• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.123-128
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• 1990

Capacitation of mouse spermatozoa in vitro is brought about by epididymal secretions released into the m-Tgrode medium at the time of sperm collection. Epididymal mouse sperm suspension achived by centrifugation were preincubated for a total of 120min with aliquants being removed at 5, 30 and 120min. By gently centrifugation and resuspending in fresh medium, the fertilizing rate of unwashed 5-and 30-min suspensions was increased such that 30-min washed samples did not differ significiantly from full capacitated, highly fertile 120-min unwashed samples. When epididymal suspension was added fertilization of cumulus intact oocyte was markedly inhibited, although fertilization of zona free oocytes was unaffected. Washing sperm suspensions preincubated in the absence of $Ca^{2+}$ with the subsequent introduction of exogenous $Ca^{2+}$ resulted in a significant increase in fertilization rates over equivalent unwashed samples.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.265-271
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• 2014

Implementation of smart embryo technologies in cattle e.g. ovum pick-up followed by in vitro embryo production (OPU-IVP). Seasonal variation is important factor for follicular growth, oocytes quality, quantity and developmental competence. Therefore the aim of present study was carried out to investigated whether the seasons (hot and cool) effect on follicular development, oocyte recovery and subsequent embryo development. Follicular oocytes were aspirated from Korean native cows (Hanwoo) by the ovum pick-up (OPU) method, which was performed 24 times during two different seasons, the hot (July to September) and cool (October to December), from OPU donors. The recovered oocytes were classified according to morphological categories and used for in vitro embryo production (IVEP). The mean number of total follicles was significantly higher (p<0.05) during the hot season ($18.32{\pm}2.26$) compared to cool season ($15.41{\pm}3.34$). Furthermore, seasons did not significantly effect on the number of oocytes recovered (hot season: 41.16% vs. cool season: 46.14%). However, the average number of Grade A oocytes was significantly greater during hot ($1.75{\pm}1.86$) season compared to the cool season ($1.00{\pm}1.46$), but there was no significant difference of other grades oocytes. The cleavage rate (hot: 66.67% vs. cool: 63.3%) and embryo development (hot: 58.95% vs. cool: 56.97%) did not differ significantly between the seasons. In conclusion, the results of present study suggest that the season (hot and cool) does not have effects on the oocyte recovery and embryo developmental competence of in vitro cultured embryos.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2005

This study were carried out to evaluate the possibility of nuclear progression of canine immature oocytes, of which was cultured in a reproductive tract, such as oviduct, ovarian bursa and uterus of estrus bitch for 4, 5 and 6 days following immediately collection. Cumulus intact oocytes(COC) fore collected from domestic dog following ovariohysterectomy at local veterinary clinics. In Exp. 1, COCs $of>110\;{\mu}m$ diameter were selected and cultured in vitro at $39^{\circ}C$, $5\%\;CO\_{2} $ in air atmosphere. The nuclear progression of canine oocytes checked at 24, 48 or 72 h after in vitro maturation. There was not increased the nuclear progression to the M II stage depending on culture periods at 24, 48 and 72h $(1.3\%,\;3.7\%\;and\;4.7\%)$. In Exp. 2, to evaluate of nuclear progression of immature oocytes, collected or in vitro cultured oocytes were transfer into a canine reproductive tract (oviduct, ovarian bursa and uterus). The recovery rates of canine oocytes from a reproductive tract after 4 days $(33.7\%)$ in vivo culture were significantly higher than those 5 $(17.7\%)$ 6 day $(3.4\%)$ (P<0.05). The survival rates of collected oocytes after 4 days $(60.0\%)$ were also significantly higher than those of 5 days $(30.2\%)$ and 6 days $(38.9\%)$ (P<0.05). The meiotic resumption rates of canine oocytes were not significantly difference among the culture periods at 4 days $(5.9\%)$, 5 days $(0.0\%)$ and 6 days $(0.0\%)$. These results show that the nuclear progression of canine immature oocytes from in in vivo culture was not affect the nuclear resumption of oocytes.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.293-300
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• 1997

Supplementation of maturation medium with additional granulosa cells has beneficial effect on in vitro maturation of bovine follicular oocytes and their subsequent cleavage and development in vitro. However, maturation system using granulosa cells have some disadvantages that collection of granulosa cells is cumbersome and metabolic activity of the cells is variable according to ovarian cycle or follicular size. We hypothesized that bovine immsture oocytes matured without granulosa cell coculture can fertilize and develop normally if the medium volume per oocyte is reduced during in vitro maturation. Immature oocytes were matured for 24 hours in a TCM199 containing 10% fetal calf serum, anterior pitultary hormone (0.02 AU /ml Antrinⓡ) and estradiol with or without granulosa cells in vitro. In Group 1, 35 to 40 oocytes were matured in a well of 4-well plastic dish containing 500 $\mu$l of maturation medium and granulosa cells, and 9 to 10 oocytes were matured in a 50-$\mu$l drop of maturation medium without granulosa cells in Group 2. After maturation, oocytes were coincubated with sperm for 30 hours in a modified Tyrode's medium (IVF). Inseminated oocytes were cultured in a microdrop (30 $\mu$l) of a synthetic oviduct fluld medium (SOFM) containing BSA, Minimum Essential Medium essential and non-essential amino acids for 9 days. As a preliminary experiment, we investigated the beneficial effect of granulosa cells during maturation on subsequent cleavage and development using the same type of culturedishes (4-well dish). Granulosa cells could not increase embryo cleavage after fertilization but significantly improved (p<0.05) embryo development to expanding blastocyst (Table1 and 2). In Group 1, 68 and 80% of inseminated oocytes have cleaved at 30 hours and 2 days after IVF, respectively, which is similar (p>0.05) to the result of Group 2 (69% at 30 hours and 78% at 2 days after IVF). The oocytes in Group 2 showed 21 and 11% of developmental rates to expanding and hatching blastocysts, respectively, which was not significantly different (p>0.05) from those (20 and 10%, respectively) of oocytes in Group 1. In conclusion, it has been clarified that a microdrop culture system without granulosa cells for in vitro maturation can support bovine embryonic development to blastocyst in vitro as readily as a granulosa cell coculture system.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.155-161
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• 2000

The morphological changes on nuclear phase of the germinal vesicle of porcine follicular oocytes during in vitro culture were examined. The high rates (75~77%) of the oocytes collected from follicles of 1~2mm or 6~100mm in diameter were at the GV-I to GV-II stages. When oocytes with or without cumulus cells after collection from follicles of 2~6mm in diameter were cultured for 5 h, the rates of oocytes at GV-IV to GV-Ⅵ stages were higher in oocytes with (52%) than in oocytes without (30%) cumulus cells. After 1 h of oocyte culture, there was no differences in the distribution of GV-IV to GV - Ⅵ stages in the media with or without catalase, xanthine and catalase＋xanthine. After 5 h of culture, however, the distribution of GV-IV to GV-Ⅵ stages were 46, 69, 69 and 70% for medium with none, catalase, xanthine and catalase＋xanthine. The highest rate of GVBD was also observed in the medium with catalase＋xanthine (6%). These results indicate that exposure of porcine follicular oocytes to catalase＋xanthine excels maturation to GV stage and enhances oocyte nuclear maturation.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.882-897
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• 1998

This experiment was conducted to predict the effects of motional characteristics on the fertility of Korean native cattle(KNC) by using CASA technology and in vitro fertilization system. Twenty-six KNC frozen semen straws were obtained from Korean KNC improvement department, livestock improvement main division, national livestock cooperatives federation in Korea. Specimens were allowed to thaw at $37^{\circ}C$ for 30 sec in water bath. Semen analysis was performed on semen image analysis system(SIAS, Medical supply, Korea) adjusted to the gate settings and used the semen droplet ($5{\mu}l$) placed on Makler counting chamber(Sefi medical instrument, Israel) prewarmed at $37^{\circ}C$. The same person used the same micropipette to fill the Makler counting chamber. A total of 150 or more of sperms were analysed in each specimen by a single trained person by scanning at least 5 to 10 fields. The oocytes collection, in vitro maturation, IVF, in vitro culture and determination of the cleavage rate were performed by the technique, as described by Hwang et al (1997). Statistical analysis was done by linear regression with use of the Sigma plot program on a IBM personal computer. The cleavage rate in vitro fertilized oocyte was significantly correlated(P<0.05) with MOT, VCL, VSL, VAP, ALH, BCF and MAD, but not CON, LIN, STR, WOB, DNM, DNC and HYP in regressional analysis. The results show that some kinematic characteristics of frozen-thawed semen by CASA can be predict the fertility in in vitro model system.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.224-231
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• 2017

Objective: We studied the association between sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) and several clinical in vitro fertilization outcomes. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 169 consecutive fresh IVF cycles. Semen was collected on the day of oocyte retrieval, and we assessed standard semen parameters and the SDF level (by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling). Poor ovarian response (POR) was defined as the collection of three or fewer mature oocytes. Oocytes were inseminated by the conventional method or intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Results: SDF did not affect the fertilization or pregnancy rate, but did have a significant effect on the miscarriage rate. In the miscarriage group (n = 10), the SDF level was significantly higher (23.9% vs. 14.1%) and number of mature oocytes was significantly lower (4.3 vs. 7.6) than in the live birth group (n = 45). Multiple regression analysis showed that SDF was an independent predictor of miscarriage (odds ratio, 1.051; 95% confidence interval, 1.001-1.104). The cutoffs for the SDF level and number of mature oocytes that could predict miscarriage were > 13% and ${\leq}3$, respectively. In the low-SDF group (${\leq}13%$), the miscarriage rate was similar in POR patients and those with a normal ovarian response (NOR; 14.2% vs. 4.3%). In the high-SDF group ( > 13%), the miscarriage rate was significantly higher in the POR group than in the NOR group (60.0% vs. 13.3%, p= 0.045). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that a high SDF level ( > 13%) was associated with a high miscarriage rate, and that it mainly contributed to miscarriage in the POR group. The results suggest that SDF measurements should be considered in couples with POR in order to predict the prognosis of the pregnancy.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.147-153
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• 2004

본 실험에서는 수술적 방법을 이용하여 난관 절제술을 실시한 성숙 난자의 회수율과 카데터를 이용한 난자 회수율 그리고 새롭게 고안된 개 난자 회수용 니들을 이용한 회수율을 비교하였으며, 각각의 회수 방법이 성숙난자의 외형에 미치는 영향을 조사한 결과는 12두에서 난관절제술로 채취한 성숙난자의 회수율은 89.7% 이었다. 수술적 회수방법에서는 본 연구실에서 개발한 난자 회수용 니들을 난관내에 삽입-결찰한 후 난관-자궁 접합부에서 난자 회수용 배지를 관류하는 방법으로 평균 83.0%의 회수율을 얻었다. 이 같은 결과는 TomCat 카테터를 이용한 회수율 (68.9%)과 난자 회수용 니들을 결찰하지 않고 관류한 방법 (73.5%) 보다 유의적으로 높은 회수율을 나타내었다 (p<0.05). 또한 난관 절제술과 각각의 수술적 방법으로 회수한 난자의 형태학적 차이는 관찰할 수 없었으나 난관 절제술과 난자회수용 니들을 결찰하여 회수한 난자의 형태와 난질이 Tom Cat 카테터나 결찰하지 않은 니들을 이용하였을 때보다 영향을 덜 받는 경향을 나타내었다 (각각 72.0%, 73.8%와 62.8%, 69.6%).

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.128-128
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• 2003

The aims of this study are 1) to test oocytes and embryos collected from in-vivo and in-vitro to achieving the valuable protocol by culturing, vitrifying and thawing of oocytes/embryos, and 2) to transfer them to recipient, and finally have resulted in pregnancies from recipient females after surgical or nonsurgical transfer. In vitro maturation and fertilization were performed according to the procedures of Funahashi et al. Fertilized oocytes were cultured in glucose-free NCSU 23 supplemented with 5 mM sodium pyruvate, 0.5 mM sodium lactate and 4 mg/ml bovine serum albumin for 2 days at 39$^{\circ}C$, and 10% fetal bovine serum was added to the culture medium thereafter. Embryos were treated with 7.5$\square$g/ml cytochalasin-B for 30 min, centrifuged at 13,000 ${\times}$ g for 13 min and then exposed sequentially to an ethylene glycol (EG) vitrification solution, aspirated into OPSs, and plunged/thawed into/from liquid nitrogen. In vivo embryos were surgically collected from three donors after Al. Forty-six embryos (18, 9 and 19 embryos, respectively) were washed 3 times in mPBS+10%FBS, followed treatments : cultured, centrifuged, vitrified, recovered and transferred to recipients as in vitro prepared embryos. Three recipients received surgically 34(control), 188 and 184 embryos (derived from abattoir), respectively. Another three recipients were received nonsurgically 150, 100 and 150 embryos, respectively. All recipient sows exhibited delayed returns to estrus. To our knowledge, these results suggest that required an improved techniques, more vigorous embryos preparation and cleaner uterous condition(use gilt).

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.291-298
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• 2008

We separately cultured follicular oocytes collected from individual ovaries of slaughtered Korean native cows and examined both the embryonic development rate and pregnancy rate after embryo transplantation according to the meat yield and quality grades of the source beef carcass. Oocytes from meat yield grade B cows exhibited a higher fertilization rate and embryonic developmental rate to the eight-cell stage than oocytes from grade A or C animals (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference in rate of development to the blastocyst stage among meat yield grades A, Band C. The oocyte cleavage rate and development rate to the eight-cell stage from meat quality grade 3 cattle was higher than grades 1++, 1+, 1 and 2 (p<0.05). Embryos derived from grade animals displayed a development rate to the blastocyst stage of 19.4%, which was also higher than all other meat quality grades (p<0.05). Transplantation of in vitro-cultured oocytes from meat yield grade A ovaries led to a higher pregnancy rate (64.2%) than in vitro-cultured oocytes from meat yield grade B ovaries (56.5%), but there was no significant difference between the two groups in pregnancy or abortion rates. In conclusion, embryonic development rate and pregnancy rate has a close relation to meat quality grades of the source beef carcass, this results is to give information for the Korean native cows improvement of breed.