• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.7-11
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• 2013

Objective: We evaluated the fertilization potential of immature oocytes obtained from controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycles of patients undergoing ICSI. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 463 ICSI cycles containing at least one immature oocyte at oocyte denudation. ICSI was performed on mature oocytes at oocyte denudation (metaphase-II [MII] oocytes) and the oocytes that extruded the first polar body between oocyte denudation and ICSI (MI-MII oocytes). Fertilization and early embryonic development were compared between MII and MI-MII oocytes. To investigate the pregnancy potential of MI-MII oocytes, the pregnancy outcome was analyzed in 24 ICSI cycles containing only immature oocytes at retrieval. Results: The fertilization rate of MI-MII oocytes (37.0%) was significantly lower than that of MII oocytes (72.3%). The rates of delayed embryos and damaged embryos did not significantly differ. Eighty-one immature oocytes were retrieved in 24 cycles that retrieved only immature oocytes and 61 (75.3%) of them were in the MI stage. ICSI was performed on 36 oocytes (59.0%) that extruded the first polar body before ICSI and nine MI-MII oocytes (25.0%) were fertilized. Embryo transfers were performed in five cycles. Pregnancy was observed in one cycle, but it ended in biochemical pregnancy. Conclusion: In ICSI cycles, oocytes that extruded the first polar body between denudation and ICSI can be used as a source of oocytes for sperm injection. However, their fertilization and pregnancy potential are lower than that of mature oocytes. Therefore, ovarian stimulation should be performed carefully for mature oocytes obtained at retrieval, especially in cycles with a small number of retrieved oocytes.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.177-184
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• 2010

The structure of the ovary, ultrastructure of oocytes and morphological characteristics of vitellogenesis during oogenesis in female Gomphina veneriformis were investigated in clams collected from coastal waters of Samchok, Gangwon-do, Kore. In the previtellogenic oocytes, the Golgi complex was involved in the formation of a number of vacuoles. In the early vitellogenic oocytes, lipid droplets appeared among the Golgi complex, endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria in the cytoplasm of the oocyte were involved in the formation of lipid droplets. Coated vesicles, resulting from endocytosis appeared at the basal region of the early vitellogenic oocyte. The uptake of nutritive materials in the coated vesicles formed by receptor-mediated endocytosis appeared through the formation of coated endocytotic pits on the oolemma. In the late vitellogenic oocytes, large yolk granules were formed by a combination of small yolk granules. In the mature oocyte, a mature yolk granule in composed of three components: crystaline core, electron lucent cortex, and a limiting membrane. According to cytological and histological observations, vitellogenesis occurred by way of endogenous autosynthesis and exogenous heterosynthesis. Autosynthesis involved the conbined activities of the Golgi complex, mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum, whereas heterosynthesis involved endocytotic incorporation of extraovarian precursors at the basal region of the early vitellogenic oocyte. The follicle cells which was attached to oocytes, were involved in the development of the previtellogenic and early vitellogenic oocytes as a kind of nutritive cells containing a number of glycogen particles and lipid droplets in the cytoplasm.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2014

Objective: To investigate the association of individual follicular fluid (FF) leptin and adiponectin levels with the quality of the corresponding oocyte and embryo. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 67 women who underwent controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with 89 FF samples. FF and the corresponding oocyte was obtained from a single dominant preovulatory follicle at the time of oocyte retrieval. Concentrations of leptin and adiponectin were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in an individual follicle. The oocyte quality, fertilization rate, and corresponding embryo development were assessed. Results: The FF level of leptin was significantly associated with body mass index (r=0.334, p<0.01). The FF adiponectin level was significantly higher in the normal fertilization group than the abnormal fertilization group (p=0.009) in the non-obese women. A lower FF leptin level was associated with a trend toward mature oocytes, normal fertilization, and good embryo quality, although these relationships were not statistically significant. The leptin:adiponectin ratio of FF did not differ significantly according to oocyte and embryo quality. The quality of the oocyte and embryo was not associated with the FF leptin level tertile. However, the normal fertilization rate was positively associated with FF adiponectin level tertile. There was a trend towards improved oocytes and normal fertilization rates with the lowest tertile of the FF leptin:adiponectin ratio, but this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Our results suggest that a high FF adiponectin concentration could be a predictor of normal fertilization. However, the FF leptin concentration and leptin:adiponectin ratio is not significantly related to oocyte maturity and corresponding embryo development.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.105-117
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• 1995

This study was carried out to investigate the histomorphological changes and the electrophoretic patterns of egg components, obtained from 100 of 1-year-old female catfish(Silurus asotus). Especially, the light microscopic and ultrastructural changes of ooplasm and follicular membranes of oocytes, were observed by light and transmission electron microscope. All data were collected from October in 1992 to May in 1993. The size of the nucleoli and number of the yolk granules increased as the oocyte grew. Yolk granules were deposited in the oocyte as fluid. Due to the presence of large early and late maturing oocytes, their ovaries were large, transparent, granular, and greenish in color. As the percentages of fish in LMO and RO stage increased from March to April, mean of GSI values(19.95%) increased. Follicle cells such as granulosa cell and thecal cell change a squamous into cuboid shape in LPO and EMO stage. Processes, microvilli, from the granulosa cells and from the oocyte grow and make contact with each other in the pore canals of the zona radiata during vitellogenesis, but are withdrawn as the zona radiate becomes more compact and devoid of pore canals during oocyte maturation. The electrophoretic pattern of major band in mature stage was much thicker(21k, 24k, 32k, 45k, 67∼110k, 170k dalton) than that in previtellogenic phase.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.253-259
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• 2008

Human follicular fluid (HFF) is the in vivo microenvironment for oocyte maturation and includes a variety of proteins that could be involved in oocyte development and fertilization. We therefore used a proteomic approach to identify new HFF proteins. HFF from mature human follicles was obtained from five women following oocyte collection for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Ethanol-precipitated HFF run on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) produced approximately 250 Coomassie brilliant blue-stained spots, 64 of which were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDIMS). In this study, several proteins including complement factor H, inter-${\alpha}$ (globulin) inhibitor H4, inter-${\alpha}$-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H4 precursor, human zinc-${\alpha}$-2-glycoprotein chain B, PRO2619, PRO02044, and complex-forming glycoprotein HC were new proteins that have not been previously reported in HFF using proteomic methods. Additionally, we identified alloalbumin venezia for the first time from trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-precipitated HFF. These HFF proteins could serve as new biomarkers for important human reproductive processes.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.99-105
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• 2018

To determine the differences in the in-vitro ovum maturation process of bovine, we compared the expression of MMPs in these oocytes and cumulus cell throughout oocytes maturated. In an attempt to investigate the effect of MMP activation and inhibitors in total protein of cumulus cell and, oocytes during oocytes maturation, we examined and monitored the localization and expression of MMPs (MMP-2 and MMP-9), TIMPs (TIMP-2 and TIMP-3), as well as their expression profiles (Real-time PCR, Gelatin Zymography and ELISA). Our results that the bovine oocytes MMP-2 and MMP-9 level was significantly associated with the rate of maturity of oocytes (P<0.05). In cumulus cell, MMP-2 was highly expressed in all stages of the oocyte's maturation. The final oocytes maturation exhibited strong gelatinase activity. There was no significant correlation between cumulus cell MMP-9 and the maturation rate of oocytes. However, for the oocyte cytoplasm MMP-9 expression was significant correlation to the maturation oocytes. There was no significant correlation between cumulonimbus cells MMP-9 and oocyte maturation rates; however, for oocyte cytoplasm, MMP-9 expression was significantly correlated with mature oocyte. However, the TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 protein expression patterns are not correlated with the maturation rate of the oocyte. Our results suggest that MMP different expression pattern may regulate the morphological remodeling of oocyte's in the cumulus cell. Further, the MMP-2 expression has a strong relation with a higher maturation rate of the oocyte.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.175-182
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• 2018

In order to examine the effects of four different light spectra (white, red, green, and blue) on the oocyte maturation, the change of reproductive parameters, via brain-pituitary-gonad (BPG) axis in grass puffer, were investigated. After exposure four different light spectra for 7 weeks, the abundance of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) mRNA which is a type of seabream (sbGnRH) and two different subunit of gonadotropin hormones mRNAs, follicle-stimulating hormone ($fsh{\beta}$) mRNA and luteinizing hormone ($lh{\beta}$) mRNA, were analyzed in the brain and pituitary. Histological analysis showed that the mature oocyte ratio in the green spectrum was higher than other light spectra-exposed groups. Gonadosomatic index (GSI) and oocyte developmental stage were also investigated in the gonad based on histological observations. GSI value with the presence of yolk stage oocytes was significantly increased in the green spectrum-exposed group when compared to that of the other light-exposed groups (white, red, and blue) (p<0.05). The abundances of sbGnRH mRNA and $fsh{\beta}$ mRNA in the green spectrum-exposed group were also significant higher than those of the other light spectra-exposed groups (p<0.05). These results indicate that the maturation of oocyte in grass puffer can be accelerated by exposure to the spectrum of green. To better understand the molecular mechanism for the maturation of oocyte in grass puffer, further study examining the relationship between oocyte development and its related genes is required.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.447-463
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• 1998

This study was carried out to investigate the histomorphological changes and the electrophoretic patterns of egg components, obtained from 100 of 2-year-old female catfishes (Silurus asotus). Female Korean catfishes collected in the vicinity of Chollabukdo have synchronous ovaries which discontinously ovulate eggs during the breeding season (from late May until early July). The fishes were killed by severing the spinal cord just posterior to the head after immobilization with tricaine methanesulfonate (MS 222). Especially, the light microscopic and ultrastructural changes of ooplasm and follicular membranes of oocytes, were examined by means of light and transmission electron microscopy. The size of the nucleoli and number of the yolk granules increased as the oocyte groved. Yolk granules were deposited in the oocyte as fluid Due to tile presence of large early and late maturing oocytes, their ovaries were enlarged, transparent, granular and greenish in color. As the percentages of fish in late maturing oocyte (LMO) and ripe oocyte (RO) stage increased from March to April, mean gonadosomatic index (GSI) values (19.95%) increased. Zona radiata changed from squamous into cuboid in shape in the early maturing oocyte (EMO) stage. Processes, microvilli, from the zona radiata and from the oocyte grow, and make contact with each other in the pore canals of the zona radiata during vitellogenesis, but are withdrawn as the zona radials becomes more compact and devoid of pore canals during oocyte maturation. Seasonal changes in the microscopic appearance of the ovaries were well correlated with those in both gonadosomatic index and macroscopic appearance. The main cytological changes such as increase in size of cell, nucleus, nucleolus, and increase in number of nucleoli and mitochondria demonstrated with electron microscopy in the previtellogenic oocytes of Korean catfish, provided evidences for important synthetic processes in an early preparatory phase of oocyte development. The electrophoretic pattern of major band in mature stage was much thicker (24 k, 66 k, 90-110k dalton) than that in previtellogenic phase.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.270-276
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• 2023

Objective: This study investigated the clinical and laboratory factors associated with the presence of dysmorphic oocytes in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. Methods: The study involved 200 ICSI cycles, performed from 2020 to 2021, that yielded at least one mature oocyte. Clinical characteristics and ovarian stimulation methods were compared between 68 cycles with at least one dysmorphic oocyte (the dysmorphic group) and 132 cycles with normal-form oocytes only (the non-dysmorphic group). Dysmorphic oocytes were characterized by dark cytoplasm, cytoplasmic granularity, cytoplasmic vacuoles, refractile bodies in the cytoplasm, smooth endoplasmic reticulum in the cytoplasm, an oval shape, an abnormal zona pellucida, a large perivitelline space, debris in the perivitelline space, or an abnormal polar body. Results: The ages of the women, indications for in vitro fertilization, serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels, and rates of current ovarian endometrioma were similar between the dysmorphic and non-dysmorphic groups. In both groups, the three ovarian stimulation regimens, two types of pituitary suppression, and total gonadotropin dose were employed similarly. However, the dual-trigger method was used more frequently in the dysmorphic group (67.6% vs. 50%, p=0.024). The dysmorphic group contained significantly more immature oocytes and exhibited significantly lower oocyte maturity (50% vs. 66.7%, p=0.001) than the non-dysmorphic cycles. Within the dysmorphic group, significantly lower oocyte maturity was found in the cycles using a dual-trigger, but not in those with a human chorionic gonadotropin trigger. Conclusion: ICSI cycles with dysmorphic oocytes are closely associated with reduced oocyte maturity. This association was observed exclusively in dual-trigger cycles.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.472-479
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• 2006

The sexual maturity and reproductive cycle of the common squid, Todarodes pacificus captured from the East Sea, Korea, between January 2004 and January 2006, were investigated by documenting changes in the gonadosomatic index (GSI), gonad development, and oocyte size frequency distribution. The GSI of females began to increase in July, reached a maximum in August, and then gradually decreased. The GSI of males increased from July to March. Using gonad histological observations, we identified four oocyte developmental stages. The changes in GSI and gonad tissue resulted in the classification of the annual reproductive cycle into the following four successive stages: immature (April to June), growing (June to July), mature (July to August), and ripe and spawning (August to March). According to the oocyte diameter size frequency distribution in the ovary, this species appeared to have asynchronous oocyte development and one spawning time.