• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.22-29
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• 2015

Objective: Sperm must be properly prepared in in vitro fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer (ET) programs in order to control the fertilization rate and ensure that embryos are of high quality and have appropriate developmental abilities. The objective of this study was to determine the most optimal sperm preparation method for IVF. Methods: Patients less than 40 years of age who participated in a fresh IVF-ET cycle from November 2012 to March 2013 were included in this study. Poor responders with less than three mature oocytes were excluded. Ham's F-10 medium or sperm-washing medium (SWM) was used in combination with the density-gradient centrifugation/swim-up (DGC-SUP) or SUP methods for sperm preparation. A total of 429 fresh IVF-ET cycles were grouped according to the media and methods used for sperm preparation and retrospectively analyzed (DGC-SUP/Ham's F-10, n=82; DGC-SUP/SWM, n=43; SUP/Ham's F-10, n=181; SUP/SWM, n=123). Results: There were no significant differences among these four groups with respect to the mean age of the female partners, duration of infertility, number of previous IVF cycles, and retrieved oocytes. We determined that both the DGC-SUP and SUP methods for sperm preparation from whole semen, using either Ham's F-10 or SWM media, result in comparable clinical outcomes, including fertilization and pregnancy rates. Conclusion: We suggest that both media and both methods for sperm preparation can be used for selecting high-quality sperm for assistive reproductive technology programs.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.207-214
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• 2016

Objective: This study aimed to determine the threshold of $anti-M{\ddot{u}}llerian$ hormone (AMH) as predictor of follicular growth failure in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients treated with clomiphene citrate (CC). Methods: Fifty female subjects with PCOS were recruited and divided into two groups based on successful and unsuccessful follicular growth. Related variables such as age, infertility duration, cigarette smoking, use of Moslem hijab, sunlight exposure, fiber intake, body mass index, waist circumference, AMH level, 25-hydroxy vitamin D level, and growth of dominant follicles were obtained, assessed, and statistically analyzed. Results: The AMH levels of patients with successful follicular growth were significantly lower (p= 0.001) than those with unsuccessful follicular growth ($6.10{\pm}3.52$ vs. $10.43{\pm}4.78ng/mL$). A higher volume of fiber intake was also observed in the successful follicular growth group compared to unsuccessful follicular growth group (p= 0.001). Our study found the probability of successful follicle growth was a function of AMH level and the amount of fiber intake, expressed as Y =-2.35+($-0.312{\times}AMH\;level$)+($0.464{\times}fiber\;intake$) (area under the curve, 0.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.79-0.98; p< 0.001). Conclusion: The optimal threshold of AMH level in predicting the failure of follicle growth in patients with PCOS treated with CC was 8.58 ng/mL.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.32-44
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• 2002

Onsinhwan(OSH : 溫腎丸) is used in female infertility, especially due to lack of kidney yang or Sinyanghe(腎陽虛). An attempt was made to evaluate the influences of OSH on the serum concentrations of FSH and LH, Estrogen, Progesterone and the histological and optical changes of ovary, ovary weight of rats. The results of the study were as follows : 1. Blood FSH level increased in experimental group as compared with control group on 7th day and 14th day, which showed no efficacy. 2. Blood LH level decreased in experimental group as compared with control group on 14th day, which showed no efficacy. 3. Blood Estrogen level increased in experimental group as compared with control group on 7th day and 14th day, which showed no efficacy. 4. Blood Progesterone level decreased in experimental group as compared with control group on 7th day and 14th day, which showed no efficacy. 5. In histological observations of ovary, ovulation increased in experimental group as compared control group on 7th and on 14th day, which showed no efficacy. 6. In optically observations of ovary, size and weight of ovary increased in experimental group on 7th day and on 14th day, which showed no efficacy. According to these results, OSH did not influence on the ovulation of ovary in rats.

• Hwankyungkyoyuk
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.275-290
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• 1998

Nowadays, mankind is suffering from serious pollutions. In proportion to industrial modernization, polltional problems have been increased and arised new one endlessly. Todays, we are cope with a newkind pollution materials threatening the life of mankind with root out. It is Environmental Hormon, that is, Endocrine Disrupting Chemical(EDs). EDs was made by dioxin, PCB, DDT, cadmium, lead, ether and even diethylstillbestrol(DES) that used to contraceptive pill etc. These EDs makes changing from normal human hormon to abnormal one and it kill off or fade out spermatozoa. Then the spermatozoa was infected with EDs makes man imposex, sexual malformations and infertility also. It is the more critical phenomenons that EDs invade into the field of wild-life; birds, invertebrate animals, fishes, mammalia especially. England TV(BBC) journalist Cadury, D. introduced a lot of case studies that many kind of male animals was changed feminization by EDs in her book (The Feminization of Nature;1997). Otherwise, Gibbs, P.E. and Bryan, G. W. reported about dog-whelk snail (a sort of sea shell) was changed gender from male to female by EDs in their study. Briefly speaking, Environmental Hormon (EDs) stem from polluted materials maloperate human and animal informational codes of hormon. It is a significant event to an individual ontogeny and ecological system. To overcome these problem WHO, OECD, UNEP held many work-shops, international seminars and researches but it is not enough yet. On May of 1997, the International Meeting of Environmental Administrators makes a $\ulcorner$Declaration on EDs Problems$\lrcorner$ for solving it fortunately and NHK(japan) reported Super Critical Fluid as a new materials for decrease toxicity of dioxin in recent. Key Words : Environmental Hormon, EDs, imposex feminization, gender, DES, spermatozoa. Super Critical Fluid.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.322-336
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• 2021

Objective: Endometriosis is a chronic debilitating inflammatory condition characterized by the presence of endometrial tissues outside the uterine cavity. Pelvic soreness and infertility are the usual association. Due to the poor effectiveness of the hormone therapy and the high incidence of recurrence following surgical excision, there is no single effective option for management of endometriosis. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stromal cells studied for their broad immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory properties; however, their efficiency in endometriosis cases is still a controversial issue. Our study aim was to evaluate whether adipose tissue-derived MSCs (AD-MSCs) could help with endometriosis through their studied anti-inflammatory role. Methods: Female Wistar rats weighting 180 to 250 g were randomly divided into two groups: group 1, endometriosis group; established by transplanting autologous uterine tissue into rats' peritoneal cavities and group 2, stem cell treated group; treated with AD-MSCs on the 5th day after induction of endometriosis. The proliferative activity of the endometriosis lesions was evaluated through Ki67 staining. Quantitative estimation of interferon γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, IL-10, and transforming growth factor β expression, as well as immunohistochemical detection of CD68 positive macrophages, were used to assess the inflammatory status. Results: The size and proliferative activity of endometriosis lesions were significantly reduced in the stem cell treated group. Stem cells efficiently mitigated endometriosis associated chronic inflammatory reactions estimated through reduction of CD68 positive macrophages and the expression of the proinflammatory cytokines. Conclusion: Stem cell therapy can be considered a novel remedy in endometriosis possibly through its anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative properties.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.154-162
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• 2018

Objective: The fallopian tubes play a critical role in the early events of fertilization. The rapid innate immune defense is an important part of the fallopian tubes. Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), as a part of the innate immune system, plays an important role in detecting viral infections. In this basic and experimental study, the effect of sex hormones on the function of TLR3 in the OE-E6/E7 cell line was investigated. Methods: The functionality of TLR3 in this cell line was evaluated by cytokine measurements (interleukin [IL]-6 and IL-1b) and the effects of sex hormones on TLR3 were tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Additionally, TLR3 small interfering RNA (siRNA) and a TLR3 function-blocking antibody were used to confirm our findings. Results: The production of IL-6 significantly increased in the presence of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) as the TLR3 ligand. Using a TLR3-siRNA-ransfected OE-E6/E7 cell line and function-blocking antibody confirmed that cytokine production was due to TLR3. In addition, 17-${\beta}$ estradiol and progesterone suppressed the production of IL-6 in the presence and absence of poly(I:C). Conclusion: These results imply that sex hormones exerted a suppressive effect on the function of TLR3 in the fallopian tube cell line when different concentrations of sex hormones were present. The current results also suggest that estrogen receptor beta and nuclear progesterone receptor B are likely to mediate the hormonal regulation of TLR3, as these two receptors are the main estrogen and progesterone receptors in OEE6/E7 cell line.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2021

Objective: Exercise is a risk factor for infertility in women. However, research on the effects of different intensities of exercise on folliculogenesis has not yielded clear results. This study was conducted to analyze the effects of differences in the intensity of exercise on folliculogenesis in mice. Methods: Nineteen female BALB/c mice (age, 3-4 months; weight, 13-25 g) were randomly divided into four groups: control, mild exercise, moderate exercise, and high-intensity exercise. The mice in the exercise groups engaged in swimming, with additional loads of 3%, 6%, or 9% of body weight, respectively. There were five swimming sessions per week for 4 weeks, with a gradually increasing duration every week. At the end of the treatment, ovarian extraction was carried out and hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to identify folliculogenesis. Results: There were significant differences in the number of total follicles between the control and moderate-exercise groups (p=0.036) and between the mild- and moderate-exercise groups (p=0.005). The mean number of primary follicles was higher in the moderate-exercise group than in the mild-exercise group (p=0.006). The mean number of secondary, tertiary, and Graafian follicles did not differ significantly among groups (p≥0.05). However, the number of total follicles and follicles in each phase tended to increase after exercise, especially moderate-intensity exercise. Conclusion: Exercise of different intensities affected the total number of follicles and primary follicles. The number of follicles of each phase tended to increase after exercise. Moderate-intensity exercise had better effects than other intensities of exercise.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.300-317
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• 2020

Purpose: Hysteroscopy can be used both to diagnose and to treat intrauterine pathologies. It is well known that hysteroscopy helps to improve reproductive outcomes by treating intrauterine pathologies. However, it is uncertain whether hysteroscopy is helpful in the absence of intrauterine pathologies. This study aimed to confirm whether hysteroscopy improves the reproductive outcomes of infertile women without intrauterine pathologies. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of 11 studies retrieved from Ovid-MEDLINE, Ovid-Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Two independent investigators extracted the data and used risk-of-bias tools (RoB 2.0 and ROBINS-I) to assess their quality. Results: Diagnostic hysteroscopy prior to in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was associated with a higher clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR) than non-hysteroscopy in patients with recurrent implantation failure (RIF) (odds ratio, 1.79 and 1.46; 95% confidence interval, 1.40-2.30 and 1.08-1.97 for CPR and LBR, respectively) while hysteroscopy prior to first IVF was ineffective. The overall meta-analysis of LBR showed statistically significant findings for RIF, but a subgroup analysis showed effects only in prospective cohorts (odds ratio, 1.40 and 1.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.62-3.16 and 1.04-2.07 for randomized controlled trials and prospective cohorts, respectively). Therefore, the LBR should be interpreted carefully and further research is needed. Conclusion: Although further research is warranted, hysteroscopy may be considered as a diagnostic and treatment option for infertile women who have experienced RIF regardless of intrauterine pathologies. This finding enables nurses to educate and support infertile women with RIF prior to IVF/ICSI.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.259-269
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• 2022

Objective: Animal-free scaffolds have emerged as a potential foundation for consistent, chemically defined, and low-cost materials. Because of its good potential for high biocompatibility with reproductive tissues and well-characterized scaffold design, we investigated whether polyglycolic acid (PGA) could be used as an animal-free scaffold instead of natural fibrin-agarose, which has been used successfully for three-dimensional human endometrial cell culture. Methods: Isolated primary endometrial cells was cultured on fibrin-agarose and PGA polymers and evaluated various design parameters, such as scaffold porosity and mean fiber diameter. Cytotoxicity, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and immunostaining experiments were conducted to examine cell activity on fabricated scaffolds. Results: The MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay and SEM results showed that endometrial cells grew and proliferated on both scaffolds. Immunostaining showed cytokeratin and vimentin expression in seeded cells after 7 days of culture. On both scaffolds, an epithelial arrangement of cultured cells was found on the top layer and stromal arrangement matrix on the bottom layer of the scaffolds. Therefore, fibrin-agarose and PGA scaffolds successfully mimicked the human endometrium in a way suitable for in vitro analysis. Conclusion: Both fibrin-agarose and PGA scaffolds could be used to simulate endometrial structures. However, because of environmental and ethical concerns and the low cost of synthetic polymers, we recommend using PGA as a synthetic polymer for scaffolding in research instead of natural biomaterials.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.112-112
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• 2002

Under normal conditions, women produce a single dominant follicle that participates in a single ovuation each menstrual cycle. But Polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS) conditions, folliculogenesis does not proceed normally. This condition leads to the accumlation of large numbers of small graffian follicles in which the theca interstitial cells (TIC) produce abnormally large amounts of androgen. PCOS is probably the most common endocrine disorder, affecting women of reprodutive age with 5-10% prevalence estimate. Chronic anovulation, hyperandrogenism, hirsutism, obesity, infertility and polycystic ovaries are clinical hallmarks of women with PCOS. Its etiology remains unknown. To investigate the gene expression pattern of ovary in PCO-induced rat, we used cDNA expression analysis. Total RNA was extracted from the ovary of PCO-induced rat and reverse-transcribed in the presence of［$\alpha$$^{32}$P］-dATP Which were hybridized to Atlas$^{TM}$ Rat Toxicology 1.2 array (Clontech) representing approximately 1176 rat genes. We compared gene expression between ovary of pco-induced immature female rats and control. Differential gene expression profiles were revealed (LIFR-alpha, ADRA1A, Heat shock 90-kDa protein A, PDGFRA). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) was used to validate the relative expression pattern obtained by the cDNA array. The precise relationship between the altered expression of genes and PCO is a matter of further investigation. This study was supported by Korea Science and Engineering Foundation(KOSEF)