• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2000

This study was designed to identify the ultrastructural changes of mouse endometrium during peri-implantation period and obtain the fundamental information for the establishment of 3-dimensional culture system of mouse endometrial cells in vitro. The used female ICR mice ($6{\sim}8$ wks) were conducted on pregnant. The biopsies were obtained from whole uterus at cycle day 1 (D1) and day 5 (D5) after hCG injection and mating. The biopsies materials were fixed 2.5% glutaraldehyde and 1% osmium tetroxide. Subsequently, for observation using light and transmission electron microscopy (LM and TEM), they were dehydrated and embedded in Epon and the embedded biopsies were sectioned and stained. For scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the fixed specimens were dehydrated, dried and coated with gold. 1) For LM, the biopsied materials at D5 (late secretory phase) were appeared the extended stromal layer by increased connective tissues and the fully developed endometrial glands and vessels compared with D1 (early secretory phase). 2) For TEM, the mouse endometrium was consisted of 3-layers, a simple polarized columnar epithelial cells, basement membrane and stromal cells. At D5, the distribution of microvilli, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi body, lipid and glycogen deposits, secretory granules and surface area of basement membrane were increased. 3) For SEM, the degree of folding and microvilli of surface of mouse epithelial cells was became more and more according to the process of secretory phase, and at D5, implantation time of mouse, the appearance of pinopodes as a specific marker of uterine receptivity was found. The uterine pinopodes of mouse were found in narrow sites at the luminal surface, irregularity and appeared the different stages in the same sample. Therefore, these results indicated that the mouse endometrium was experienced dramatic morphological changes during peri-implantation period.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.77-86
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• 1998

The uptake of glucose for metabolism and growth is essential to most animal cells and is mediated by glucose-transporter (GLUT) proteins. The aim of this study was to determine which class of glucose transporter molecules was responsible for uptake of glucose in the mouse early embryo and at which stage the corresponding genes were expressed. In addition, co-culture system with vero cell was used to investigate the effect of the system on GLUT expression. Two-cell stage embryos were collected from the superovulated ICR female and divided into 3 groups. As a control, embryos were cultured in 0.4% BSA-T6 medium which includes glucose. For the experimental groups, embryos were cultured in either co-culture system with vero cells or glucose-free T6 medium supplemented with 0.4% BSA and pyruvate as an energy substrate. 2-cell to blastocyst stage embryos in those groups were respectively collected into microtubes (50 embryos/tube). Total RNA was extracted and RT-PCR was performed. The products were analysed after staining ethidium bromide by 2% agarose gel electrophoresis. Blastocysts were collected from each group at l20hr after hCG injection. They were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde, stained with hoechst, and mounted for observation. In control, GLUT1 was expressed from 4-cell to blastocyst. GLUT2 and GLUT3 were expressed in morula and blastocyst. GLUT4 was expressed in all stages. When embryos were cultured in glucose-free medium, no significant difference was shown in the expression of GLUT1, 2 and 3, compared to control. However GLUT4 was not expressed until morular stage. When embryos were co-cultured with vero cell, there was no significant difference in the expression of GLUT1, 2, 3 and 4 compared to control. To determine cell growth of embryos, the average cell number of blastocyst was counted. The cell number of co-culture ($93.8{\pm}3.1$, n=35) is significantly higher than that of control and glucose-free group ($76.6{\pm}3.8$, n=35 and $68.2{\pm}4.3$, n=30). This study shows that the GLUT genes are expressed differently according to embryo stage. GLUTs were detectable throughout mouse preimplantation development in control and co-culture groups. However, GLUT4 was not detected from 2- to 8-cell stage but detected from morula stage in glucose-free medium, suggested that GLUT genes are expressed autocrinally in the embryo regardless of the presence of glucose as an energy substrate. In addition, co-culture system can increase the cell count of blastocyst but not improve the expression of GLUT. In conclusion, expression of GLUT is dependent on embryo stage in preimplantation embryo development.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.329-338
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• 2010

Objective: This study was carried out to know whether cryopreservation of sibling 2PN zygotes could increase the cumulative delivery rates in the patients who had less than 10 fertilized zygotes. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed in 138 in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles with less than 10 fertilized zygotes during January 2003 to December 2007 in Cheil General Hospital. These cycles were divided into two groups. In Group I (n=86), all fertilized embryos were cultured to transfer on day 3 without cryopreserved embryos at the 2PN stage. In Group II (n=52), among fertilized zygotes, some sibling zygotes were frozen at the 2PN stage, the remainder were cultured to transfer. Clinical outcomes in fresh ET cycles and cumulative ongoing pregnancy rates after subsequent frozen-thawed (FT)-ET cycles were compared. Results: There were no significant differences in female mean age, number of retrieved oocytes and total fertilized embryos between two groups, Number of cultured embryos was significantly lower in Group II ($5.2{\pm}0.5$) than in Group I ($8.4{\pm}0.7$) (p<0.01). Also, number of transferred embryos was significantly lower in Group II ($3.3{\pm}0.6$) compared with Group I ($3.6{\pm}0.6$) (p<0.01). ${\beta}$-hCG positive rates and delivery rates (51.2 vs. 46.2 % and 41.9 vs. 34.6 %, respectively) after fresh ET were slightly higher in Group I than in Group II. However, the differences were not statistically significant. Also, the cumulative delivery rates after subsequent FT-ET cycles were not significantly different between Group I (48.8%) and Group II (50.0%). Conclusion: This study showed that cryopreservation of sibling 2PN zygotes from patients who had less than 10 zygotes in the fresh ET cycles did not increase cumulative delivery outcomes. But, it could provide an alternative choice for patients due to offering more chance for embryo transfers if pregnancy was failed in fresh IVF-ET cycles.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.1-13
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to examine the college students' and married adults' perceptions of the current low fertility and their motivations of parenthood. It also verifies the gender differences in the numbers of planned children between male and female college students. The sample population included 100 unmarried undergraduate students and 100 married adults. The measurements included in the questionnaire were based on recommendations from the literature review. The major findings of this study are as follows: Women reported higher levels of traditional-normal and altruistic-emotional motivations of parenthood than men did. College students reported higher levels of motivations of parenthood to strengthen biological family ties than married adults did, while adults reported higher levels of martial bond-strengthening, traditional-normal, and gene-preservative motivations of parenthood than students did. College students attributed the current low fertility to the tight labor market and high costs of childbirth and rearing while married adults attributed to gender-discriminating traditional family norms, increasing infertility, and poor conditions of pregnancy and childbirth. Female and adult respondents took the social problems caused by the current low fertility more seriously than their counterparts did.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.451-462
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• 2022

Dioscorea bulbifera tubers contain several phytochemicals of pharmaceutical value. They have been traditionally used for treating various ailments, including postmenopausal symptoms. In the present study, we analyzed the direct effects of Dioscorea tuber extract on mouse spermatozoa. Its contraceptive effect was also evaluated by an intravaginal application before copulation. Mouse spermatozoa were cultured in vitro with various concentrations of the extract. After culturing, the spermatozoa were stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate peanut agglutinin or Coomassie blue to study the acrosome reaction, stained with trypan blue to study the viability, or treated with a hypo-osmotic medium to study the membrane damage. Estrous female mice were intravaginally injected with the extract and copulated with males. The extract induced acrosome exocytosis, viability loss, and membrane damage in a concentration-dependent manner. Female mice treated with the extract showed complete loss of fertility. These observations indicate that the Dioscorea bulbifera tuber extract could be used as a topical contraceptive. Infertility could be due to the precocious acrosome exocytosis of the spermatozoa or membrane damage.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.485-492
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• 2009

Estrogen has dramatic effects on the development and function of the reproductive tract in mammals. Although diethylstilbestrol (DES) triggers the development of reproductive organs in immature animals, continued exposure to DES induces dysfunction of the female reproductive tract in mice. To investigate the effects of neonatal estrogen exposure on the reproductive tract of female chickens, we implanted DES pellets into the abdominal region of immature female chicks and then examined the effects of DES on the oviducts of both immature chicks and sexually mature chickens (30 weeks old). DES induced mass growth and differentiation of the oviduct in immature chicks. The chick oviduct increased by 2.7- and 29-fold in length and weight, respectively, following primary DES stimulation. In secondary DES stimulation, the length and weight of the chick oviduct increased by 4.5- and 74-fold, respectively. Additionally, DES treatments caused abnormal development of the infundibulum and magnum in hen oviducts. Furthermore, infundibulum abnormality gave rise to unusual ovulation of follicles and resulted in infertility and dysfunction of the magnum, such as less production of egg white proteins. Our results indicate that DES exposure during early developmental stages in chickens has detrimental effects on the development and maintenance of the female reproductive tract after sexual maturation.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.16-26
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• 2015

The female reproductive tract has two main functions: protection against microbial challenge and maintenance of pregnancy to term. The upper reproductive tract comprises the fallopian tubes and the uterus, including the endocervix, and the lower tract consists of the ectocervix and the vagina. Immune cells residing in the reproductive tract play contradictory roles: they maintain immunity against vaginal pathogens in the lower tract and establish immune tolerance for sperm and an embryo/fetus in the upper tract. The immune system is significantly influenced by sex steroid hormones, although leukocytes in the reproductive tract lack receptors for estrogen and progesterone. The leukocytes in the reproductive tract are distributed in either an aggregated or a dispersed form in the epithelial layer, lamina propria, and stroma. Even though immune cells are differentially distributed in each organ of the reproductive tract, the predominant immune cells are T cells, macrophages/dendritic cells, natural killer (NK) cells, neutrophils, and mast cells. B cells are rare in the female reproductive tract. NK cells in the endometrium significantly expand in the late secretory phase and further increase their number during early pregnancy. It is evident that NK cells and regulatory T (Treg) cells are extremely important in decidual angiogenesis, trophoblast migration, and immune tolerance during pregnancy. Dysregulation of endometrial/decidual immune cells is strongly related to infertility, miscarriage, and other obstetric complications. Understanding the immune system of the female reproductive tract will significantly contribute to women's health and to success in pregnancy.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.127-131
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• 2012

Primordial follicles are formed prenatally in mammalian ovaries, and at birth they are fated to be activated to primary follicles, to be dormant, or to die. During the early stage of folliclulogenesis, the oocyte undergoes dynamic alterations in expression of numerous genes, which are regulated by transcription factors. Several germ-cell specific transcriptional regulators are critical for formation and maintenance of follicles. These transcriptional regulators include: Figla, Lhx8, Nobox, Sohlh1, and Sohlh2. A subset of these transcriptional regulators is mutated in women with ovarian insufficiency and infertility. Establishment of this oocyte pool is essential for fertility. This review focuses on these transcriptional regulators of female primordial follicles.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.103-110
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• 2014

Objectives: This study was performed to assess whether herbal medicine and acupuncture is effective on clinical pregnancy. Methods: From february 2013 to july 2013, a prospective analysis study was performed in 6 patients after taking her medicine and acupuncture treatment. Results: After treatment, one patients naturally became pregnance and one patients became pregnance after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET). Conclusions: This study suggests that herbal medicine and acupuncture treatment shows possibility to increasing pregnancy rates.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.155-160
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• 2008

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a general term that refers to infection of the internal reproductive organs such as the female uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. PID is caused by germs that invade the genital organs, causing the acute inflammatory reaction, and chronic PID is to have a recurrence of PID because of the lack of effective treatment of acute PID. Symptoms of PID include pelvic pain, fever, leukorrhea, infertility, and fatigue. Treatments for PID can be improved by combining herb medicine therapy, intestinal irrigation, or the therapy that put herb medicine on the abdominal region with antibiotics, or analgesic drugs.