88.4%, and 100.0%, respectively and the viability of early, mid, and expanded blastocyst after biopsy was 75.0%, 88.9%, and 91.1%, respectively The viability rate of fresh and frozen/thawed embryos was 89.9%, 71.4%, respectively. And the viability of expanded, hatching, and hatched blastocyst of frozen/thawed embryos was : 75.0%, 75.0%, and 50.0%, respectively. The viability of embryos according to biopsy grade of 10∼20%, 21∼30%, and 31∼40% was 85.7%, 91.5%, and 71.4%, respectively. 3. Pregnancy rate after transfer with biopsied embryo between flesh and frozen/thawed embryos was 22.6% and 20.0%, respectively. 4. In comparison between sex by PCR method and sex of calves born after embryo transfer, the accuracy of sex deterimination was 92.3% (12/13).

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.107-111
• /
• 1999

The present study was performed to evaluate the best electric fusion condition in nuclear transfer, Korean Native Cattle fibroblasts were used as nucleic donors. Oocytes from slaughterhouse were matured in vitro for 22 h and enucleated. Each individual cells were transferred into enucleated ocytes and reconstructed embryo were placed into the fusion chamber. In experiment 1, pulse were performed by altering pulse duration at 1. 75kv/cm, 1 time. When pulse duration is 30$mutextrm{s}$, fusion and development rates is higher than other conditions. In experiment 2, the effect of different pulse number were studied at the pulse duration 30$mutextrm{s}$ and the same pulse intensity. When pulse number was one, fusion rates were higher than other conditions. The fused embryos were moved to culture medium and assessed their development to blastocyst. These results showed that best fusion condition was 30$mutextrm{s}$ and one time. And the fibroblasts derived from Han Woo can be reprogrammed by nuclear transplantation and develop subsequently in vitro.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.77-86
• /
• 1998

A combined technology of transvaginal ovum pick-up(OPU) system with in vitro-oocyte manipulation technique can be used for improving reproductive efficiency in the cattle. The objective of this study was to establish a newly-conceived breeding program using OPU in the pregnant cows. The OPU trial was performed in pregnant cows every 10 days from 40 through 90 days of artificial insemination (Al), and number of follicles in ovary, number of retrieved oocytes and embryo development following in vitro-fertilization, were evaluated. Reduced number of follicles in the ovaries of pregnant cows was firstly detected from 70 days after A' and a significant (P<0.05) decrease in the follicle number (5.4 follicles /donor) was found at 90 days than at 40, 50, 60 and 80 days after Al (8.0~9.2). A similar pattern was also observed in the number of oocytes retrieved by OPU apparatus during experimental period. When retrieved oocytes were matured and inseminated in vitro with frozen bull semen, development of the oocytes to the blastocyst stage was not significantly affected by the retrieval time. Four embryos (morula or blastocyst stage) derived from oocytes retrieved from pregnant cows were nonsurgically transferred to four recipient cows on day 7 of estrus cycle. For the first time in Korea, three of four transferred embryos developed to live calves with normal physiological parameters. In conclusion, an effective breeding program employing pregnant cow can be developed by use of OPU trial and in vitro culture techniques of oocytes ; OPU system could be repeated in pregnant cows with no risk of abortion and viable offsprings were borne after transfer to the recipients.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.307-311
• /
• 2006

The purpose of this study was to determine effects of oxytocin and $interleukin-1{\alpha}$ on in vitro development of bovine embryo cultured with endometrial epithelial and stromal cells isolated from bovine uterus. The expressions of COX-2 mRNA in bovine endometrium were also studied. When embryos were cultured with epithelial cells, the rate of blastocysts was significantly (p<0.05) higher in embryos treated with oxytocin than that of control group. The rate of hatched blastocysts was also significantly (p<0.05) higher in embryos treated with oxytocin than those of two control groups. On the other hand, when the embryos were cultured with stromal cells, the rate of blastocysts were significantly (p<0.05) higher than those of groups treated with $IL-1{\alpha}$, oxytocin and control with stromal cells than that of control group without stromal cells. The rate of blastocysts hatched were also significantly (p<0.05) higher in group treated with $IL-1{\alpha}$ than those of control group without stromal cells and oxytocin group. In another experiment, COX-2 gene was expressed in embryo group treated with oxytocin during the co-culture of embryos with epithelial cells. In contrast, COX-2 mRNA was expressed in group treated with $IL-1{\alpha}$ when the embryos were cultured with stromal cell. This result shows that oxytocin and $IL-1{\alpha}$ were stimulate embryo development in vitro when embryos were cultured with epithelial and stromal cells, and can affect the development of bovine embryos in the uterus.