• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.267-291
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• 2010

Life can be kept in suspended animation either before fertilization at oocyte stage or after fertilization at different stages of embryonic development for a variety of reasons. It not only has potential applications in fertility preservation and management in human but also has important roles in the preservation and management of animal genetic resources, low-cost international movement of selected genetics, and rapid dissemination of germplasm through assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and genetic engineering. Currently, slow-freezing and vitrification are the two approaches by which oocytes and embryos can be cryopreserved for long-term storage. Both of these methods have their own advantages and disadvantages but allow the cryopreservation of oocytes and embryos with comparable efficiency. Vitrification of oocyte and embryos, although proven successful just 13 years after slow-freezing, is generally considered an emerging technology and appears to slow gain acceptance in both animal and human ART despite having controversial storage and contamination issues. In this manuscript, we discuss the basic techniques of oocyt/embryo cryopreservation and review the current status and recent developments in vitrification.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.117-121
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• 1999

Although anejaculation is a relatively uncommon occurrence in the general population, over 12,000 new cases are reported annually. Anejaculation may result from spinal cord injury, retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, diabetes mellitus, transverse myelitis, multiple sclerosis, or psychogenic disorders. At least 30% of men with this problem are or will be married and many will seek help to remedy their infertile state. The evolution of technique and instrumentation over the last 30 years has made electroejaculation an accessible and acceptable form of therapy. Recent successes in inducing ejaculation by means of rectal probe electrostimulation or vibratory stimulation combined with assisted reproductive techniques, such as zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT), gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), and in vitro fertilization (IVF), have provided these men means of producing their own biologic offspring. We have experienced a successful pregnancy with electroejaculation and in vitro fertilization in a infertile patient whose husband had an ejaculatory disturbance due to a spinal cord injury. So we report this case with a brief review of literatures.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.148-152
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• 2011

Objective: Laser-assisted intracytoplasmic sperm injection (LA-ICSI), also known as micro-opening or thinning of the zona pellucida (ZP) prior to ICSI, may help to reduce mechanical damage to the oocyte during the procedure. The aim of the present study was to evaluate and analyze the efficacy of our institutional LA-ICSI program, which features laser-assisted ZP thinning prior to ICSI, in comparison with conventional ICSI (C-ICSI), performed on patients with different clinical characteristics. Methods: Patients undergoing a total of 212 ICSI cycles were randomly divided into an LA-ICSI group (106 cycles) and a conventional ICSI group (106 cycles). To reduce tissue damage, we thinned the ZP by approximately 70%, using a laser, before ICSI. Patients thus treated formed the LAICSI group. Comparisons included the morphological quality of transferred embryos, blastocyst development of the remaining embryos, and clinical pregnancy, in terms of ICSI method and patient characteristics. Results: Fertilization, development of remaining embryos, and pregnancy rate were significantly higher in the LA-ICSI group compared with the C-ICSI group. Fertilization, embryonic development, and the pregnancy rate were all improved in younger patients (<38 years of age) and in those who underwent a low number of IVF-ET attempts (<3 trials). In addition, the pregnancy rate was increased in older patients. Conclusion: LA-ICSI may be useful in improving the chance of pregnancy in all ICSI patients.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.76-86
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• 2019

Objective: This study was performed to explore the possibility that each oocyte and its surrounding cumulus cells might have different genetic expression patterns that could affect human reproduction. Methods: Differential gene expression analysis was performed for 10 clusters of cumulus cells obtained from 10 cumulus-oocyte complexes from 10 patients. Same procedures related to oocyte maturation, microinjection, and microarray analyses were performed for each group of cumulus cells. Two differential gene expression analyses were performed: one for the outcome of clinical pregnancy and one for the outcome of live birth. Results: Significant genes resulting from these analyses were selected and the top 20 affected pathways in each group were analyzed. Circadian entrainment is determined to be the most affected pathway for clinical pregnancy, and proteoglycans in cancer pathway is the most affected pathway for live birth. Circadian entrainment is also amongst the 12 pathways that are found to be in top 20 affected pathways for both outcomes, and has both lowest p-value and highest number of times found count. Conclusion: Although further confirmatory studies are necessary, findings of this study suggest that these pathways, especially circadian entrainment in cumulus cells, may be essential for embryo development and pregnancy.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.79.1-79.12
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• 2020

Background: Recently, the pork industry of Thailand faced an epidemic of highly virulent strains of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), which spread throughout Southeast Asia, including the Lao People's Democratic Republic and Cambodia. Hence, the rapid and on-site screening of infected pigs on a farm is essential. Objectives: To develop the new aptamer as a biosensor for detection PRRSV which are rapid and on-site screening of infected pig. Methods: New aptamers against PRSSV were identified using the combined techniques of capillary electrophoresis, colorimetric assay by gold nanoparticles, and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). Results: Thirty-six candidate aptamers of the PRRSV were identified from the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) by capillary electrophoresis. Only 8 out of 36 aptamers could bind to the PRSSV, as shown in a colorimetric assay. Of the 8 aptamers tested, only the 1F aptamer could bind specifically to the PRSSV when presented with the classical swine fever virus and a pseudo rabies virus. The QCM was used to confirm the specificity and sensitivity of the 1F aptamer with a detection limit of 1.87 × 10¹⁰ particles. Conclusions: SELEX screening of the aptamer equipped with capillary electrophoresis potentially revealed promising candidates for detecting the PRRSV. The 1F aptamer exhibited the highest specificity and selectivity against the PRRSV. These findings suggest that 1F is a promising aptamer for further developing a novel PRRSV rapid detection kit.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.270-276
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• 2023

Objective: This study investigated the clinical and laboratory factors associated with the presence of dysmorphic oocytes in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. Methods: The study involved 200 ICSI cycles, performed from 2020 to 2021, that yielded at least one mature oocyte. Clinical characteristics and ovarian stimulation methods were compared between 68 cycles with at least one dysmorphic oocyte (the dysmorphic group) and 132 cycles with normal-form oocytes only (the non-dysmorphic group). Dysmorphic oocytes were characterized by dark cytoplasm, cytoplasmic granularity, cytoplasmic vacuoles, refractile bodies in the cytoplasm, smooth endoplasmic reticulum in the cytoplasm, an oval shape, an abnormal zona pellucida, a large perivitelline space, debris in the perivitelline space, or an abnormal polar body. Results: The ages of the women, indications for in vitro fertilization, serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels, and rates of current ovarian endometrioma were similar between the dysmorphic and non-dysmorphic groups. In both groups, the three ovarian stimulation regimens, two types of pituitary suppression, and total gonadotropin dose were employed similarly. However, the dual-trigger method was used more frequently in the dysmorphic group (67.6% vs. 50%, p=0.024). The dysmorphic group contained significantly more immature oocytes and exhibited significantly lower oocyte maturity (50% vs. 66.7%, p=0.001) than the non-dysmorphic cycles. Within the dysmorphic group, significantly lower oocyte maturity was found in the cycles using a dual-trigger, but not in those with a human chorionic gonadotropin trigger. Conclusion: ICSI cycles with dysmorphic oocytes are closely associated with reduced oocyte maturity. This association was observed exclusively in dual-trigger cycles.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.59-72
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• 2024

Purpose: This cross-sectional study aimed to identify factors influencing the intention for continual fertility treatments among women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART). Methods: A total of 197 women were recruited through convenience sample from fertility hospitals in Gyeonggi-do and Busan, South Korea. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire incorporating measures of uncertainty; Depression Anxiety Stress Scales; Fatigue Severity Scale; Coping Scale for Infertility-Women; spousal support; treatment environment; and intention for continual fertility treatment. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, t-tests, and logistic regression analysis were conducted using IBM SPSS 26.0. Results: As many as 70.6% of the participants expressed an intention for continual fertility treatments. Logistic regression analysis revealed that factors such as uncertainty (odds ratio [OR] = 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.20~0.95), active coping (OR = 4.04, 95% CI 1.11~14.71), treatment environment (OR = 2.77, 95% CI 1.26~6.07), and the duration of marriage (OR = 2.61, 95% CI 1.24~5.49) were significantly related with this intention. Conclusion: These findings underscore the significance of uncertainty management, having proactive coping strategies, having supportive treatment environments, and considering the duration of marriage concerning women's intention for continual fertility treatment in the context of ART. The implications of these results extend to the development of nursing intervention programs aimed at providing crucial support for women undergoing ART and seeking to continue their infertility treatment.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.119-125
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• 2016

Objective: The aim of this study was to report a case series of in vitro matured (IVM) oocyte freezing in gynecologic cancer patients undergoing radical surgery under time constraints as an option for fertility preservation (FP). Methods: Case series report. University-based in vitro fertilization center. Six gynecologic cancer patients who were scheduled to undergo radical surgery the next day were referred for FP. The patients had endometrial (n=2), ovarian (n=3), and double primary endometrial and ovarian (n=1) cancer. Ex vivo retrieval of immature oocytes from macroscopically normal ovarian tissue was followed by mature oocyte freezing after IVM or embryo freezing with intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Results: A total of 53 oocytes were retrieved from five patients, with a mean of 10.6 oocytes per patient. After IVM, a total of 36 mature oocytes were obtained, demonstrating a 67.9% maturation rate. With regard to the ovarian cancer patients, seven IVM oocytes were frozen from patient 3, who had stage IC cancer, whereas one IVM oocyte was frozen from patient 4, who had stage IV cancer despite being of a similar age. With regard to the endometrial cancer patients, 15 IVM oocytes from patient 1 were frozen. Five embryos were frozen after the fertilization of IVM oocytes from patient 6. Conclusion: Immature oocytes can be successfully retrieved ex vivo from macroscopically normal ovarian tissue before radical surgery. IVM oocyte freezing provides a possible FP option in patients with advanced-stage endometrial or ovarian cancer without the risk of cancer cell spillage or time delays.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.335-340
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• 1997

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques allow the enumeration of chromosome abnormalities and from a great potential for many clinical applications. In order to produce quantitative and reproducible results, expensive tools such as a cooled CCD camera and a computer software are required. We have developed a Chromosome Image Processing System (Chips) using FISH that allows the detection and mapping of the genetic aberrations. The aim of our study, therefore, is to evaluate the capabilities of our original system using a black-and-white video camera. As a model system, three repetitive DNA probes (D18Z1, DXZ1, and DYZ3) were hybridized to variety different clinical samples such as human metaphase spreads and interphase nuclei obtained from uncultured peripheral blood lymphocytes, uncultured amniocytes, and germ cells. The visualization of the FISH signals was performed using our system for image acquisition and pseudocoloring. FISH images were obtained by combining images from each of probes and DAPI counterstain captured separately. Using our original system, the aberrations of single or multiple chromosomes in a single hybridization experiment using chromosomes and interphase nuclei from a variety of cell types, including lymphocytes, amniocytes, sperm, and biopsied blastomeres, were enabled to evaluate. There were no differences in the image quality in accordance with FISH method, fluorochrome types, or different clinical samples. Always bright signals were detected using our system. Our system also yielded constant results. Our Chips would permit a level of performance of FISH analysis on metaphase chromosomes and interphase nuclei with unparalleled capabilities. Thus, it would be useful for clinical purposes.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2013

The efficiency of artificial insemination (AI) for horses remains unsatisfactory. It is mainly because each process of AI causes a detrimental effect on semen quality. To sustain quality of semen properly, several factors including libido of stallions and sperm damage during sperm processing and preservation should be considered. Stallions with decent libido produce a high ratio of sperm to seminal plasma in their ejaculates, which is the ideal semen composition for maintaining sperm quality. Thus, to maximize the fertility rate upon AI, stallions should be appropriately managed to enhance their libido. Seminal plasma should have a positive effect on horse fertility in the case of natural breeding, whereas the effects of seminal plasma on both sperm viability and quality in the context of AI remain controversial. Centrifugation of semen is performed during semen processing to remove seminal plasma and to isolate fine quality sperm from semen. However, the centrifugation process can also result in sperm loss and damage. To solve this problem, several different centrifugation techniques such as Cushion Fluid along with dual and single Androcoll-E$^{TM}$ were developed to minimize loss of sperm and to damage at the bottom of the pellet. Most recently, a new technique without centrifugation was developed with the purpose of separating sperm from semen. AI techniques have been advanced to deliver sperm to optimal region of female reproductive tract at perfect timing. Recombinant equine luteinizing hormone (reLH) and low dose insemination techniques have been developed to maximize both fertility rate and the efficiency of AI. Horse breeders should consider that the entire AI procedure should be optimized for each stallion due to variation in individual horses for a uniformed AI protocol.