• Development and Reproduction
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2015

The gonadosomatic index (GSI), gonadal development and changes in hormones in plasma level of the indoor cultured grunt (Hapalogenys nitens) were investigated by histological study from August 2011 to October 2012. The GSI showed similar trends with gonad developmental stages during the culture periods. Changes in plasma level of estradiol-$17{\beta}$ of female H. nitens reached the highest value before the spawning period, and seasonal changes in plasma level of estradiol-$17{\beta}$ were similar in trends of oocyte developments and GSI changes. Testosterone levels of male H. nitens reached the highest value before and after the spent stage. Ovarian developmental stages of H. nitens could be classified into early growing stage, late growing stage, mature stage, ripe and spawning stage, recovery and resting stage. The testicular developmental stages could be divided into growing stage, mature stage, ripe and spent stage, and recovery and resting stage.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.261-265
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• 2013

The corpus luteum is a transient endocrine gland essential for regulation of the ovarian cycle as well as for establishing and maintaining pregnancy. Prostaglandin $F_{2{\alpha}}$ (PGF) initiates functional and structural regression of the corpus luteum and therefore is an important regulator of the estrous cycle. It is a matter of debate whether the endothelial cells of the bovine corpus luteum express PGFR, the cognate receptor for PGF. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the expression of PGFR in bovine endothelial cells. Endothelial cells were isolated from the bovine corpus luteum of the mid-luteal stage using magnetic beads and cultured in vitro. We demonstrate that this isolation procedure generates a pure culture of endothelial cells as confirmed by synthesis of Factor VIII and lack of expression of $3{\beta}$-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. By RT-PCR, Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses, we further show that the cultured endothelial cells produced PGFR. This model system can be utilized to provide an experimental system to investigate the role of PGF on endothelial cells during the reproductive cycle.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2009

Centrobin/Nip2 was initially identified as a centrosome protein that is critical for centrosome duplication and spindle assembly. In the present study, we determined the expression and subcellular localization of centrobin in selected mouse tissues. Immunoblot analysis revealed that the centrobin-specific band of 100 kDa was detected in all tissues tested but most abundantly in the thymus, spleen and testis. In the testis, centrobin was localized at the centrosomes of spermatocytes and early round spermatids, but no specific signal was detected in late round spermatids and elongated spermatids. Our results also revealed that the centrosome duplication occurs at interphase of the second meiotic division of the mouse male germ cells. The centrobin protein was more abundant in the mitotically active ovarian follicular cells and thymic cortex cells than in non-proliferating corpus luteal cells and thymic medullary cells. The expression pattern of centrobin suggests that the biological functions of centrobin are related to cell proliferation. Consistent with the proposal, we observed reduction of the centrobin levels when NIH3T3 became quiescent in the serum-starved culture conditions. However, a residual amount of centrobin was also detected at the centrosomes of the resting cells, suggesting its role for maintaining integrity of the centrosome, especially of the daughter centriole in the cells.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2020

Endometriosis is a common gynecologic disease, worldwide, whose true prevalence is uncertain because it is a difficult disease to diagnose. Endometriosis is a common cause of chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and infertility, and is also associated with ovarian cancer. Although the risk factors for endometriosis are unclear, there is increasing evidence that exposure to environmental contaminants, especially phthalates, could affect the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Phthalates are industrial chemicals, used to make flexible plastics, and are present in numerous common plastic products, including medical devices and materials. Several in vitro studies have suggested a positive association between exposure to phthalate, or phthalate metabolites, and the risk of endometriosis. Since the 2000s, studies based on human plasma and urinary concentrations of various phthalate metabolites have been published, but there are still limitations to our understanding of the pathophysiology of phthalates and endometriosis. This report aims to review the current state of knowledge about a possible role of phthalates in the pathogenesis of endometriosis based on cell culture, animal models, and human data.

• BMB Reports
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.104-109
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• 2024

Gefitinib exerts anticancer effects on various types of cancer, such as lung, ovarian, breast, and colon cancers. However, the therapeutic effects of gefitinib on cervical cancer and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Thus, this study aimed to explore whether gefitinib can be used to treat cervical cancer and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Results showed that gefitinib induced a caspase-dependent apoptosis of HeLa cells, which consequently became round and detached from the surface of the culture plate. Gefitinib induced the reorganization of actin cytoskeleton and downregulated the expression of p-FAK, integrin β1 and E-cadherin, which are important in cell-extracellular matrix adhesion and cell-cell interaction, respectively. Moreover, gefitinib hindered cell reattachment and spreading and suppressed interactions between detached cells in suspension, leading to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, a hallmark of apoptosis. It also induced detachment-induced apoptosis (anoikis) in C33A cells, another cervical cancer cell line. Taken together, these results suggest that gefitinib triggers anoikis in cervical cancer cells. Our findings may serve as a basis for broadening the range of anticancer drugs used to treat cervical cancer.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.231-236
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• 2000

This study was conducted to examine the effects of exogenous gonadotropins (PMSG+hCG) and an antioxidant (cysteine) on in vitro maturation of bovine follicular oocytes. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) aspirated from 2 to 5 mm ovarian follicles were cultured for 22 to 24 hours in a modified bovine embryo culture medium (mBECM) supplemented with 3 mg/mL bovine serum albumin, to which PMSG (10 IU/mL) + hCG (10 IU/mL) and/or cysteine (0.6 mM) were added. When examined the expansion of cumulus ce1ls at the end of maturation culture, greater (p<0.05) expansion was found after addition of PMSG+hCG (79 to 96%) to mBECM than after no addition (0%), regardless of the presence or absence of cysteine in the medium. The addition of cysteine did not stimulate cumulus expansion, but a high proportion (92%) of expansion was achieved when COCs were cultured after the addition of PMSG+hCG and cysteine to the medium. No difference in the proportion of oocytes underwent germinal vesicle breakdown (initiation of maturation) was found after the addition of PMSG+hCG and/or cysteine to mBECM. However, nuclear maturation (development to the metaphase-II stage) of oocytes was significantly stimulated by the combined addition of PMSG+hCG and cysteine, compared with no addition. In conclusion, both exogenous gonadotropins and an antioxidant are important for nuclear maturation of bovine immature oocytes and these factors have a cell-specific stimulatory action.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.87-94
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• 1988

Korean frogs (R. dybowskii and R. nigromaculara) were collected from chonnam area and their oocyte maturation was induced by using in ultro follicle culture system. Follicles were isolated from the frog ovary and cultured for 24 hr in (amphibian Ringer's soluion AR) at 22 C in the presence or absence of hormones. Follicular cocytes of R. dybowskii were induced to mature (germinal vesicle breakdown, GVBD) by the presence of progesterone, 0.1 $\mu$g/2 ml and that of R. nigromaculata by 1 $\mu$g/2 ml of progesterone. Follicles of the frogs were also responded to (frog pituitary homogenate FPH) in terms of their cocyte maturation. Follicular cocytes of R. dybowskii were induced to mature by FPH at concentration of 0.01 pituitary equivalent/2 ml and that of R.nigromaculata at 0.1 pit equiv./2 ml. The culture time required for the maturation of bath frog follicles was 915 hr. The responsiveness of the follicles of korean frogs to hormones (progesterone or FPH) was nearly the same as that of R. pipiens which are most commonly used amphibians. Particularly, follicular cocytes of R. dybowskii used from February matured spontaneously without stimulation of hormones during in vitro culture. Furthermore, those cocytes were spontaneous- ly ovulted when the ovarian fragments were cultured in a flask.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.131-139
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• 2002

Since GnRH and its receptor genes are expressed in the ovary, it has been suggested that ovarian GnRH might be involved in the regulation of ovarian function and the apoptosis of ovarian cells. However, it was not known well on the expression and function of GnRH and its receptor in the corpus luteum. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether GnRH and its receptor are expressed in luteal cells and GnRH has any effect on the apoptosis of luteal cells. Luteal cells obtained from the pregnant rats were cultured and stained for GnRH and its receptor proteins. Cultured luteal cells showed distinct immunoreactivity against both anti-GnRH and anti-GnRH receptor antibodies. In addition, the presence of GnRH receptor protein in cultured cells was confirmed by Western blot analysis. To investigate the effect of GnRH on the apoptosis of luteal cells, luteal cells were cultured in the presence of 10$^{-6}$ M GnRH-agonist(GnRH-Ag) for 3, 8, and 12h. TUNEL assay showed that the number of cells undergoing apoptosis increased 12h after culture(P<0.05). DNA fragmentation analysis confirmed the results such that the cells treated for 12h showed the greatest increase of fragmentation(p<0.05). Further, Western blot analysis of cytochrome c in the mitochondrial and cytoplasmic fractions of the luteal cells showed that GnRH-Ag treatment increased the content of cytochrome c in cytoplasm. These results demonstrate that the luteal cells express GnRH and its receptor and GnRH-Ag treatment induces apoptosis of the luteal cells via mitochondrial release of cytochrome c. The present study suggest that the releasing of cytochrome c from mitochondria might be involved in the luteal cell apoptosis induced by GnRH-Ag.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.1071-1086
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• 2003

Reproductive biotechnologies continue to be developed for genetic improvement of both river and swamp buffalo. Although artificial insemination using frozen semen emerged some decades back, there are still considerable limitations. The major problem appears to be the lack of efficient methods for estrus detection and timely insemination. Controlled breeding experiments in the buffalo had been limited and similar to those applied in cattle. Studies on multiple ovulation and embryo transfer are essentially a replica of those in cattle, however with inherent problems such as lower number of primordial follicles on the buffalo ovary, poor fertility and seasonality of reproduction, lower population of antral follicles at all stages of the estrous cycle, poor endocrine status and a high incidence of deep atresia in ovarian follicles, the response in terms of transferable embryo recovery has remained low with 0.51 to 3.0 per donor and pregnancy rates between 15 to 30%. In vitro production of buffalo embryos is a valid alternative to recovery of embryos by superovulation. This aspect received considerable attention during the past decade, however the proportion of embryos that develops to the blastocyst stage is still around 25-30% and hence the in vitro culture procedures need substantial improvement. Embryo cryopreservation procedures for direct transfer post thaw need to be developed for bubaline embryos. Nuclear transfer and embryo cloning is a technique that has received attention in various species during recent years and can be of immense value in buffaloes as they have a low rate of embryo recoveries by both in vitro and in vivo procedures. Gender pre-selection, genome analysis, gene mapping and gene transfer are a few of the techniques that have been studied to a limited extent during recent years and are likely to be included in future studies on buffaloes. Very recently, reproductive biotechnologies have been applied to feral buffaloes as well, but the results obtained so far are modest. When fully exploited they can play an important role in the preservation of endangered species.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.55-62
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• 1992

Bovine oocytes obtained from ovarian(2 to 5mm in diameter) of slaughtered cows were cultured in TCM 199 with 10~20% estrous-cow-serum(ECS) for 24~25hr at 39$^{\circ}C$ in 5% CO2-95% air. After culture, some oocytes were examined their maturation. The remainder were used to assess the fertilizability with frozen-thawed spermatozoa in a medium containing caffeine and heparin, and subsequent development in media with bovien cumulus cells(BCC) or bovine oviduct epithelial cells(BOEC). The results obtained were summarized as follows ; 1. The maturation rate of the oocytes in TCM199 with 15% ECS group(76.5%) was higher than that of 10% ECS(69.2%) or 20% ECS group(64.8%). 2. The proportions of the oocytes penetrated and the pronuclear oocytes in the presence of caffeine and heparin were 72.1%(62/86) and 93.5%(58/62), respectively. The rate of polyspermy in the fertilized oocytes was 8.1%. 3. When 73 oocytes recovered from fertilization drop were cultured in TC-199 medium with 10% fetal calf serum(FCS), 41 oocytes(56%) cleaved to 2-cell and further stages of embryos. Among these only one embryo developed upto morula stage. 4. The rate of the cleaved oocytes was higher in medium with BCC(80%:59/74) than BOEC(76%:58/76). However, the rate of developed morulae and blastocysts was higher in the medium with BOEC(40%;23/58) than with BCC(34;20/59).