• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.532-537
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• 2008

In order to investigate the factors affecting the culture of mouse preantral follicles in vitro, we examined the effect of culture media, protein supplements, and culture period on their growth. The oocyte diameter (initial size: $55.6{\pm}2.5{\mu}m$) was progressively increased during culture, and the maximum size ($72.0{\pm}2.4{\mu}m$) was reached on day 10 of the in vitro culture. The chromatin configuration in the germinal vesicle (GV) oocyte progressively shifted from a non-surrounded nucleolus (NSN) to a surrounded nucleolus (SN). On day 10 of the culture, most of the oocytes progressed to the SN pattern. The survival and metaphase II rates of the oocytes in alpha-minimal essential medium (alpha-MEM) were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those in Waymouth and tissue culture medium (TCM)-199. As a protein source, fetal bovine serum (FBS) was more suitable for the culture of mouse preantral follicles as compared to human follicular fluid (hFF) and bovine serum albumin (BSA); the optimal concentration of FBS was 5%. These results suggest that in a culture of mouse preantral follicles, alpha-MEM and 5% FBS are an optimal medium and a protein source, respectively; further, the 10 days of culture is required for the complete growth of oocytes in this culture system.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.187-204
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• 1988

The present experiment was performed to investigate the acute and subacute effect of lead acetate on ultrastructural and biochemical changes in mouse diencephalon. In acute case, mouse were peritoneally injected with lead acetate at a dose of 0.26 mmole/kg body weight, and after treatment, mouse were sacrificed at time intervals of 12, 24, 48, and 96 hours. In subacute case, mouse were injected at doses of 0.07 mmoie/kg B. W. and 0.13 mmole/kg B.W. once at two days, and after treatment, mouse wee sacrificed at 1 week, 2 weeks, and 3 weeks. It was observed that after acute treatment, changes composed of increased monoamine oxidase activity, $Na^{+}-K^{+}$ ATPase activity, decreased $Mg^{2+}$-APTase activity, wrinkled myelin, swollen Golgi apparatus and more dense synaptic vesicle in nerve terminal. After subacute treatment, decreased monoamine oxidase activity, increased $Mg^{2+}$-ATPase, $Na^{+}-K^{+}$ ATPase, lose of myelin, uneven mitochondrial distribution, synaptic vesicular density and edema, but at a higher dose the effect was more severe. Therefore, lead acetate caused abnormal change of diencephalon, and at a subacute, it appears metal accumulative toxicity.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.34-48
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• 1989

The oval shaped pericardial cells are clustered along the lateral sides of the heart and irregularly connected with the heart. The cells are bounded by a basement membrane. The basement membranes of the connected two peicardial cells are irregularly linked each other there-fore funnels are formed. The multiple invaginations of the cell membrane are observed and septate junctions develope at the part of enterance of the cell membrane. The coated pits are appeared in the inner side of the invaginated cell membrane. The coated vesicles, tubular and spherical shaped vesicle, Golgi complex containing high electron densed material in the cisternae and mitochondria are observed in the cytoplasm and lysosomes are remarkably well developed. The whirled membrane structures in the multiformed complex bounded by single membrane are linked with low electron densed granules and spherical shaped small granules having high electron density with $0.03{\mu}m$ in diameter are located between the whirled membrane in a row and gradually secretes the granules and then they produced the multilamellar body. The lysosomal regions of cytoplasm of pericardial cell are appeared negative reaction to the acid phosphatase and according to the results of the electrophoresis, lipoproteins having acid phosphatase activity are contained. The axon is contacted with the pericardial cells.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.71-76
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• 2007

Previous studies have shown that BMI-1026 is a potent inhibitor of the cyclin-dependent kinases (cdk). In cell culture, the compound also arrests G2/M strongly and G1/S and S weakly. Two key kinases, cdk1 (p34cdc2 kinase) and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase (erk1 and 2), perform crucial roles during oocyte maturation and, later, metaphase II (MII) arrest. In mammalian oocytes, both kinases are activated gradually around the time of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and maintain high activity in eggs arrested at metaphase II. In this study, we examined the effects of BMI-1026 on GVBD and MII arrest in mouse oocytes. BMI-1026 inhibited GVBD of immature oocytes and activated MII-arrested oocytes in a concentration-dependent manner, with more than 90% of oocytes exhibiting GVBD inhibition and MII activation at 100 nM This is approximately 500$\sim$1,000 times more potent than the activity reported for the cdk inhibitors roscovitine (${\sim}50{\mu}M$) and butyrolactone (${\sim}100{\mu}M$). Based on the results of previous in vitro kinase assays, we expected BMI-1026 to inhibit only cdk1 activation in oocytes and eggs, not MAP kinase. However, in our cell-based system, it inhibited the activity of both kinases. We also found that the effect of BMI-1026 is reversible. Our results suggest that BMI-1026 inhibits GVBD and activates MII-arrested oocytes efficiently and reversibly and that it also inhibits both cdk1/histone HI kinase and MAP kinase in mouse oocytes.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.302-307
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• 1992

Protein phosphatase 2A was obtained from a cytosolic fraction of bovine brain homogenate. The phosphatase activity using phosphorylated histone Hl as substrate was suppressed in the presence of liposomes composed of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine(DPPC) or the mixture of phosphatidylserine and DPPC. The binding of protein phosphatase to liposome was indicated by the facts that the phosphatase activity of the supernatant of protein phosphatase/multilayer vesicle mixture was decreased with increasing amount of liposome, and that [$^{125}I$]-labeled protein phosphatase was coeluted with liposome. However, the affinity of the protein for phospholipid membrane was not so high. On the other hand, okadaic acid and liposome reduced the phosphatase activity synergistically, which means that okadaic acid binds neither to lipid membrane nor to the membrane-associated phosphatase, The inhibitory effect of liposome was, therefore, ascribed to association of the protein phosphatase 2A with the lipid bilayer membrane.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1616-1622
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• 2002

If the surfaces of vesicles are chemically modified so that they can be dispersed in organic solvents, the application of vesicular colloids may be expanded. A polymerizable surfactant (BDAC) and nonpolymerizable bipolar surfactant (BPAS) were synthesized in multi-steps. Large vesicles composed of BDAC and BPAS with embedded a cross-linking agent (divinylbenzene) underwent a radical polymerization. BPAS was extracted out using methanol (skeletonization). The headgroup of BDAC was cleaved off via hydrolysis in an acidic condition to yield vesicles where surfaces were covered with -COOH groups. There was no significant change in the overall shape. The skeletonized vesicles appear to have many holes with diameters up to about 25 nm. The holes retained even after hydrolysis. The hydrolyzed vesicles were not dispersed in water and most organic solvents such as tetrahydrofuran and chloroform, but dispersed in methanol.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.53-66
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• 1978

An attempt has been made to discriminate the synapses in the striatum consisting caudate nucleus, putamen and fundus striati of the cat with emphasis on the characteristic structures of axon terminals and postsynaptic profiles. The differentiation is based on the size and shape of vesicle in the bouton terminal, and the symmetrical or asymmetrical thickening the pre- and postsynaptic membrane. Four types of synapses could be differentiated: Type I: the bontons with asymmetrical,synaptic thickenings contain round 45 nm diameter vesicles and contact cell soma, dendritic shafts and dendritic spines (74%). Type II : the boutons contain round 45nm diameter vesicles and are associated with symmetrical membrane thickenings. These synapses are formed on the soma and dendritic shafts (6%). Type III: the boutons with symmetrical membrane thickenings contain 50-60 nm diameter pleomorphic vesicles, and contact soma and dendritic shafts (18%). Type IV: the terminals contain flattened vesicles ($25{\times}45 nm$) and are associated with symmetrical membrane thickenings. These synapses are found in contact with soma and dendritic shafts. Additionally, the bouton en passant, which is expanded from myelinated or unmyelinated axons containing round vesicles (45nm diameter) contacts the dendritic shaft or dendritic spine with asymmetrical membrane thickenings. Two unusual types of synapses, axo-axonic and dendro-dendritic, are found occasionally.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.379-390
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• 1998

Dermal wound healing responses in the skin of the toad, Bombina orientalis, were examined using transmission electron microscopy. At 12 hours after wounding, debridement and collagenolysis occurred in damaged dermis. Histocyte has a large nucleus and long cytoplasm process. Phagocytic vesicle and lysosome were observed in the cytoplasm. Damaged blood cells were transformed spindle to irregular shape. Autolysis was observed in their cytoplasm. Histocytes are found in poly-band. The irregularly shaped nucleus is located peripheral region in cytoplasm. At 2 days after wounding, partial aggregation of blood cells is observed. Phagocytic, activity is observed in histocyte and collagenolytic collagen fibers are scattered. Fibroblast is observed in the dermis at 3 days after wounding. Clusters of ribosomes and some short cisternae of rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum are found in the cytoplasm. In histocyte at 7 days post wounding, various size granules composed of moderately dense material are found the cytoplasm. In this period histocyte is round to rod in profile, with slender processes projecting from the surface. At 7 day after injury, it was observed that formation of connective tissue fibers and amorphous ground substance in regenerating skin.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.121-132
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• 2013

Ultrastructural characteristics of the germ cells and accessory cells in testis during spermatogenesis and taxonomic values of mature sperm morphology of Ruditapes philippinarum were investigated by the transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope observations. The testis is the diffuse organ that consists of branching acini containing developing germ cells and accessory cells associated with spermatogenesis. The morphology of the spermatozoon is of the primitive type and is somewhat different to those of other bivalves. The morphologies of the sperm nucleus type and the acrosome shape of this species have a cylinderical type and a modified cone shape, respectively. As some ultrastructural characteristics of the acrosomal vesicle, the peripheral parts of two basal rings show electron opaque part, while the apex part of the acrosome shows electron lucent part. These characteristics of sperm belong to the family Veneridae in the subclass Heterodonta, unlike a characteristic of the subclass Pteriomorphia showing all part of the acrosome being composed of electron opaque part. In particular, a cylinder-like nucleus of the sperm is curved. The spermatozoon is approximately $48-51{\mu}m$ in length, including a long acrosome (about $2.4{\mu}m$ in length), a curved sperm nucleus (about $3.40{\mu}m$ in length), and a tail flagellum. The axoneme of the sperm tail shows a 9+2 structure.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.251-256
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• 2011

Presently, the effect of 0.5 mM dibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP)-supplemented maturation medium during different incubation time on meiotic arrest (germinal vesicle) and resumption (metaphase II) of porcine oocytes and embryonic development of porcine oocytes following in vitro fertilization (IVF) or parthenogenetic activation (PA) was determined. Porcine cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were cultured in 0.5 mM dbcAMP for 17, 22, 27, or 42 h, and an additional 22 h without 0.5 mM dbcAMP. The nuclear status was examined at each time point. Oocytes cultured from 39~49 h displayed more than 80% meiotic resumption. More than 85 % of meiotic arrest was presented at 17~22 h. Oocytes were cultured for 22 h with 0.5 mM dbcAMP and additional 22 h without dbcAMP to assess developmental potential following IVF or PA. There were no significant differences in blastocyst rates among the dbcAMPIVF, IVF, dbcAMP-PA, and PA groups, although cleavage rate of IVF group was significantly higher than those of dbcAMP-PA, and PA groups. In conclusion, 0.5 mM dbcAMP influenced meiotic maturation of porcine oocytes depending on incubation time of oocyte, although embryonic development was not improved in both IVF and PA.