• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.95-106
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• 2007

Objective: We previously identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between germinal vesicle (GV) and metaphase II (MII) mouse oocyte. The present study was accomplished as a preliminary study to elucidate the role of ribose 5-phosphate isomerase A (Rpia), the essential enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), in oocyte maturation. We observed expression of Rpia in the mouse and porcine oocytes. Methods: Expression pattern of the 11 MII-selective DEGs in various tissues was evaluated using RT-PCR and selected 4 genes highly expressed in the ovary. According to the oocyte-selective expression profile, we selected Rpia as a target for this study. We identified the porcine Rpia sequence using EST clustering technique, since it is not yet registered in public databases. Results: The extended porcine Rpia nucleotide sequence was submitted and registered to GenBank (accession number EF213106). We prepared primers for porcine Rpia according to this sequence. In contrast to the oocyte-specific expression in the mouse, Rpia was expressed in porcine cumulus and granulosa cells as well as in oocytes. Conclusion: This is the first report on the characterization of the Rpia gene in the mouse and porcine ovarian cells. Results of the present study suggest that the mouse and porcine COCs employ different mechanism of glucose metabolism. Therefore, the different metabolic pathways during in vitro oocyte maturation (IVM) in different species may lead different maturation rates. It is required to study further regarding the role of Rpia in glucose metabolism of oocytes and follicular cell fore exploring the regulatory mechanism of oocyte maturation as well as for finding the finest culture conditions for in vitro maturation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1454-1459
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• 2013

This study investigated the effects that water temperature and the administration of estradiol-17${\beta}$ (E2) had on the sex ratio and growth of the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica. Glass eels (total length${\fallingdotseq}$6.5 cm) were differentiated into an E2 group and an E2-free group and then they were reared for about four months at three water temperature levels of $20^{\circ}C$, $24^{\circ}C$, and $28^{\circ}C$. The results showed that the young eels survived normally at the rearing water temperature of ${\geq}24^{\circ}C$, and grew to a mean size of 20 cm (total length). In the E2-free group, temperature was not found to increase the sex ratio (feminizing rates); however, the sex ratio of the E2-administrated group was found to be a little higher at a high temperature ($28^{\circ}C$). The growth of the E2 group was lower than the growth of the E2-free group at $24^{\circ}C$ and the E2 concentration levels in the plasma at $24^{\circ}C$ were found to be significant after the end of the E2 administration period (178 days). Therefore, we thought that long-term administration of E2 must be considered to be the reason for growth decline in spite of the prominent sex ratio effect. Our results indicate that temperature was not related to an increase in the feminizing rate (sex ratio) in the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica, and other environmental factors (rearing density, salinity, etc.) that have the possibility of inducing ovarian differentiation must be investigated.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 1998

Taxol, the extract from the Taxus brevifolia which is a Pacific yew tree has aroused the interest of the tumor investigators since the 1960s. As well, it is shown to have broad antitumor activity in preclinical experimental models. Its action mechanism is an anti-microtubule effect by duplication of tubulin. The most impressive antitumor activity of taxol has been observed in advanced ovarian cancer and metastatic breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine how taxol acts on malignant bone tumor cell lines, to compare its cytotoxic effect with those of other chemotherapeutic agents, and to ascertain the its combination effect with adriamycin. Cell lines used in this study were G-292(osteosarcoma, human), SaOS-2(osteosarcoma, primary, human), and HT-1080(fibrosarcoma, human). Methotrexate, adriamycin, cisplatinum, ifosfamide and taxol were used as testing chemotherapeutic agents and their maximum test concentration were $500{\mu}g/ml$, $200{\mu}g/ml$, $500{\mu}g/ml$, $1000{\mu}g/ml$, and $600{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. The media for cell culture was RPMI-1640 with 10% fetal bovine serum and gentamycin. The results were as follows. The $IC_{50}$ of methotrexate, ifosfamide, cisplatinum, adriamycin and Taxol in G-292 were $2.3{\times}10^{-1}{\mu}g/ml$, $8.0{\times}10^0{\mu}g/ml$, $3.5{\times}10^0{\mu}g/ml$, $9.8{\times}10^{-1}{\mu}g/ml$, $2.7{\times}10^{-2}{\mu}g/ml$ respectively, in SaOS-2 $3.5{\times}10^{-1}{\mu}g/ml$, $1.5{\times}10^1{\mu}g/ml$, $2.8{\times}10^0{\mu}g/ml$, $9.9{\times}10^{-2}{\mu}g/ml$, $1.0{\times}10^{-2}{\mu}g/ml$, respectively, in HT-1080 $4.2{\times}10^{-2}{\mu}g/ml$, $5.4{\times}10^1{\mu}g/ml$, $3.8{\times}10^0{\mu}g/ml$, $5.5{\times}10^{-3}{\mu}g/ml$, $1.1{\times}10^{-3}{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. In conclusion, taxol had very potent cytotoxic effect on the malignant bone tumor cell lines with adriamycin, and was more potent than methotrexate, cisplatinum and ifosfamide. There were synergistic antitumor effects on G-292 and SaOS-2 cell lines in combination test of taxol and adriamycin. From the above results, it would be estimated that taxol could be a new antitumor drug for the malignant bone tumors, providing measures against the side effects and followed by the clinical tests.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.19-30
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• 1982

1. The cows slaughtered at age of 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9 years old were 1.5, 1.5, 15.0, 62.5 and 4.4% respectively. 2. The cows slaughtered at 351-450kg and more than 500kg were 60 and 28% respectively. 3. Best, very good, good and bad cows in nutritional condition were 1.6, 25.8, 62.9, and 9.7% respectively. Among the six cows which were bad nutrition, the two were with severe endometritis, the three were normal in genital function and one was on 70 days of pregnancy. 4. Holstein cows(55.2%) showed higher reproductive failure than the Korean cows(33.3%). 5. The slaughted ratio of the Korean cattle and Holstein cows was 36 and 64% respectively. 6. Pregnant cows were about 16% among the slaughtered one. 7. Reproductive failures were composed of 46% in uterus, 32% in ovaries, 8% in udder, 6% in oviduct, 4% in cervix of uterine, 2% in vagina and 2% inmummified fetus. 8. Forty six percentages of uterine diseases were as follows; horn, 13%, body of uterus, 32% and ovary diseases were 32%, that is, 12% of ovary atrophy, 8% of ovarycyst and 6% of lutealcyst. 9. The cows of reproductive failures were commonly infected with 1.6 kinds of diseases. 10. According to classification, six type of ovaries were as follows; normal, 58%, ovary-cyst, 11%, luteum cyst, 4%, coexistence of follicles and corpus luteum, 16%, weak function of ovaries, 10% and ovarian atrophy, 1%. 11. Major axis, minor axis and thickness of right ovary were larger than those of left one both in Korean cattle and Holstein cows. Holstein cow had generally larger size of ovary than these of the Korean cattle.. 12. The left and right oviducts showed no difference in length, but Holstein had longer oviduct than Korean cow. 13. There was no difference in the length of uterine horn between right and left in the Korean cows, but the right was longer than the left in Holstein cows. 14. Holstein had longer horn and body of uterine than the Korean cows. 15. The weight of right ovary was heavier than that of left in both breeds, but there was no differences in weight of left ovary between two breeds and right ovary of Holstein breed was heavier than that of the Korean cow. 16. The weight of right oviduct and uterine born was heavier than that of the left, and Holstein had heavier oviducts and uterine horns than the Korean cows. 17. Holstein had heavier uterine body and cervix of uterine than the Korean cows. 18. The length of reproductive systems of Korean cow is as follows; Major and minor diameter and thickness ofovary are 3.6${\pm}$0.7, 2.3${\pm}$0.4 and 1.6${\pm}$1.4 cm in left and 3.7${\pm}$0.6, 2.5${\pm}$0.5 and 1.8${\pm}$0.5 cm in right. Oviduct is 28.4${\pm}$3.1 cm in left and 27.8${\pm}$3.3 cm in right. Uterine horn is 27.4${\pm}$4.5 cm in left and 27.7${\pm}$4.9 cm in right. Uterine body and cervix are 3.4${\pm}$1.1 and 6.5${\pm}$1.7 cm. 19. The length of female reproductive systems ofHolstein cow is as follows; Major and minor diameter and thickness of ovary are 3.9${\pm}$1.3, 2.3${\pm}$0.5, and 1.5${\pm}$0.6 cm in left and 4.0${\pm}$0.8, 2.8${\pm}$0.6 and 1.8${\pm}$0.6 cm in right. Oviduct is 29.4${\pm}$4.2 cm in left and 29.3${\pm}$4.1 cm in right. Uterine horn is 30.2${\pm}$7.4 cm in left and 32.6${\pm}$8.4 cm in right. Uterine body and cervix are 4.5${\pm}$2.5 and 7.8${\pm}$2.9 cm. 20. The weight of reproductive systems of Korean cow is as follows; Ovary is 8.4${\pm}$4.1 g in left and 9.3${\pm}$3.6g in right. Oviduct is 1.5${\pm}$0.5 g in left and 1.6${\pm}$0.5 g in right. Uterine horn is 109${\pm}$27 g left and 118${\pm}$32 g in right. Uterine body and cervix are 30.4${\pm}$14.1 and 76.7${\pm}$38.4g. 21. The weight of reproductive systems of Holstein cow is as follows; Ovary is 8.2${\pm}$3.1 g in left and 12.5${\pm}$5.6 g in right. Oviduct is 1.7${\pm}$0.6 g in left and 1.9${\pm}$0.9 g in right. Uterine horn is 199${\pm}$14.2 g in left and 221${\pm}$111.2g in right. Uterine body and cervix are 58.2${\pm}$46.5 and 126.7${\pm}$103.3 g.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.166-182
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• 2005

Background: Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors are family of molecules that regulate the cell cycle. The CDKN2, a CDK4 inhibitor, also called p16, has been implicated in human tumorigenesis. The CDKN2 inhibits the cyclin/CDK complexes which regulate the transition from G1 to S phase of cell cycle. There is a previous report that homozygous deletion of CDKN2 region on chromosome 9p21 was detected frequently in astrocytoma, glioma and osteosarcoma, less frequently in lung cancer, leukemia and ovarian cancer, but not detected in colon cancer and neuroblastoma. However, little is known about the relationship between CDKN2 and laryngeal cancer. Therefore this study was initiated to investigate the role of CDKN2 in human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma development.1) Materials and methods: We used 5 human laryngeal carcinoma cell lines whether they have deletions or losses of CDKN2 gene expression by DNA-PCR or RT-PCR, respectively. We examined 8 fresh frozen human laryngeal cancer tissues to detect the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of CDKN2. PCR was performed by using microsatellite markers of short arm of human chromosome 9 (D9S126, D9S144, D9S156, D9S161, D9S162, D9S166, D9S171, D9S200 and D9SIFNA). For informative cases, allelic loss was scored if the signal of one allele was significantly decreased in tumor DNA when compared to the same allele in normal DNA. Results: The CDKN2 DNA deletion was observed in 3 cell lines. The CDKN2 mRNA expression was observed in only one cell line, which was very weak. LOH was detected in 7 cases (87.5%). Conclusion: These results suggest that CDKN2 plays a role in the carcinogenesis of human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.261-268
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• 2005

Objective: To compare the clinical results and pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF) between GnRH antagonist cycles and GnRH agonist (GnRH-a) cycles including flare-up and long protocol in women with advanced age. Materials and Methods: Retrospective clinical study. From January 2001 to September 2003, IVF cycles of female patient 37 years over were included in this study. GnRH-a long protocol (62 cycles, 61 patients) and GnRH antagonist multi-dose flexible protocol (66 cycles, 51 patients) were compared with the control group of GnRH-a flare-up protocol (151 cycles, 138 patients). IVF cycles for non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), endometriosis III, IV and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) were excluded in this study. Clinical results such as total gonadotropin dose, serum E2 on hCG administration, the number of retrieved oocytes and the pregnancy outcomes - clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), implantation rate (IR) and live birth rate (LBR) per embryo transfer - were compared. Results: There were significant differences in the total dose of gonadotropin (GnRH-a flare-up vs. GnRH-a long vs. GnRH-antagonist; 41.8 vs. 54.7 vs. 24.8), serum E2 on hCG administration (1787.2 vs. 1881.6 vs. 788.0), the numbers of retrieved oocytes (8.1 vs. 11.1 vs. 4.5) and endometrial thickness (9.1 vs. 10.4 vs. 8.0) which were significantly lower in GnRH-antagonist cycles. But pregnancy outcomes shows no significant differenced in CPR (25.0% vs. 35.8% vs. 24.5%), IR (11.7% vs. 12.3% vs. 10.1%) and LBR (15.8% vs. 28.3% vs. 15.1%) Conclusion: In women with advanced age, GnRH-antagonist cycles can result in comparable pregnancy outcomes to GnRH-a cycles including flare-up and long protocol. GnRH-a long protocol show higher CPR, IR and LBR than GnRH antagonist multi-dose flexible protocol and flare-up protocol without significant differences.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.360-369
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• 2019

Cadherins are essential transmembrane proteins that promote cell-cell adhesion and maintain the corpus luteum structure in the ovary. This study examined the influence of prostaglandin F2 alpha ($PGF2{\alpha}$) on E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and adhesion in luteal theca cells (LTCs). The luteal cells were isolated from the mid-phase corpus luteum, and the LTCs were cultured separately from the luteal heterogeneous cells according to the morphology of the mesenchymal cells and to determine if steroidogenic and endothelial cells of LTCs, 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase ($3{\beta}$-HSD), and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) mRNA were used. The LTCs were then incubated in the culture medium supplemented with 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 mM $PGF2{\alpha}$ for 24 h, and the E-cadherin and N-cadherin proteins in the LTCs were detected by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The results revealed $3{\beta}$-HSD mRNA expression in the LTC but no VEGF2R mRNA expression. The E-cadherin and N-cadherin proteins of the LTCs were damaged in the 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 mM $PGF2{\alpha}$ treatment groups, and the expression of the N-cadherin protein was reduced significantly in 0.01 mM $PGF2{\alpha}$ compared to the 0 mM $PGF2{\alpha}$ treatment groups (P<0.05). In addition, the number of attached LTCs were significantly lower in the 0.01 mM $PGF2{\alpha}$ treatment group than in the 0 mM $PGF2{\alpha}$ treatment group (P<0.05). In conclusion, $PGF2{\alpha}$ affected the disruption of cadherin proteins and cell adhesion in LTCs. These results may help better understand the cadherin and adhesion mechanism during corpus luteum regression in the ovary.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.25-28
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• 2021

Purpose CA 72-4 is a tumor marker that uses two monoclonal antibodies, CC49 and B72.3, to measure tumor-related glycoprotein(TAG72) in the serum. CA 72-4 is used to diagnose stomach, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers, and is known to perform high specificity for stomach cancer. The purpose of this study is to re-evaluate the reference value provided by the manufacturer through revalidation of the reference value in CA 72-4. Furthermore this study was conducted to provide useful help when making a clinical diagnosis at gastric cancer center. Materials and Methods We selected 271 patients who had been to health care center in national cancer center for the month of November 2020. The gender of the subjects was 140 males and 131 females, and the age group was from 30s to 60s. The reagent used in the study was a CA 72-4 IRMA KIT (ISOTOPES, Hungary) and the results were measured using a Dream Gamma-10 gamma counter (Shinjin medics, Korea). Results Statistical analysis of the results of this study used Hoffmann's method and Bayesian's method, which are primarily used in setting reference value. As a result of measuring CA 72-4 of 271 patients, the mean value was 4.54 U/mL and the median value was 3.30 U/mL. 24 people who deviated from 3SD were excluded from the measured value, the mean calculated after that was 3.53 U/mL, median was 3.00 U/mL and SD was 1.89. The reference value calculated based on this results was set to 7.31 U/mL. Conclusion The reference value provided by the manufacturer is less than 4 U/mL. It is slightly different from the value calculated in this study, 7.31 U/mL, so it seems necessary to reset the reference value according to the laboratory environment. Currently, we are receiving inquiries about the reference value from the center for gastric cancer at National Cancer Center. If additional research is carried out along with this study, it will be possible to set more accurate reference value.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.68-74
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• 1970

In the previous studies, the present author found that high proportion of the follicular oocytes from mouse and rabbit ovaries are able to resume their maturation division in the anterior chamber of the eye in which they have been incubated by auto- or homoplastic transplantation. Especially in the case of the homoplastic transplantation, it was known that no trouble has been detected in the process of resumption of the oval maturation in particular connection with the antigen-antibody reaction between donor and recipient. These findings provide a possibility that the follicular oocytes from various animals would be matured in the eye even after the xenoplastic transplantation. Under such an assumption, the present studies were performed to examine the behavior of the follicular oocytes in the eye chamber of the animals of different species. For the donor of the follicular oocytes, domestic rabbits, albino rats of Sprague-Dowley strain, and albino mice of A-strain bred in our laboratory were used. The oocytes obtained from the ovarian follicules were introduced to the anterior chamber of the eye of different species of animals, with an exception of rabbit in which only the female animals were used as a recipient. The procedures of collection of ova, introduction to the eye, harvest from the eye ball, fixation, and staining were the same as mentioned in the previous reports (Cho, 1967b; Cho and Kim, 1968). The conclusions obtained are summarized as below. 1. The rabbit follicular oocytes are able to mature in the eye chambers of both male mouse and rat, although the proportion of the maturation is lower than when they are incubated autoplastically in the eye. When the ova were incubated in the male mouse eye for 24 hours, 21 per cent of them showed chromosomes at metaphase I and II, whereas the rate was 32 per cent when they were incubated in the eye of the male rat. These are apparently low comparing to the rate of 52 per cent of autoplastic transplantation. 2. When rat follicular oocytes were transferred into the mouse eye chamber and recovered after 24 hours, 43 per cent of them produced the mataphase I and II chromosomes. This proportion was higher than the result of the homoplastic transplantation which yielded 23 per cent of the ova on maturation. 3. The most striking result was found in the experiment with mouse follicular oocytes. Seventy-six per cent of the oocytes resumed their maturation division within 24 hours after they were transferred into the male rat eye chamber, and this figure was significantly high compared to the result o 55 per cent obtained by the homoplastic transplantation. In the rat eye, the induction of the degenerative ova also was low (19%). On the other hand, the proportion of the oval maturation decreased to 45 per cent, while that of degeneration increased 33 per cent when they were incubated in the eye of the female rabbit. 4. It was apparent from the present experiments that the follicular oocytes can reveal their activation to maturation in the eye chamber which contains aqueous humor which is known to be composed of low protein content and of very little gamma-globulin which acts as an antibody(Oser, 1965), and that it shows higher osmolarity than blood serum(Levene, 1958). Taking these properities into consideration the humor may provide unfavourable environment to the cells and tissues incubated in. However, it could be noteworthy finding that only the follicular oocytes in the eye of the different species can grow in healthy condition although the maturation rates are varied with the animal species. The fact that the rabbit follicular oocytes show the lower proportion in maturation may be due to the greater amount of the yolk granules in the egg cytoplasm than those in the mouse and rat oocytes. That the mouse oocytes incubated in the eye of the rat mouse and rat oocytes. That the mouse oocytes incubated in the eye of the rat resumed their maturation process in greater proportion would e explained by the fact that the rat eye chamber particularly provides the better environment to the mouse oocytes than the eye chamber of mouse does.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.71-80
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• 1998

This study examines the levels of carbohydrate antigen 19-9(CA19-9) and cancer antigen 125(CA125) in serum and its related factors in healthy Korean population. Although CA19-9 and CA125 have been widely used tumor markers for gastroenteric cancers and ovarian cancer in Western countries, there are no information available on the serum levels of CA19-9 and CA125 in healthy population and the factors affecting the levels of these tumor markers in Korea. A cross-sectional study was performed to measure CA19-9 and CA125 among 76 healthy males and 95 healthy females in Korea. CA19-9 and CA125 were quantitated using solid-phase radioimmunoassay kits. Informations on the factors which might be related to the levels of these markers were collected by questionnaire(e.g., smoking, alcohol consumption, menstruation, oral pill use, breast-feeding history, etc.). There was no statistically significant difference in the mean of CA19-9 concentration between men(10.4 u/ml) and women(10.1 u/ml), whereas the mean of CA125 levels(11.2 u/ml) was higher in women than that(2.5 u/ml) in men. Although there was a statistically significant association between CA19-9 and average number of cigarette consumed per day(r=0.59, p=0.026) and total number of cigarettes consumed in women(r=0.74, p=0.003), the significance disappeared by multiple regression analysis after adjusting age and body mass index. Later age of menopause(p=0.035) and longer duration of breast-feeding(p=0.050) were significant predictors for CA125 levels in women by multiple regression analysis after adjusting age and body mass index. In conclusion, CA19-9 can be used as a stable tumor marker in clinical practices, however, menstruation and breast-feeding should be considered when CA125 is used in women.