• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.339-344
• /
• 2000

Objective: To evaluate silane-coated silica particles (Sil-select) as an alternative to polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated particles (Percoll) for gradient separation of spermatozoa, for use in assisted reproduction. Methods: 20 normal semen based on WHO criteria were included in this study. Recovery of motile and morphologically normal spermatozoa after using two-layer Percoll and Sil-select gradient respectively was recorded. Motility, HOST (hypoosmotic swelling test) and the detection of malondialdehyde for LPO (lipid peroxidation) after 24 h of incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ in a 5% $CO_2$ incubator were compared. Results: Percoll (78.5%) and Sil-select (79.1%) showed a significant increase in the motility compared to ejaculate (60.9%) but no difference between Percoll and Sil-select. Normal sperm morphology significantly increased after Percoll (57.6%) and Sil-select (53.7%) compared to ejaculate (35.8%) but no difference between Percoll and Sil-select. No differences in the recovery of motile spermatozoa and motility, HOST and the production of malondialdehyde after 24 h incubation were found when comparing the use of Percoll and Sil-select. Conclusion: Sil-select seems to be an attractive alternative to Percoll for sperm separation in assisted reproduction.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.164-167
• /
• 2011

Objective: There are limited data regarding the significance of elevated serum CA-125 level during IUI cycles, even though it is used widely during the initial evaluation of infertile patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of serum CA-125 levels during IUI cycles. Methods: Among the patients with controlled ovarian stimulation and IUI cycles at Seoul National University Hospital from Jan 2005 through Dec 2009, 92 cases with no identified endometriotic lesion, ovarian tumor, salpingeal lesion, or uterine myoma were selected. To compare the clinical characteristics between the pregnancy group and the non-pregnancy group, the Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's exact test were used. Results: The overall pregnancy rate was 18.5% (17/92). The pregnancy group showed a higher number of follicles 16 mm in diameter ($p$=0.036), endometrial thickness ($p$ <0.001), ampules of gonadotropin ($p$=0.009), and higher body mass index ($p$=0.022) than the non-pregnancy group. No significant difference was observed in the serum CA-125 level or the proportion of patients with CA-125 exceeding 17 IU/mL between the two groups. Conclusion: The prognostic value of serum CA-125 level among infertile patients with IUI cycles is considered limited.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.47-57
• /
• 2000

Objective: The effects of cryopreservation with or without coculture on the in vitro development of blastomere-biopsied 8-cell mouse embryos were investigated. This experimental study was originally designed for the setup of a preclinical mouse model for the preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) in human. Methods: Eight-cell embryos were obtained after in vitro fertilization (IVF) from F1 hybrid mice (C57BL(표현불가)/CBA(표현불가)). Using micromanipulation, one to four blastomeres were aspirated through a hole made in the zona pellucida by zona drilling (ZD) with acid Tyrode's solution (ATS). A slow-freezing and rapid-thawing protocol with 1.5M dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and 0.1M sucrose as cryoprotectant was used for the cryopreservation of blastomere- biopsied 8-cell mouse embryos. After thawing, embryos were cultured for 110 hours in Ham's F-10 supplemented with 0.4% bovine serum albumin (BSA). In the coculture group, embryos were cultured for 110 hours on the monolayer of Vero cells in the same medium. The blastocyst formation was recorded, and the embryos developed beyond blastocyst stage were stained with 10% Giemsa to count the total number of nuclei in each embryo. Results: The survival rate of embryos after cryopreservation was significantly lower in the blastomere-biopsied (7/8, 6/8, 5/8, and 4/8 embryos) groups than in the non-biopsied, zona intact (ZI) group. Without the coculture, the blastocyst formation rate of embryos after cryopreservation was not significantly different among ZI, the zona drilling only (ZD), and the balstomere-biopsied groups, but it was significantly lower than in the non-cryopreserved control group. The mean number of cells in embryos beyond blastocyst stage was significantly higher in the control group ($50.2{\pm}14.0$) than in 6/8 ($26.5{\pm}6.2$), 5/8 ($25.0{\pm}5.5$), and 4/8 ($17.8{\pm}7.8$) groups. With the coculture using Vero cells, the blastocyst formation rate of embryos after cryopreservation was significantly lower in 5/8 and 4/8 groups, compared with the control, 7/8, and 6/8 groups. The mean number of cells in embryos beyond blastocyst stage was also significantly lower in 4/8 group ($25.9{\pm}10.2$), compared with the control ($50.2{\pm}14.0$), 7/8 ($56.0{\pm}22.2$), and 6/8 ($55.3{\pm}25.5$) groups. Conclusion: After cryopreservation, blastomere-biopsied mouse embryos have a significantly impaired developmental competence in vitro, but this detrimental effect might be prevented by the coculture with Vero cells in 8-cell mouse embryos biopsied one or two blastomeres. Biopsy of mouse embryos after ZD with ATS is a safe and highly efficient preclinical model for PGD of human embryos.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.243-250
• /
• 2000

Objectives : Yukmi-Jihwang-Tang(YJT) has been used in Oriental Medicine as a drug for tonifying and nourishing yin. So, the purpose of this Study was to investigate effects of Yukmi-Jihwang-Tang extract(YJTE) on the T-lymphocytes and peritoneal macrophages in mice. Methods : YJTE consists of the following components; Rehmaniae Radix Preparata(熟地黃), Dioscoreae Rhizoma(山藥), Corni-Fructus(山茱萸), Hoelen alba(白茯), Moutan Cortex Radicis(牧丹皮), Alismatis Rhizoma(澤瀉). Result : The results of this Study were obtained as follow; The administration of YJTE did not affect T-lymphocytes apoptosis. YJTE decreased sub-population of TH and TC cells, and proliferation of T-lymphocytes too. But YJTE accelerated phagocytic activity and Nitric Oxide(NO) production from peritoneal macrophages in mice. Conclusions : These results suggest that the administeration of YJTE suppresses T-cell mediated immunity, but activates peritoneal macrophages.

• Korean Management Science Review
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.39-54
• /
• 2000

This paper presents a causal forecasting model using guided genetic algorithm in continuous manufacturing process. The guide genetic algorithm(GGA) is an extended genetic algorithm(GA) using penalty function and population diversity index to increase forecasting accuracy. GGA adds to the canonical GA the concept of a penalty function to avoid selecting the unproductive chromosomes and to make a proper searching direction. Also, GGA modifies the current population using the similarity of chromosomes to avoid falling into the trap of local optimal solution. For investigation GGA performance, we used a set of real data that was collected in local glass melting processes, and experimental results show the proposed model results in the better forecasting accuracy than linear regression model and canonical GA.

• Journal of Plant Biology
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.63-69
• /
• 1979

The plant growth and net production, the nitrogen uptake and recycling, the nitrogen mobility and allocation to each organ, and the nitrogen utility from the Italian rye grass field during the population development were analyzed in comparison with different clipping treatments. The maximum dry matter standing crop and nitrogen quantity of harvest increased significantly, however, the annual amounts of dry matter and nitrogen assimilation showed little variations with increasing clipping frequencies. Plants treated with frequent clippings allocated relatively more nitrogen to leaves and less to roots during the experimental period. The amount of recycling of nitrogen decreased considerably due to frequent clippings. The annual averages of nitrogen utility indices changed in inverse relation to the nitrogen availability; such as 63, 58, 44 and 35 for C, A, M and J plots, respectively.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 1988

The contraception practice rate in Korea has steadily increased from 9% in 1964 to 72% in 1987. Accordingly, natural increase rate of population declined from 28.4 per 1,000 in 1964 to 12.4 per 1,000 in 1987. Notably in recent years, the acceptance of surgical contraception services has sharply increased in this country. Now the author analyzes various factors influencing successful vasectomy and vasovasostomy based on his experience in performing more than 8,000 vasectomies and 1,000 vasovasostomies during the past 25 years. These various factors consist of preoperative screening interview, surgical vasectomy technique, vas irrigation technique, open-ended vasectomy, complications from vasectomy, sperm granuloma formation, spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis after vasectomy, immunological consequences after vasectomy, prostatic diseases and vasectomy, late post-vasectomy syndrome, psychological effects after vasectomy, and success rates of vasovasostomy. Besides, the author makes more comments on the results of the clinical trials on new approaches to reversible vas occlusion technique with a new device of Intravasal Thread and to reversible suppression of spermatogenesis with long-acting sex hormones.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.48-53
• /
• 1999

There are epidemiological evidences that the population with high fecal ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ activity has greater risk of colon cancer than the population with low fecal ${\beta}-glucuronidase$. This relationship was investigated by using the mouse-dimethylhydrazine colon carcinogenesis model and the extract of antler which was a ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ inhibitor. Mice with low fecal ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ activity induced by administration of water and Folch's fraction of antler had significantly fewer aberrant crypts after injections of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) than mice treated with DMH alone. The result supports the hypothesis that the inhibitor of ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ such as antler extract can protect an animal against the induction of colon cancer.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.239-243
• /
• 1983

EHMO calculations were performed on several antitumor active as well as inactive purine antimetabolites. Results showed that the N atom (position 9) which corresponds to the position of sugar (position 10) linkage in DNA bases has a net negative charge for antitumor active whereas it has a positive charge for inactive purines. It was also found that overlap population was the smallest for bond between atoms 9 and 10, which agrees with the experimental findings that antitumor activity is effected after conversion to nucleotide level.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.64-69
• /
• 1972

Nucleophilic reactivities of 1-and 2-phenethyl chlorides have been investigated MO-theoretically using the EHT method. It has been shown that results of population analysis are consistent with the experimental order of relative nucleophilic reactivities and furthermore the reversal of the reactivity order for the less reactive nucleophile, $I^-$, could also be explained satisfactorily.