• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.207-220
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• 1991

This study was carried out to investigate the ultrastructural changes of ooplasm and follicular membrane of oocytes, obtained from 150 of 3-year-old female rainbow trout(Oncorhynchus mykiss). All data were collected from March in 1989 to February in 1990, and from August to October in 1991. The size of the nucleoli and number of the yolk granules increased as the oocyte growed. Yolk granules were deposited in the oocyte as crystalline granules. Due to the presence of large early and late maturing oocytes, their ovaires were enlarged, transparent and granular. The lattice was broken down at hydration, leaving the egg transparent. As thepercentages of fish in LPO and EMO stage increased from September to October, Mean GSI values increased. Follicle cells such as granulosa cell and thecal cell change a squamous into cuboid shape in LPO and EMO stage. Seasonal changes in the microscopic appearance of the ovaries were well correlated with those in bothgonadosomatic index and macroscopic apearance. Under the natural conditions,t he ovarian follicle influences the histological development and periodical secretion of the hormones, sufficient for a oogenesis and gonadal steroid production. The electrophoretic pattern of major band in mature stage was much thicker(70∼110k dalton) than that in previtellogenic phase.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.189-196
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• 1994

This study was perfomed to investigate the differentiation of rabbit blastocysts microinjected with testosterone solution. A total of 140 mixed breed does was superovulated, synchronized and hand mated. The eggs were flushed from uterine horns between 65 and 89 hrs after mating. Testosterone was dissolved in 95% ethanol and diluted with PBS at the ratio of 1: 99. Final concentration of testosterone was adjusted to 1 pg /ml. 6~8 bias-tocysts were microinjected with 1~10 p Q of the diluted testosterone solution, and tranfer-red into the uterine horns of the synchronized recipients. When 140 donor does were treat-ed with a single does of 200 IU PMSG in combination with 100 IU RCG 48 hrs apart, 134 of them(97%) showed standing estrus. Ovarian responses of 117 does were examined following mating and the rate of ovulation was 11.23 i 1.20. Ova were recovered from donors between 65 and 89 hrs after mating. Recovery rates of ova were 37.5% and 42.2% of recovered ova were blastocysts. A total of 106 blastsocysts were microinjected with testosterone solution and transferred into the uterine horns of 15 synchronized recipient does. One of the recipients was pregnant and delivered 7 baby rabbits. The external genitalia of the young rabbits appered to be the same appearance as the buck entierly.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2020

Endometriosis is a common gynecologic disease, worldwide, whose true prevalence is uncertain because it is a difficult disease to diagnose. Endometriosis is a common cause of chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and infertility, and is also associated with ovarian cancer. Although the risk factors for endometriosis are unclear, there is increasing evidence that exposure to environmental contaminants, especially phthalates, could affect the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Phthalates are industrial chemicals, used to make flexible plastics, and are present in numerous common plastic products, including medical devices and materials. Several in vitro studies have suggested a positive association between exposure to phthalate, or phthalate metabolites, and the risk of endometriosis. Since the 2000s, studies based on human plasma and urinary concentrations of various phthalate metabolites have been published, but there are still limitations to our understanding of the pathophysiology of phthalates and endometriosis. This report aims to review the current state of knowledge about a possible role of phthalates in the pathogenesis of endometriosis based on cell culture, animal models, and human data.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.112-126
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• 1970

This paper deals with cytogenetical and cytochemical studies of the carp (Cyprinus carpio), the funa (Carassius carassius) and their hybrids. When kept under a confined condition, the carp and the funa mate andcan produce hybrids. Reciprocal crosses are also possible with similar results. The hybrids grow regularly with no observed abnormalities in the course of their development. They rank intermediate between the parent species in several characters. The hybrid males are completely sterile, while a hybrid female laid eggs in backcrossing. The spermatogenetic activity in hybrid testes is greatly disturbed. The chromosomes as observed in spermatogonial devision of hybrids are 100 in number, being the total sum of the haploid numbers of the parents, 50 for the carp and 50 for the funa. Meiosis in the hybrid testes is highly disturbed being arrested at early stages of the meiotic prophase. Most of the germ-cells undergo pycnotic degeneration during the period from late leptotene, and no spermatozoa are produced. In some hybrid specimens, the gonads show mosaic structures composed of testicular and ovarian elements, anevidence suggesting that sterility is associated with intersexuality caused by genetic unbalance between the parent species. The DNA amount in spermatogonial nuclei of thehybrids is approximately the same as that of liver nuclei, showing the 2n value. The DNA amount in the pachytene nuclei of the hybrids is less than the 4n value, while the parent species have the reduced amount of DNA in their pachytene nuclei. A consideration was made that the reduced amount of DNA in the hybrid cells may cause the disturbance of cellular activity leading to the subsequent degeneration of cells. Some aspects of enzymatic pattern in the carp, funa and their hybrids are. going on.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.216-221
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• 2013

Histological study and gonadosomatic index (GSI) to investigate an exact reproductive cycle of Korean loach Kichulchoia multifasciata, were conducted throughout a year from December 2011 to December 2012. The stage of ovarian and testicular development was divided into four phases: a growing phase (November to March the following year), a spawning phase (April~May), a degeneration phase (May~June), a resting phase (June to November). The peak of the spawning period in male and female appears between April to May, having water temperature $12.7^{\circ}C$ and day length over 13 hours. These results were consistent well with a histological study.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 2015

Alteration in ion channel or transporter expression levels affects cell volume which is produced by movement of water and ion across the plasma membrane. In particular, aquaporin (AQP) channels among ion channels play a crucial role in movement of water across the cell membrane. This study was performed to identify whether AQP expression is changed in bovine follicular cystic follicles using microarray, RT-PCR and Western blotting analyses. In microarray data, AQP4 expression was decreased, whereas AQP7 was increased in cystic follicles. Additional experiments were focused on the AQP7 expression increased in cystic follicles. The microarray data was confirmed by semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot analysis. AQP7 mRNA and protein expressions were significantly increased in the cystic follicles (p<0.05). Application of estrogen ($10{\mu}g/ml$) to bovine ovarian cells showed a trend of increase in AQP7 expression. From these results, we suggest that the increase in AQP7 expression in cystic follicles may play an important role in movement of water in bovine ovary. In addition, AQP7, a aquaglyceroporin permeating water and glycerol, could be a good target in development of methods for the cryopreservation of bovine ovary.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.105-109
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• 2018

A 40-year-old G1 P0 L0 A1 woman was referred to our clinic with 6-year history of infertility. Before visiting the clinic, she had 3 cycles of In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) procedures (2 cycles of Controlled Ovarian Stimulation-IVF and 1 cycle of frozen-thawed Embryo Transfer (ET)) at other clinic. She had medical history of abortion at early gestation following FET (frozen-thawed-ET). The patient had complete type of septate uterus, double cervix and longitudinal vaginal septum. Vaginal septotomy was done first and 1 month later, hysteroscopic septoplasty was followed using ballooning filled with dye. After septoplasty, we inserted ballooning and left for several days to compress septal endometrium on the septectomy area. All procedures were done in the ambulatory operating room without laparoscopy or admission. 3 months later, she had in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) and FET procedures in our clinic. She had successful pregnancy and now is at 22 weeks of gestation. New ambulatory septoplasty using dye-filled ballooning is easy, safe and minimally invasive surgery for treatment of complete septate uterus.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.121-125
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• 2020

The identification of adult stem cells is challenging because of the heterogeneity and plasticity of stem cells in different organs. Within the same tissue, stem cells may be highly proliferative, or maintained in a quiescent state and only to be activated after tissue damage. Although various stem cell markers have been successfully identified, there is no universal stem cell marker, which is exclusively expressed in all stem cells. Here, we discuss the roles of master developmental regulator RUNX1 in stem cells and the development of a 270 base pair fragment of the Runx1 enhancer (eR1) for use as stem cell marker. Using eR1 to identify stem cells offers a distinct advantage over gene promoters, which might not be expressed exclusively in stem cells. Moreover, RUNX1 has been strongly implicated in various cancer types, such as leukemia, breast, esophageal, prostate, oral, skin, and ovarian cancers-it has been suggested that RUNX1 dysfunction promotes stem cell dysfunction and proliferation. As tissue stem cells are potential candidates for cancer cells-of-origin and cancer stem cells, we will also discuss the use of eR1 to target oncogenic gene manipulations in stem cells and to track subsequent neoplastic changes.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.22 no.1 s.35
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• pp.1-11
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• 2006

The gonadosomatic index (GSI), oogenesis and reproductive cycle in female Neptunea (Barbitonia) afhritica cumingii were investigated by light and electron microscope observations. In the early vitellogenic oocyte, the Golgi complex and mitochondria were involved in the formation of glycogen, lipid droplets and yolk granules. Late in the vitellogenic oocytes, the rough endoplasmic reticulum and multivesicular bodies were involved in the formation of proteid yolk granules in cytoplasm. In particular, compared with the results of other gastropods, it showed a different result that appearances of cortical granules at the cortical layer and microvilli on the vitelline envelope, which is associated with heterosynthetic vitellogenesis, were not observed in vitellogenic oocytes during oogenesis. A mature yolk granule was composed of three components: main body (central core), superficial layer, and the limiting membrane. Monthly changes in the gonadosomatic index in females studied in 2004 and 2005 were closely associated with ovarian developmental phases. Spawning occurred between May and August in 2004 and 2005 and the main spawning occurred between June and July when the seawater temperature rose to approximately $18-23^{\circ}C$. The female reproductive cycle can be classified into five successive stages: early active stage (September to October), late active stage (November to February), ripe stage (February to June), partially spawned stage (May to August), and recovery stage (June to August).

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.123-131
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• 2021

We report on the gonadal structure abnormality and intersexuality found from a survey regarding the reproductive potential of the rock bream, Oplegnathus fasciatus, along the southern coast of Korea. In total, 448 samples were collected for histological analysis (total length 27.5±6.8 cm; total weight 522.9±385.6 g). The sex ratio (F:M) was 1:0.46 (n=307:141), with 68.5% being females. The frequency of oocyte atresia and ovarian neoplasm in the females was 85.3% and 21.5%, respectively, and the frequency of testicular lobule and cyst deformation and testicular neoplasm in the males was 73.1% and 37.6%, respectively. The scale formation in the ovary and testis was approximately 2.0% for both sexes. The intersexuality was 42.2%, with the intersexuality among females being 49.5%, which was significantly higher than that of males (26.2%). Such findings indicate a negative impact on the reproductive output of the rock bream along the southern coast of Korea; however, a more detailed study is required to ascertain accurate causes.