• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.2-11
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• 2020

Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) merely depend on improving the oocyte maturation and their developmental competence to produce good quality embryos. Oocyte maturation passes through long and complex molecular steps starts from the early embryonic life and ends with sperm fertilization. Oocyte developmental competence can be attained by improving the nuclear and cytoplasmic mechanisms together with some epigenetic maturation. In this review, we highlight the cornerstones of oocyte maturation on both nuclear and cytoplasmic levels. Interfering or supporting these molecular mechanisms would help in the development of novel regulating agents for reproductive performance of humans and livestock species.

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.02a
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• pp.229-234
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• 2000

Transgenic animal technology has provided new opportunities in many aspects of biotechnology and medicine during two decades. Several gene delivery systems including pronuclear injection, retroviral vectors, sperm vectors, and somatic cell cloning have been tried to generate new functional animals. In the future somatic cell cloning technology will be a major method in the transgenic animal production. Many factors enhancing overall transgenic efficiency should be overcome to facilitate the industrial applications of transgenic technology. Transgenic animal technology has settled down in some areas of the medicine, especially the mass production of pharmaceutical proteins and xenotransplantation. Thus, animal biotechnology will contribute to welfare of human being.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.207-213
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• 2013

This study was performed to investigate the effect of peroxisome proliferators activated receptor-${\gamma}$ (PPAR-${\gamma}$) ligand, pioglitazone, on production of regulated upon activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome in infertile patients with endometriosis. Sixty-four infertile patients with stage III or IV endometriosis undergoing IVF were randomly allocated to the study or the control group. The long protocol of GnRH agonist (GnRH-a) was used for controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) in all patients. Patients in the study group were treated with pioglitazone at a dose of 15 mg/day orally from the starting day of GnRH-a treatment to the day of hCG injection. Blood samples were drawn for serologic assay of RANTES on the first day of GnRH-a treatment and the day of hCG injection. There were no differences between the study and control groups in patient characteristics. There were also no differences between the two groups in COS duration, and the numbers of retrieved oocytes, fertilized oocytes and embryos transferred. The clinical pregnancy rate per cycle was higher in the study group, but this difference was not statistically significant. However, embryo implantation rate was significantly higher in the study group of 12.5% compared with 8.6% in the control group (P<0.05). The serum RANTES levels after pioglitazone treatment were significantly lower than those before pioglitazone treatmen in the study group (P<0.05). Our data suggest that pioglitazone treatment can suppress RANTES production and improve the embryo implantation rate in patients with endometriosis undergoing IVF.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.65-75
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• 1995

This experiment was carried out to the effects of population density and C/N ratios of feed on the growth, reproductive effciency and cast producation of the earthworm(Eisenia foetida). The population densities of 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 individuals of the earthworm fed with different C/N ratios of 25, 35, 45 and 55 cow manures were studied in rearing box($6,400cm^3$), and at the fertility stage during a period of 60 days. The results were summarized as follows; The survial rate(SR), increasing rate(IR), reproductive efficiency(RE) and cast production of the earthworms showed highest values in C/N ratio of 25. These results may indicate that C/N ratio of 25 is a very favourable feed for the growth of the earthworms. The survial rate(SR) indicated significant positive correlation with reproductive efficiency(RE) in different C/N ratios of feeds. The survial rate(SR) showed highest values in population densities of $50{\sim}100$ worms/$6,400cm^3(64.0{\sim}128.0cm^3/worm$). On the contrary, increasing rate(IR) tended to decreased with the increased population densities. The survival rate(SR) indicated significant negative correlation with reproductive efficiency(RE) in different population densities of the earthworms. The cast production estimated were $31.6mg{\sim}67.4mg/day/worm$ grown in optimum population densities($50{\sim}100\;worms/6,400cm^3$). The earthworm casting are an excellent soil conditioning material or organic fertilizer sources with a high chemical composition and their physical properties.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.154-162
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• 2018

Objective: The fallopian tubes play a critical role in the early events of fertilization. The rapid innate immune defense is an important part of the fallopian tubes. Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), as a part of the innate immune system, plays an important role in detecting viral infections. In this basic and experimental study, the effect of sex hormones on the function of TLR3 in the OE-E6/E7 cell line was investigated. Methods: The functionality of TLR3 in this cell line was evaluated by cytokine measurements (interleukin [IL]-6 and IL-1b) and the effects of sex hormones on TLR3 were tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Additionally, TLR3 small interfering RNA (siRNA) and a TLR3 function-blocking antibody were used to confirm our findings. Results: The production of IL-6 significantly increased in the presence of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) as the TLR3 ligand. Using a TLR3-siRNA-ransfected OE-E6/E7 cell line and function-blocking antibody confirmed that cytokine production was due to TLR3. In addition, 17-${\beta}$ estradiol and progesterone suppressed the production of IL-6 in the presence and absence of poly(I:C). Conclusion: These results imply that sex hormones exerted a suppressive effect on the function of TLR3 in the fallopian tube cell line when different concentrations of sex hormones were present. The current results also suggest that estrogen receptor beta and nuclear progesterone receptor B are likely to mediate the hormonal regulation of TLR3, as these two receptors are the main estrogen and progesterone receptors in OEE6/E7 cell line.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.219-222
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• 2001

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.223-226
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• 2001

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.153-158
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• 2004

Data containing 14,188 lactation and reproductive records of Korean Holstein cows at first parity distributed across 3,734 herd-year-season groups were analyzed to get genetic (co)variance estimates for milk yield, fat yield, calving ease, and days open. Milk and Fat yields were adjusted to 305 d. Heritabilities and genetic correlations were estimated in two different animal models on which were included direct genetic effects (Model 1) and direct+maternal genetic effects (Model 2) using REML algorithms. Milk and fat yields were affected by age at first calving as linear and quadratic. Heritability estimates of direct effects were 0.25 for milk yield, 0.17 for fat yield, 0.03 for calving ease and 0.03 for days open in Model 2. These estimates for maternal effects were 0.05, 0.08, 0.04 and less than 0.01 for each corresponding trait. Milk productions at first lactation were to show genetically favorable correlation with calving ease and days open for direct genetic effects (-0.24 - -0.11). Moreover, calving ease was correlated with days open of 0.30 for direct genetic effects. Correlations between direct and maternal effects for each trait were negatively correlated (-0.63 - -0.32). This study suggested that maternal additive genetic variance would be not ignorable for genetic evaluation of milk production as well as reproductive traits such as calving ease and days open at first parity. Furthermore, difficult calving would genetically influence the next conception.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.110-116
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• 2022

Objective: Sperm vitrification leads to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can damage the functional parameters of sperm. The present study aimed to investigate the antioxidant effect of Nigella sativa extract on motility, plasma membrane function, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), DNA damage, and intracellular ROS production. Methods: A total of 20 sperm samples were used. Samples were divided into six experimental groups, including groups with aqueous extract from N. sativa seeds at concentrations of 1% to 6%, a cryopreserved control group, and a fresh control group. Results: Statistical analysis showed significantly higher total sperm motility at concentrations of 3% to 6% than in the vitrified semen control group. Additionally, progressive motility and all motion characteristics at all concentrations were significantly higher than in the vitrified semen control group. The presence of N. sativa seed extract also improved the quality of the sperm parameters assayed in all experimental groups (1%-6%; intracellular ROS production, DNA damage, MMP, and sperm membrane function) compared to the control group. Conclusion: Higher concentrations of N. sativa led to improvements in all sperm parameters and sperm quality. These findings indicate that N. sativa seed extract is effective for improving the quality of sperm after vitrification.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.235-251
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• 2012

The reproductive activity in male mammals is well known to be regulated by the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis. The hypothalamic neurons secreting gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) govern the reproductive neuroendocrine system by integrating all the exogenous information impinging on themselves. The GnRH synthesized and released from the hypothalamus arrives at the anterior pituitary through the portal vessels, provoking the production of the gonadotropins(follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH)) at the same time. The gonadotropins affect the gonads to promote spermatogenesis and to secret testosterone. Testosterone acts on the GnRH neurons by a feedback loop through the circulatory system, resulting in the balance of all the hormones by regulating reproductive activities. These hormones exert their effects by acting on their own receptors, which are included in the signal transduction pathways as well. Unexpected aberrants are arised during this course of action of each hormone. This review summarizes these abnormal phenomena, including various mutations of molecules and their actions related to the reproductive function.