• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.1-20
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• 2023

Objectives: The object of this study was to observe the complex anti-climacterium potentials of Yuklinzu aqueous extracts (YLZ), using bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) female ddY mice similar to women postmenopausal symptoms, as including cardiovascular diseases, obesity, hyperlipidemia, osteoporosis and hepatic steatosis. Methods: In order to evaluate anti-climacterium effects of YLZ, six groups of mice were used; sham control, OVX control, 17β-estradiol, YLZ 500, 250 and 125 mg/kg treated groups. Since 28 days after bilateral OVX surgery, YLZ were administered orally for 84 days, once a day. And then we evaluated anti-climacterium effects divided into five categories; estrogenic effects, anti-obesity, hypolipidemic effects, hepatoprotective effects and anti-osteoporotic effects. The results of YLZ were compared with 17β-estradiol 0.03 ㎍/head/day subcutaneous treated OVX mice. Results: As a result of OVX, obvious changes related to the estrogen-deficient menopausal symptoms - obesity, hyperlipidemia, hepatic steatosis and osteoporosis were displayed in mice. However, these menopausal symptoms induced by OVX were significantly inhibited by 84 days of consecutive treatment of 17β-estradiol, YLZ 500, 250 and 125 mg/kg, respectively. Especially, YLZ showed obvious dose-dependent inhibitory activities on the OVX-induced climacterium changes in mice, and YLZ 500 mg/kg showed comparable inhibitory effects against menopausal symptoms in comparison with those of 17β-estradiol 0.03 ㎍/head/day subcutaneous treatment. Conclusions: The results suggest that oral administration of YLZ 500, 250 and 125 mg/kg has obvious dose-dependent favorable anti-climacterium effects in OVX mice. Especially, YLZ 500 mg/kg showed comparable inhibitory effects against menopausal symptoms in comparison with those of 17β-estradiol 0.03 ㎍/head/day subcutaneous treatment.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.185-192
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• 1999

The present study was performed to investigate the efficacy and safety of laser assisted hatching (AH) on mouse embryos. Non-contact $1.48{\mu}m$ diode laser system used to create a precise hole on zona pellucida. 2-cell embryos were collected from the mice (ICR) that had the coitus vaginal plug confirmed at 48 hours after hCG injection. Collected 2-cell embryos were cultured in the HTF medium supplemented with 0.4% BSA. For experiments, embryos at 8-cell stage were used after 18-22 hours in culture. After assisted hatching, the embryos were further cultured in HTF medium containing 0.1% PVP (anti-hatching system) for 3 days. For evaluate efficiency of laser on mouse embryo hatching, the effect of AH methods (acidic tyrode, pronase and laser), the number of artificial holes (1, 2 and 3 hole) and the irradiation time of laser (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 ms) were examined. Hatching rates of laser AH group (95.2%) was significantly higher than that of control group (50.8%), but there was no differences among the laser (95.2%), acidic tyrode (100%) and pronase (98.5%) groups. Hatching rates of the number of zona pellucida opening by laser, there were no differences among the 1 hole (87.5%),2 hole (92.1%) and 3 hole (85.9%) groups. Developmental and hatching rates of embryos according to laser irradiation time were similar in the treatment groups. Therefore, these results suggest that laser AH using non-contact $1.48{\mu}m$ diode laser is a simple and accurate and effective procedure for AH. Based on these results, laser AH could be use safely for human ART program.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.419-428
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• 2000

Leptin, the product of obese (ob) gene, is an adipocyte-derived satiety factor that plays a major role in the regulation of food intake, energy homeostasis, body weight, reproductive physiology and neuropeptide secretion. The present study was designed to generate transgenic mice expressing antisense mouse ob (mob) gene. Total RNA was extracted from the adipose tissues of mouse, then reverse transcription was performed. The 303 and 635 bp fragments of anti I and II cDNAs were amplified from mob cDNAs by PCR. The two mob cDNAs were reversely ligated into between adipose tissue specific aP2 promote and SV40 poly(A) site. Transgenic mice carrying two different kinds of antisense mob transgenes were generated by DNA microinjection into pronucleus. Total 14 transgenic mice were born, and the 4 and 5 founder lines of the transgenic mice with anti I and II transgenes were respectively established. Antisense mRNA expression was detected in transgenic F$_1$ mice by RT-PCR analysis. This result suggests that the transgenic mice expressing antisense mob mRNA may be useful as an animal disease model to be obesity caused by decreased amount of leptin secretion.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2004

연구 목적: 본 연구의 목적은 마우스에서 배양액의 용량이 배반포 배 형성과 세포수에 미치는 영향을 조사하기 위하여 실시하였다. 연구 재료 및 방법: $3{\sim}4$주령 ICR 암마우스에게 48시간 간격으로 5 IU PMSG와 hCG 주사 후 (hCG 주사 후 수컷과 동숙) $46{\sim}50$시간에 난관으로부터 총 138개의 2-세포기 배를 회수하여 2 ml (group I) 또는 $50{\mu}l$ (group II)의 배양액 (Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium + 20% human follicular fluid)에서 72시간 동안 배반포기까지 배양하였다. 배반포 배는 zona-intact (ZiB)와 zona-escape (ZeB)로 등급을 구분하고 나서, propidium iodide와 bisbenzimide를 이용한 differential staining 방법으로 염색하여 평균 세포수, 내세포괴(ICM) 세포수, 영양배엽(TE) 세포수, 총 세포수에 대한 ICM의 비율 (%ICM) 및 ICM:TE 비율을 조사하였다. 결과에 대한 유의성 검정은 $X^2$ test와 t-test를 이용하였으며, p<0.05일 때 통계적인 차이가 있는 것으로 하였다. 결 과: Group I과 II에서, 총 배반포 ($62.3{\pm}20.7%$ vs. $63.8{\pm}22.9%$), ZiB ($31.9{\pm}24.0%$ vs. $30.4{\pm}18.2%$)와 ZeB 형성율 ($30.4{\pm}20.8%$ vs. $33.3{\pm}22.3%$)은 차이가 없었다. 87개의 배반포 배를 염색 시도하였는데, 명확하게 differential staining된 41개의 배반포 배만을 대상으로 세포수를 조사하였다. 평균 세포수 ($61.6{\pm}19.5$ vs. $63.7{\pm}26.8$), ICM 세포수 ($13.0{\pm}10.6$ vs. $12.8{\pm}10.5$), TE 세포수 ($49.0{\pm}19.0$ vs. $47.8{\pm}18.7$), %ICM ($21.0{\pm}12.6%$ vs. $21.1{\pm}13.2%$) 및 ICM:TE 비율 (1:$3.77{\pm}4.9$ vs. 1:$3.72{\pm}4.8$)에서도 group I과 II에서 차이가 없었다. 결 론: 마우스에서 배 발생 능력의 척도로 쓰이는 배반포 배 형성율 배반포 배의 등급 세포수 및 %ICM 등이 20% 난포액을 첨가한 MEM 배양액의 용량에 따라 영향을 받지 않았다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.261-265
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• 1997

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of EGF to the in vivo development of mouse IVF/IVC embryo. The 2-cell embryos were cultured in medium (5-6 embryos/25 ${\mu}l$/drop) w/wo EGF (10 ng/ml) and day 4 blastocysts recovered from each treatment group were transferred into the uteri of recipients of pseudopregnant day 3. The results obtained in this experiment were summarized as follows: 1. When the effect of EGF to the in vitro development and cell number of blastocysts produced from the culture of 2-cell embryos in w/wo EGF was determined, those results of EGF treatment group showed not significant difference compared with control. 2. However, when the effect of EGF to the in vivo development of blastocysts recovered from each treatment group was examined, production of the normal fetus against transferred embryos in EGF treatment group (51.2%) was very higher than that in control group (31.1%), although total implantation was not significantly different between treatment group (control: 64.4%, EGF: 69.8%). Therefore, this result suggested that EGF can affect to the in vivo development of IVF/IVC embryos through the improvement of embryo quality, although EGF treated embryos showed not significant development rate compared with control.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.52-52
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• 2003

Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is synthesized in the female reproductive tract and has been shown to play an important role in human and murine embryo development and implantation. However, the mechanism of GM-CSF on the embryo development is unknown. Recent studies suggested that GM-CSF may be increase the expression of implantation relented genes, such as interleukin-1 (IL-1) system. Our aim of this study was to compare the interleukin-1$\alpha$ (IL-1$\alpha$), interleukin-1$\beta$ (IL-1$\beta$) and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-lra) mRNA between the GM-CSF supplemented group and control group in mouse embryos. Mouse 2-cell embryos were cultured in P-1 medium supplemented with or without mouse GM-CSF (10 ng/ml). The number of total and apoptotic cell in blastocyst were assessed by TUNEL. And then, the expression of IL-1$\alpha$, IL-1$\beta$ and IL-1ra mRNA in blastocyst were examined by RT-PCR.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.19-32
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• 2024

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Atherosclerosis is associated with increased inflammation in the visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Vitamin D has been reported to modulate the inflammatory responses of stromal vascular cells (SVCs) and adipocytes in adipose tissue, but the role of vitamin D in atherosclerosis biology is unclear. This study examined the effects of in vitro 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ (1,25[OH]₂D₃) treatment on the inflammatory responses of SVCs and adipocytes from atherosclerotic mice. MATERIALS/METHODS: C57BL/6J (B6) mice were divided randomly into 2 groups and fed a 10% kcal fat control diet (control group, CON) or 41% kcal fat, 0.21% cholesterol (high fat + cholesterol, HFC) diet (obese group, OB), and B6.129S7-Ldlr^tm1Her/J (Ldlr^-/-) mice were fed a HFC diet (obese with atherosclerosis group, OBA) for 16 weeks. SVCs and adipocytes isolated from VAT were pre-incubated with 1,25(OH)₂D₃ for 24 h and stimulated with lipopolysaccarides for the next 24 h. Proinflammatory cytokine production by adipocytes and SVCs, the immune cell population in SVCs, and the expression of the genes involved in the inflammatory signaling pathway in SVCs were determined. RESULTS: The numbers of total macrophages and SVCs per mouse were higher in OB and OBA groups than the CON group. The in vitro 1,25(OH)₂D₃ treatment significantly reduced macrophages/SVCs (%) in the OBA group. Consistent with this change, the production of interleukin-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) by SVCs from the OBA group was decreased by 1,25(OH)₂D₃ treatment. The 1,25(OH)₂D₃ treatment significantly reduced the toll-like receptor 4 and dual-specificity protein phosphatase 1 (also known as mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 1) mRNA levels in SVCs and MCP-1 production by adipocytes from all 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that vitamin D can attribute to the inhibition of the inflammatory response in VAT from atherosclerotic mice by reducing proinflammatory cytokine production.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 1996

This work has been carried out to examine the number of Total, ICM and TE cells of F1 mouse blastcysts at day 4 after IVF by differential labelling of the nuclei with polynucleotide-specific fluorochromes and to obtain a fundamental information of preimplantation mouse embryo development. Blastocysts produced by superovulated B6CBA F1(C57BL/${\times}$CBA) eggs were inseminated with $1{\times}10^6$spermatozoa/ml and cultured in M16 medium at $37^{\circ}C$, 5% $CO_2$ incubator for 95hrs. Blastocysts were classified as early, middle, expanded and hatching stage according to the developmental morphology; blastocoel expansion and zona thickness. The results obtained in these experiments were summarized as follows; 1) The development rate of blastocysts at 95hrs after IVF was 86.7% and classified blastocysts to early, middle, expanded and hatching were 16.3%, 18.9%, 10.5% and 40.9%, respectively. 2) The numbers of total blastomere using bisbenzimide in the classified blastocysts to early, middle, expanded and hatching were 35.6${\pm}$1O.4, 49.4${\pm}$8.6, 60.8${\pm}$1O.7 and 62.7${\pm}$13.9, respectively. 3) In ICM and TE cell number by using differential labelling with polynucleotide-specific fluorochrome in the classified blastocysts to early, middle, expanded and hatching; ICM numbers were 9.6${\pm}$3.0, 13.6${\pm}$3.9, 16.0${\pm}$3.3 and 19.5${\pm}$4.6, respectively and TE cell numbers were 30.6${\pm}$5.1, 39.9${\pm}$5.8, 42.2${\pm}$8.1 and 43.7${\pm}$11.1, respectively. These results showed the same increase pattern according to development advance level. Also, when compared with the results of total count were obtained between bisbenzimide only and differential labelling, both of them showed the same increase pattern according to development level and at the same time their cell numbers were almost the same. So, rapid and simple cell count method using differential labelling can be used for the examination of later preimplantation development or as an indicator of embryo quality according to the variables of culture conditions.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.347-353
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• 1997

This study was to test whether in vitro/in vivo survival of vitrified mouse blastocysts was influenced by culture conditions and ET method. Mouse blastocysts were obtained from in vitro fertilization and cultured for 4 days in M16 medium, and they were vitrified in EFS40 which contained 40% ethlyene glycol, 18% Ficoll and 0.5 mol sucrose in PBS. In experiment I, in vitro and in vivo survival rate of these embryos were evaluated in different culture condition after thawing. When thawed embryos were cultured in M16 medium as a control, m-CR1 medium contained 20 amino acids (2% BME amino acis and 1% MEM non-essential amino acids solution) and 4 mg/ml BSA and cumulus monolayer cell co-cultured condition in mCR1 medium (10% FBS), their in vitro survival at 24 hr after thawing was not affected by culture condition (75.6, 83.1, 82.4%). However, in vivo survival rates of implantation in m-CR1 medium (80.4%) were significantly higher than those of M16 medium (51.2%), co-culture (57.1%) condition, although there was no difference in live fetuses rates on day 15 gestation (39.0, 49.0, 38.1%). In experiment II, the in vivo development potential of embryos by ET methods was examined. When blastocysts were transferred to the day 2, 3 pseudopregnant recipient without culture soon after thawing, no pregnant recipient was obtained on the day 2 pseudopregnancy, and 50% of pregnancy rates and 15.4% of live fetus rates were obtained on the day 3 pseudopregnant recipients. These results were significantly lower than those of transferred group (day 3 pseudopregnant recipients) after culture for 16 hr post thawing (73.5, 57.1%) (p<0.05). In experiment III, to elevate usability of delayed embryos in vitro/in vivo survival of vitrified embryos (day 4 early, day 5 early and expanding blastocyst) were examined. in vivo survival rates (live fetus, total implantation) were higher in day 4 early blastocysts (33.3, 66.7%) than in day 5 expanding blastocysts (29.0, 38.7%), although the highest in vitro survival rates were obtained in the day 5 expanding brastocysts (78.3%). Therefore, these results suggest that the in vitro/in vivo survival rates of vitrified embryos could be improve by the culture condition and ET method and that the in vivo development rates of delayed embryos were decreased with longer culture duration in vitro. It means that more effective cryopreservation was obtained in day 4 early blastocysts than in day 5 expanding blastocysts.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.209-215
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• 2004

Objective: Embryonic stem (ES) cells could be differentiated into the specific cell types by alternation of culture condition and modification of gene expression. This study was performed to evaluate the differentiation protocol for mouse and human ES cells to insulin secreting cells. Methods: Undifferentiated mouse (JH-I) and human (Miz-hESI) ES cells were cultured on STO feeder layer, and embryoid bodies (EBs) were formed by suspension culture. For the differentiation, EBs were cultured by sequential system with three stage protocol. The differentiating ES cells were collected and marker gene expressions were analyzed by seIni-quantitative RT-PCR in each stage. Amount of secreted insulin levels in culture media of human ES cells were measured by human insulin specific RIA kit. Results: During the differentiation process of human ES cells, GATA-4, a-fetoprotein, glucose transporter-2 and Ngn-3 expression were increased whereas OctA was decreased progressively. Insulin and albuInin mRNAs were expressed from stage IT in mouse ES cells and from stage III in human ES cells. We detected 3.0~7.9 IlU/rnl secretion of insulin from differentiated human ES cells by in vitro culture for 36 days. Conclusion: The sequential culture system could induce the differentiation of mouse and human ES cells into insulin secreting cells. This is the fIrst report of differentiation of human ES cells into insulin secreting cells by in vitro culture with serum and insulin free medium.