• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.144-152
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• 2017

Objectives: The aim of this case is to report the effects of oriental medicine on one patient with primary amenorrhea for endometrial preparation and implantation. Methods: A patient with primary amenorrhea had symptoms of sleep disorder, diarrhea, colpoxerosis. For preparing endometrium and implantation in oocyte donation after one previous failure, she was treated by twice a day herb medication for 75 days. And we observed the effects of treatments by improvement of symptoms and following up endometrial proliferation ultrasonography. After implantation, for maintaining pregnancy and live birth, she was also treated by twice a day herb medication for 45 days. Results: After treatments, Symptoms of sleep disorder, diarrhea, colpoxerosis were improved and the thickness of endometrium was prepared for implantation in oocyte donation. So she was pregnant and gave birth to a healthy baby 36 weeks later. Conclusions: This case shows that oriental medicine has its effective implementation for the implantational surroundings on patients with primary amenorrhea in oocyte donation programs.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.95-103
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• 2003

Objective : To assess and compare the clinical outcomes between GnRH agonist long protocol and GnRH antagonist short protocol in oocyte donation program. Materials and Methods: Of total 18 oocyte donation cycles, controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) were performed with GnRH agonist long protocol and GnRH antagonist short protocol in initial 9 cycles and later 9 cycles, respectively. Oral estradiol valerate and progesterone in oil we re administrated to all recipients for endometrial preparation. Oral estradiol administration was started from donor cycle day 1 after full shut down of gonadal axis with GnRH agonist in patients with ovarian function. Progesterone was injected from oocyte retrieval day of donor initially, then continuously till pregnancy 12 weeks if pregnancy was ongoing. We compared the parameters of clinical outcomes, such as number of the retrieved oocytes, fertilization rate, high grade embryo production rate, clinical pregnancy rate, implantation rate, ongoing pregnancy rate, COH duration, total gonadotropin dose for COH between GnRH agonist long protocol group and GnRH antagonist group. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney test, p<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The number of retrieved oocytes, fertilization rate, high grade embryo production rate, clinical pregnancy rate, implantation rate, ongoing pregnancy rate were $14.89{\pm}7.83$, 81%, 64%, 78%, 31%, 78%, respectively in GnRHa long protocol group and $11.22{\pm}8.50$, 79%, 64%, 67%, 34%, 56%, respectively in GnRH antagonist group. There was no significant differences in parameters of clinical outcomes between 2 groups (all p value >0.05). Duration and total gonadotropin dose for COH were $10.94{\pm}1.70$ days and $43.78{\pm}6.8$ vials in 18 cycles, $12.00{\pm}1.73$ days and $48.00{\pm}6.93$ vials in agonist group, $9.88{\pm}0.78$ days and $39.55{\pm}3.13$ vials in antagonist group, respectively. In GnRH agonist long protocol group, significantly longer duration and higher gonadotropin dose for COH were needed (p=0.012). Conclusion: In oocyte donation program, clinical outcomes from controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with GnRH antagonist were comparable to those from GnRH agonist long protocol group, so controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with GnRH antagonist may be effective as GnRH agonist long protocol. At least there may not be harmful effects of GnRH antagonist on oocyte development and quality.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.167-177
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• 1997

Oocyte donation program developed to reach the pregnancy in those patients suffering from premature ovarian failure or surgery induced menopause, particularly in their reproductive age. With technical advances and popularity of ART (assisted reproductive technology), the indication of oocyte donation program extended to low responders, and even to naturally menopaused patients that has led them quite successfully to getting in pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate which one is involved in the decline of fertility between the oocyte and uterine factor. One hundred five cycles of oocyte donation program were performed in 84 patients from Jan., 1993 to Dec., 1996. Oocytes were donated from healthy, young, fertile anonymous donors or relatives or infertile patients with supernumerary oocytes. The study population was divided into 3 groups according to the age of recipients. Group 1 was less than 35 years old, Group 2 was between 35 to 39 years old, and Group 3 was more than 39 years old. The results were as follows: The mean age of oocyte donor was $31.5{\pm}3.3$ (range; 25-36). The mean concentration of basal serum FSH and peak serum estradiol were not different among groups. The mean number of oocytes retrieved from donors, embryos transferred to recipients, and fertilization rate were not different among groups. The clinical pregnancy rate was 37.3% in Group 1, 31.6% in Group 2, and 31.6% in Group 3, respectively. The spontaneous abortion rate was 16.0% in Group 1, 16.7% in Group 2, and 16.7 in Group 3, respectively. The multiple pregnancy rate was 20.0% in Group 1, 16.7% in Group 2, 16,7% in Group 3, respectively, The implantation rate was 11.3% in Group 1, 10.3% in Group 2 and 10.0% in Group 3, respectively. All of the pregnancy outcomes were not different statistically among groups. In conclusion, endometrial receptivity does not seem to be impaired as age increases with transfer of good quality embryos and adequate endometrial preparation.

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.65-66
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• 2002

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.124-124
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• 2003

The successful development of embryos cloned by nuclear transfer (NT)have been dependent on a wide range of known factors including cell cycle of donor and recipient ooplast, oocyte quality, NT procedure and oocyte activation. The present study compared the development of cloned porcine embryos following different activation treatments. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were aspirated from 26 mm follicles of slaughterhouse ovaries and cultured for 22 h in NCSU #23 medium supplemented with 10% porcine follicular fluid, 0.57 mM cysteine, 0.5 g/mL LH, 0.5 g/mL FSH and 10 ng/mL EGF. The COCs were further cultured for an additional 22 h in the same medium at $39{\cird}C$ in an atmosphere of 5% $CO_2$ in air, without hormonal supplements. Primary cultures of fibroblasts isolated from a female fetus on day 40 of gestation were established in DMEM + 15% FCS. For nuclear donation, cells at the 5th-6th passage were cultured in DMEM +0.5% FCS for 5 days in order to arrest the cells in G0/Gl. After enucleation, oocytes were reconstructed by transfer of donor cells and fusion with three DC pulses (1.4 KV/cm, 30 sec) in 0.28 M mannitol containing 0.01 mM $CaCl_2$ and 0.01 mM $MgCl_2$. Eggs were then divided into three treatment groups, control (without further treatment, Group 1), eggs cultured in 10 g/ml cycloheximide (CHX) for 5 h (Group 2), and eggs cultured in 1.9 mM 6-dimethylaminopurine (6-DMAP) for 5 h (Group 3). The eggs were then cultured in sets of 30 in 60 I drops of NCSU#23 supplemented with 4mg/ml BSA (essentially fatty acid free) until day 7 at $39{\circ}C$ in a humidified atmosphere of 5% $CO_2$. On day 4 the culture were fed by adding 20 I NCSU #23 supplemented with 10% FBS. Development rates into blastocysts were significantly higher (P<0.05) in Group 3 embryos compared to Group 1 controls ($27.6 \mu 2.7% vs. 20.1 \mu 4.1%$, respectively), but rates did not differ in Group 2 compared to control ($23.8 \mu 5.7%$). Total cell number in Group 3 blastocysts was however significantly higher (P<0.05) than in Groups 1 and 2 ($44.6 \mu 2.4 vs. 19.9 \mu 1.9 and 21.9 \mu 2.1$, respectively). These results suggest that 6-DMAP is more efficient than cycloheximide in the activation of electrically fused NT oocytes during in vitro production of cloned porcine embryos.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 2017

Objective: To describe in vitro development of human embryos derived from an individual with a homozygous pathogenic variant in NLRP7 (19q13.42) and recurrent hydatidiform mole (HM), an autosomal recessive condition thought to occur secondary to an oocyte defect. Methods: A patient with five consecutive HM pregnancies was genomically evaluated via next generation sequencing followed by controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, in vitro fertilization (IVF) with intracytoplasmic sperm injection, embryo culture, and preimplantation genetic screening. Findings in NLRP7 were recorded and embryo culture and biopsy data were tabulated as a function of parental origin for any identified ploidy error. Results: The patient was found to have a pathogenic variant in NLRP7 (c.2810+2T>G) in a homozygous state. Fifteen oocytes were retrieved and 10 embryos were available after fertilization via intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Developmental arrest was noted for all 10 embryos after 144 hours in culture, thus no transfer was possible. These non-viable embryos were evaluated by karyomapping and all were diploid biparental; two were euploid and eight had various aneuploidies all of maternal origin. Conclusion: This is the first report of early human embryo development from a patient with any NLRP7 mutation. The pathogenic variant identified here resulted in global developmental arrest at or before blastocyst stage. Standard IVF should therefore be discouraged for such patients, who instead need to consider oocyte (or embryo) donation with IVF as preferred clinical methods to treat infertility.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.211-220
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• 2018

Nitric oxide (NO) has an important role in oocyte maturation and embryonic development in mammals. This study examined the effect of exogenous NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) in a maturation medium on meiotic progression and embryonic development after parthenogenesis (PA) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in pigs. When oocytes were exposed to $0.1{\mu}M$ SNAP for first 22 h of in vitro maturation (IVM) in Experiment 1, SNAP significantly improved blastocyst development in both defined and standard follicular fluid-supplemented media compared to untreated control (48.4 vs. 31.7-42.5%). SNAP treatment significantly arrested meiotic progression of oocytes at the germinal vesicle stage at 11 h of IVM (61.2 vs. 38.7%). However, there was no effect on meiotic progression at 22 h of IVM (Experiment 2). In Experiment 3, when oocytes were treated with SNAP at 0.001, 0.1 and $10{\mu}M$ during the first 22 h of IVM to determine a suitable concentration, $0.1{\mu}M$ SNAP (54.2%) exhibited a higher blastocyst formation than 0 and $10{\mu}M$ SNAP (36.6 and 36.6%, respectively). Time-dependent effect of SNAP treatment was evaluated in Experiment 4. It was observed that SNAP treatment for the first 22 h of IVM significantly increased blastocyst formation compared to no treatment (57.1% vs. 46.2%). Antioxidant effect of SNAP was compared with that of cysteine. SNAP treatment significantly improved embryonic development to the blastocyst stage (49.1-51.5% vs. 34.4-37.5%) irrespective of the presence or absence of cysteine (Experiment 5). Moreover, SNAP significantly increased glutathione (GSH) content and inversely decreased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and mitochondrial oxidative activity in IVM oocytes. SNAP treatment during IVM showed a stimulating effect on in vitro development of SCNT embryos (Experiment 7). These results demonstrates that SNAP improves developmental competence of PA and SCNT embryos probably by maintaining the redox homeostasis through increasing GSH content and mitochondrial quality and decreasing ROS in IVM oocytes.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.163-168
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• 1992

This study was carried out to set up the ovum bank for ovum donation and to determine the best freezing method for human immature oocytes. Human immature follicular oocytes were cryopreserved by slow freezing and rapid thawing method. Immature follicular oocytes were treated by propanediol(PROH) solution by 2 and 4 step method in protocols A & B, respectively. In protocol C, immature oocytes were exposed to sucrose prior to treatment of PROH by 4 step method. We compared survival rate, maturation rate, and fertilization rate of immature oocytes among three protocols. Results were as follows. 1. Oocytes treated by the protocol C showed the highest survival rate( 70.3 %) and maturation rate(34.6%) after thawing. 2. Survival rate of oocytes treated by the protocol C was significantly higher than that of the protocol B after thawing(p<0.05). In conclusion, treatment of oocytes with sucrose prior to expose PROH was the best freezing method. Sucrose may have reduced the toxic effect of cryoprotectant to oocytes. We failed to induce fertilization of oocytes, which were treated by any protocols, by conventional insemination method, but obtained 28.8% fertilization rate by using partial zona dissection(PZD) method. This result suggests that micromanipulation(PZD) of the thawed oocytes before insemination will improve the fertilization rate.