• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.255-263
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• 2009

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the diagnostic performance of transabdominal ultrasound by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, in order to evaluate the usefulness in establishing the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods: Questionnaires were given to 8,793 reproductive women reviewed at Ewha Womans University Mokdong hospital. Ultrasound examinations were performed in 701 women with a transabdominal transducer. Transabdominal ultrasounds were performed in 185 normal control women (normal menstruation without hyperandrogenism or PCO morphology) and 248 PCOS patients according to National Institutes of Health (NIH) PCOS diagnosis criteria. ROC curves were calculated for ovarian volume and follicle number. Results: In normal control group, the mean age were $23.64{\pm}4.26$ years old and the mean ovarian volume and follicle number were $6.03{\pm}1.89\;cm^3$ and $6.49{\pm}1.93$, respectively. The ovarian volume showed an area under the ROC curve (AURC) of 0.761. A ovarian volume decision threshold >$9\;cm^3$ had a sensitivity of 51.0% and a specificity of 91.4% for the diagnosis of PCOS. The follicle number showed an AURC of 0.733. A follicle number decision threshold ${\geq}9$ had a sensitivity of 54.9% and a specificity of 87.0% for the diagnosis of PCOS. A follicle number decision threshold ${\geq}10$ had a sensitivity of 53.2% and a specificity of 90.4%. A follicle number and a ovarian volume did not have a high diagnostic power for screening for PCOS. Conclusion: Our results suggest that transabdominal ultrasound assessment is not effective for the detection of PCOS in young women of reproductive age.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.207-212
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• 2020

Objective: Glutamate ionotropic receptor AMPA type subunit 1 (GRIA1) is a subunit of a ligand-gated ion channel that regulates the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) by controlling the release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone. Few studies have investigated the association between the GRIA1 gene and human infertility. This study evaluated the association of the GRIA1 rs548294 C > T and rs2195450 G > A polymorphisms with the ovarian response to human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) in Iranian women. Methods: One hundred women with histories of at least 1 year of infertility were included. On the second day of menstruation, patients were injected with HMG; on the third day, blood samples were collected. After hormonal analysis, the GRIA1 rs548294 C > T and rs2195450 G > A genotypes of samples were identified via the restriction fragment length polymorphism method, and on day 9, the number of follicles was assessed via ultrasound. Results: For the GRIA1 rs548294 C > T and rs2195450 G > A single nucleotide polymorphisms, the subjects with CT and GG genotypes, respectively, displayed the highest mean FSH level, LH level, and number of follicles on day 9 of the menstrual cycle (p< 0.05). Significant positive correlations were observed between LH and FSH (p< 0.01), LH and follicle count (p< 0.01), FSH and age (p< 0.05), follicle count and age (p= 0.048), and FSH and follicle count (p< 0.01). Conclusion: This study showed a significant relationship between GRIA1 polymorphisms and ovarian response to the induction of ovulation. Therefore, determining patients' GRIA1 genotype may be useful for improving treatment and prescribing suitable doses of ovulation-stimulating drugs.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 1990

Follicular atresia is a universal and characteristic phenomenon of both non-mammalian and mammalian vertebrates. Generally it is estimated that greater than 99% of follicles become atretic in higher domestic animals and human. The number of selected follicles developing to the preovulatory stage are thus fewer. Follicles can become atretic at any stage of development. The previous studies emphasized on descriptive and retrospect aspects of a limited population of the fully grown preovulatory follicle. The main efforts in ovarian physilogical researches are focused on follicular development culminating in ovulation but recent advances have resulted in a better understanding of atresia. Nowadays, recent studies are concentrated on the induction of atresia in a selected population of follicles and of the associated cellular, endocrine, biochemical and molecular changes. The factors initiating atresia and follicle selections are worthy of investigations. Another intriguing question is whether one can predict when a follicle will become atretic, i.e., what biochemical markers indicate that a follicle is destined for atresia. It is generally agreed that atretic process may vary even in antral follicles at different stages of their differentiations and among species. The dicisive factors are follicular responsiveness and the hormonal milieu. Some generalizations can be made on the basis of experimental induction of atresia. Alteration of the pattern of follicular steroid production is associated with the initiation stage of atretic process. Atresia appears to be a process unfolding gradually and affecting progressively in increasing number of functions and components of the follicle. The oocyte may be the latest to be afflicted in the atretic process. The high steroidogenic activity of atretic follicles lends support to the notion that atresia is not necessarily a degenerative process and that atretic follicles may play an essential role in ovarian physiology. The simultaneous occurence of growth and atretic processes may render the search for regulatory mechanisms involved in atresia difficult extremely. The questions such as how follicles are selected to undergo ovulation rather than atresia or what the mechanism of atresia is remain unanswered. However, the factors regulating or modifying ovarian hormonal milieu for the initiation of follicular growth and maturation or of atresia are being elucidated.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.419-424
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• 2015

In order to determine the ovarian cycle of Asian Toad, Bufo gargarizans, the developmental stage based on the gonadosomatic index (GSI), size of follicle oocytes in ovary and vitellogenesis for adult females were investigated all around the year. The weight of ovary and GSI were the lowest from April, and all follicle oocytes exist in the pre-vitellogenic form, indicating that the vitellogenesis was suspended. The follicle oocytes in early-vitellogenic stage appeared in ovary during may when the weight of ovary and GSI start to increased, and the follicle oocytes in mid-vitellogenic and pre-vitellogenic stages existed during June and the weight of ovary and GSI also increased. This indicates that vitellogenesis has been carried out actively during this period. The follicle oocytes in mid-vitellogenic stage and late-vitellogenic stage when the vitellogenesis was also completed existed on September. Post-vitellogenic follicle oocytes after vitellogenesis started to appear from October and rapidly increased from December in hibernation. The full grown follicle oocytes existed during February, indicating the ovarian cycle that all follicle oocytes in ovary are developed separately, not synchronized, during the growing period of follicle oocytes and the post-vitellogenic follicle oocytes are maintained the ovulation period.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.287-292
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• 2014

In order to determine the ovarian cycle of Korean brown frog, Rana coreana, the developmental stage based on the gonadosomatic index (GSI), size of follicle oocytes in ovary and vitellogenesis for adult females were investigated all around the year. The weight of ovary and GSI were the lowest from March to May, and all follicle oocytes existed in the pre-vitellogenic form, indicating that the vitellogenesis was suspended. The follicle oocytes in early-vitellogenic stage appeared in ovary during June when the weight of ovary and GSI started to increase, and the follicle oocytes in mid-vitellogenic and pre-vitellogenic stages existed during August and the weight of ovary and GSI also increased. This indicates that vitellogenesis has been carried out actively during this period. The follicle oocytes in mid-vitellogenic stage and late-vitellogenic stage when the vitellogenesis was also completed existed between September and November. Post-vitellogenic follicle oocytes after vitellogenesis started to appear from December in hibernation, and the full grown follicle oocytes existed during February, indicating the ovarian cycle that all follicle oocytes in ovary are developed separately, not synchronized, during the growing period of follicle oocytes and the post-vitellogenic follicle oocytes are maintained the ovulation period.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.255-260
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• 2001

In mammals, most of the follicles can not be ovulated, and instead, are degenerated throughout the entire reproductive period. However, the precise mechanism of follicle atresia is unknown. Three weeks old female mice (ICR strain) were ${\gamma}$-irradiated with a dose of LD$^{50}$ . Before irradiation (day 0) and at day 1, 2, and 3 after irradiation, the normal and atretic preantral and antral follicles of the left ovaries were morphologically observed. Atretic follicles at 2 days after irradiation had numerous cell debris, apoptotic cells and bodies, and polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the antral cavity. In severely atretic follicles, numerous polymorphonuclear leukocytes infiltrated into the follicle. The frequencies of atretic antral (58.0 $\pm$8.6) and preantral follicles (27.3$\pm$11.2) induced by ${\gamma}$-radiation increased to 94.0$\pm$3.4 and 86.9$\pm$7.6, respectively at 2 days after irradiation (p<0.05). The number of follicles with one or more neutrophils in the largest cross sections at 2 and 3 days after irradiation significantly increased (p<0.05). It can be concluded that ${\gamma}$-radiation triggers the recruitment of neutrophils into the follicles during degeneration. The ovarian follicles can make a role of informative biological end-point useful for disaster-prevention.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.106-112
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• 2022

Cryopreservation of porcine ovarian tissue by vitrification method is a promising approach to preserve genetic materials for future use. However, information is not enough and technology still remains in a challenge stage in pig. Therefore, the objective of present study was to determine possibility of vitrification method to cryopreserve porcine ovarian tissue and to confirm an occurrence of cryoinjuries. Briefly, cryoinjuries and apoptosis patterns in vitrified-warmed ovarian tissue were examined by histological evaluation and TUNEL assay respectively. In results, a damaged morphology of oocytes was detected among groups and the rate was significantly (p < 0.05) lower in vitrification group (25.8%) than freezing control group (67.7%), while fresh control group (6.6%) showed significantly (p < 0.05) lower than both groups. In addition, cryoinjury that form a wave pattern of tissues around follicles was found in the frozen control group, but not in the fresh control group as well as in the vitrification group. Apoptotic cells in follicle was observed only in freezing control group while no apoptotic cell was found in both fresh control and vitrification. Similarly, apoptotic patterns of tissues not in follicle were comparable between fresh control and vitrification groups while freezing control group showed increased tendency. Conclusively, it was confirmed that vitrification method has a prevention effect against cryoinjury and this method could be an alternative approach for cryopreservation of genetic material in pigs. Further study is needed to examine the viability of oocytes derived from vitrified-warmed ovarian tissue.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.297-304
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• 2018

The purpose of the present study was to determine the elaborate characteristics of ovarian changes including follicles and corpus luteum, and hormonal patterns of gonadotropin surge mode secretions during the normal consecutive estrous cycle in three dairy cows. Non-lactating and multiparous Holstein cows (n=3) used as experimental animals. The cows were assigned to examine the relationship among ovarian changes (follicle, corpus luteum), ovarian steroids (estradiol, progesterone) and gonadotropin (LH, FSH) surge mode secretion during the successive estrous cycles by rectal palpation, ultrasonography and hormonal assay. The mean length of the estrous cycle for the three cows was $23.1{\pm}1.44days$ (${\pm}SEM$), with a range of 20-28 days. In six estrous cycles, the number of two follicular waves, three follicular waves and four follicular waves was 2, 3 and 1, respectively. The sequential ultrasonographic monitoring showed that the corpus luteum with ${\geq}10mm$ in diameter detected from Day 2 (Day 0 is ovulation) in six estrous cycles of all cows. Preovulatory increases in estradiol concentration reached $10.36{\pm}1.10pg/ml$ on the 2 days before ovulation of the last dominant follicle. All cows exhibited a preovulatory rise in estradiol concentration followed by a typical preovulatory LH and FSH surge. The mean interval from the peak of LH/FSH surge to ovulation of the last dominant follicle was $31.3{\pm}1.76h$ (${\pm}SEM$). In these results, each dairy cow showed that ovarian morphological changes and gonadotropin surge mode secretion will be regulated by various environmental factors including age, breeds, nutrition, breeding conditions, etc.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.183-188
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the appropriateness of various follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) starting doses in expected normal responders based on the nomogram developed by La Marca et al. Methods: A total of 117 first in vitro fertilization cycles performed from 2011 to 2017 were selected. All women were expected normal responders and used a recombinant FSH and flexible gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist protocol. The FSH starting dose was empirically determined (150, 225, or 300 IU). The FSH starting dose indicated by La Marca's nomogram was determined using female age and serum $anti-M{\ddot{u}}llerian$ hormone or basal FSH levels. If the administered dose was exactly the same as the proposed dose, the cycle was assigned to the concordant group (34 cycles). If not, it was assigned to the discordant group (83 cycles). Optimal ovarian response was defined as a total of 8-14 oocytes, hypo-response as < 8 oocytes, and hyper-response as > 14 oocytes. Results: Between the concordant and discordant group, ovarian response (optimal, 32.4% vs. 27.7%; hypo-response, 55.9% vs. 54.2%; and hyper-response, 11.8% vs. 18.1%) and the number of total or mature oocytes were similar. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome was rare in both groups (0% vs. 1.2%). The implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate, and live birth rate were all similar. Conclusion: The use of the proposed FSH starting dose determined using La Marca's nomogram did not enhance the optimal ovarian response rate or pregnancy rate in expected normal responders. Individualization of the FSH starting dose by La Marca's nomogram appears to have no distinct advantages over empiric choice of the dose in expected normal responders.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.263-271
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• 1998

Oocyte maturation of the swordtail (Kiphophorus hellerii) was investigated by light and electron microscopy. In the ovary of the swordtail, various staged oocytes were observed, Mature oocytes were located in ovarian cortex, meanwhile immature ones were positioned in ovarian medulla. The oocyte was surrounded by several structures or cells such as chorion, follicle cells, follicular theaca and ovarian epithelium, respectively, from the inside toward outside. Growing and maturing oocytes healed numerous microvilli which interconnected the oocyte and the follicle cells to communicate each other. The mature oocyte had the electron dense chorion which appeared to be ultrastructure of two layers and contained pore canals. Oocyte maturation was characterized by not only the enlarged cell size and well differentiated cell organelles, brit also the increases of fat droplets, pinocytotic vesicles and yolk granules.