• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.195-200
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• 1986

In order to know when the cumulus cells of mouse follicles get ability to expand in vitro, the oocyte cumulus complexes obtained from different growing ages of mice were cultured in the medium containing HCG and their rate of expansion were observed and at the same time their maturation rate was examined. The growth of follicles was also checked by histological method. It was impossible to isolate the oocyte-cumulus complexes from 13 or 15 days old mouse ovaries. The oocyte-cumulus complexes collected from 17 days old mouse were partially induced to expanded by HCG, and from 19 days, most of the complexes were induced to full expansion. The rate of cumulus cell expansion by HCG and the oocyte maturation increased steadly during the growing ages to adult. Thus, the time for follicles to get competence for expansion and maturation seems to be closely related. Antral follicles were appeared from 17 days old mice and Graafian follicles were seen from 21 days old mice. The competence for cumulus expansion increased during follicle growth up to 21 days old mice.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.86-92
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• 2019

The aim of this study was to investigate effects of hyaluronidase during IVM on oocyte maturation, oxidative stress status, expression of cumulus expansion-related (PTX, pentraxin; GJA1, gap junction protein alpha 1; PTGS2, prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2) and fatty acid metabolism-related (FADS1, delta-6 desaturase; FADS2, delta-5 desaturase; PPARα, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha) mRNA, and embryonic development of porcine oocytes. The cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were incubated with 0.1 mg/mL hyaluronidase for 44 h. Cumulus expansion was measured at 22 h after maturation. At 44 h after maturation, nuclear maturation, intracellular glutathione (GSH) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were measured. Gene expression in cumulus cells was analyzed using real time PCR. The cleavage rate and blastocyst formation were evaluated at Day 2 and 7 after insemination. In results, expansion of cumulus cells was suppressed by treatment of hyaluronidase at 22 h after maturation. Intracellular GSH level was reduced by hyaluronidase treatment (p < 0.05). On the other hand, hyaluronidase increased ROS levels in oocytes (p < 0.05). Only PTGS2 mRNA was enhanced in COCs by hyaluronidase (p < 0.05). Population of oocytes reached at metaphase II stage was higher in control group than hyaluronidase treated group (p < 0.05). Both of cleavage rate and blastocyst formation were higher in control group than hyaluronidase group (p < 0.05). Our present results showed that developmental competence of porcine oocytes could be reduce by hyaluronidase via inducing oxidative stress during maturation process and it might be associated with prostaglandin synthesis. Therefore, we suggest that suppression of cumulus expansion of COCs could induce oxidative stress and decrease nuclear maturation via reduction of GSH synthesis and it caused to decrease developmental competence of mammalian oocytes.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2007

This study was conducted to examine the role of intact cumulus cells during in vitro fertilization (IVF) on sperm penetration, male pronuclear (MPN) formation and subsequent embryo development of oocytes matured and fertilized in vitro. Cumulus-oocyte complexes obtained from the slaughtered gilt ovaries were matured for 44 h in TCM199 containing 10% porcine follicular fluid, epidermal growth factor and hormones. After maturation culture, denuded oocytes or oocytes with intact cumulus cells were coincubated with frozen-thawed boar semen for 8h in a modified tris-buffered medium containing 5mM caffeine and 10mM calcium chloride. Putative zygotes were fixed and examined for sperm penetration and MPN formation (Experiments $1{\sim}3$), or cultured in North Carolina State University-23 medium fo. 156 h (Experiment 3). In Experiment 1, sperm penetration was examined after insemination of denuded oocytes and oocytes with intact cumulus cells at the concentration of $7.5{\times}10^5$ sperm/ml. Optimal sperm concentration for IVF of cumulus-intact oocytes was determined in Experiment 2 by inseminating intact oocytes with $2{\sim}5{\times}10^6$ sperm/ml. In Experiment 3, denuded or intact oocytes were inseminated at the concentrations of $7.5{\times}10^5$ and $4.0{\times}10^6$ sperm/ml, respectively, and in vitro embryo development was compared. Sperm penetration was significantly (p<0.01) decreased in cumulus-intact oocytes compared to denuded oocytes (35.2% vs. 77.4%). Based on the rates of sperm penetration and normal fertilization, the concentration of $4.0{\times}10^6$ sperm/ml was optimal for the IVF of intact oocytes compared to other sperm concentrations. The presence of intact cumulus cells during IVF significantly (p<0.05) improved embryo cleavage (48.8% vs. 58.9%), blastocyst (BL) formation (11.0% vs. 22.8%) and embryo cell number $(22{\pm}2\;vs.\;29{\pm}2\;cells)$ compared to denuded oocytes. In conclusion, these results suggest that intact cumulus cells during IVF inhibit sperm penetration but improve embryo cleavage, BL formation and embryo cell number of porcine embryos produced in vitro.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.194-200
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• 2009

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of donor cell passage, size and type on the development of nuclear transfer embryos. Porcine cumulus cells, fetal fibroblasts and oviductal epithelial cells from 1-2, 3-6 and 7-10 passages were used for the nuclear transfer. In the oocytes with the cumulus donor cells, fusion and cleavage rates of oocytes and cell numbers per blastocyst among the three different passage groups did not show any differences, but the rates of blastocyst formation from 1-2 and 3-6 passage groups were higher than those from 7-10 passage group. The rates of fusion, cleavage and blastocyst formation, and the cell numbers per blastocyst were higher in the embryos with the sizes of <20 and 20 ${\mu}m$ cumulus donor cells compared to the >20 ${\mu}m$ cumulus donor cell. In the oocytes with the fetal fibroblast donor cells, the rate of blastocyst formation from the 3-6 passage group was higher than from 1-2 and 7-10 passage groups. The embryos with the size of 20 $\mu{m}$ fetal fibroblast donor cell showed higher rate of blastocyst formation compared to those with <20 and >20 ${\mu}m$ donor cells. In the oocytes with the oviductal epithelial cells, the rates of blastocyst formation from 1-2 and 3-6 passage groups were higher compared to those from 7-10 passage group. The embryos with the sizes of <20 and 20 ${\mu}m$ oviductal epithelial donor cells had a higher rate of blastocyst formation compared to those with >20 ${\mu}m$ donor cell. Fusion and cleavage rates of oocytes, and cell numbers per blastocyst among the three different donor cell types from the 3-6 passage did not show any differences. However, the rate of blastocyst formation of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos with the fetal fibroblast donor cell was higher than that of blastocyst formation of SCNT embryos with the cumulus and oviductal epithelial donor cells.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.117-125
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• 2001

Vitrification of oocytes has been applied recently fur pigs, but remains elusive. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of vitrification in open pulled straws (OPS) on in vitro survival of porcine oocytes. When immature follicular oocytes frozen-thawed were cultured for in vitro maturation, maturation rates to metaphase-II stage were higher in oocytes with (25%) than without (15%) cumulus cells. After In vitro fertilization of oocytes frozen-thawed, the maturation rates were also significantly (P<0.05) higher in oocytes with (41%) that than without (17%) cumulus cells. However, the penetration rates were higher in oocytes without (19%) that than with (9%) cumulus. In another experiment, porcine oocytes matured in vitro were frozen and thawed for in vitro fertilization. The penetration rates were higher than in oocytes without (35%) that than with (26%) cumulus cells. However, the proportions of oocytes dead after in vitro fertilization were significantly (P<0.05) higher in oocytes with that than without cumulus cells. On the other hand, the rates of penetration and dead oocytes at 6 h after in vitro fertilization were not significant differences between oocytes with and without cumulus cells. However, the proportions of dead oocytes with (18%) and without (16%) cumulus cells were higher than in oocytes of control group (0%). These finding indicated the possible broader application for OPS, as they demonstrated that the maturation and fertilization in vitro by frozen-thawed oocytes may be accompained by cumulus cells and culture periods according to the requirements of the survival ability after freezing of mature and immature oocytes in pigs.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2002

The present study was conducted for the production of transgenic cloned cows those secrete human lactoferricin into milk by somatic cell nuclear transfer (NT). To estimate detrimental effects of gene transfection on transgenic cloned embryo production, development rates of NT embryos were compared between transfected and non-transfected cumulus and ear fibroblast cells. An expression plasmid for human lactofericin (pbeta-LFC) was constructed by inserting a bovine beta-casein promoter, a green fluorescent protein (GFP) marker gene, and human lactoferricin target gene into a pcDNA3 plasmid. Two bovine somatic cell lines (cumulus cell and ear fibroblast) were established and transfected with the expression plasmid using a liposomal transfection reagent, Fugene6 as a carrier. Cumulus cell and ear fibroblast were transfected at the passage of 2 to 4, trypsinized and GFP-expressing cells were randomly selected and used for somatic cell NT. Developmental competences (rates of fusion, cleavage, and blastocyst formation) in bovine transgenic somatic cell NT embryos reconstructed with non-transfectecd cells were significantly higher than those from transfected cells in cumulus cell and ear fibroblast (P＜0.05). This study indicated that transfection of done. cell has detrimental effect on embryo development in bovine transgenic NT.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.256-256
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• 2004

The study was carried out to investigate the effects of preservation of ovaries and oocytes with and without cumulus cells and incubation time on zona penetration by canine spermatozoa. The objective of this study was to produce in vitro fertilized oocytes and solute canine sterile. (omitted)

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 1997

The studies were carried out to investigate the effects of co-culture with cumulus cells and oviduct epithelial cells on the in vitro fertilization and cleavage rate of bovine follicular cocytes and to determine the optimum thawing temperature and equilibration time on in vitro developmental rate of frozen bovine embryos. The ovaries were obtained from slaughtered Korean native cows. The follicular oocytes were cultured in TGM-199 medium containing 10 IU /ml의 PM SG, 10 IU /ml의 hCG, ip g/ml의 $\beta$-estradiol and 10% FCS for 24~48 hrs in incubator with 5% $CO_2$ in air at 38.5$^{\circ}C$. The bovine embryos following dehydration by cryoprotective agents and a various concentration of sucrose were directly plunged into liquld nitrogen and thawed in 3$0^{\circ}C$ water. Survival rate was defined as developmental rate on in vitro culture or FDA-test. The results are sunanarized as followes :1. The in vitro fertilization and in vitro developmental rates of bovine oocytes co-cultured with cumulus cells in TCM499 medium were 75.0~76.8% and 17.3~27.6%, respect-ively. And in-vitro fertilization rates of cumulus-enclosed oocytes(55.4%)were significantly(p<0.05) higher than cumulus-denuded oocytes (23.1%). 2. The in vitro fertilization and in vitro developmental rates of bovine oocytes co-cultured with l$\times$ l04cells /ml, 1 x l06cells /ml, lx l08cells /ml and 1 x l015cells /ml oviduct epithelial cells in TCM-199 medium were 74.5~77.8% and 15.7~21.20 respectively.3. The in-vitro fertilization and in vitro developmental rates of bovine oocytes cocultured in '1CM-199 media containing PMSG, hCG, PMSG+hCG. PMSG+$\beta$-estradiol, hCG+$\beta$-estradiol 0 to 40 hrs after insemination were 74.0~77.4% and l8.9~23.l%, re-spectiv ely.4.The survival rates of bovine embryos thawed after rapid freezing in the freezing medium containing a various concentration of sucrose added 1.5M and 2.OM glycerol,DMSO and propanediol were 23.5~31.4% and 20.6~34.l%, respectively. 5. The temperature thawed at 3$0^{\circ}C$ after rapid freezing of bovine embryos resulted in a significantly higher embryos survival rate than did at 2$0^{\circ}C$ and 35$^{\circ}C$.6. The equilibration time on the survival rates of bovine embryos was attained after short period of time(2.5~5 min.) in the freezing medium higher than long period of time (10~20min.). (Key words : bovine embryos, co-culture, freezing, in vitro development)

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1994

This experiment was investigated the effect of presence of granulosa cells from follicles of different size on bovine oocyte maturation, cleavage and development to late stage. The nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of oocytes in the IVM-IVF system are critical for subsequent embryo development. Granulosa cells when the co-cultured with oocytes may interact with cumulus-oocytes complexes and influence the development competence of the oocytes. Granulosa cells from medium (2~6 mm) and large(>1O mm) size follicles were recovered by aspiration, washed 3 times by centrifugation at 500 x g for 5 min. and used for co-culture at a concentration of 2~3 x 106 cells/mi. The oocytes were matured in vitro (IVM) for 24 hrs. in TCM-199 supplemented with 35 $\mu$g/ml FSH, 10 $\mu$g/ml LH, 1 $\mu$g/ml estradiol-17$\beta$ and granulosa cells at 39$^{\circ}C$ under 5% $CO_2$ in air. They were fertilized in vitro (IVF) by epididymal spermatozoa treated with heparin for 24 hrs., and then the zygotes were co-cultured in vitro (I VC) with bovine oviductal epithelial cells for 7 to 9 days. The assessment of maturation revealed that Grade J oocytes showed significantly(P

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.10-19
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• 2019

Morphology of cumulus-oocyte-complexes (COCs) at germinal vesicle (GV) stage as one of the evaluation criteria for oocyte maturation quality after in vitro maturation (IVM) plays important roles on the meiotic maturation, fertilization and early embryonic development in pigs. When cumulus cells of COCs are insufficient, which is induced the low oocyte maturation rate by the increasing of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in porcine oocyte during IVM. The ROS are known to generate including superoxide and hydrogen peroxide from electron transport system of mitochondria during oocyte maturation in pigs. To regulate the ROS production, the cumulus cells is secreted the various antioxidant enzymes during IVM of porcine oocyte. Our previous study showed that Mito-TEMPO, superoxide specific scavenger, improves the embryonic developmental competence and blastocyst formation rate by regulating of mitochondria functions in pigs. However, the effects of Mito-TEMPO as a superoxide scavenger to help the anti-oxidant functions from cumulus cells of COCs on meiotic maturation during porcine oocyte IVM has not been reported. Here, we categorized experimental groups into two groups (Grade 1: G1; high cumulus cells and Grade 2: G2; low cumulus cells) by using hemocytometer. The meiotic maturation rate from G2 was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased (G1: $79.9{\pm}3.8%$ vs G2: $57.5{\pm}4.6%$) compared to G1. To investigate the production of mitochondria derived superoxide, we used the mitochondrial superoxide dye, Mito-SOX. Red fluorescence of Mito-SOX detected superoxide was significantly (p < 0.05) increased in COCs of G2 compared with G1. And, we examined expression levels of genes associated with mitochondrial antioxidant such as SOD1, SOD2 and PRDX3 using a RT-PCR in porcine COCs at 44 h of IVM. The mRNA levels of three antioxidant enzymes expression in COCs from G2 were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than COCs of G1. In addition, we investigated the anti-oxidative effects of Mito-TEMPO on meiotic maturation of porcine oocyte from G1 and G2. Meiotic maturation and mRNA levels of antioxidant enzymes were significantly (p < 0.05) recovered in G2 by Mito-TEMPO ($0.1{\mu}M$, MT) treatment (G2: $68.4{\pm}3.2%$ vs G2 + MT: $73.9{\pm}1.4%$). Therefore, our results suggest that reduction of mitochondria derived superoxide by Mito-TEMPO may improves the meiotic maturation in IVM of porcine oocyte.