• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• 제33권1호
• /
• pp.55-61
• /
• 2009

The epididymis in the male reproductive tract is the site where spermatozoa produced from the testis become mature. The epididymis is divided into 4 different segments, initial segment and caput, corpus, and caudal epididymis, depending upon functional and morphological features. Aquaporins (Aqps) are water channel molecules, which are present in the epididymis and play a major role in removal of epididymal water, resulting in creation of microenvironment for sperm maturation and concentration of sperms. Nandrolone decanoate (ND) is a synthetic anabolic-androgenic steroid, which is used to treat clinical diseases and improve physical ability and appearance. Even though it is well determined that the ND causes the male infertility by affecting the testis, little is known the effect of the ND on the epididymis. The present study was focused to examine the effect of ND at different treatment doses and periods on expression of Aqp1 and Aqp9 genes in the epididymis of pubertal rats. Results showed that mRNA expression of Aqp1 and Aqp9 genes among the parts of the epididymis was differentially regulated by ND treatment doses. In addition, treatment periods of ND caused differential expression of Aqp1 and Aqp9 mRNAs among segments of the epididymis. Therefore, it is believed that male infertility induced by ND could be resulted not only from malfunction of the testis but also from aberrant gene expression of Aqp1 and Aqp9 in the epididymis.

• 한국임상수의학회지
• /
• 제31권1호
• /
• pp.36-39
• /
• 2014

Many bacteria colonized in the horse semen affect quality of the sperm and some may cause infection in the mare reproductive tract and infertility of susceptible mare. This study was initiated to determine the prevalence of bacteria in testes of Jeju horses by determining rRNA sequence. The samples were swabed from the testes of nine Jeju horses (aged from 8 to 12 months after birth). Bacteria isolated from testes were identified by 16S rDNA sequencing. 1.6-kbp PCR products for 16S rRNA coding region were obtained using the universal primers. The PCR products were further purified and sequenced. Maximum similar species were found by BLAST search in the GenBank DNA database. BLAST results showed that the sequences were similar to those of Acinetobacter sp (A. schindleri, A. ursingii)., Bacillus cereus, Corynebacterium glutamicum, Escherichia coli, Gamma proteobacterium, Micrococcus luteus, Pseudomonas mendocina, Shigella sonnei, Sphingomonas sp., Staphylococcus sp (S. cohnii, S. saprophyticus, S. xylosus)., and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. DNA sequences for 16S rRNA is provided useful informations for species identification of pathogenic microorganisms for the reproductive organs in horses.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• 제36권2호
• /
• pp.121-131
• /
• 2012

After spermatogenesis, spermatozoa come in contact with fluids in the epididymis where they mature. During ejaculation, spermatozoa are mixed with secretions from prostate gland, vesicular glands, and bulbourethral glands. During natural mating, seminal plasma is deposited in the female reproductive tract eliciting various physiological and immunological responses. With the advances in proteomics, the components of seminal plasma have been identified and the information may be valuable in identifying markers for fertility. Components of seminal plasma that affect fertility have been discovered and the mechanism of action of these factors has been determined. The objective of this study was to determine the specific seminal plasma proteins from Korean native cattle, Hanwoo, and Korean native brindle cattle (KNBC) with the long term goal of improving fertilization rate. After SDS-PAGE and 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis, proteins were identified by Q-ToF analysis. They include plasma serine protease inhibitor precursor and platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase after SDS-PAGE. Number and density of the spots in 2-dimensional gels were higher in KNBC than Hanwoo. Proteins identified from the paired spots of both breeds include chain A, bull seminal plasma PDC-109 Fibronectin Type II module, BSP-30 kDa precursor, and Spermadhesin Z13 or its precursor. Interestingly, some proteins were identified from multiple spots. The functional differences of these diverse forms of the proteins may require further studies. With their previously reported roles in sperm capacitation by these proteins, the studies on the mechanism of action, ligand interaction and the variation in the genome may help improving fertility in cattle.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• 제22권2호
• /
• pp.143-148
• /
• 1995

To present and assess the efficacy of combination of microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration(MESA) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI) for the treatment of infertility due to unreconstructable obstructive azoospermia or congenital bilateral agenesis of vas deferens (CBAVD), MESA was performed in the 45 husbands ( 16 CBAVD, 29 unreconstructable genital tract obstruction), followed by ICSI of oocytes recovered from the wives hyperstimulated by GnRH agonist in combination with hMG and FSH. Cleaving embryos were transfered to the uterine cavity or follopian tube(ZIFT) 18 or 24 hours after ICSI procedure. In 45 cycles of MESA, 492 oocyte complexes were recovered. ICSI was carried out on 355 metaphase II oocytes and 226 oocytes (63.7%) showed normal two pronucleus fertilization. After 198 embryos were transferred in 43 cycles, an average of 5 per cycle, 20 patients presented a positive HCG and intrauterine pregnancy was confirmed by US. So, the clinical ongoing pregnancy rate per transfer was 46.5%. Until now, 8 patients have given birth to 9 babies, 5 male and 4 female, including 1 twin. The babies were all healthy except 1 twin female baby. There was 1 miscarriage at 7 weeks and chromosomal study of abortus revealed as 45X, monosomy. These results suggested that it was possible to achieve high normal fertilization and pregnancy rate by ICSI using epididymal sperm.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제16권10호
• /
• pp.1570-1576
• /
• 2006

An encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV-CBNU) was isolated from an aborted swine fetus in October 2005. To investigate the genetic origin and virulence of the EMCV-CBNU strain, we determined the complete sequence of the virus and tested its virulence in mice. Genetic characterization revealed that the RNA genome was composed of 7,713 nucleotides with a single open reading frame (2,292 amino acids), coding 12 proteins. The EMCV-CBNU had the shortest poly(C) tract, consisting of 10 C's ($C_{10}$), compared with all the other EMCV strains reported in GenBank. Amino acid and phylogenetic analyses showed that EMCV-CBNU had the highest genetic identity with strain 2887A (99.7%), which was originally isolated from a fetus in a pig breeding farm that had a history of reproductive failure. Because rodents are the natural host of EMCV, we investigated the virulence of EMCV-CBNU in mice. Surprisingly, all mice inoculated with more than $1{\times}10^2\;TCID_{50}/0.1ml$ of EMCV-CBNU showed symptoms of hind limb paralysis and eventually died during 3 and 8 days postinoculation (DPI). Furthermore, when we inoculated the virus into pregnant mice, all dams and their fetuses died in 6 DPI. This is the first report on a full genomic analysis of swine EMCV in Korea, which exhibits high virulence in mice.

• 농업과학연구
• /
• 제48권1호
• /
• pp.163-170
• /
• 2021

Bacterial infections in the female reproductive tract negatively affect ovarian function, follicular development, and embryo development, leading to the eventual failure of fertilization. Moreover, bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) can interfere with the immune system and reproductive system of the host animal. Therefore, this study examined the effect of LPS on the in vitro maturation (IVM) of pig oocytes. Oocytes were matured in TCM199 medium in the presence of varying concentrations of LPS (0 - 50 ㎍·mL^-1). The maturation rate, cortical granules (CGs) migration, and chromosome alignment were subsequently evaluated during the meiotic development of the oocytes. We observed a dose-dependent and significant decrease in the metaphase II (MII) rate with increasing concentrations of LPS (97.6% control [0 ㎍·mL^-1 LPS] vs. 10.4-74.9% LPS [1 - 50 ㎍·mL^-1], p < 0.05). In addition, compared to the control oocytes without LPS, higher levels of abnormal CGs distribution (18.1 - 50.0% LPS vs. 0% control), chromosome/spindle alignment (20.3 - 56.7% LPS vs. 0% control), and intracellular ROS generation were observed in oocytes matured with LPS (p < 0.05). Nitrite levels were also increased in the maturation medium derived from the oocytes matured with LPS (p < 0.05). These results indicate that LPS induces oxidative stress during IVM and affects oocyte maturation, including CGs migration and chromosome alignment of pig oocytes.

• 한국동물번식학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국동물번식학회 2004년도 춘계학술발표대회
• /
• pp.236-236
• /
• 2004

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is one of the most abundant glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the female reproductive tract such as uterine, oviductal and follicular fluids in mouse, pig, cattle and human. CD44 is the principal cell membrane receptor for HA, expressed from the 1-to 8-cell stage in human embryos, during post-implantation mouse and bovine embryogenesis and on the surface of differentiated embryonic stem cells. (omitted)

• 한국동물위생학회지
• /
• 제31권4호
• /
• pp.457-463
• /
• 2008

The sex steroid hormone estradiol-$17{\beta}(E_2)$ mediate their biological effects on development, differentiation and maintenance of reproductive tract and other target tissue through gene regulation by nuclear steroid receptors. Although the importance of $E_2$ in many physiological process has been reported, but little is known about the effects of $E_2$ on primary cultured chicken hepatocyte. therefore, in the present study, we have examined the effect of $E_2$ on cell proliferation and it's related signal cascades. $E_2$ increase $[^3H]$-thymidine incorporation in time-(${\leq}8hr$) and dose-($10^{-10}M$)dependent manner and treatment of $E_2$ increased the phosphorylation of p44/43 MAPKs(p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase) and JNK(c-Jun N-terminal kinase) in a time dependent manner. In addition, PD98059(p44/42 blocker, $10^{-5}M$), SP600125(JNK blocker, $10^{-6}M$) blocked the estrogen-induced increase in $[^3H]$-thymidine incorporation. In conclusion, $E_2$ stimulates the proliferation of primary cultured chicken hepatocytes and this action is mediated by p44/42 MAPKs and JNK signal transduction pathway.

• Neonatal Medicine
• /
• 제16권1호
• /
• pp.94-98
• /
• 2009

저자들은 태반에서 L. monocytogenes 균이 동정된 무증상 산모에서 출생한 $26^{+4}$주, 930g 초극소 저체중 출생아에서 리스테리아 조기 패혈증 및 폐렴이 발생하여 항생제 치료 후 호전된 1례를 경험하여 이를 문헌 고찰과 함께 보고하는 바이다.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• 제12권4호
• /
• pp.269-275
• /
• 1989

Early embryo development and implantation were arrested in ICR mice which were passively immunized with a mouse monoclonal progesterone amtibody given as a single intraperitoneal injection at 12 hrs or 60 hrs post coitum (p. c.). Unimplanted embryos were recovered from the reproductive tract of the antibody-treated mice and none of these progressed to the blastocyst stage. The most pronounced effect was an arrest of embryonic development at a stage prior to cavitation. The plasma progesterone concentration in the blood taken by carbiac puncture increased greatly after the treatment by virtue of high affinity binding by the antibody in circulation. The result showed that passive immunization against progesterone shortly after mating interfered with early hormone dependent steps which were essential for normal embryonic development.