• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제45권1호
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• pp.25-30
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• 2018

Objective: This study conducted a preliminary examination of the effects of three-area laser-assisted zona thinning (LAZT) during the cleavage stage of embryo development on the hatching process in human in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) with subjects of advanced female age or frozen-thawed (FT) embryos. Methods: Eight-cell stage embryos were treated with LAZT in three areas of the zona pellucida at $120^{\circ}$ intervals. The control group was embryos without LAZT. Of the 72 consecutive fresh cycles and the 28 FT embryo transfer cycles, the patients in 55 fresh cycles and 17 FT cycles declined LAZT, and those cycles were defined as the control group. Results: In the fresh cycles, the pregnancy rates were similar in the LAZT and control groups. However, in the FT cycles, the pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the LAZT group than in the control group (45.5% in the LAZT group vs. 23.5% in the control group, p< 0.05). Conclusion: These results show that multi-area LAZT resulted in significantly improved pregnancy outcomes in human 8-cell embryos compared to controls.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제43권4호
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• pp.233-239
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• 2016

Objective: Uterine contraction induced by the embryo transfer (ET) process has an adverse effect on embryo implantation. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of oxytocin antagonist supplementation on the day of ET on in vitro fertilization outcomes via a meta-analysis. Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Four online databases (Embase, Medline, PubMed, and Cochrane Library) were searched through May 2015 for RCTs that investigated oxytocin antagonist supplementation on the day of ET. Studies were selected according to predefined inclusion criteria and meta-analyzed using RevMan 5.3. Only RCTs were included in this study. The main outcome measures were the clinical pregnancy rate, the implantation rate, and the miscarriage rate. Results: A total of 123 studies were reviewed and assessed for eligibility. Three RCTs, which included 1,020 patients, met the selection criteria. The implantation rate was significantly better in patients who underwent oxytocin antagonist infusion (19.8%) than in the control group (11.3%) (n = 681; odds ratio [OR], 1.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.25-2.96). No significant difference was found between the two groups in the clinical pregnancy rate (n = 1,020; OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 0.92-2.67) or the miscarriage rate (n = 456; OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.44-1.33). Conclusion: The results of this meta-analysis of the currently available literature suggest that the administration of an oxytocin antagonist on the day of ET improves the implantation rate but not the clinical pregnancy rate or miscarriage rate. Additional, large-scale, prospective, randomized studies are necessary to confirm these findings.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제43권4호
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• pp.240-246
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• 2016

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the efficacy of intrauterine instillation of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on the day of ovulation triggering or oocyte retrieval in infertile women with a thin endometrium. Methods: Fifty women whose endometrial thickness (EMT) was ${\leq}8mm$ at the time of triggering during at least one previous in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle and an index IVF cycle were selected. On the day of triggering (n = 12) or oocyte retrieval (n = 38), $300{\mu}g$ of G-CSF was instilled into the uterine cavity. Results: In the 50 index IVF cycles, the mean EMT was $7.2{\pm}0.6mm$ on the triggering day and increased to $8.5{\pm}1.5mm$ on the embryo transfer day (p< 0.001). The overall clinical pregnancy rate was 22.0%, the implantation rate was 15.9%, and the ongoing pregnancy rate was 20%. The clinical pregnancy rate (41.7% vs. 15.8%), the implantation rate (26.7% vs. 11.7%), and the ongoing pregnancy rate (41.7% vs. 13.2%) were higher when G-CSF was instilled on the triggering day than when it was instilled on the retrieval day, although this tendency was likewise not statistically significant. Aspects of the stimulation process and mean changes in EMT were similar in women who became pregnant and women who did not. Conclusion: Intrauterine instillation of G-CSF enhanced endometrial development and resulted in an acceptable pregnancy rate. Instillation of G-CSF on the triggering day showed better outcomes. G-CSF instillation should be considered as a strategy for inducing endometrial growth and good pregnancy results in infertile women with a thin endometrium.

• 대한한방부인과학회지
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.1-10
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• 2015

Objectives : This study was performed to investigate the efficacy of Korean Medical Therapy (KMT) for patients undergoing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Methods : We analysed clinical data of 61 patients who visited for KMT after IVF from January 2013 to December 2013. Results : 1. Above 2years (63.9%) was the most prevalent duration of infertility. 2. The mean age of patients was 36.0 years old. The most prevalent age was 31~35 (45.9%) and 36~49 (27.9%) was next. 3. Anjonicheon-tang was the most prevalent KMT prescription, followed by Sutae-hwan, Jogyeongjongok-tang . 4. Twenty seven patients (44.3%) succeeded in pregnancy. And twenty patients (32.8%) succeeded in delivery. 5. The average duration of KMT was 73.8 days. Pregnancy success group was treated for 78.1 days, and pregnancy fail group was treated for 57.0 days. As a result, pregnancy success group was more treated than pregnancy fail group by 21.1 days in KMT. Conclusions This study suggested that KMT affects improvement of the clinical pregnancy and delivery rate in IVF.

• 한국약용작물학회지
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• 제24권6호
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• pp.444-450
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• 2016

Background: The roots of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidzumi contain atractylone, which is used to suppress appetite and indigestion caused by gastrointestinal disturbance. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of several organic compost on the growth and root yield of A. macrocephala with organic fertilizer. Methods and Results: When organic fertilizer was applied basally, the average yield of 10 a was 184.6 kg in the HA (Hwanggeumjidae, organic material mix), 171.3 kg in the GG (Gyunbaeyangchegreen, bacterial cuture filtrate) and 175.0 kg in the CF (Customary fertilization, control) each other in practice of CF had no statistical significance. Atractylenolide I was significantly greater in the HA (0.036%) than the GG (0.034%) or CF (0.023%). With regard to the amount of organic fertilzer, 10 a yield was the most common of 203.0 kg at 2.0 times of the organic 1 (HA), conventional fertilization of 134.0 kg and 173.0 kg of no application was a statistically significant. Organic fertilizer 1 was 1.5 to 2.0 times, organic fertilizer was 2 to 1.5 times that were most suitable. Conclusions: The results of the present study indicated that HA and GG are the most suitable for the organic cultivation of A. macrocephala. The content of atractylone I was highest under the HA treatment and lowest under the CU (Chamjoa, oil cake), TG (Totogreen, plant oil cake) and HG (Heuksalgreen, Castor oil cake) treatment.

• 한국농공학회지
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• 제44권4호
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• pp.39-50
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• 2002

Field experiment was performed to investigate water and nutrient mass balances in paddy field with groundwater irrigation from May to October, 2001. The total water inflow was about 1,183mm in which rainfall, overflow from upstream paddy, and groundwater irrigation accounted for 43, 30, and 27%, respectively. Notice that the precipitation of the study period was less than the average annual precipitation. The total drainage was almost balanced with the inflow and more than half of it was occurred by surface drainage. From the nutrient mass balance analysis, the T-P output (17.56kg/ha) was estimated slightly lower than the input (20.90kg/ha) and the T-N output (130.41kg/ha) was slightly greater than the input(129.24kg/ha). However, the difference was within the expectation and the nutrient mass was thought to be balanced considering uncertainties in field experiment and other activities not included in the study such as algae and soil microorganisms. The surface discharge of nutrient, which was about 10% of total nutrient output, was mainly affected by fertilization and rainfall runoff. Therefore, prudent surface drainage plan might be necessary particularly for the fertilization period to prevent degradation of receiving water quality. The study was performed under abnormally low rainfall compared to the average annual rainfall record, and further monitoring in diverse rainfalls and irrigation methods is recommended to estimate nutrient behavior in the paddy field more reasonably.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제47권2호
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• pp.135-139
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• 2020

Objective: In the present study, we aimed to retrospectively evaluate the cumulative live birth rate (LBR) after up to three consecutive embryo transfer (ET) cycles, either fresh or frozen, in women with expected poor ovarian response (ePOR). Methods: We selected 115 women who entered the first in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle between August 2013 and July 2016. The women were divided into an ePOR group (37 women) and a non-ePOR group (78 women). All women in the ePOR group were ≥ 40 years old or had serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels of less than 1.1 ng/mL at the time of the first IVF cycle. Live birth outcomes were monitored until December 2017. The cumulative LBR (with both conservative and optimistic estimates) was calculated according to the serial number of ET cycles. Results: After up to three ET cycles, the overall cumulative LBR was significantly lower in the ePOR group than in the non-ePOR group (conservative estimate, 10.8% vs. 44.9%, respectively; optimistic estimate, 14.7% vs. 56.1%, respectively; log-rank test, p= 0.003). Conclusion: Women with ePOR exhibited a lower cumulative LBR than women in the non-ePOR group, and this information should be provided to ePOR women during counseling before starting IVF.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.241-251
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• 2010

Crucian carp (Carassius auratus) has been used as the sentinel species for POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) monitoring in aquatic environment. However, there is little information for dioxin toxicity and especially, early life stage toxicity in crucian carp have been never carried out. In this study, we investigated several toxic effects for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) in fertilized egg obtained by natural fertilization from crucian carp. The embryos at 3 h post-fertilization (hpf) were treated with 0.039, 0.156, 0.625, and 2.5 (${\mu}g/L$) TCDD by waterborne exposure for 60 minutes and changed with fresh water 2 times per day. Fertilized eggs started hatching at 51 hpf and TCDD exposed embryo showed decrease of hatching rate in a dose-dependent manner at 75 hpf. Pericardial edema was continuously observed in larvae exposed to TCDD from hatching start time (51 hpf), followed by the onset of mortality. In addition, AhR-related gene, CYP1A was clearly increased by TCDD in a dose dependent manner. These results indicated that fertilized eggs obtained from crucian carp have the TCDD related gene regulation and a distinct TCDD developmental toxicity syndrome by TCDD exposure. Therefore, we suggested that early life stage test in crucian carp could be used as test methods on dioxins toxicity.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제46권1호
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• pp.36-40
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• 2019

A viable spermatozoon is a prerequisite for fertilization in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Thus, it is crucial to select viable but immotile spermatozoa on the day of ICSI. We report conflicting results in the identification of viable but immotile spermatozoa between the eosin-nigrosin staining and the laser test, which resulted in confusion for embryologists during assisted reproductive technology (ART). Three patients' semen samples that showed no motile spermatozoa are described in this report. To identify viable spermatozoa, we used both the eosin-nigrosin test and the laser test for each sample, and repeated the semen analysis twice in each patient. Viable but immotile spermatozoa selected by the laser test were used for ICSI. Viable spermatozoa were detected by both the eosin-nigrosin and laser tests in two patients (case 1, 95.00% vs. 24.21% and 92.68% vs. 22.22%; case 2, 41.18% vs. 23.48% and 39.81% vs. 22.52%), indicating consistent results between the two methods. In the third patient, the eosin-nigrosin test yielded viability rates of 20.75% and 19.14%, while the result of the laser test was 0%. Thus, testicular aspiration was performed to collect viable sperm from this patient. Normal fertilization was achieved after the injection of viable but immotile spermatozoa selected from these patients by the laser test, resulting in the birth of two healthy babies. Our study documents a case where the eosin-nigrosin test showed a limitation in identifying viable but immotile spermatozoa for ART, while the laser test may overcome this limitation. Larger samples may be required to corroborate the clinical value of the laser test.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.53-59
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• 2021

Background: There are no guidelines for the optimal incubation time or temperature to improve pregnancy outcomes in testicular sperm extraction-intracytoplasmic sperm injection (TESE-ICSI) cycles. We aimed to evaluate whether a 24-hour in vitro culture of testicular spermatozoa affects pregnancy outcomes in TESE-ICSI cycles. Methods: This was a retrospective study of 83 TESE-ICSI cycles using testicular spermatozoa in 46 couples with male partners suffering from nonobstructive or obstructive azoospermia. Sperm retrieval was performed either on the oocyte retrieval (OR) day (65 cycles in 33 couples; group A) or on the day before OR (18 cycles in 13 couples; group B) followed by in vitro culture for 24 hours. The clinical characteristics and pregnancy outcomes, including the number of retrieved oocytes, fertilization rates, embryo transfer rates, implantation and clinical pregnancy rates, were compared between the two groups. Results: There were no differences in terms of clinical characteristics except for the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) in males. Group B had higher LH levels than group A (4.56±1.24 IU/L vs. 3.67±1.07 IU/L, p= 0.017). Group B showed higher fertilization rate (72.4%±32.1% vs. 59.2%±21.7%, p=0.045), implantation rate (35.0%±34.1% vs. 14.0%±21.5%, p=0.010), pregnancy rate per cycle (80% vs. 39%, p=0.033), and clinical pregnancy rate per cycle (80% vs. 37.5%, p=0.024) than those of group A. Conclusion: Testicular sperm retrieval performed on the day before OR followed by in vitro culture can potentially improve pregnancy outcomes.