• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제5권2호
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• pp.101-106
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• 2001

Insulin과 tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-$\alpha$)에 의한 초기 배아 발생의 조절기작을 알아보고자 생쥐의 상실배를 대상으로 이들이 첨가된 배양액에서 형태발생, 세포증식을 조사하고, 포배에서 mitogen activated protein kinase(MAPK, ERK1/2)의 활성 변화에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. Insulin은 상실배의 체외발생 및 포배내 할구 수를 대조군에 비해 유의하게 증가시켰으며, TNF-$\alpha$는 발생율을 유의하게 감소시켰다. Insulin은 TNF- $\alpha$에 의한 배아 발생율 감소를 완화하였다. TNF-$\alpha$는 농도에 의존적으로 MAPK 활성을 감소시켰으며, insulin은 포배에서 MAPK의 활성을 유의하게 증가시킨 반면 TNF-$\alpha$는 처리농도에 의존적으로 MAPK 활성을 감소시켰다. 50 ng/ml 농도의 TNF-$\alpha$를 전처리한 포배에서는 insulin에 의한 MAPK 활성의 증가가 저해되었다. 이러한 결과로부터 생쥐의 착상전 초기 배아 발생조절에 insulin과 TNF-$\alpha$ 사이에 MAPK를 경유하는 cross talk이 존재함을 확인하였고 insulin은 TNF-$\alpha$ 에 의한 배아의 손상을 억제하는 것으로 사료된다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제51권1호
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• pp.75-84
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• 2024

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) on clinical outcomes among high-risk patients. Methods: This retrospective study involved 1,368 patients and the same number of cycles, including 520 cycles with PGT-A and 848 cycles without PGT-A. The study participants comprised women of advanced maternal age (AMA) and those affected by recurrent implantation failure (RIF), recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), or severe male factor infertility (SMF). Results: PGT-A was associated with significant improvements in the implantation rate (IR) and the ongoing pregnancy rate/live birth rate (OPR/LBR) per embryo transfer cycle in the AMA (39.3% vs. 16.2% [p<0.001] and 42.0% vs. 21.8% [p<0.001], respectively), RIF (41.7% vs. 22.0% [p<0.001] and 47.0% vs. 28.6% [p<0.001], respectively), and RPL (45.6% vs. 19.5% [p<0.001] and 49.1% vs. 24.2% [p<0.001], respectively) groups, as well as the IR in the SMF group (43.3% vs. 26.5%, p=0.011). Additionally, PGT-A was associated with lower overall incidence rates of early pregnancy loss in the AMA (16.7% vs. 34.3%, p=0.001) and RPL (16.7% vs. 50.0%, p<0.001) groups. However, the OPR/LBR per total cycle across all PGT-A groups did not significantly exceed that for the non-PGT-A groups. Conclusion: PGT-A demonstrated beneficial effects in high-risk patients. However, our findings indicate that these benefits are more pronounced in carefully selected candidates than in the entire high-risk patient population.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.105-113
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• 2006

세포의 대사과정에서 생성되는 활성산소종(reactive oxygen species : ROS)은 세포의 성숙과 발생 과정을 저해하며, 인간의 생식 수관에서 불임의 원인이 된다. 많은 세포생물학적 연구를 통해 ROS에 대한 세포 내의 보호 기작이 밝혀지고 있다. Activating transcription factor 4(ATF4)는 세포 내에서 산화적 스트레스를 비롯한 여러 스트레스 요인으로부터 세포를 보호하는 기작에 관여하는 중요한 인자로서, 스트레스에 의한 세포 사멸을 유도하는 유전자의 활성화와 관련이 있다고 알려져 있다. 본 연구에서는 착상 전 초기 배아의 발생 단계에서 ROS에 의한 산화적 스트레스가 배아의 발생에 영향을 준다는 보고와 관련하여 생쥐 초기배아에 산화적 스트레스 요인인 $H_2O_2$(hydrogen peroxide)를 처리한 후 ATF4 유전자의 발현 변화를 추적하였으며, ROS 방어에 관여하는 SOD1 유전자와 apoptosis 유전자인 Bax의 발현 양상을 함께 비교하였다. 또한 면역형광염색법을 이용하여 착상전 초기배아의 ATF4 단백질 발현 부위를 조사하였다. $H_2O_2$를 0.1 mM 농도로 처리한 2-세포기 배아에서는 처리 8시간 후인 4-세포기 단계부터 발생율이 감소하기 시작하였으며, 0.5 mM과 1.0 mM 농도에서는 배아의 발생이 진행되지 않았다. RT-PCR결과 SOD1 유전자의 발현은 $H_2O_2$를 처리한 모든 그룹에서 처리 1시간째인 2-세포기 배아단계에서 대조군보다 증가하였으며, ATF4 유전자 역시 2-세포기 배아단계에서 발현이 증가하였다. Bax 유전자도 통일한 시기에 발현이 증가하였다. ATF4 단백질의 배아 세포 내 발현부위는 스트레스 방어 기작이 주로 일어나는 세포질에서 많이 발현이 되었으며 포배기 배아에서는 내세포괴(inner cell mass)부위 보다는 영양외배엽(trophectoderm)에서 발현됨을 확인하였다. 2-세포기 배아에서 ATF4 immunoreactivity는 모든 $H_2O_2$농도 처리군에서 대조군보다 증가하였다. 이상의 결과에서, 착상 전 초기 배아에서 ROS에 의해 ATF4 발현이 유도됨을 확인하였다. 따라서 산화적 스트레스에 대해 배아를 보호하기 위한 방어 기작에 ATF4가 관여하는 것으로 사료되며, 세포 사멸 유전자의 발현과도 밀접한 관련이 있는 것으로 사료된다.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.287-294
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• 2011

Autophagy is a process of intracellular bulk protein degradation, in which the accumulated proteins and cytoplasmic organelles are degraded. It plays important roles in cellular homeostasis, apoptosis, and development, but its role during early embryo development remains contentious. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effects of 3-methyladenine (3-MA) on early embryonic development in pigs, we also investigated several indicators of developmental potential, including mitochondrial distribution, genes expressions (autophagy-, apoptosis- related genes), apoptosis and ER-stress, which are affected by 3-MA. After in vitro maturation and fertilization, presumptive pig embryos were cultured in PZM-3 medium supplemented with 3-MA for 2 days at $39^{\circ}C$ 5% $CO_2$ in air. Developmental competence to the blastocyst stage in the presence of 3-MA was gradually decreased according to increasing concentration. Thus, all further experiments were performed using 2 mM 3-MA. Blastocysts that developed in the 3-MA treated group decreased LC3-II intensity and expressions of autophagy related genes than those of the untreated control, resulting in down-regulates the autophagy. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) showed that the number of containing fragmented DNA at the blastocyst stage increased in the 3-MA treated group compared with control ($6.0{\pm}1.0$ vs $3.3{\pm}0.6$, p<0.05). Also, the expression of the pro-apoptotic gene Bax increased in 3-MA treated group, whereas expression of the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-XL decreased. Mito Tracker Green FM staining showed that blastocysts derived from the 3-MA treated group had lower mitochondrial integrity than that of the untreated control, resulting in decrease the embryonic qualities of preimplantation porcine blastocysts. Then, the expression of the spliced form of pXBP-1 product (pXBP-1s) increased in 3-MA treated group, resulting increase of ER-stress. Taken together, these results indicate that inhibition of autophagy by 3-MA is closely associated with apoptosis and ER-stress during preimplantation periods of porcine embryos.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.141-147
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was attempted to new methods in mammalian embryos vitrification. This method was affected to increase of the embryo vitrification efficiency and it would be applied to the field of embryo transfer to recipient by modified loading method of embryo into 0.25 ml plastic straw. The frozen mouse embryos were carried out warmed from two different cell stages (8-cell and blastocyst, respectively) by attachment of an embryo in the vitrification straw (aV) method. All groups were cultured in M-16 medium to determine the development and survivability for 24 h, respectively. Results shown that, the survivability of two different groups were significantly different (94.8% vs. 70.9%). Total cell number was not significantly different the non-frozen blastocyst ($99.7{\pm}12.4$) compared to the post-thaw blastocyst ($94.8{\pm}15.1$). From the 8-cell embryo, total cell number of frozen blastocysts were significantly lower than others groups ($74.7{\pm}14.6$, p<0.05). In the case of cell death analysis, the blastocysts from non-frozen and frozen-thawed 8-cell group were not different ($0.0{\pm}0.0$ vs. $1.9{\pm}3.1$, p>0.05). However, the apoptotic nuclei of blastocyst were significantly observed the frozen-thawed group ($5.4{\pm}4.4$) compared to non-frozen group (p<0.05). Therefore, this new method of embryos using in-straw dilution and direct transfer into other species would be more simple procedure of embryo transfer rather than step-wise dilution method and cryopreservation vessels, so we can be applied in animal as well as human embryo cryopreservation in further.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.53-60
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• 2015

Environmental conditions during early mammalian embryo development are critical and some adaptational phenomena are observed. However, the mechanisms underlying them remain largely masked. Previously, we reported that AQP5 expression is modified by the environmental condition without losing the developmental potency. In this study, AQP11 was examined instead. To compare expression pattern between in vivo and in vitro, we conducted quantitative RT-PCR and analyzed localization of the AQP11 by whole mount immunofluorescence. When the fertilized embryos were developed in the maternal tracts, the level of Aqp11 transcripts was decreased dramatically until 2-cell stage. Its level increased after 2-cell stage and peaked at 4-cell stage, but decreased again dramatically until morula stage. Its transcript level increased again at blastocyst stage. In contrast, the levels of Aqp11 transcript in embryos cultured in vitro were as follows. The patterns of expression were similar but the overall levels were low compared with those of embryos grown in the maternal tracts. AQP11 proteins were localized in submembrane cytoplasm of embryos collected from maternal reproductive tracts. The immune-reactive signals were detected in both trophectoderm and inner cell mass. However, its localization was altered in in vitro culture condition. It was localized mainly in the plasma membrane of the blastocysts contacting with external environment. The present study suggests that early stage embryo can develop successfully by themselves adapting to their environmental condition through modulation of the expression level and localization of specific genes like AQP11.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제23권9호
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• pp.1152-1158
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• 2010

In differentiating human embryonic stem (d-hES) cells there are a number of types of cells which may secrete various nutrients and helpful materials for pre-implantation embryonic development. This study examined whether the d-hES could function as a feeder cell in vitro to support mouse embryonic development. By RT-PCR analysis, the d-hES cells revealed high expression of three germ-layered differentiation markers while having markedly reduced expression of stem cell markers. Also, in d-hES cells, LIF expression in embryo implantation-related material was confirmed at a similar level to undifferentiated ES cells. When mouse 2PN embryos were cultured in control M16 medium, co-culture control CR1aa medium or co-cultured with d-hES cells, their blastocyst development rate at embryonic day 4 (83.9%) were significantly better in the d-hES cell group than in the CR1aa group (66.0%), while not better than in the M16 group (90.7%)(p<0.05). However, at embryonic days 5 and 6, embryo hatching and hatched-out rates of the dhES cell group (53.6 and 48.2%, respectively) were superior to those of the M16 group (40.7 and 40.7%, respectively). At embryonic day 4, blastocysts of the d-hES cell group were transferred into pseudo-pregnant recipients, and pregnancy rate (75.0%) was very high compared to the other groups (M16, 57.1%; CR1aa, 37.5%). In addition, embryo implantation (55.9%) and live fetus rate (38.2%) of the d-hES cell group were also better than those of the other groups (M16, 36.7 and 18.3%, respectively; CR1aa, 23.2 and 8.7%, respectively). These results demonstrated that d-hES cells can be used as a feeder cell for enhancing in vitro and in vivo developmental potential of mouse pre-implantation embryos.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.167-178
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• 2002

Objective : The present study was performed to investigate whether apoptosis occur in human embryos by annexin staining and detect the expression of Fas, Fas-ligand (FasL), Bax, and Bcl-2 in human fragmented embryos derived from IVF-ET by immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis. Materials and Methods: Using annexin staining, immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis on normal and fragmented embryos, we were able to detect apoptotsis and apoptotic gene products in fragmented embryos. Result: Phosphatidylserine (PS) translocation, the marker for apoptosis, were detected frequently in fragmented embryos. Bcl-2 and Bax protein were detected in both fragmented and non-fragmented embryos. When fragmented embryos compared to normal embryos, immunofluorescent intensity of Bcl-2 tended to be lower in fragmented embryos. Bax gene expression increased in the fragmented embryos compared to the normal embryos. This result supports a model in which the molar ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax determines whether apoptosis induced or inhibited in human embryo. Fas was highly expressed in human preimplantation embryos but not FasL. It suggests that embryo may undergo apoptosis by binding with FasL produced by follicular or immune cells. Conclusion: The over expression of Bax and Fas will trigger apoptosis to lead embryo fragmentation and change embryo to be nonviable.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.89-96
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• 1998

Anti-phospholipid antihodies (aPL) have important roles in various pregnancy complications such as recurrent miscarrige, growth retardation, placental abruption and stillbirth. However, their biological actions on preimplantation development of oocytes are still unclear. In this study, we investigated whether either aPL containing sera or phospholipids could affect in vitro fertilization and development of mouse oocytes. Sera used in this study were collected from three patients and the presence of aPL in the sera was confirmed by enzymatic-linked immunosorbent assay. When mouse oocytes were cultured in a serum-free, Chatot, Ziomek and Bavister (CZB) medium (Experiment 1), addition of aPL-containing sera (10%) to CZB medium did not. significantly (P>0.05) influence sperm penetration of oocytes. However, development to the blastocyst stage was significantly (P<0.05) inhibited by serum addition, and formation of morulae (16-23% vs. 58%) and blastocysts (0-4% vs. 21%) was markedly reduced compared with no addition (Experiment 2). In Experiment 3, pronuclear stage embryos were cultured for 96 h in GZB medium supplemented with 1 $\mu$g /ml phosphatidyl ethanolamine, 1 $\mu$g/ml phosphatidyl inositol or 1 $\mu$g /ml phosphatidyl choline. No increase in embryo development was found after addition of the phospholipids to CZB medium. These results suggest that 1) aPL have an inhibitory role in preimplantation development of mouse embryos, and that 2) the action of aPL may be related to a specific phospholid (s) rather than the tested phospholipids in the present study.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.13-20
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• 1997

본 연구는 EGF가 체외수정된 생쥐배의 착상전 발달 및 inner cell mass (ICM) 과 trophectoderm (TE) 세포수에 미치는 영향을 조사하고, 그와 더불어 간접 면역형광방법을 이용하여 배 발달 단계에 따른 EGF-receptor (EGF-R) 단백의 발현유무를 조사하기 위해 실시하였다. 그 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 2-세포기 배의 group (5/25 ${\mu}l$)배양은 단독 배양보다 양호한 배 발달을 유도 할 수 있었으며, 단독 배양에서의 저조한 배 발달은 EGF를 첨가함으로서 개선시킬 수 있었다. 특히, 10 ng/ml의 EGF가 첨가된 단독배양군 (62.4%)은 단독대조군 (47.9%)에 비하여 유의하게 높은 배 발달을 나타냈다. 또한, ICM과 TE세포수 공히 EGF첨가에 의해 증가되는 것을 differential labelling기법으로 확인 할 수 있었다. 발달단계에 미치는 EGF의 효과를 검토하였던 바 4-세포기 이후의 배 발달에 유의하게 영향을 미치는 것을 알 수 있었고, 특히 배반포기배의 ICM도 동시에 증가되는 것을 알 수 있었다. 한편, 간접면역형광에 의한 EGF-R의 발현유무를 조사한 결과, 4-세포기 이후에 EGF-R가 발현되는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 따라서, EGF는 착상전 생쥐배의 4-세포기 이후에 발현되는 EGF-R에 반응하여 배 발달을 유기하며, 또한 배반포기배의 ICM과 TE세포수의 증가에 영향을 미치는 것을 알 수 있었다.