• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.175-182
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• 1990

Progesterone production and oocyte maturation in ovarian follicles of Rana nigromaculata and Rana rugosa were investigated. Addition of frog pituitary homogenate (FPH) to the in utiro cultured follicles of R. nigromaculata stimulated a marked increase in the accumulation and secretion of progesterone (P$_4$) by the follicles and induced their oocyte maturation (germinal vesicle breakdown, GVBD) in a dose dependent manner. The FPH (0.1 pituitary equivalent/2 ml)-inducted P4 peak appeared in 3-6 hours and followed by the oocyte GVBD in 9-12 hours after the hormone stimulation. lncreae of intrafollicular cAMP levels with forskolin (an adenylatecyclase stimulator) and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor) mimic the FPH action in the stimulation of P$_4$ production but not in the induction of oocyte maturation. The in uitro cultured follicies of R. rugosa behaved very differently from other amphibian follicles. Addition of FPH-(0. 1 pit. equivl2 ml) to the culture medium neither stimulated P$_4$ production by the follicles nor induced the oocyte GVBD. However, treatment of the follicles with forskolin and IBMX drastically stimulated both the intrafollicular accumulation (800 pg/follicle) and secretion (1700 pg/follicle) of P$_4$ by the follicles during culture period. Thus, the data suggest that the follicles are ready to respond to cAMP increase but not to the FPH stimulation in terms of P$_4$ production.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.775-782
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• 2011

This study was designed to clarify the morphometrical change of lymph node, deep cortex and lymph follicles in draining lymph nodes of young mice in response to local injection of lipopolysaccharide(LPS). 1. In the group stimulated with LPS, aged 0 day and 3 days, the number of lymph follicles were not significantly different from those of control group. 2. In the group two to four weeks after injection with LPS, aged five days and one week, the number of lymph follicles were significantly increased from those of control group. 3. In the group one to four weeks after injection with LPS, aged 0 day, three days, five days and one week, the area of lymph node and deep cortex increased about 1.5-3 times more than that of the control group. 4. In the group two to four weeks after injection with LPS, aged three days, five days and one week, the lymph follicles(the area: larger than 0.1 mm2) were increased from those of control group. 5. In the group two to four weeks after injection with LPS, aged five days and one week, the lymph follicles(the area: smaller than 0.01 mm2) were increased from those of control group. In view of these experimental findings, the formation of lymph follicles were induced by LPS stimulation from 5 days to one week after birth. The newley formed lymph follicles area in response to LPS may be less than $0.01mm^2$.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2001.03a
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• pp.30-30
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• 2001

The culture of preantral follicles has important biotechnological implications through its potential to produce the large quantity of oocytes for embryo production, transgenesis research, conservation of rare breed, and a potential source of ovarian genetic material. The present study was conducted to establish the optimal conditions of in vitro culture for intact bovine preantral follicles; and to examine the developmental ability of oocytes derived from the in vitro-grown preantral follicles; and to investigate the effects of various concentrations of FSH and LH on these processes. Bovine preantral follicles (150 $\pm$ 1.2${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$), surrounded by theca cell, were isolated enzymetically and mechanically from ovarian cortical slides in Leibovitz L-15 medium containing 1 mg/$m\ell$ collagens and 0.2 mg/$m\ell$ DNase I and cultured for 25 days in the presence of different concentrations of bovine FSH and LH in $\alpha$MEM medium with insulin, transferrin, and selenite. The survival was tested by frypan Blue and Hematoxylin. The survival and growth rates of follicles were higher in FSH treatment groups than these in control (P<0.001), but there were no significant differences between the LH treatment groups and the control. In 25 days, the survival and growth rates of follicles in FSH and LH treatment group (50%, 300$\pm$1.0${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$) were higher than in FSH treatment group (40%, 244$\pm$0.5${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$) and the control group (25%, 160$\pm$ 1.0${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$). Fifty-five percent of healthy antral follicles were obtained, and 60% of the oocytes complete meiotic maturation to the metaphase II stage. Twenty-two percent of the mature oocytes underwent cleavage, and 9% developed to the blastocyst stage. In this study, in vitro-grown oocytes (111 $\pm$ $1.5mutextrm{m}$), under our culture conditions, were not equivalent in size to the in vivo-grown oocytes (130$\pm$1.3${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$). Therefore, these results suggest that bovine preantral follicles with intact theca cell can grow to the antral stage in 25days, and that oocytes from those follicles can acquire the meiotic competence and normally undergo fertilization and development to the blastocyst stage. However, the developmental capacity of in vitro-grown oocytes is presumably not comparable to those of the in vivo counterparts.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.165-172
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• 1997

the pupose of this study was to investigate the effects of gonadotropin and nitric oxide (NO) on the expression of mouse follicular bad and bax genes that are known induce apoptosis. Large and midium size follicles of immature mice were obtained at 0, 24, and 48 hours time intervals after Pregnant Mare's Serum gonadotropins(PMSG, 5 I.U.) injection. Preovulatory follicles collected at 24 hrs after PMSG injection were cultured with or without various chemicals such as gonadotropin, gonadotropin Releasing hormone(GnRH), testosterone, Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) for 24 hrs at $37^{\circ}C$. After 24 hrs culture, the culture media was used for nitrite assay and total RNA was extracted, subjected to RT-PCT for the analyses of bad and bax expression. We found that expression of bad and bax genes in follicles was markedly reduced before and after in vivo priming with hCG. When the preovulatory follicles were cultured for 24 hrs in culture media with PMSG and hCG, the expression of bad and bax genes was decreased. Moreover, SNP (NO generating agent) can significantly suppress the expression of bad and bax genes in follicles when apoptosis was induced by GnRH agonist and testosterone. At the same time, nitrite production of culture media was increased in GnRH agonist + SNP, testosterone + SNP and SNP treated groups than control group. These data demonstrated for the first time that peptide hormones and NO may play important roles in the regulation of mouse follicular differentiation and may prevent apoptosis via supressing the expression of bad and bax genes.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 2006

This study was undertaken to investigate the morphological changes between normal and atretic follicle after gamma irradiation and treatment of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). The ovaries of each group of treated immature mice were prepared the paraffin sections after 0, 6, 12, and 24 hours (hrs) of those treatment. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) stain, reticulin stain, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) immunohistochemical stain were performed on the each paraffin sections. As the results of HE staining, the condensed nuclei of oocytes were observed in the atretic primordial follicles, on the other hand the condensations of granulosa cell nuclei were prominent in the atretic primary, preantral, and antral follicles. Only the granulosa cells of atretic follicle were stained specifically with TUNEL staining but not stained in the theca cells, which suggested granulosa cells degenerated through apoptosis. In the reticulin staining, the basement membranes of atretic follicle which was stained weakly showed irregular structure and detachment from the follicles. The ratio of normal to atretic follicle in control and FSH treated group was about 33% but this ratio increased rapidly over 90% in the 6, 12, and 24 hrs group after the irradiation. It could be suggested that the gamma irradiation is the useful tool far the induction of follicle atresia and immunohistochemical staining methods are essential in the study of follicle atresia.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.279-286
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• 2000

This study was conducted to develop an improved method for oocyte pick-up(OPU) with finger-sensibility using ultrasound-guidance from ovarian follicles in Holstein heifers. Oocytes were aspirated from ovarian follicles of clear-outline (>2mm), obscure-outline and invisible($\leq$ 2mm) on ultrasound images with 3 different vacuum pressure(40, 80, 120mmHg). Total number of oocytes recovered/follicles were 309/237(130.4%). 113/80(141.3%) and 107/74(144.6%) with 40, 80 and 120 mmHg of vacuum pressure, respectively. Mean number of oocytes recovered was higher in 2 OPU/week (18.3$\pm$5.3) than 1 OPU/week(14.5$\pm$4.1), but this difference was not statistical1y significant. The recovery rates were not affected by the number of OPU as 135.6%(282 oocytes/208 follicles) in 1~20 OPU, 137.7% (168/122) in 21~40 OPU and 148.4%(92/62) in 41~60 OPU, respectively. The proportions of good oocytes (Grades I) recovered were not significantly different by the number of OPU until 40 OPU(12.4% in 1~20 OPU vs 16.7% in 21~40 OPU). However, a significantly(P<0.05) lower recovery rate resulted from more than 40 OPU compared to less than 40 OPU(7.6%). These results imply that more fertilizable oocytes can be produced from invisible-immature follicles by transvaginal aspiration with finger-sensibility from Holstein heifers.

• 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.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.351-370
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• 1987

This experiment has been done in order to study the correlation between the ultrastructure changes and the atresia phenomenon of the follicles in porcine ovary. The ovaries were assorted according to the presence or absence of corpus luteum. Thereafter, the follicles were classified into normal, pyknotic, necrotic and cystic groups by atretic characteristics on the histological observation, and then their ultrastructures were examined with an electron microscope. The results were as followings. 1. In normal group, granulosa cells represented the ultrastructural characteristics of protein-synthesizing cells. Since the initiation of atresia, the line structure of granulosa cells showed many of the characteristic features of steroid-secreting cells, followed by gradual pyknosis. 2. In necrotic group of the ovary without corpus luteum, the theca interns became hypertrophic and displayed the ultrastructural features of active steroidsecreting cells. But this phenomenon was not seen in the follicles of the ovary with corpus luteum. 3. Degenerative changes of cumulus cells were similar to those of granulosa cells, and the degenerating oocytes showed the degeneration of cellular organelles, cytoplasmic vacuolization and disappearance of microvilli on the surface. The degeneration of granulosa cells tended to procede that of oocytecumulus complex in the follicles of the ovary having no corpus luteum, but this tendency was reversed in the case of presence of corpus luteum. In conclusion, it may be unable to identi(y the initiation of follicular atresia

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.43-49
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• 2019

Primordial follicle activation is a process in which individual primordial follicles leave their dormant state and enter a growth phase. While existing hormone stimulation strategies targeted the growing follicles, the remaining dormant primordial follicles were ruled out from clinical use. Recently, in vitro activation (IVA), which is a method for controlling primordial follicle activation, has provided an innovative technology for primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) patients. IVA was developed based on Hippo signaling and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)/phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/forkhead box O3 (FOXO3) signaling modulation. With this method, dormant primordial follicles are activated to enter growth phase and developed into competent oocytes. IVA has been successfully applied in POI patients who only have a few remaining remnant primordial follicles in the ovary, and healthy pregnancies and deliveries have been reported. IVA may also provide a promising option for fertility preservation in cancer patients and prepubertal girls whose fertility preservation choices are limited to tissue cryopreservation. Here, we review the basic mechanisms, translational studies, and current clinical results for IVA. Limitations and further study requirements that could potentially optimize IVA for future use will also be discussed.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.252-252
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• 2004

1. The concentrations of Ang. Ⅱ were 7.2±0.91 × 10³, 3.8±0.34 × 10³, 3.5±0.30 × 10³, 2.8±0.22 × 10³ pg/㎖ in bovine follicular fluids from 1∼3 ㎜, 3∼5 ㎜, 5∼7 ㎜ and 8∼10 ㎜ follicles, respectively. However, the concentrations of Ang. Ⅱ decreased in follicular fluids from large follicles. (omitted)