• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
• /
• 2003.06a
• /
• pp.83-83
• /
• 2003

돼지 난자의 유리화 동결 처리 방법 중 난자를 담는 용기(loading vessel)의 재료로 최근에 알려진 것으로 open-pulled straws(OPS)[Vajta등, Mol Reprod Dev, 51:53-58, (1998)], electron microscope grids(EMG) [Martino등,Biol Reprod, 54:1059-1069, (1996)〕, nylon loop system(NLS) [Lane등, Fertil Steril,72: 1073-1078, (1999)] 등이 보고되고 있다. OPS는 1/4cc straws를 열을 가하여 길게 뽑아 내벽을 얇게 함으로써 filing된 난자나 수정란이 액체 질소와 접촉했을 때 유리화가 신속하게 되도록 하는 방법으로 돼지에서는 별로 보고된 것이 없다. EMG는 열전도가 예민한 전자현미경용 copper grid를 이용한 방법으로 최근 국내 기술진의 연구성적을 포함한 몇몇 학자들에 의하여 보고되었고 NLS는 0.5mm직경의 nylon loop를 이용하여 급속 동결한 성적이 보고되었으나, 돼지 난자에 응용 된 것은 없다. 따라서 이와 같은 동결 재료는 사람과 반추류, mouse외에 돼지 난자에 대하여는 전혀 시도되지 않았지만 유리화 동결기술에서 가장 중요한 실험으로 생각된다. 성공적인 유리화 동결을 위해서는 수정란이 냉각의 전도성이 빠르고, 작은 용액을 수정란과 같이 filling해야 하며 모든 동작이 신속 간편해야 하며 융해 방법도 초급속도의 융해가 요구되므로 이에 부합되어야 한다. 연구 목적은 돼지 난자를 유리화 동결/융해 시 동결 재료-straw/glass, copper grid, nylon 3가지에 대한 제작 방법, 난자 loading, 동결 처리, 보관 방법, 융해 방법 등을 난자의 회수, 수정 후 생존율을 비교 조사하여 가장 우수한 방법을 선택할 목적이었다. 수행 내용은 3가지의 재료의 sample을 제작하고 소독한 다음 준비된 돼지 COCs을 40시간동안 IVM한 후 난자를 5~l5개 정도로 선정 하여 준비된 VS 용액에 평형처리 하였다. 각 재료의 용기에 loading 한 후 동결/보관하였고, 융해는 역순으로 평형하여 maturation 배지에 3~4시간 배양한 다음 경검하고 IVF한 후 NCSU-23 배지에 담아 IVC 배양하면서 cell cleavage상태를 확인하였다.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.53-58
• /
• 2006

This study was conducted to comparing on vitrification of mouse oocytes and embryos using CPS, conventional straws and CPS by evaluating in morphological survival for oocytes, and embryonic cleavages and blastocyst formation for embryos. The morphological survival in vitro after thawing of vitrified oocytes using CPS (75%) and conventional straws (72%) were significantly higher (p<0.05) than that using OPS (68%). The blastocyst formation rates of vitrified embryos using CPS (48.6%) and unfrozen control embryos (56.0%) were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those of conventional straws (43.4%) and OPS (37.7%). The rates of morula formation were also higher to control, CPS, conventional straws and OPS in orderly. These results show that CPS has the advantages of achieving a high survival and safety preservation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
• /
• 2003.10a
• /
• pp.108-108
• /
• 2003

The purpose of this is to investigate the effects of vitrification in open pulled straws (OPS) on in vitro survival of porcine embryos. Blastocysts were produced by in vitro fertilization of slaughterhouse-derived, in vitro matured oocytes with frozen-thawed boar semen, and subsequent culture on granulosa cell monolayer. After frozen-thawing, embryos were culture in NCSU-23 medium with 5 mM hypotaurine, 4 mg/$m\ell$ BSA and 10 ng/$m\ell$ for 48 hrs to survival tests. When blastocysts were frozen-thawed by OPS methods, the embryos with normal morphology were 32.1, 34.5 and 38.9 % in early blastocyst, blastocyst and expanded blastocyat stages. The rates of partial damaged embryos were significantly (P<0.05) higher in early biastocysts than expanded blastocysts. In another experiment, the embryos frozen by OPS methods were cultured for 48 hrs for survival and developmental rates in vitro. The proportions of embryos hatched were 11.8, 20.2 and 33.3% in embryos frozen-thawed at stages of early blastocyst, blastocyst and expanded embryos. On the other hand, The proportions of embryo with normal morphology after culture were 23.5, 25.0 and 33.3% in embryos frozen-thawed at stages of early blastocyst, blastocyst and expanded embryos. These finding indicate the possible broader application for OPS methods that this procedure described is relatively harmless, that it can be used for blastocysts of different developmental stages.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
• /
• 2001.03a
• /
• pp.76-76
• /
• 2001

The objective of this study was to optimize the vitrification method of in vitro produced bovine embryos. Thus, in vitro produced embryos at 8 cell, morula and blastocyst stages were vitrified on electron microscope grids (EM grids) or in open pulled straws (OPS) with EG5.5 (5.5 M ethylene glycol, 1.0 M sucrose and 10% FBS in m-DPBS medium) freezing solution and their survival rates after thawing were compared. The embryos on EM grids or in OPS were briefly exposed to EG5.5 freezing solution and plunged directly into liquid nitrogen within 30 to 35 sec. Post-thawed embryos were serially diluted in 0.5, 0.25 and 0.125 M sucrose in m-DPBS, each for 1 min, and then cultured in CRI aa medium supplemented with 10% FBS. Embryonic survival rate was assessed as re-expanded and hatched rates of those embryos after warming. The rates of re-expansion embryos did not significantly different between EM grid (8 cell: 42.10%, morula: 66.66% and blastocyst: 77.08%) and OPS (8 cell: 47.36%, morula: 61.90% and blastocyst: 83.33%) methods. In addition, the hatched rates in EM grid (8 cell: 31.57%, morula: 57.14% and blastocyst: 72.91%) were similar to those in OPS (8 cell. 34.21%, morula: 50.00% and Blastocyst: 77.08%). Interestingly, even at the same blastocyst stage, the in vitro survival of day 7 embryos (EM grid: 79.48 and OPS: 87.18%) was higher than those of day 8 embryos (EM grid: 72.10 and OPS: 82.06%). The total cell number of blastocyst developed in vitro after vitrification was examined with Hoechst 33342 staining to compare the embryo quality among different treatment groups. The total cell number of blastocyst was not significantly different between vitrified groups (EM grid: 162.4$\pm$8.0 and OPS: 158.4$\pm$7.1) and unvitrified control (168.0$\pm$5.6). These results indicate that both vitrification containers can provide the high rate of embryo survival. Moreover, the OPS container may not need a cap to protect the container from floating after immersion in L$N_2$. Therefore, this study suggest that bovine embryos can be cryopreserved easily, effectively and successfully by vitrification method using EM grid or OPS with EG5.5 freezing solution. In the future, the Pregnancy rate would be investigated after transfer of our vitrified embryos into the appropriated recipients.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.207-212
• /
• 2005

In the present study, we investigated the effects of genotypes on in vitro maturation and fertilization in porcine fresh/frozen-thawed oocytes. The porcine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were divided into four groups according to whether they were: (1) in vitro matured; (2) cryopreserved and in vitro matured; (3) in vitro fertilized and (4) cryopreserved, and in vitro fertilized. Maturation of porcine COCs was accomplished by incubation in NCSU23 medium. Immature oocytes were cryopreserved by Open Pulled Straws (OPS) method according to Vajta et al., (1998). Oocytes stained by Acetic-Orcein method were observed under the microscope. DNA extracted from the ovaries was analyzed by RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) and SSCP (single strand conformational polymorphisrrt) method. The rates of oocytes maturation and fertilization were significantly high in AA genotype. The results indicated that in vitro maturation and fertilization in porcine fresh/frozen-thawed oocytes may be affected by genotypes in pigs.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.255-262
• /
• 2006

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of vitrification in open pulled straws (OPS) methods on in vitro survival ability of porcine embryos. For in vitro maturation of immature oocytes, the porcine ovaries were collected from local slaughter-house. The cumulus-oocytes complexes were aspirated from 2 to 6 mm follicles. The collected oocytes were cultured for in vitro maturation in NCSU-23 medium with 5 mM hypotaurine, 0.57 mM cysteine, 10% porcine follicle fluid, 10 IU/ml PMSG and 10 IU/ml hCG for $21{\sim}22$ hrs. Then, the oocytes were more cultured $21{\sim}22$ hrs in vitro maturation in medium removed hormones. The frozen-thawed spermatozoa were washed by centrifugation 2 times for 10 min at 1,500 rpm in D-PBS with 5.56 mM glucose, 0.33 mM Na-pyruvate, 100 IU/ml penicillin, $100 {\mu}g/ml$ streptomycin and 4 mg/ml BSA. The fertilization medium used mTBM with 2 mM caffeine and 2 mg/ml BSA and adjusted to a pH of 7.2 to 7.4. The final concentration of spermatozoa was adjusted to $2.5{\times}10^6$cells/ml motile sperm during fertilization in vitro. At 8 hrs after insemination, the oocytes were transferred into NCSU-23 medium with 5.0 mM hypotaurine, 4 mg/ml BSA and 10 ng/ml EGF and cultured for 7 days. When the blastocysts of different stages were frozen-thawed by OPS methods, the proportions of embryos with normal morphology were significantly (p<0.05) higher in embryos frozen-thawed at expanded blastocyst stage (38.9%) than in early blastocyst stage (28.3%). On the other hand, the proportions of embryos damaged after frozen-thawing were significantly (p<0.05) higher in embryos frozen at early blastocyst stages than in expanded blastocyst stage. In another experiment, the normal embryos morphology after frozen- thawing were further cultured for 48 hrs. After culture, the proportions of embryos hatched were 6.7, 20.0 and 33.3% for embryos frozen-thawed at early blastocyst, mid-blastocyst and expanded blastocyst stages. These finding indicate the possible broader application for OPS methods, as frozen-thawed embryos may be accompanied by developmental stage according to requirements of the survival ability after freezing of blastocyst stage in the pig.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.117-125
• /
• 2001

Vitrification of oocytes has been applied recently fur pigs, but remains elusive. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of vitrification in open pulled straws (OPS) on in vitro survival of porcine oocytes. When immature follicular oocytes frozen-thawed were cultured for in vitro maturation, maturation rates to metaphase-II stage were higher in oocytes with (25%) than without (15%) cumulus cells. After In vitro fertilization of oocytes frozen-thawed, the maturation rates were also significantly (P<0.05) higher in oocytes with (41%) that than without (17%) cumulus cells. However, the penetration rates were higher in oocytes without (19%) that than with (9%) cumulus. In another experiment, porcine oocytes matured in vitro were frozen and thawed for in vitro fertilization. The penetration rates were higher than in oocytes without (35%) that than with (26%) cumulus cells. However, the proportions of oocytes dead after in vitro fertilization were significantly (P<0.05) higher in oocytes with that than without cumulus cells. On the other hand, the rates of penetration and dead oocytes at 6 h after in vitro fertilization were not significant differences between oocytes with and without cumulus cells. However, the proportions of dead oocytes with (18%) and without (16%) cumulus cells were higher than in oocytes of control group (0%). These finding indicated the possible broader application for OPS, as they demonstrated that the maturation and fertilization in vitro by frozen-thawed oocytes may be accompained by cumulus cells and culture periods according to the requirements of the survival ability after freezing of mature and immature oocytes in pigs.