• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.74-74
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• 2003

In present study, attempts were made to preserve abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) sperm in liquid form at low temperature, to evaluate the effect of various diluents in short-term storage on sperm, and cryopreservation procedures were optimized for the cryoprotectants as well as freezing rates, in terms of the motility and survival rate, and the ultrastructural changes of sperm after short-term storage and cryopreservation were observed. The abalone sperm reached maximum motility until about 4min after activation. The motility was constant for about 16min, after which it dropped gradually, and about 50min later all motility ceased. Threshold activation of sperm was found in 40% artificial seawater (ASW), and motility increased as the concentration of ASW increased. In Hanks balanced salt solution without calcium (Ca-Free HBSS, 300 and 400 mOsmol/kg) and 10%, 20%, and 30% ASW the sperm was immotile, and motility once again restored incompletely only in HBSS of 300 and 400 mOsmol/kg, 20% and 30% ASW after 100% ASW was added. Sperm motility was extended following 20 days of cold storage only in 70% and 100% ASW. A high motility index of 3.5-4.5 was observed for the first 8 days in 70% and 80% ASW. In other diluents sperm motility was constant less than 10 days, and the motility index was obviously lower than that of sperm in 70% and 100% ASW. After 20 days of cold storage survival rates of 10.2%-20.7% were obtained in ASW and 300 mOsmol/kg HBSS, and that in 400 HBSS (65.3%) was significantly higher than others. The constant period of sperm motility stored in 70% ASW was longer obviously than that in 100% ASW after 6 days of storage, and the time to maximum motility of sperm stored in 70% increased gradually, while the difference in which of sperm in 100% ASW was not significant. The sperm plunged into liquid nitrogen all died except that sperm using 15% glycerol as cryoprotectant restored 10.4% of motility. The highest motility index (3.4) was obtained with 5% glycerol and freezing procedure: $50^{\circ}C$/min from $20^{\circ}C$ to $-80^{\circ}C$.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 2003

Initiation and activation of sperm motility are prerequisite processes for the contact and fusion of male and female gametes at fertilization. The phenomena are under the regulation of CAMP and $Ca^{2+}$ in vertebrates and invertebrates. Mammalian sperm requires $Ca^{2+}$and cyclic AMP for the activation of sperm motility. Cell signaling for the initiation and activation of sperm motility has been well studied in the ascidians, Ciona intestinalis and C. savignyi and salmonid fishes. In Ciona, whose cell signaling for activation of sperm motility has been established, the sperm-activating and -attracting factor released from unfertilized egg requires extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ for activating sperm motility and eliciting chemotactic behavior of the activated sperm toward the egg. On the other hand, the cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation of protein is essential for the initiation of sperm motility in salmonid fishes. A decrease in the environmental Ti concentration surrounding the spawned sperm causes a li efflux and $Ca^{2+}$ influx through the specific $K^{+}$ channel and dihydropyridine-sensitive L-/T- type $Ca^{2+}$ channel, respectively, thereby leading to the membrane hyperpolarization and $Ca^{2+}$ influx. The membrane hyperpolarization synthesizes cyclic AMP, which triggers the luther Process of cell signaling, i.e., cyclic AMP-dependent protein phosphorylation, to initiate sperm motility in salmond fishes.almond fishes.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2004

The aim of this study was to evaluate the improvement of testicular sperm motility following different culture conditions such as human follicular fluid (hFF) and temperature. Testicular tissues obtained from azoospermia (n=21) were minced into small pieces by blade and recovered sperm suspension were cultured in Ham's F10 with or without 40% hFF at different temperatures (Group I: 37$^{\circ}C$/with hFF, Group II: 32$^{\circ}C$/withGroup III: 37$^{\circ}C$/without, Group IV:32$^{\circ}C$ /without The motility and viability of sperm were monitored during culture for 48 hours. Initial motility of testicular sperm was 10.9$\pm$1.9%. After 24 hours culture, sperm motility was 23.5$\pm$2.1% (Group I), 8.1$\pm$1.1% (Group II), 10.4$\pm$ 1.4% (Group III) and 4.0$\pm$0.8% (Group IV), respectively. After 48 hours, the motility had been changed as 32$\pm$2.3% (Group I), 14.3$\pm$1.7% (Group II), 5.3 $\pm$1.4% (Group III) and 4.3$\pm$0.9% (Group IV). In hFF group (I and II), sperm motility of group I cultured at 37$^{\circ}C$ was higher than those of group II at 32$^{\circ}C$. But, sperm viability of group I cultured at 37$^{\circ}C$ was lower than those of group II at 32$^{\circ}C$ (54.4$\pm$4.1% vs. 59.4$\pm$3.7%) after cultured for 48 hours. We acquired the best motility of testicular sperm when performed in vitro culture for 48 hours in hFF supplemented medium at 37$^{\circ}C$. Increase of sperm motility by in vitro culture could be useful tool fur human TESE-ICSI program.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.255-261
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• 2021

Objective: This study aimed to investigate sperm motility and its changes after preparation as predictors of pregnancy in intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles. Methods: In total, 297 IUI cycles from January 2012 to December 2017 at a single tertiary hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Patient and cycle characteristics, and sperm motility characteristics before and after processing were compared according to clinical pregnancy or live birth as outcomes. Results: The overall clinical pregnancy rate per cycle was 14.5% (43/297) and the live birth rate was 10.4% (30/289). Patient and cycle characteristics were similar between pregnant and non-pregnant groups. Sperm motility after preparation and the total motile sperm count before and after processing were comparable in terms of pregnancy outcomes. Pre-preparation sperm motility was significantly higher in groups with clinical pregnancy and live birth than in cycles not resulting in pregnancy (71.4%±10.9% vs. 67.2%±11.7%, p=0.020 and 71.6% ±12.6% vs. 67.3%±11.7%, p=0.030, respectively). The change in sperm motility after processing was significantly fewer in the non-pregnant cycles, both when the comparison was conducted by subtraction (post-pre) and division (post/pre). These relationships remained significant after adjusting for the female partner's age, anti-Müllerian hormone level, and number of pre-ovulatory follicles. According to a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, an initial sperm motility of ≥72.5% was the optimal threshold value for predicting live birth after IUI. Conclusion: Initial sperm motility, rather than the motility of processed sperm or the degree of change after preparation, predicted live birth after IUI procedures.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.245-266
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• 1984

As a fundamental study to increase the reproductive efficiency in cattle, highly motile sperm were separated and collected from raw semen, extended semen and frozen semen by different methods using various concentrations of bovine serum albumin or Tyrode's solution. Various characteristics and light microscopic and electron-microscopic morphology of sperm separated by different methods were compared. The results obtained were as follows; 1. The sperm separated from raw semen using bovine serum albumin showed significantly high value in motility, motile sperm count, percent of normal sperm and progressive motility, as compared with control sperm and revealed the highest sperm recovery rate when separated with 6% bovine serum albumin. 2. The sperm motility, percent of normal sperm and progressive motility of the highly motile sperm frozen after being separated from raw semen with bovine serum albumin, showed significantly high value than those of a control sperm and especially found the highest value when separated with 20% bovine serum albumin. 3. Light-microscopic percent of abnormality was significantly low in the prefrozen and postfrozen highly motile sperm separated with bovine serum albumin, as compared with control sperm. 4. Electron-microscopic finding of the highly motile sperm separated with bovine serum albumin showed low percent of deformity in the dilatation and vesiculation of cell membrane, in dilatation and density loss of acrosome than in those of control sperm. 5. It was impossible to separate the highly motile sperm from frozen semen with bovine serum albumin, but it was possible with Tyrode's solution. 6. Recovery rate of highly motile sperm from raw semen extended semen and frozen semen was the highest when the sperm pellet stood in Tyrde's solution for 80 minutes. 7. The highly motile sperm separated from raw semen, extended semen and frozen semen with Tyrode's solution showed significantly high value in motility, progressive motility and percent of normal sperm, as compared with control sperm. 8. Highly motile sperm, when separated from raw semen, extended semen and frozen semen with Tyrode's solution, showed significantly low percent of microscopic abnormality as compared with control sperm.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.263-266
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• 2010

Prediction of semen's fertilizing ability used in artificial insemination (AI) is one of very important factors on pig reproductive performance. In vitro fertilization (IVF) has been used for indirect evaluation of sperm's fertilizing ability and it has been showed as highly correlated index. In swine industry, increasing interest in preservation of boar semen raises questions on the sperm motility from semen used in commercial AI centers. Mitochondria in sperm mid-piece generate the energy to support motility and could be an explanation of impaired fertility. Objective of this study was to suggest usable sperm motility to farms in measuring the effect of sperm motility and sperm abnormality on in vitro production of embryo in which sperm's fertilizing ability can be determined indirectly. Semen samples were provided from local AI center and used within 3 days after collection. Semen samples were divided by 4 different motile groups (>70%; 61~70%; 51~60%; <50%) using CASA (computer-assisted sperm analysis) on the days of IVF. Developmental rate to the blastocyst stage from over 61% motile sperm group showed significantly higher rate than below 60% motile sperm group ($16.5{\pm}0.7{\sim}18.4{\pm}0.8%$ vs $6.3{\pm}0.8{\sim}11.5{\pm}0.7%$, p<0.05). In experiment to determine the relationship between sperm motility and viability and abnormality, over 61% motile sperm groups showed significantly higher viability rate compared to below 60% motile sperm groups ($84.8{\pm}4.0{\sim}88.1{\pm}4.0%$ vs $69.1{\pm}4.0{\sim}74.2{\pm}4.0%$, p<0.05). On the other hand, morphological sperm abnormality showed significantly higher in over 70% motile sperm group ($10.2{\pm}2.2$ vs $16.0{\pm}2.2{\sim}21.0{\pm}2.2%$, p<0.05). In experiment to find the correlation between sperm motility of 4 different motile groups and amount of mitochondria, lower motility group also showed lower level of mitochondria (p<0.05). The mitochondria parameter used in this study showed another possibility to differentiate the sperm motility. Taken together, because below 60% motile semen used in AI reduce the fertility, AI centers should provide the over 60% motile sperm to the farms at the time of AI.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.833-840
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• 2003

Sperm motility of salmonid fishes is suppressed by external $K^{+}$ and initiated by decrease of $K^{+}$ concentration surrounding the sperm. It was shown that the decrease in external $K^{+}$ concentration induced not only the initiation of sperm motility, but also hyperpolarization of the plasma membrane and synthesis of cAMP in the sperm of rainbow trout, steelhead trout, and masu salmon. Inhibitors of $K^{+}$ channels, especially voltage-dependent $K^{+}$ channels, inhibited these three reactions, and the inhibitions were abolished by subsequent addition of a $K^{+}$ ionophore, valinomycin, suggesting that $K^{+}$ efflux through the $K^{+}$ channel contributes to rapid changes in the membrane potential of sperm and cAMP synthesis, thereby resulting in the initiation of sperm motility of salmonid fishes.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.406-410
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• 2017

Curcumin is known as a natural antioxidant, decreasing oxidative stress in animal cells. Generally, oxidative stress induces reactive oxygen species in sperm and leads to decreased sperm characteristics in pigs. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of curcumin on sperm motility, viability, mitochondrial activity and plasma membrane integrity in pigs. Curcumin (0, 5 and $10{\mu}M$) was treated in boar semen, which were incubated for 9 hours in $37^{\circ}C$. Then, motility, viability, mitochondrial activity, plasma membrane integrity of sperm was analyzed every 3 hours. In the results, sperm motility was significantly increased by $5{\mu}M$ curcumin after 3 and 9 hours after incubation, and viability was significantly higher in $5{\mu}M$ curcumin treatment at 3 hours (P<0.05). Similarly, sperm mitochondrial activity and plasma membrane integrity were significantly increased by $5{\mu}M$ curcumin at 3, 6 and 9 hours after incubation (P<0.05). There results suggest that curcumin improve sperm characteristics such as motility, viability, mitochondrial activity, and plasma membrane integrity, and may exert a positive effect on sperm fertility in pigs.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.405-409
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• 1997

This study was carried out to investigate the general characteristics such as semen volume, pH, sperm motility and sperm concentration of the semen collected from Korean Jindo dogs by the mothod of Digital manipulation of penis, and the effect of temperature and preservation time on motility of fresh semen. Multiple ejaculates were collected from four male Korean Jindo dogs. The results obtained in this experiment were as follows : 1. Average semen volume per ejaculate, semen pH, sperm motility and sperm concentration of the second fraction and the small volume of third fraction from the ejaculate were 3.29ml, 6.30, 96.70% and 1.64$\times$108 cells/ml, respectively. 2. Average semen volume per ejaculate, semen pH, sperm motility and sperm concentration of the first fraction from the ejaculate were 1.16ml, 6.10, 6.67% and 5.07$\times$105cells/ml. Average semen volume per ejaculate, semen pH, sperm motility and sperm concentration of the second fraction from the ejaculate were 2.30ml, 6.33, 97.66% and 1.92$\times$108cells/ml. Average semen volume per ejaculate, semen pH, sperm motility and sperm concentration of the third fraction from the ejaculate were 3.24ml, 6.51, 93.33% and 3.13$\times$107cells/ml. 3. Motility of fresh semen during preservation were higher at 17$^{\circ}C$ than at 5$^{\circ}C$ or 36$^{\circ}C$. When preservation temeprature was 17$^{\circ}C$, motility were 95.75% at 1 h, 90.00% at 6 h, 84.25% at 12 h, 68.00% at 18 h, 36.25% at 24 h and 28.75% at 30 h, respectively.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2013

This study examined the motility of either the unattached(upper) or attached(lower) Hanwoo sperm to bovine oviduct epithelial cell(BOEC) monolayers to determine whether there are any changes in their motility during co-culture. The cleavage and blastocyst development rate were compared among different preincubation methods in-vitro, after oocytes were fertilized in-vitro with Hanwoo sperm on BOEC monolayers. The motility of frozen-thawed sperm in BOEC co-culture group was significantly higher than controls, especially at 5 hours and 6 hours (p<0.05) of incubation, in sperm treatment medium without heparin and caffeine. The motility of frozen-thawed sperm in BOEC co-culture group was significantly higher than controls, especially at 3 hours (p<0.05) and 6 hours (p<0.01), in sperm treatment medium containing heparin and caffeine. The motility of the attached( lower) sperm was significantly higher than the unattached(upper) sperm during co-culture with BOEC at all times(p<0.01 or p<0.05), except for 6 hours. After Hanwoo oocytes were fertilized in-vitro with the sperm that had been co-cultured with BOEC in sperm treatment medium containing heparin and caffeine, we determined the cleavage and blastocyst development rate, according to the preincubation methods. Both the cleavage and blastocyst development rate from 2 hour preincubation group were the highest, but significant difference was not recognized. These results show that BOEC plays an important role on sperm hyperactivation related to capacitation regardless of heparin and caffeine in sperm treatment medium. However, oviduct epithelial cell had no significant effect on the development of embryos after in-vitro fertilization in the presence of added heparin and caffeine in sperm treatment medium.