• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.85-89
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• 2011

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a useful tool for reproducing genetically identical animals or producing transgenic animals. Many reports have demonstrated that the efficiency of animal cloning by SCNT requires reprogramming of the somatic nucleus to a totipotent like-state. The SCNT-related reprogramming might mimic the natural reprogramming process that occurs during normal mammalian development. However, recent evidence indicates that the reprogramming event by SCNT is incomplete. In this study, the traditional SCNT procedure (TNT) was modified by injecting donor nuclei into recipient cytoplasm prior to the enucleation process to expose the donor nucleus before removing the karyoplast containing the chromosomes of the oocytes which might possess additional reprogramming factors, and this modified technique was named as reversing the usual order of SCNT (RONT). Other procedures including activation and in vitro culture were the same as TNT. Contrary to expectations, the rate of blastocyst development was not different significantly between RONT and TNT (8.6% and 7.9%, respectively). However, duration of micromanipulation performed by the same technician and equipments was remarkably reduced because the ruptured oocytes after nuclear injection were excluded from the enucleation process. This study suggests that RONT, a simplified SCNT protocol, shortens the duration of SCNT procedure and this less time-costing protocol may enable the researchers to perform murine SCNT easier.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.502-506
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• 2000

Background: Anticoagulant therapy can be required during pregnancy with prosthetic heart valves. Warfarin and heparin provide real protection against thromboembolic phenomena, but they also carry serious risks for the fetus and the mother. In an attempt to identify the best treatment for pregnant women with cardiac valve prostheses who are receiving anticoagulant, we studied 19 pregnancies, the warfarin was discontinued and heparin was administered every 12 hours by subcutaneous injection in doses adjusted to keep the midinterval aPTT in the therapeutic range(at least 2-2.5 control) from the conception to the 12th week of gestation and oral antiocagulant was then administered until the middle of the third trimester in the therapeutic range(at least 2 INR), and heparin therapy was restared until delivery. Also in order to avoid an anticoagulant effect during delivery, it has been our practice to instruct women to either discontinue their heparin injections with the onset of labur or to stop heparin injections 12 hours prior to the elective induction of labour. Result: The outcome of 19 pregnancies managed with above protocol was spontaneous abortion in 3 cases, voluntary termination in 2 cases, premature delivery at 35 weeks in 1 case and delivery at full-term in 14 cases. There was no maternal morbidity and moratality and fetopathy. Conclusion: We conclude that in the second and third trimester of pregnancy, warfarin provide effective protection against thromboembolism, Oral antiocagulant therapy should be avoided in 2 weeks before delivery because of the risk of serious perinatal bleeding caused by the trauma of delivery to the anticoagulated fetus. However, the substitution of heparin at first trimester and 2 weeks before delivery reduce the incidence of complications.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.190-204
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• 2001

This study was conducted to investigate for its effects on reproductive and developmental toxicity of recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) in Sprague-Dawley rats. Male rats were administered rhEGF at doses of 1, 10, 100, and 1000$\mu$g/kg/day, respective1y, by subcutaneous injection from 63 days before and throughout to mating period until the day before sacrifice. Female rats were administered rhEGF at the same doses from 14 days before mating to day 20 of gestation or to day 21 of lactation. We examined the male and female fertility indices and maternal toxicity of F0 parental animals. Also, we examined the external, visceral, or skeletal malformation of fetuses, growth and development, behavior, and/or reproductive performance of F1 animals. At the highest dose (1,000 $\mu$g/kg), the mean body weights of F0 animals were significantly increased in males and females at 3 or 2 weeks after treatment, respective1y. No clinical signs and food intakes were observed at any time during the experimental period by rhEGF treatment. In autopsy examination, the relative and absolute liver weights significantly increased in both sexes of 1,000 $\mu$g/kg. At the highest dose (1,000 $\mu$g/kg), there was a statistically significant increase of pregnancy period and the number of dead fetuses. Moreover, significant increase of mean fetal body weight and decrease of number of live fetuses, which related to the difficult dilivery were observed in highest dose group. In Fl examination, no adverse effects on external, visceral, and skeletal malformation, physical and functional development, behavior or reproductive ability of Fl animals were observed in any group. Also, there was no significant difference between control and treated groups in copulation or fertility indices of Fl animals. These results indicate that rhEGF had no adverse effect on fertility and reproductive ability of Sprague-Dawley rats.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.123-127
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• 1990

By nuclear transplantation technology twenty eight mice have been produced after transfer of heterozygous biparental eggs. Also heterozygous gynogenetic eggs with two female pronuclei and heterozygous androgenetic eggs with two male pronuclei have been obtained by injecting a male or female pronucleus with Sendai virus into the perivitelline space of enucleated haploid zygotes at pronuclear stage. The success rate of enucleation, karyoplast injection and fusion of both the pronuclei was 80.3, 83.4 and 81.8%, respectively. The overall pronuclei fusion rates by this technique were 56, 50 and 56% in biparental, gynogenetic and androgenetic eggs, respectively. The evidence was ascertained that the gynogenetic and androgenetic eggs were also able to develop in vitro up to blastocyst stage, even though their developmental potential was greatly diminished beyond 2-cell stage. The gynogenetic eggs were able to develop in vivo up to day 10 of pregnancy, while the androgenetic eggs failed to develop in vivo during the same period.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.177-184
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• 2023

Objective: Reconstructed oocytes after polar body genome transfer constitute a potential therapeutic option for patients with a history of embryo fragmentation and advanced maternal age. However, the rescue of genetic material from the first polar body (PB1) through introduction into the donor cytoplasm is not yet ready for clinical application. Methods: Eighty-five oocytes were obtained following in vitro maturation (IVM) and divided into two groups: PB1 nuclear transfer (PB1NT; n=54) and control (n=31). Following enucleation and PB1 genomic transfer, PB1 fusion was assessed. Subsequently, all fused oocytes underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and were cultured in an incubator under a time-lapse monitoring system to evaluate fertilization, embryonic morphokinetic parameters, and cleavage patterns. Results: Following enucleation and fusion, 77.14% of oocytes survived, and 92.59% of polar bodies (PBs) fused. However, the normal fertilization rate was lower in the PB1NT group than in the control group (56.41% vs. 92%, p=0.002). No significant differences were observed in embryo kinetics between the groups, but a significant difference was detected in embryo developmental arrest after the four-cell stage, along with abnormal cleavage division in the PB1NT group. This was followed by significant between-group differences in the implantation potential rate and euploidy status. Most embryos in the PB1NT group had at least one abnormal cleavage division (93.3%, p=0.001). Conclusion: Fresh PB1NT oocytes successfully produced normal zygotes following PB fusion and ICSI in IVM oocytes. However, this was accompanied by low efficiency in developing into cleavage embryos, along with an increase in abnormal cleavage patterns.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.185-192
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• 2006

It is known that maternal diabetes induces a premature delivery and a congenital malformation. Although it was suggested that hyperglycemia is a main cause, little has been known. The effects of subtotal pancreactomized animal as a diabetic model on the embryo and the offspring were investigated. 1) Although survival rate of offsprings from the 90% pancreactomized female was lower than that of control, body weight of the survived offsprings was similar to that of control until 6 weeks after birth. When the liver was investigated, abnormal tissue was observed in both female and male offsprings from the pancreactomized mother. The level of major urinary protein(MUP) that is synthesized in the liver and secrets into urine was decreased in both female and male, supporting the liver abnormality. 2) In the pancreactomized female, size of the Langhan's island was increased and the liver also was observed abnormal. However, blood glucose level of the pancreactomized mother was not different from that of control. The low body weight and survival rate of offsprings from the $inhibin-{\alpha}$ overexpressed mice was very similar to those of the offsprings from diabetic mother. Thus when the mother itself was investigated after DNA injection, blood glucose level in the $inhibin-{\alpha}$ overexpressed mice was not different from that of control although size of the Langhan's island was decreased. Taken together, subtotal pancreactomy affected the offspring and embryo and influenced deeply the mother itself. However glucose level of the mother was not changed during investigation. It suggested that the relationship between the diabetic mother and embryo through offspring is very complex.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.58-64
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• 2006

In the clinical state of vitamin D deficiency, it is possible that associated phosphate depletion, parathyroid hormone excess, and hypocalcemia may all depress the proximal tubular reabsorption of bicarbonate, in addition to abnormal skeletal modeling or remodeling, Although nutritional rickets is considered a rare disease in developed countries nowadays, cases of vitamin D deficient rickets caused by various unhealthy lifestyles such as insufficient exposure to sunlight, breast feeding infants without giving vitamin D supplements, unbalanced vegetarian diets of breast feeding mothers, low-birth weight, and maternal deficiency of vitamin D or calcium are increasing. Here, we present the case of an 8 month old girl, who was completely breastfed without any weaning diet or infant vitamin supplements. She visited our emergency room with hypocalcemic seizure and subsequently was diagnosed with vitamin D deficient rickets accompanied by overt bone changes and proximal renal lobular acidosis. After intravenous(IV) and oral calcium replacement therapy(IV calcium gluconate injection 1 mEq/kg/day for 6 days, 2 mEq/kg/day for 4 days followed by oral calcium gluconate administration 4 g/day for 3 days) with vitamin D supplement(Alfacalcidol 0.5 mcg/day) during admission, serum calcium level was normalized with clinical improvement. Oral sodium bicarbonate(0.6 g/day) was administered from the $2^{nd}$ hospital day for 2 weeks, which normalized the serum bicarbonate(measured by $tCO_2$) level. Calcium and vitamin D replacement were continued for 2 weeks and 3 months each. After discontinuing medications, follow up laboratory findings showed good maintenance of serum calcium, alkaline phosphate and bicarbonate levels with complete improvement of bone X-ray findings.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.19 no.2 s.20
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• pp.193-202
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• 1986

The activities of general physicians (GPs) in health subcenters and their competency for clinical skills were assessed to develop a scheme to improve the training program. One hundred-twenty GPs in southern four provinces (Kyungpook, Kyungnam, Chunpook, Chunnam) were randomly selected and 97 were interviewed between January 9 and February 10, 1984. Of the 97 GPs, 86 provided all the information we requested. Average number of patient visits per health subcenter in a day was 30-40 in the demonstration project area for the class II medical insurance whereas it was 3-4 visits in other area. The interviewees were asked to rate their competency in 63 clinical skills. The skills in which over 50% of the interviewees rated themselves competent were only 12 items including IM injection, IV injection, wound dressing, etc. Less than 10% of the interviewees rated themselves competent in such skills as maternal health care, emergency medical care, preventive and promotive health services. Most part of the training program of the NIH for the GPs were not applicable to their field work as the training contents were unrealistic. Clinical training at a local general hospital was of great help in 38.8% and the rest of training was not much helpful as the training was inadequate due to lack of trainer or indifference of the trainer. For more effective training of the GPs, the training program of the NIH should be modified to be more realistic and utilize competent field workers as the instructors. It may be more effective if the training is carried out at several local centers. Ideal length of the clinical training for the GPs is 4 months. A pocketbook should be developed that includes specific skills to master during the clinical training and require the trainer to confirm the achievement. The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs should provide the training hospitals with a training guideline and evaluate the training activities and make sure that the training hospital has specialist for each of the 4 major clinical departments. The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs should provide the GPs with a continuing education to assist the problem solving in the field and motivate them to actively carry out the health program. A province may be divided into several regions and a supervisory committee may be organized with specialists in each region. The committee may hold a meeting for the GPs periodically and respond to the specific questions of the GPs by mail.