• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.355-362
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• 1997

This study was undertaken in an effort to product embryos through in vitro maturation(IVM), in vitro fertilization(IVF) and in vitro culture(IVC) after cryopreservation of immature and mature porcine oocytes. The experiments were conducted to investigate IVM rate of oocytes frozen with 3 different cryoprotectants and to examine IVF and IVC of frozen-thawed oocytes. The CEI(cumulus cells expansion index) after IVM of frozen-thawed immature oocytes was higher in oocytes frozen with PG＋PEG(propylene glycol plus polyethylene glycol) than those frozen with single cryoprotectant and this index was almost 90% of unfrozen oocyte's index(2.39 vs. 2.66). The IVF rate of all frozen oocytes was very low(68% of unfrozen oocytes) and the IVF rate of frozen immature oocytes was slightly higher than that of frozen mature oocytes(39.0% vs. 34.4%), but polyspermic penetration was higher in frozen immature oocytes(21.9% vs. 19.1%). The cleavage rate after IVF of frozen-thawed oocytes was 9.3% for frozen mature oocytes and 11.3% for frozen immature oocytes and this rate was significantly lower(P<0.05) than that of control(60.7%). The development to 8-cell stage was greatly lower in frozen mature oocytes than in frozen immature oocytes. The results indicate that the use of PG plus PEG as cryoprotectant may be very effective for vitrification of porcine oocytes and the frozen-thawed immature porcine oocytes can be used fro in vitro embryo production based on IVM, IVF and IVC system.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 1996

This study was carried out to select the best cryoprotectant and to establish optimal concentration of the cryoprotectant in ultrarapid freezing of mouse 4-cell embryos and morulae, respectively. We investigated survival of ultrarapid frozen embryos according to various cryoprotectants such as glycerol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Suvival of the embryos frozen at different concentrations (3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 M) of indivisual cryoprotectant was also tested. Preimplantation developmental rate (96.3%, 83/86) of 4-cell mouse embryos treated with 4.0 M ethylene glycol after ultrarapid freezing and thawing was higher than those of other cryoprotectants (glycerol, propylene glycol and DMSO). In the ultrarapid freezing of mouse morulae, the highest developmental rate (98.8%, 89 /90) of the embryos to blastocysts was shown in the group of 5.0 M glycerol. Thus, these results demonstrate that 4.0 M ethylene glycol and 5.0 M glycerol are optimal for ultrarapid freezing of 4-cell mouse embryos and morulae, respectively.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.59-67
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• 1984

In vitro fertilization have been performed to know whether the frozen semen has fertilizing ability and can be used clinically. The results of cultured and developed embryos obtained are as follows: 1. The semen was frozen in three media for the good viability. The viability was more than 50% and the motility was also moderate (grade III), 2. As the 33 oocytes were collected from 45 follicles, the oocyte recovery rate was 73.3%. Among them, mature and immature ova were 5% each, and premature ova were 69.7%, When the first polar body was appeared, above ova were inseminated after adequate incubation with activated sperms. 3. The main components of three freezing medium containing egg yolk, glycerol and pyruvate respectively were the best for sperm viability, and Ham's F-10 medium was used for the fertilization and culture of eggs. 4. The results of in vitro fertilization of 33 ova, showed the second polar body developed in 12%, polyspermia in 24%, 1-cell embryo in 21% and 2-cell embryo in 9%. One mature ova developed to blastocyst via 16-cell to 32-cell embryo. The fertilization rate was 66%. 5. Above mentioned results represent that the frozen semen has fertilizing ability and can be used practically in the clinic.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.203-209
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• 2011

Objective: This study was performed to compare the efficiency of slow freezing and vitrification based on survival, development to blastocysts, and cell numbers of blastocysts. Changes in embryonic gene expression in fresh and frozen-thawed embryos were also examined. Methods: Eight-cell stage embryos were collected from superovulated female BDF1 mice. The collected embryos were randomly divided into three groups. One group was maintained as fresh controls (n=42), one was frozen by slow freezing (n=43), and one was cooled by vitrification (n=43). After thawing or cooling, survival rates, development to blastocyst, and cell numbers and inner cell mass (ICM) cell numbers of blastocysts were compared with those of the control group. The expressions of eight genes ($Rbm3$, $Birc5$, $Sod1$, $Sod2$, $Cirbp$, $Caspase3$, $Trp53$, $Hsp70.1$) were examined by real time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in the fresh and frozen-thawed embryos. Results: There were no significant differences in the slow freezing and vitrification groups' survival rate after thawing (88.4% vs. 88.4%), development to blastocyst (100% vs. 97.4%), cell numbers ($107.0{\pm}21.0$ vs. $115.0{\pm}19.7$), or ICM cell numbers of blastocysts ($11.3{\pm}5.2$ vs. $11.1{\pm}3.7$). Cell numbers of blastocysts were significantly ($p$ <0.05) lower in the frozen-thawed embryos than the fresh embryos. There were no significant differences in the slow freezing and the vitrification groups' expressions of the eight genes. The expressions of $CirbP$ and $Hsp70.1$ were higher in the frozen-thawed embryos than in the fresh embryos but there were no significant differences. Conclusion: These results suggest that there were no significant differences between embryos that underwent slow freezing and vitrification.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2001

Objective: This study was to establish the human embryonic stem (ES) cells derived from frozen-thawed blastocyst stage embryo that were destined to be discarded after five years in routine human IVF-ET program. Methods: Frozen-thawed and survived human blastocysts were treated by immunosurgery, and recovered ICM cells were cultured onto STO feeder cell layer and ICM colony was subcultured by mechanical dissociation into clumps. To identify ES cell, alkaline phosphatase staining and expression of Oct4 in replated ICM colonies were examined. Also, to examine the possibility of ES cell differentiation, retinoic acid (RA), basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF), nerve growth factor (NGF) were added in culture medium. In addition, to classify the specific cell type, differentiated cells were stained by indirect immunocytochemistry. Results: One ICM colony recovered from frozen-thawed six blastocysts was subcultured, continuously replated during 40 passage culture duration without differentiation. Subcultured colonies were strong positively stained by alkaline phophatase. When the expression of Oct4 in cultured ES colony was examined, Oct4b type is more clearly indicated than Oct4a one although there was not detected in embryoid body or differentiated cells. In differentiated cardiomyocytes from ES colony, cells were beaten regularly (60 times/min). In differentiated neural cells from ES colony, neurofilament (NF) 200 kDa protein, microtubule associated protein (MAP) 2 and ${\beta}$-tubulin of specific marker in neurons, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) of specific marker in astrocytes and galactocelebrocide (GalC) of specific marker in oligodendrocytes were confirmed by indirect immunocytochemistry. Also, muscle cells were detected by indirect immunocytochemistry. In addition, ES colonies can be successfully cryopreserved. Conclusion: This study suggested that establishment of human ES cells can be successfully derived from frozen-thawed blastocysts that were destined to be discarded, and obtained specific cell types (cardiomyocytes, neurons and muscle cells) through the in vitro differentiation procedures of ES cells.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 1987

The present experiments have been bone to verify the effects of the warming rate and the degenerated blastomere(s) on further development of the frozen and thawed 4- and 8-cell mouse embryos. The embryos obtained from the mouse superovulated and mated were frozen in the solution of 15M DMSO in PBS containing 10% FCS at a slowly cooling rate($0.3^{\circ}C/min$). Two methods of warming slowly($8^{\circ}C/min$) and quickly ($450^{\circ}C/min$) were applied for thawing embryos. The thawed embryos were grouped according to the number of healthy blastomere(s) in the embryos. Some of the embryos were eliminated their degenerated blastomere(s) by means of a micromanipulation technique. The embryos were examined their developmental phases after 48 or 72 hrs incubation. The rates of blastocyst development from the frozen and thawed 4- and 8-cell embryos were 72.7% and 73.5%, respectively in case of thawing slowly, and were 78.9% and 80.0%, respectively in case of thawing quickly. The rate in case of thawing quickly was significantly higher than that in case of thawing slowly. The rates of blastocyst development from the frozen and thawed 4- and 8-cell embryos eliminated their degenerated blastomere(s) increased 5.9% and 24.4%, respectively compared with those of control groups not eliminated. The more number of degenerated blastomere(s) were eliminated from the embryos, the higher rate of blastocyst development was shown. It may be concluded from the results that the quickly thawing method is better for increasing survival rate than the slowly thawing one, and that the degenerated blastomere(s) in the frozen and thawed embryos affects as an interfering factor for further development of the embryos.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.129-135
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• 1990

This study was done to verify factors affecting viability after cryopreservation and pregnancy rate after frozen-thawed embryo transfer into uterus. Embryos were cryopreserved slow freezing and slow thawing and used DMSO as cryoprotectant. The results were to follows. 1. Viability of frozen-thawed embryos were 75.5% (94/105), which compared with viability of embryos according to cell stage, $2{\sim}5$ cell was 68.4% and $6{\sim}16$ cell 80.4% were significant differences (p<0.05). 2. No significant difference in duration of cryopreservation on effects affecting pregnancy rate was observed. 3. Number of embryo transfered into uterus was significant differences (p<0.05). 4. Four pregnancies resulted following replacement of 35 frozen-thawed.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.163-169
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• 1999

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of co-culture system(bovine oviduct epithelial cells; BOEC) and defined culture system(modified TALP ; mTALP) on the development of IVM-IVF embryos, and survival of in vitro produced blastocysts after freezing and thawing. Occytes from the slaugheterhous ovaries were matured and fertilized using general protocol. The results obtained were as the following: 1. Survival rates of frozen-thawed blastocysts using 10% glycerol as cryoprotectant was higher in day 7 blastocysts than in Day 8 and 9 blastocysts from co-cultrue system, but survival rate of frozen-thawed blastocysts was higher in Day 10 blastocysts than in day 8 and 9 blastocysts from defined culture system. Regardless of their age, survival rate of frozen-thawed blastocysts was significantly higher (p<0.05) in co-culture system than in defined culture system. 2. The cell number of blastocysts was significanlty higher (p<0.05) in Day 7 blasotcysts than in Day 8 and 9 blastocysts from co-cultures, but the cell number of blsstocysts was significantly higher (p<0.05) in Day 10 blastocysts than in Day 8 and 9 blastocysts from defined culture system. Regardless of the culture system, blastocysts with higher cell number showed higher survival rates after freezing and thawing.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.167-172
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• 1990

This study was carried out to clarify the effects of various kinds of cryoprotectants which were frequently used in freezing embryos of domestic animals on the survival of frozen-thawed mouse embryos. Mouse embryos were collected by hyperstimulation induction of ICR mouse. The samples were slowly cooled ($l^{\circ}C/min$) to temperatures between $-7^{\circ}C$ and $-30^{circ}C$ before direct transfer to liquid nitrogen ($-196^{\circ}C$) and thawed rapidly ($-500^{\circ}C$/min). As cryoprotectants, Glycerol, DMSO, Ethylene glycol and Propylene glycol were used and applied each 2 cell, 8 cell, morula in embryo stage. After normal mouse embryos developed to blastocyst by in vitro culture, we observed recovery rate and developing rate of embryos at thawing. The results obtained in these experiments were as follows : 1. The in vitro development rate from the frozen-thawed 2 cell embryos to the blastocyst were 67.7% in ethylene glycol, 65.7% in Propylene glycol, 55.2% in glycerol and 50.0% in DMSO respectively. 2. The in vitro development rate from the frozen-thawed 8 cell embryos to the blastocyst were 83.6% in DMSO, 75.7% in glycerol, 52.2% in propylene glycol respectively. 3. The in vitro development rate from the frozen-thawed morula to the blastocyst were 84.2% in glycerol, 80.0% in DMSO, 66.6% in propylene glycol and 55.2% in ethylene glycol respectively.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.343-349
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• 2009

This study was designed to simplify a cryopreservation program for embryonic stem cells (ESCs) by selection of cooling method and cryoprotectant. Commercially available mouse E14 embryonic stem cells (ESCs) were cryopreserved with various protocols, and morphology and viability of the frozen-thawed ESCs and their reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were subsequently monitored. Post-thaw colony-formation of ESCs was detected only after a slow freezing using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) by stepwise placement of a freezing container into a $-80^{\circ}C$ deep freezer and subsequently into -$196^{\circ}C$ liquid nitrogen, while no proliferation was detected after vitrification. When the simplified protocol was employed, the replacement of DMSO with a mixture of DMSO and ethylene glycol (EG) further improved the post-thaw survival. ROS generation in ESCs frozen-thawed with the optimized protocol was not increased compared with non-frozen ESCs. The use of fresh mouse embryonic fibroblasts as feeder cells for post-thaw subculture did not further increase post-thaw cell viability. In conclusion, a simplified slow-freezing program without employing programmable freezer but using DMSO and EG was developed which maintains cell viability and colony-forming activity of ESCs during post-thaw subculture.