• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.9-12
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• 2016

Growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) are oocyte-specific growth factors that regulate many critical processes involved in early folliculogenesis and oocyte maturation. In this study, effects of GDF9 and BMP15 treatment during in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes upon development after parthenogenetic activation were investigated. Neither GDF, BMP15 alone nor in combination affects the number and viability of cumulus cells or the rates of oocyte maturation and blastocyst development. However, the treatment of GDF9 on porcine oocytes increased the number of trophectodermal (TE) cells of blastocysts derived from activated oocytes (P<0.05). The treatment of BMP15 increased the cell numbers of both inner cell mass (ICM) and TE cells (P<0.05). The treatment with the combination of GDF9 and BMP15 further increased the numbers of ICM and TE cells, compared with GDF9 or BMP15 treatment alone (P<0.05). In conclusion, the treatment of GDF9 or BMP15 (or both) enhanced the quality of blastocysts via the increased number of ICM and/or TE cells.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2002

In oocyte retrieval, a vein anesthetic drug is commonly used for induction and maintenance of general anesthesia. Propofol and Thiopental sodium are frequently used for ultrasound-guided transvaginal oocyte retrieval. The present study aimed to assess the effects of Propofol and Thiopental on in vitro fertilization(IVF). Immature porcine oocytes were exposed to various concentrations ot Propofo1 and Thiopental sodium. The rates of oocyte maturation, fertilization and development were observed. The parthenogenetic effects of the anesthetics were also evaluated. The rate of oocyte maturation after exposure to high concentrations of the anesthetics for long time was significantly higher than that of the control. But the rate of fertilization after long-time exposure to the high concentration of the anesthetic drugs was significantly lower than that of the control. The results support that Propofo1 serves like other anesthetics described, as a parthenogenetic activator. Oocytes exposed to Thiopental sodium showed decreased rates of maturation and fertilization. These results suggest that usage of optimum concentration of anesthetic drug is important in increasing the rates of oocyte maturation, fertilization and development in IVF.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.352-358
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• 2016

Quercetin (QT) and taxifolin (TF) are structurally similar plant-derived flavonoids that have antioxidant properties and act as free radical scavengers. The objective of this study was to investigate effects of QT and TF on nuclear maturation of porcine oocytes. Effects of TF at 0, 1, 10, and $50{\mu}g/mL$ on oocyte nuclear maturation (polar body extrusion) were investigated. After incubation for 44 h, there were no significant differences between the treatment and control groups except in the $50{\mu}g/mL$ group which was significantly lower (59.2%, p<0.05) than the other groups (control: >80%). After parthenogenetic activation, further in vitro development of QT- or TF-treated vs control oocytes was investigated. A significantly higher proportion of QT-treated ($1{\mu}g/mL$) oocytes developed into blastocysts compared to controls (24.3% vs 16.8%, respectively); however, cleavage rate and blastocyst cell number were not affected. The TF-treated group was not significantly different from controls. Levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and intracellular glutathione (GSH) in oocytes and embryos in a culture medium supplemented with QT or TF were measured. Both treatment groups had significantly lower (p<0.05) levels of ROS than controls, however GSH levels were different only in QT-treated oocytes. We conclude that exogenous flavonoids such as QT and TF reduce ROS levels in oocytes. Although at high concentration ($50{\mu}g/mL$) both QT and TF appear to be toxic to oocytes.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.235-243
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• 2007

Our goal was to examine the effects of early denudation on the enucleation efficiency and developmental competence of embryos following somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and parthenogenetic activation (PA). Oocytes were denuded following 30 h of in vitro maturation (IVM) and then cultured with (D+) or without (D-) their detached cumulus cells for additional $10{\sim}14$ h. Control oocytes were denuded after $40{\sim}44$ h of IVM. The size of the perivitelline space was larger at 40 h of IVM ($11.7{\sim}11.8{\mu}m$) than at 30 h ($8.9{\mu}m;$ p<0.01). The distances between the metaphase II (M II) plates and the polar bodies (PBs) were shorter in D+ ($19.4{\mu}m$) and D- oocytes ($18.9{\mu}m$) than in control oocytes ($25.5{\mu}m;$ p<0.01). Enucleation rates following blind aspiration at 40 h of IVM were higher (p<0.01) in D+ (92%) and D- oocytes (93%) compared to controls (82%). Early denudation did not affect oocyte maturation or the in vitro development of SCNT and PA embryos. When SCNT embryos from D+ oocytes were transferred to four gilts, pregnancy was established in two pigs, and one of them farrowed three live piglets. In conclusion, early denudation of oocytes at 30 h of IVM could improve the enucleation efficiency by maintaining the M II plate and the PB within close proximity and support the in vivo development of SCNT embryos to term.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.1007-1020
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• 2024

Objective: We increased the nuclear maturation rate of antral follicle derived oocytes by using a pre-in vitro maturation (IVM) culture system and improved the developmental potential of these porcine pathenotes by supplementing with melatonin. Furthermore, we investigated the expression patterns of genes involved in cumulus expansion (HAS2, PTGS2, TNFAIP6, and PTX3) derived from small and medium antral follicles before and after oocyte maturation. Methods: Only the cumulus oocyte-complexes (COCs) derived from small antral follicles were induced with [Pre-SF(+)hCG] or without [Pre-SF(-)hCG] the addition of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) during the last 7 h of the pre-IVM period before undergoing the regular culture system. The mature oocytes were investigated on embryonic development after parthenogenetic activation (PA). Melatonin (10^-7 M) was supplemented during in vitro culture (IVC) to improve the developmental potential of these porcine pathenotes. Results: A pre-IVM culture system with hCG added during the last 7 h of the pre-IVM period [Pre-SF(+)hCG] effectively supported small antral follicle-derived oocytes and increased their nuclear maturation rate. The oocytes derived from medium antral follicles exhibited the highest nuclear maturation rate in a regular culture system. Compared with oocytes cultured in a regular culture system, those cultured in the pre-IVM culture system exhibited considerable overexpression of HAS2, PTGS2, and TNFAIP6. Porcine embryos treated with melatonin during IVC exhibited markedly improved quality and developmental competence after PA. Notably, melatonin supplementation during the IVM period can reduce and increase the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glutathione (GSH), respectively. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the Pre-SF(+)hCG culture system increases the nuclear maturation rate of small antral follicle-derived oocytes and the expression of genes involved in cumulus expansion. Melatonin supplementation during IVC may improve the quality and increase the blastocyst formation rate of porcine embryos. In addition, it can reduce and increase the levels of ROS and GSH, respectively, in mature oocytes, thus affecting subsequent embryos.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.1510-1516
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• 2007

These experiments were carried out to optimize the parameters of electrical activation, methods of parthenogenetic activation and embryo culture in vitro and meanwhile to isolate embryonic stem cells-like (ESCs) derived from porcine parthenogenetic blastocysts (pPBs). These results showed that, as the electric field strength increased from 1.0 to 2.7 kV/cm, the cleavage rate of parthenogenetic embryos increased gradually but the rate of oocyte lysis was significantly increased when using 2.7 kV/cm field strength. The rate of cleavage in 2.2 and 2.7 kV/cm groups was significantly increased in comparison with that of the 1.0 kV/cm group. A voltage field strength of 2.2 kV/cm DC was used to investigate blastocyst development following activation with a single pulse of 30 or $60-{\mu}sec$ pulse duration. The optimum pulse duration was 30-${\mu}sec$, with a blastocyst rate of 20.7%. Multiple pulses were inferior to a single pulse for blastocyst yield (8.0% vs. 29.9) (p<0.05). For porcine oocyte parthenogenetic activation methods, the rates of cleavage (79.0% vs. 59.8%) and blastocysts (19.4% vs. 3.4%) were significantly increased in electrical activation in contrast to chemical activation with ionomycin/6-DMAP (p<0.05). Rates of cleavage and blastocyst formation in NCSU-23 and PZM-3 embryo media were higher than those of G1.3/G2.3 serial culture media, but there was no significant difference among the three groups. The total cell number of blastocysts in PZM-3 embryo culture media containing $5{\mu}g/ml$ insulin was significantly higher than that of the control (no insulin) ($44.3{\pm}9.1$ vs. $33.9{\pm}11.7$). For isolation of PESCs-like, the rates of porcine blastocysts attached to feeder layers and ICM colony formation in Method B (nude embryo culture) were better than those in Method A (intact embryo culture).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.151-156
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• 1991

Bovine in vitro fertilization experiment was carried out using ovary-derived follicular oocytes and frozen-thawed spermatozoa to determine the optimal preincubation time of spermatozoa and the insemination time for successful in vitro fertilization rate. The possibility of parthenogenetic cell division of unfertilized oocytes during culture without spermatozoa was also examined. There was no significant (p>0.05) difference in percent ratio of embryos developed to blastocyst stage between 0 and 3 h preincubation times of spermatozoa, showing a tendency to have higher percentage for 0 h of preincubation time. The 6 h insemination time seemed to be better for producing higher percentage of ova cleavage compared with those of 1 and 3 h treatments. Approximately 10% of unfertilized oocytes divided into 2 to 4-cell stage, and some of them cleaved to 5 up to 8-cells. The results obtained from this study suggested that 0 h of sperm preincubation time and 6 h of insemination time would be suitable for producing better in vitro fertilization rate of bovine oocytes. It is also likely that unfertilized bovine oocytes probably cleave to some cell stages with irregular divisions of the cells. On the one hand, considerable variation was also found in spermatozoa function among individual bulls.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.29-33
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• 2002

This study was carried out to investigate the optimal activation condition for parthenogenetic development. In order to activate oocytes at 24 hrs post onset of maturation, the oocytes were cultured $3{\sim}13{\mu}M\;Ca^{2+}$ for 5 min., $5-8{\mu}g/ml$ cytoclacin for 6 hrs, 0.5~2.0 mM 6-dimethylaminopurine(DMAP) for 3 hrs alone or combination. The activated oocytes were cultured in TCM-199 media at 5% $CO_2$, 95% air, $38^{\circ}C$. The cleavage rate after 48 hrs culture of oocytes treated with $3-13{\mu}M\;Ca^{2+}$, $5-8{\mu}g/ml$ cytoclacin and 0.5~2.0 mM DMAP for 5 min., 6 hrs and 3 hrs were 9.6%~20.0%, 0.0%~7.3% and 9.4%~21.8%, 0.0%~7.3% and 9.1%~21.8% and 0.0%~7.3%, respectively. When oocyte were treated with $10{\mu}M\;Ca^{2+}$, $10{\mu}g/ml$ cytoclacin and 2.0 mM DMAP the blastocyst formation rate was significantly higher than other group. The cleavage rate after 48 hrs culture of oocytes treated with $Ca^{2+}$ + cytoclacin, $Ca^{2+}$ + DMAP, cytoclacin + DMAP were 75.9%~93.5% and 9.7%~19.0%, respectively. When oocytes were treated with $Ca^{2+}$ followed by DMAP, the blastocyst formation rate was significantly higher than other group(p<0.05). When necleus transferred embryos co-cultured with bovine serum albumin(BSA), epithemal growth factor(EGF) and calf serum(CS), the developmental rate to blastocyst were higher than control group.

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1995.12a
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• pp.66.2-67
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• 1995

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2009

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of macromolecule in a maturation medium on nuclear maturation, intracellular glutathione (GSH) level of oocytes, and embryonic development after parthenogenetic activation (PA) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in pigs. Immature pig oocytes were cultured in maturation medium that was supplemented with each polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), pig follicular fluid (pFF) or newborn calf serum (NBCS) during the first 22 h and the second 22 h. Oocyte maturation was not influenced by the source of macromolecules during in vitro maturation (IVM). Embryo cleavage and cell number in blastocyst after PA was altered by the source of macromolecule but no difference was observed in blastocyst formation among treatments. Oocytes matured in PVA-PVA medium showed lower rates of oocyte-cell fusion (70.4% vs. 77${\sim}$82%) and embryo cleavage (75% vs. 86${\sim}$90%) after SCNT than those matured in other media but blastocyst formation was not altered (13${\sim}$27%) by different macromolecules. pFF added to IVM medium significantly increased the intracellular GSH level of oocytes compared to PVA and NBCS, particularly when pFF was supplemented during the first 22 h of IVM. Our results demonstrate that source of macromolecule in IVM medium influences developmental competence of oocytes after PA and SCNT, and that pFF supplementation during the early period (first 22 h) of IVM increases intracellular GSH level of oocytes.