• Applied Microscopy
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.241-253
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• 1999

북부 온대지방에 서식하는 박쥐는 그 대부분이 동면을하며, 그 생식유형은 특이하여 가을에 교미하여 사정된 정자는 자성생식도내에 긴 동면기간 동안 저장되어 있는 것으로 알려져 있다(예: 한국큰관박쥐). 환언하면 저장되어 있던 정자는 이듬해 봄에 배란되는 난자와 수정하여 초여름에 출산하게 된다. 본 연구는 월동하는 정자 두부 Plasma membrane의 성분과 활성 등 형태적 및 기능적 특성을 관찰 분석함으로써, 인공임신율을 높일 수 있는 보다 효과적인 한냉온도 정자저장방법을 모색하기 위하여 시도되었다. 동면하는 한국큰관박쥐와 햄스타 및 비동면동물(마우스)의 정자 Plasma membrane이, 실온과 한냉온도(박쥐-동면온도)에서, 생존율, 첨체반응을, 단백질분포, 능동수송에 관여되는 효소$(Na^+-K^+-ATPase)$의 활성 및 주사전자현미경적 조직화학상을 분석하였다. 본 연구에서 얻은 실험결과에 의거하면, 동면동물인 한국큰관박쥐와 햄스타 및 비동면동물인 마우스 정자의 생존율과 첨체반응율은, 실온과 한냉(박쥐-동면)온도간에 의의있는 차이를 발견할 수 없었고, 단백질 분포와 $Na^+-K^+-ATPase$ 효소활성 및 주사전자현미경적 조직화학적 소견에 있어서도 두 온도간에 의의있는 차이는 없었다. 이와 같이 실온과 한냉온도 간에 형태적 기능적 차이가 없다고 하는 사실은, 동면동물이든 비동면동물이든 Spermatozoa plasma membrane이 동면중 또는 동면 이후에 안정적인 수정을 보장해 주는 형태적 및 기능적 보호구조임을 시사해 준다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.311-318
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• 1997

Bypassing acrosome reaction and fusion process in intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI), most of injected spermatozoa still contain intact acrosome contents and plasma membrane. It Is not known yet what acrosome contents and plasma membrane of spermatozoa have effect on the development of embryo. For further understanding of fertilization process after ICSI, we studied the time of pronucleus formation, disappearance and first cleavage in human zygote, and pregnancy rate in relation to acrosome reaction rate of spermatozoa after ICSI. Seventy cycles undergoing ICSI program were randomly selected. Sperm suspension from 38 cycles were treated 50% human follicular fluid(hFF) for 3 hours in order to induce acrosome reaction, others were not treated as control. Acrosome reaction in hFF treated and non-treated group was assessed by fluorescein isothiocyanate(FITC)-conjugated Arachis hypogea(PNA) and Pisum sativum agglutinin(PSA). Oocytes were classified into 'good' and 'poor' according to their morphology. After ICSI, fertilization of oocytes were assessed by detection of two pronuclei at 16 hours. The pronuclei disappearance and first cleavage of zygotes were observed at 24 hours, and then embryos were transferred to uterus after culture for 72 hours. The rate of acrosome reaction of spermatozoa in hFF treated group was significantly higher than that in control(p<0.01). Fertilization rates of good oocytes were not different both control and hFF treated group(81.3%(174/206) vs. 72.1%(102/130)). But, in poor oocytes, the fertilization rates in hFF treated group(72.1%(149/183)) were increased compared than those of control group (63.6%(98/140), p<0.01). In either good or poor oocytes, the rates of pronuclei disappearance in hFF treated-spermatozoa injected oocytes were higher than control (59.1%(103/174), 56.4%(84/149) vs. 32.4%(33/102), 37.8%(37/98), p<0.01). Also, the rates of thirst cleavage were increased in hFF treated group (31%(54/174), 24.1%(36/149)) compared than those of control group (10.8%(11/102), 13.2%(13/98), p<0.01). The pregnancy rates of hFF treated group (42.1%(16/38)) were slightly higher than control group (28.1%(9/32), p>0.05). But, the pregnancy rate of group which possessed more than one cleavaged zygote at 24 hours was higher than group which did not (45.2%(19/42) vs. 21.4%(6/28), p<0.05). From these results, the development of zygotes were faster in higher acrosome reacted sperm group than lower acrosome reacted sperm group after ICSI. Our results may be explained that acrosomal membrane and plasma membrane are easily detached from spermatozoa in acrosome reacted spermatozoa compared with acrosome intact sperm in the cytoplasm of oocyte during pronuclear formation. We conclude that the injection of acrosome reacted spermatozoa will increase the pregnancy rate as they can induce fast embryonic development in ICSI.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.257-263
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• 2011

BPA, a diphenyl compound containing groups, that make it structurally similar to synthetic estrogen and is considered as one of the major endocrine disruptors. Silymarin has extensively been used to prevent and/or alleviate some human disease, especially for the treatment of adverse liver conditions. It has an antioxidative efficacy and cancer preventive efficacy. Therefore, we examined the hypothesis that silymarin can inhibit BPA-induced toxicity in boar sperm duing in vitro storage. Sperm characteristics (motility, viability, membrane integrity and mitochondrion activity) in semen exposed to BPA (10~200 uM) were sharply lowered, while it increase in a dose and time dependent manner due to silymarin addition (50~200 uM) into semen extender in the presence of BPA (100 uM). All of the evaluated characteristics were gradually improved in the groups that were treated with silymarin (50~200 uM) in the presence of BPA (100 uM) in comparison to BPA 100 uM alone group, irrespective of incubation periods (3 and 6 h). These results demonstrate that silymarin can ameliorate the toxicity of BPA on boar sperm characteristics during in vitro storage, suggesting that silymarin indirectly act as an antioxidant.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.49-54
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• 2009

The current study was designed to evaluate the effects of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated with a xanthine (X) and xanthine oxidase system (XO) on sperm function and DNA fragmentation in porcine spermatozoa. ROS were produced by a combination of $1,000{\mu}M$ X and 50 mU/ml XO. The ROS scavengers such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) (200 U/ml) and catalase (CAT) (500 U/ml) were also tested. Spermatozoa were incubated for 2 hours in BWW medium with a combination of X-XO supplemented with or without antioxidants at $37^{\circ}C$ under 5% $CO_2$ incubator. Ca-ionophore-induced acrosome reaction, the proportion of swollen spermatozoa under hypo-osmotic condition, malondialdehyde formation for the analysis of lipid peroxidation, and the proportion of DNA fragmentation were determined after 2 hours incubation. The action of ROS on porcine spermatozoa resulted in decreased Ca-ionophore-induced acrosome reaction and membrane integrity, increased the formation of malondialdehyde, and the proportion of sperm with DNA fragmentation(p<0.05). The toxic effects caused by ROS were completely alleviated by CAT in terms of sperm function and characteristics, however SOD did not serve the same scavenger effect as CAT. To conclude, the ROS can cause significant damage to porcine sperm functions and characteristics, which can be minimized by the use of antioxidants.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.340-345
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• 2008

Oxidative stress is one of the major causes of failure of in vitro storage of boar semen. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are one of the important mediators of oxidative stress during in vitro storage of boar semen. Our study examined the effects of taurine on sperm characteristic and on in vitro developmental embryos during in vitro storage of boar semen for 7 days. Semen was randomly aliquoted into 3 centrifuge tubes and treated with different concentrations of taurine (25-100 mM). The characteristics of boar sperm were analyzed for motility by light microscopy, viability by using a Makler counting chamber and membrane integrity by a hypoosmotic swelling test (HOST). The percentages of motile spermatozoa in taurine groups after 5 days were significantly higher compared to the control. Sperm viability in the control was lower than in taurine groups after 7 days irrespective of different taurine concentration. In the hyoosmotic swelling test (HOST), significantly higher results were obtained in taurine groups after 3 days. Also, the developmental rates of IVM/IVF porcine embryos from semen treated with pyruvate and taurine were significantly increased when compared with the control (p<0.05). These results indicate that supplementation of taurine as an antioxidant in boar semen extender can improve the semen quality.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제65권2호
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• pp.401-411
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• 2023

Many studies have been conducted to improve technology for semen cryopreservation in pigs. However, computer-assisted analysis of sperm motility and morphology is insufficient to predict the molecular function of frozen-thawed semen. More accurate expression patterns of boar sperm proteins may be derived using the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) technique. In this study, the iTRAQ-labeling system was coupled with liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis to identify differentially expressed CM10-fractionated proteins between fresh and frozen-thawed boar semen. A total of 76 protein types were identified to be differentially expressed, among which 9 and 67 proteins showed higher and lower expression in frozen-thawed than in fresh sperm samples, respectively. The classified functions of these proteins included oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial inner membrane and matrix, and pyruvate metabolic processes, which are involved in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis; and sperm flagellum and motile cilium, which are involved in sperm tail structure. These results suggest a possible network of biomarkers associated with survival after the cryopreservation of Duroc boar semen.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제36권3호
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• pp.199-206
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• 2012

본 연구에서는 제주마 육성 및 산업화에 있어 성공적인 인공수정을 위한 안정적인 제주마의 동결정액 제조법을 수립하는 데 있어 제주마 동결정액의 제조시 동결보호제로서 glycerol과 ethylene glycol의 사용이 동결-융해 후 정자의 운동성, 생존율, 정자막 온전성 그리고 정자의 첨체막 온전성 등에 미치는 영향을 알아보고자 실시하였다. 제주마 정액의 동결 시 5% glycerol, 5% ethylene glycol, 8% glycerol 그리고 8% ethylene glycol을 사용하였으며, 동결 융해 후 정자의 운동성, 생존율, 정자막 온전성 그리고 첨체의 변화를 측정하였다. 동결 융해 후 정자의 운동성에 있어 실험구 사이의 유의적 차이는 나타나지 않았다. 그러나 생존율에 있어 8% glycerol을 처리하였을 때 가장 높은 생존율 ($39.85%{\pm}11.41$)을 나타냈으나, 5% glycerol 처리구 ($18.08%{\pm}1.61$)와의 비교에서만 유의적 차이를 나타냈다 (p<0.05). 정자막 온전성에 있어서도 8% glycerol 처리구만이 $34.13%{\pm}11.02$로 모든 처리구에 비하여 유의적으로 높은 정자막 온전성을 나타냈다(p<0.05). 동결 융해 후 정자의 첨체막 변화에 있어 8%의 ethylene glycol을 처리시 5% glycerol과 5%의 ethylene glycol을 처리한 실험구보다 유의적으로 높은 F pattern의 비율을 나타냈다. B pattern의 비율은 5% ethylene glycol 처리시 8% glycerol과 8% ethylene glycol 처리구보다 유의적으로 증가하였다. 8% ethylene glycol 처리구에서 유의적으로 낮은 수준의 AR pattern 비율을 나타냈다 (p<0.05). 본 연구의 결과는 현재 확립되지 않은 제주마의 동결정액 제조 과정에 있어 보다 유용한 정보를 제공할 것으로 판단된다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제45권2호
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• pp.57-66
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• 2018

It has been estimated that approximately 15% of reproductive-age couples suffer from infertility. Male factors contribute to almost half of infertility cases, and in many patients the underlying cause of oligoasthenoteratozoospermia is unknown. Accumulating evidence suggests that oxidative stress plays a role as a contributing factor to male infertility, and reactive oxygen species have been shown to impair sperm function and motility and to damage sperm membrane and DNA. Therefore, this review explored the evidence provided by studies published from 2002 to 2017 on the impact of oral antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, L-carnitine, coenzyme Q10, zinc, selenium, and pentoxifylline) on seminal fluid parameters in men with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. Most of the studies were randomized controlled studies that investigated the effect of single or combined antioxidants and reported improvements in at least one semen parameter. The most noteworthy effect that was found was that the use of multiple antioxidants increased sperm motility and concentration. Nonetheless, there is a lack of agreement on the dose, the duration of treatment, and whether individual or combined oral antioxidants should be used. Therefore, the current review provides evidence supporting the use of oral antioxidants in the treatment of infertile men with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia.

• 식품보건융합연구
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• 제4권4호
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• pp.18-25
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• 2018

Proteins play a key role in many functions such as metabolic activity, differentiation, as cargos and cell fate regulators. It is necessary to know about the markers involved in male fertility in order to develop remedies for the treatment of male infertility. But, the role of the proteins is not limited to particular function in the biological systems. Some of the proteins act as ion channels such as catsper and proteins like Nanos acts as a translational repressor in germ cells and expressed in prenatal period whose role in male fertility is uncertain. Rbm5 is a pre mRNA splicing factor necessary for sperm differentiation whose loss of function results deficit in sperm production. DEFB114 is a beta defensin family protein necessary for sperm motility in LPS challenged mice where as TEX 101 is a plasma membrane specific germ cell protein whose function is not clearly known u to now. Gpr56 is another adhesion protein whose null mutation leads to arrest of production of pups in rats. Amyloid precursor protein role in Alzheimer's disease is already known but it plays an important role in male fertility also but its function is uncertain and has to be considered while targeting APP during the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The study on amyloid precursor protein in male fertility is a novel thing but requires further study in correlation to alzheimer's disease.

• 한국가축번식학회지
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.205-214
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• 2002

현재까지 외래 유전자를 도입하여 형질전환 동물을 생산하는 방법이 다방면으로 연구되어 왔다. 그 중에서 본 연구에서는 정자를 EGFP 유전자와 공배양한 후 이를 난모 세포내에 미세 주입한 다음, 수정란의 발달과 ECFP 유전자의 발현을 조사하였다. 즉, 동결후 융해나 Triton X-100 처리 등으로 세포막을 파괴하여, 이들 정자를 EGFP 유전자와 다분간 공배양함으로써 정자와 EGFP 유전자와의 결합을 유도하였다. 정자나 정자두부의 미세주입에 의해 수정된 난자는 0.3%의 BSA가 첨가된 CR1aa 배양액에서 배양하였으며, EGFP 유전자의 발현은 형광현미경 하에서 관찰하였다. 통결 후 융해로 처리된 정자와 Triton X-100 처리 한 정자를 미세주입한 결과 난할율은 85.7과 80.1%였고, 배반포 발생율은 32.4 과 35.0%로서 유의차가 없었다. 동결 후 융해와 Triton X-100 으로 처리된 정자를 각각 미세주입한 수정란의 EGFP 유전자 발현율은 각각 19.1과 13.9%로서 전자가 유의하게 높았다. 또 정자 배양액에 첨가된 EGFP유전자의 농도가 54 ng/${\mu}\ell$일 때 EGFP 발현율은 15.4% 로서, 27 ng/${\mu}\ell$일 때의 9.0%와 63.5 ng/${\mu}\ell$일 때의 5.1% 보다 유의하게 높았다. 발현율을 높히기 위한 방법중 하나로써 electric shock의 방법을 이용해 보았으나 기존의 공배양 방법으로 얻은 최고 발현율인 19.1%에 못 미치는 2%를 보였다. EGFP 유전자가 발현된 수정란의 배반포 발생율은 0%로서 비발현 수정란의 29.5%보다 유의하게 낮았으며, EGFP 유전자의 발현은 mosaicism 형태를 보였다. 본 연구에서는 비록 낮은 외래 유전자 도입율을 보이기는 하나 (19.0%), 정자를 매개로 한 형질전환 동물의 생산은 그 방법이 간단하고 비용이 적게 든다는 장점이 있다. 기존 보고들의 효율성을 재고하여 볼 때, 난자내 정자 직접 주입술에 의한 형질전환 동물 생산의 연구는 향후 밝은 전망을 시사하고 있다.