• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.135-147
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• 1988

To compare the stimulation effect of the ratio in follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone in induction of multiple follicular growth, the serum $E_2$ level, the diameter of follicle, number of aspirated follicles and cleavage rate of in vitro fertilized preovulatory oocytes as well as the pregnancy rate were evaluated. Forty one patients with irreparable tubal disease were stimulated by hMG(n=24) or FSH/hMG(n=17) for the purpose of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. The following results were obtained. 1. Serum estradiol($E_2$) levels on the day of hCG administration were $921.0{\pm}353.3\;pg/ml$ in hMG group and $1272.9{\pm}1060.6\;pg/ml$ in FSH/hMG group. The serum $E_2$ value of hMG group was significantly lower than that of FSH/hMG group. 2. The diameter of leading follicle by ultrasonogram on the day of hCG administration were $16.2{\pm}2.0\;mm$ in hMG group and $16.2{\pm}2.6\;mm$ in FSH/hMG group. No significant difference of follicle diameter between two groups was demonstrated. 3. The number of follicles with diameter above 10 mm by sonogram on the day of hCG injection were $3.91{\pm}2.32$ in hMG group and $6.52{\pm}3.86$ in FSH/hMG group. There was significant difference of number of follicles between two groups, (p< 0.01). 4. The number of oocytes found per patient at aspiration were $2.59{\pm}1.00$ in hMG group and 3. $76{\pm}2.31$ in FSH/hMG group. There was significant difference of number of aspirated oocytes between two groups. (p< 0.05). 5. The detection rate of preovulatory oocyte at aspiration were 68.4%(39/57) in hMG group (n=22) and 77.6%(38/49) in FSH/hMG group (n=13). 6. The cleavage rate of preovulatory oocyte at 44 hours after insemination were 74.4%(29/39) in hMG group(n=22) and 81.6%(31/38) in FSH/hMG group (n=13). When only hMG was used, one pregnancy was established in 15 patients to whom 29 zygotes were transferred. And a full term normal female baby was delivered by elective cesarean section. In the FSH/hMG group, five pregnancies out of 9 transferred patients were confirmed by serum ${\beta}-hCG$. Two pregnancies were spontaneously aborted before the 6th week of pregnancy. One patient aborted her baby at the 18th week of pregnancy because of incompetent internal os of the cervix. Two patients delivered two full term babies by elective cesarean section. From the above findings, paralell with the increase in the ratio of exogenous follicle stimulating hormone to luteinizing hormone, an increase in oocyte recovery was observed as well as an improvements in pregnancy rate. It was concluded that FSH enrichment early in the follicular phase had a beneficial effect in the controlled ovarian hyperstimulation.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제47권3호
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• pp.221-226
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• 2020

Objective: We attempted to identify the optimal cutoff numbers of mature oocytes that would produce at least one or multiple top-quality (grade A) day-3 embryos in normal responders undergoing stimulated in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. Methods: We selected 210 fresh IVF cycles performed in 170 infertile women at a single center from January 2014 to November 2019. Four to 14 (total) oocytes were obtained in all cycles after conventional ovarian stimulation. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to find the moderate and extreme cutoff numbers of mature oocytes that would produce ≥ 1, ≥ 2, ≥ 3, ≥ 4, and ≥ 5 top-quality embryos. Results: The cutoff number of mature oocytes was significantly correlated with the number of top-quality embryos (r = 0.467, p= 0.000). The moderate cutoff number of mature oocytes was ≥ 3, ≥ 5, ≥ 5, ≥ 6, and ≥ 6 for obtaining ≥ 1, ≥ 2, ≥ 3, ≥ 4, and ≥ 5 top-quality embryos, respectively. The extreme cutoff number of mature oocytes was ≥ 9, ≥ 9, ≥ 10, ≥ 10, and ≥ 11 for obtaining ≥ 1, ≥ 2, ≥ 3, ≥ 4, and ≥ 5 top-quality embryos, respectively. Conclusion: We present the optimal cutoff numbers of mature oocytes that would yield ≥ 1, ≥ 2, ≥ 3, ≥ 4, and ≥ 5 top-quality embryos with 95% specificity. Our findings could help infertility clinicians to set target mature oocyte numbers in women undergoing stimulated IVF cycles.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제65권4호
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• pp.767-778
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• 2023

The aim of the research is to identify that porcine oocytes can function as recipients for interspecies cloning and have the ability to develop to blastocysts. Furthermore each mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in interspecises cloned embryos was analyzed. For the study, mouse-porcine and porcine-porcine cloned embryos were produced with mouse fetal fibroblasts (MFF) and porcine fetal fibroblasts (PFF), respectively, introduced as donor cells into enucleated porcine oocytes. The developmental rate and cell numbers of blastocysts between intraspecies porcine-porcine and interspecies mouse-porcine cloned embryos were compared and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for the estimate of mouse and porcine mtDNA copy number in mouse-porcine cloned embryos at different stages.There was no significant difference in the developmental rate or total blastocyst number between mouse-porcine cloned embryos and porcine-porcine cloned embryos (11.1 ± 0.9%, 25 ± 3.5 vs. 10.1 ± 1.2%, 24 ± 6.3). In mouse-porcine reconstructed embryos, the copy numbers of mouse somatic cell-derived mtDNA decreased between the 1-cell and blastocyst stages, whereas the copy number of porcine oocyte-derived mtDNA significantly increased during this period, as assessed by real-time PCR analysis. In our real-time PCR analysis, we improved the standard curve construction-based method to analyze the level of mtDNA between mouse donor cells and porcine oocytes using the copy number of mouse beta-actin DNA as a standard. Our findings suggest that mouse-porcine cloned embryos have the ability to develop to blastocysts in vitro and exhibit mitochondrial heteroplasmy from the 1-cell to blastocyst stages and the mouse-derived mitochondria can be gradually replaced with those of the porcine oocyte in the early developmental stages of mouse-porcine cloned embryos.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.95-106
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• 2007

목 적: 본 연구진은 선행연구를 통하여 생쥐의 미성숙 난자와 성숙 난자 사이에 차이 나게 발현하는 유전자(DEGs)의 목록을 보유하고 있는데, 그 중에서 pentose phosphate pathway (PPP)에 필수적 효소인 Ribose 5-phosphate isomerase A (Rpia)를 선택하여 본 연구를 수행하였다. 난자 성숙 과정에 관련된 Rpia의 기능을 알아보기 위한 기초연구로서 생쥐와 돼지의 난소에서 Rpia의 발현을 비교분석 하였다. 연구방법: 생쥐의 각 조직에서 11개의 MII-selective DEGs의 발현을 RT-PCR방법으로 확인하여 난소에서 강하게 발현하는 4개의 유전자를 선택하였고, 다시 이들 4개 유전자 중 난자에서 높게 발현하는 Rpia를 선택하여 생쥐 및 돼지의 난자, 난구세포, 과립세포에서의 발현을 비교분석 하였다. 돼지 Rpia 염기서열은 밝혀져 있지 않아 EST clustering 기법을 통해 동정하였다. 결 과: EST clustering 기법으로 찾아낸 돼지 Rpia 염기서열은 GenBank에 등록하였고 (Accession Number EF213106), 이를 근거로 primer를 작성하여 RT-PCR을 수행하였다. Rpia 유전자는 생쥐에서는 난자 특이적으로 발현하는 반면 돼지에서는 난자, 난구세포, 과립세포에서 모두 발현하는 차이점을 발견하였다. 결 론: 본 연구는 생쥐와 돼지의 난소에서 Rpia유전자 동정에 대한 첫 보고로서, 본 연구결과로부터 생쥐와 돼지의 COCs는 서로 다른 경로로 포도당의 대사가 일어나는 것을 알 수 있었다. 따라서 이와 같은 차이점이 두 종의 난자를 체외 배양할 때 나타나는 난자 성숙률의 차이를 가져오는 기전 중의 하나가 아닐까 추측된다. 난자 성숙을 조절하는 기전을 연구함과 동시에 체외에서 난자 성숙이 어려운 종의 최적의 IVM (in vitro maturation)조건을 찾기 위해서는 앞으로 난자와 주변세포의 포도당 대사과정에 미치는 Rpia의 기능에 대한 후속연구가 필요할 것으로 사료된다.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.113-119
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• 2004

본 연구는 재래산양에 있어서 과 배란 처리에 의한 oocyte의 회수방법과 양질의 oocyte 회수 체계를 확립하기 위하여 과 배란 처리 후 회수시간이 난포의 발달과 난자의 회수율에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. 공시동물은 체중 15~25 kg 전${\cdot}$후의 성숙한 미경산 재래산양으로서 발정동기화를 위하여 CIDR를 10일간 질내에 삽입하고 과배란 처리는 FSH를 CIDR 삽입 8, 9, 10일째에 12시간 간격으로 70 mg을 감량 투여하였다. $PGF_{2\alpha}$는 FSH와 함께 8일째에 투여하였으며, CIDR는 10일째에 제거와 동시에 hCG 400 IU를 투여하였다. 난자의 회수는 hCG 투여 후 29~50시간째에 시간대별로 외과적인 방법으로 실시하였다. hCG 투여 후 회수시간에 따른 in vivo란의 회수에 있어서 각각 5.93${\pm}$2.88(29~34시간), 6.82${\pm}$0.95(35~40시간) 및 7.33${\pm}$1.54개(41~50시간)로서 차이가 없었다. 회수율에 있어서는 35~40시간째에 회수하였을 때가 49.7%로서 29~34시간 및 41~50시간째에 38.2% 및 29.5% 보다 유의적(P<0.05)으로 높았다. 두당 회수 난자 수는 각각 2.27${\pm}$0.76, 3.39${\pm}$0.75 및 2.17${\pm}$1.40개로서 차이가 없었다. hCG 투여 후 29~34, 35~40, 및 41~50시간에 관찰된 난포 수는 두당 11.75${\pm}$2.45, 11.87${\pm}$1.34 및 9.20${\pm}$1.50개였다. 또한 배란된 성숙난자의 채란 율은 각각 70.2, 74.7 및 54.3%로서 41~50시간째에 회수하였을 때가 가장 낮았다. 두당 회수율에 있어서도 8.25${\pm}$1.34, 8.87${\pm}$1.10 및 5.00${\pm}$1.30개로서 회수시간에 따른 유의적인 차이는 없었다. 회수한 난포내 미성숙 난자의 등급에 있어서 회수시간대별 1등급은 각각 24.2, 19.5 및 12.0%였으며, 2등급의 경우는 41~50시간이 4.0%로서 29~34시간과 35~40시간의 14.4% 및 16.2%보다 유의적(P<0.05)으로 낮았다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제40권1호
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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.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.161-170
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• 2015

These studies were conducted to establish the practical Hanwoo (Korean native cattle) improvement system through the combining of embryo transfer technology and confirming individual Hanwoo oocyte culture system and to investigate that correlation of Hanwoo carcass classification (intramuscular marbling) and oocyte donor for blastocyst production in vitro. In case of Hanwoo, the carcass meat quality grades were divided to grade $1^{{+}{+}}$, $1^{+}$, 1, 2, and 3 depends on fat distribution of longest muscle cross-sectional surface. As results, the numbers of follicular oocytes collected from individual fundamentally-registered Hanwoo yielded $1^{{+}{+}}$, $1^{+}$, 1, 2 and 3 meat quality were 9.5, 9.4, 8.5, 8.8 and 8.8 per ovary, respectively. The numbers of retrieval oocyte from follicles were significantly higher in the cattle yield $1^{{+}{+}}$, $1^{+}$ meat quality than in the cattle yield 1, 2 and 3 meat quality (p<0.05). The rates of blastocyst formation were 18.2, 21.3, 29.4, 30.9, and 31.5% in the cattle yield $1^{{+}{+}}$, $1^{+}$, 1, 2 and 3 meat quality of after in vitro maturation, respectively. It was significantly lower in the cattle yield $^{{+}{+}}$ and $1^{+}$ meat quality than in the cattle yield 1, 2 and 3 meat quality (p<0.05). In order to evaluate embryos quality, TUNNEL assay was conducted for each meat quality grade using blastocyst stage embryo on day 8. The results showed that apoptosis cell number was higher tendency in the cattle yield $1^{{+}{+}}$and $1^{+}$ meat quality (81 and 79, respectively) than in the cattle yield 1, 2 and 3 meat quality (51, 48 and 50, respectively) but there was no statistical significance in each group. After embryo transfer, the conception rate of recipient was 53.5 (23 out of 43), 52.1 (38 out of 73) and 58.0% (58 out of 100) in the meat quality of 1, $1^{+}$ and $1^{{+}{+}}$, respectively. These results showed that the conception rate was significantly higher in the cattle yield 1 meat quality than in the cattle yield $1^{{+}{+}}$, $1^{+}$, 2, and 3 meat quality (p<0.05). In summary, these results indicate that the application of confirming Hanwoo individual oocyte culture system and embryo transfer technology can make good use of the genetic resources conservation and improvement of Hanwoo. Relevance of the meat quality grade and reproductive ability of carcasses of Hanwoo will be considered to be one of the effective means for the associated research with obesity and reproduction.

• 한국발생생물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국발생생물학회 2003년도 제3회 국제심포지움 및 학술대회
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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.

• 한국가축번식학회지
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.111-116
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• 1997

We determined the effects of follicular fluid fractions in the maturation medium on bovine oocyte maturation, fertilization and subsequent development, as well as on number of cells in blastocysts following culture. Follicular fluid and oocytes from bovine follicles less than 5 mm in diameter were collected from the ovaries of slaughtered cows. Follicular fluid was separated into different molecular weight fractions by untrafiltration through a membrane using a centrifuge at 500$\times$g, for 2h. For the maturation medium, follicular fluid fractions (30%, v/v), whole fluid (30%) or PVP(3mg/ml) were added to TCM 199(0.1$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml estradiol-17$\beta$, 100IU hCG). After maturation for 24h, oocytes were fertilized in vitro with bull frozen-thawed spermatozoa and cultured on a monolayer of granulosa cells for 9 days after fertilization. There were no differences in maturation rates or fertilization rates among any maturation conditions. The rates of development to >2-cell stage of the oocytes were significantly decreased when fraction of follicular fluid below 10,000 MW were added into maturation medium, compared with control and fraction above 10,000 MW(26.0% vs 40.8% to 64.0%, respectveily. p<0.01). Likewise, the rates of development to blastocysts of fertilized oocytes were significantly decreased in maturation medium containing fraction of follicular fluid (<10,000 MW). The average cell number of blastocysts derived from oocytes that matured in the fraction(>10,000 MW) of follicular fluid was 154.7$\pm$13.7. These embryos contained more cells than those matured in whole follicular fluid, or the fraction(<10, 000 MW) of follicular fluid or control(107.0$\pm$8.4, 91.8$\pm$11.8 and 95.8$\pm$6.2, respectively). In conclusion, we found that fractions of follicular fluid contained factors stimulating or inhibiting oocyte cytoplasmic matruation. These suggest that a factor(s) inducing cytoplasmic maturation of oocytes may exist in >10,000 MW fraction of follicular fluid.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.314-319
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• 2005

To compare two different schemes, continuous scheme (CS) and discontinuous scheme (DCS), of once-weekly ovum pick up (OPU) with ultrasound-guided follicular puncture technique, Holstein heifers were randomly divided into two groups of five. After characterization of their two normal estrous cycles, the heifers were subjected to consecutive 20 weeks of once-weekly OPU under two schemes: the CS (one week interval between continuous OPU, total 100 OPU sessions performed) and the DCS (OPU fixed to the day 3 and day 10 of each estrus). Then, the status of ovaries and artificial insemination results were observed. On oocyte yield, the total number of punctured follicles using DCS was lower than that using CS, but the mean numbers of punctured follicles and recovered oocytes per session were higher in DCS than CS group. So the total number of recovered oocytes was similar in both groups. There were also no differences in the quality of recovered oocytes, nor in the developmental ability of oocytes fertilized in vitro between groups. The heifers in the DCS group showed regular estrous cycles with stable estrous signs through the periods of before, during, and after OPU, while those in CS group showed longer estrous cycles and less estrous signs during and/or after OPU compared with before period. Furthermore, the mean number of inseminations required for obtaining pregnancy after completion of the experiments was lower in DCS than CS group. The research demonstrates that similar quantity and quality oocytes can be achieved, and the side effects on donors are lower in DCS that needs fewer OPUs than CS group, and DCS is superior to CS.