• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.190-197
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• 2011

The objective of the present study was to elucidate the fundamental mechanism of bovine oviduct epithelial cell (BOEC) co-culture on developmental capacity of bovine IVM/IVF embryos and to determine whether or not melatonin acts as an antioxidant in BOEC culture and subsequent embryo development. These studies examined the effects of melatonin against NO-induced oxidative stress on cell viability, lipid peroxidation (LPO) and the expression of antioxidant genes (CuZnSOD, MnSOD and Catalase) or apoptosis genes (Bcl-2, Caspase-3 and Bax) during BOECs culture. We also evaluated the developmental rates of bovine IVM/IVF embryos with BOEC co-culture, which were pre-treated with melatonin ($1,000\;{\mu}M$) in the presence or absence of sodium nitroprusside (SNP, $1,000\;{\mu}M$) for 24 h. Cell viability in BOECs treated with SNP (50-$2,000\;{\mu}M$) decreased while melatonin addition (1-$1,000\;{\mu}M$) increased viability in a dose-dependent manner. Cell viability in melatonin plus SNP ($1,000\;{\mu}M$) gradually recovered according to increasing melatonin addition (1-$1,000\;{\mu}M$). The LPO products were measured by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reaction for malondialdehyde (MDA). Addition of melatonin in BOEC culture indicated a dose-dependent decrease of MDA, and in the SNP group among BOECs treated with SNP or melatonin plus SNP groups MDA was significantly increased compared with SNP plus melatonin groups (p<0.05). In expression of apoptosis or antioxidant genes detected by RT-PCR, Bcl-2 and antioxidant genes were detected in melatonin or melatonin plus SNP groups, while Caspase-3 and Bax genes were only found in the SNP group. When bovine IVM/IVF embryos were cultured for 6-7 days under the BOEC co-culture system pre-treated with melatonin in the presence or absence of SNP, the highest developmental ability to blastocysts was obtained in the $1,000\;{\mu}M$ melatonin group. These results suggest that melatonin has an anti-oxidative effect against NO-induced oxidative stress on cell viability of BOECs and on the developmental competence of bovine IVM/IVF embryo co-culture with BOEC.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.231-241
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• 1990

The present study was carried out to investigate the viability of frozen-thawed aggregated mouse embryos and to produce the chimeras. Different phenotypic embryos were obtained by mating ICR female mice with ICR or CBA male mice. The aggregated morulae were produced following aggregation of embryos at 4-, 8- and 12- to 16-cell stage. The desirable stage for the aggregation of the mouse embryos was 8- to 16-cell stage. The post-thawed in vitro survival rates of aggregated embryos in glycerol, DMSO and ethylene glycerol were 51.5, 78.6 and 69.4%, respectively. Although the higher survival was obtained in DMSO, there were no significant differences in the survival rates among the three cryoprotectants. A total of 155 frozen-thawed aggregated embryos were transferred to 11 recipient mice, 3 out of 7 offsprings were born to overt chimera. These experiments have proven that mouse chimeras can be obtained from frozen-thawed aggregated embryos.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.231-238
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• 2022

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and F-actin cytoskeleton dynamics play important roles in the survival rate of blastocysts after the vitrified-warming process. However, the protective effects of Mito-TEMPO against cryo-injury and viability through F-actin aggregation and mitochondrial-specific ROS production in vitrificated-warmed bovine embryos have not been investigated. The aims of the present study were to: (1) determine the effects of Mito-TEMPO on embryonic developmental competence and quality by F-actin stabilization during in vitro culturing (IVC), and (2) confirm the effects of Mito-TEMPO through F-actin structure on the cryotolerance of vitrification-warming in Mito-TEMPO exposed in vitro production (IVP) of bovine blastocysts. Bovine zygotes were cultured with 0.1 μM Mito-TEMPO treatment for 2 days of IVC. Mito-TEMPO (0.1 μM) exposed bovine embryos slightly improved in blastocyst developmental rates compared to the non-treated group. Moreover, the viability of vitrified-warmed blastocysts from Mito-TEMPO treated embryos significantly increased (p < 0.05, non-treated group: 66.7 ± 3.2% vs Mito-TEMPO treated group: 79.2 ± 5.9%; re-expanded at 24 hours). Mito-TEMPO exposed embryos strengthened the F-actin structure and arrangement in the blastocyst after vitrification-warming. Furthermore, the addition of Mito-TEMPO into the IVC medium enhanced embryonic survival and quality through F-actin stabilization after the vitrification-warming procedure. Overall, our results suggest that supplementing the culture with 0.1 μM Mito-TEMPO improves the embryonic quality and cryo-survival of IVP bovine blastocysts.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.127-135
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• 1999

Cryopreservation is able to store the surplus pre-embryos for freezing and furthermore thawing and transfer in a subsequent cycle. Cryopreserving cells which are maintaining their viability are the very complex process. This study has been carried out in order to find the effects of cryopreservation steps, freezing media and embryonic stages on the rates of viability and development of cryopreserved mouse embryos. Female ICR mice ($6{\sim}8$ weeks old) were induced to superovulate by sequential intraperitoneal injection of 5 IU PMSG and 5 IU hCG 48h apart. Mouse embryos were collected according to its developmental stage after the injection of hCG. Embryos were cryopreserved not only by cryoprotectant step (1 step${\sim}$4 step) but also in a variety of media (HTF, IVF medium, D-PBS) and cell stage. The results were as follows: There is no clear advantage in these freezing media of rapid method, but 4 cell and 8 cell of slow method (2, 3, 4 step) have advantage in D-PBS. The development of embryos according to cell stage become greater in 8 cell stage. In the treatment steps of cryopreservation, the development of embryo to blastocyst was similar among rapid method, but the development of 4 cell and 8 cell embryos to blastocyst according to slow method was better than rapid method.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Cytochalasin B treatment on the survivability The different concentration and exposed times of CB of porcine embryos frozen by vitrification were observed. The results were summarized as follows ; 1. The survivability rates of the porcine embryos treated CB(60.5%) were significantly higher than non-treated(32.8%)(p＜0.1). However the recovered with normal morphology rates(84.2%) were no significantly different than non-treated(81.9%). 2. We observed by different concentration of CB treatment, the group of CB treated with 7.5 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ were significantly showed a higher of normal morphology(44/45; 98%) and viability rate(33/45;73%) than other groups(morphology: 65∼70%, viability: 15∼74%)(p<0.05). While the control was lower as 70% of morphology and 38% of viability. 3. We examined exposed time of in-vitro CB treated embryos, the group of more than 20 minutes exposed were significantly were observed a higher rates of normal morphology and viability(p<0.05). And the group of 13 minutes, 14,000 rpm centrifuged(64%) were significantly higher than non-centrifuged(36%). Survivability of porcine embryos were improved in CB treated group. It suggested that 7.5 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ concentration of CB treatment, 20 minutes exposed times and 13 minutes, 14000 rpm centrifuged prior to vitrification improve normal morphology and survivability rates.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.3-7
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• 2002

In vitro embryo culture techniques provide significant contributions not only for a basic research of fertilization and early embryogenesis, but also for a low cost mass production of bovine embryos for transfer, embryo diagnosis, nuclear cloning and the production of transgenic cows. This presentation introduces newly developed serum-free media (IVD101 and IVMD101) that are effective far high yields of transferable embryos of excellent quality from in vitro-matured and fertilized oocytes. Both serum-free media are superior to a conventional serum-containing medium on the increased rates of blastocyst formation, post-thaw embryo viability, and pregnancy after transfer. Furthermore, reduced risks of calf mortality and large calf syndrome are also observed for the serum-free-derived embryos. Serum-derived embryos contain a large number of lipid droplets and immature mitochondria in their cytoplasm that may account for the lower production of transferable embryos and poor embryo quality.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.203-208
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• 1995

This study was carried out to efficiently use the ultrarapid freezing method in the cryopreservation of mouse ova. For this, the effects of dehydration method, oval vigour and $0^{\circ}C$ controlling method on post-thawing viability were investigated. Fresh mouse ova were dehydrated in mPBS with 3.5M DMSO and /or 0.25M sucrose, and directly immersed in L$N_2$ for ultrarapidly freezing. The frozen ova were thawed at 37$^{\circ}C$, rehydrated in mPBS with 0.25M sucrose, and then repeatedly washed in HAM's Fl0 before evaluating the morphological normality of frozen-thawed ova. The results obtained showed that there was difference between treatments in a experiment. 1) The post-thawing viability of ova dehydrated in multi-step (48.4$\pm$13.8%) was higher than that of ova in two-step (40.9$\pm$14.0%). 2) The post-thawing viability of fertilized ova (87$\pm$14.0%) was significantly(p<0.0l) higher than that of unfertilized ova (5.4$\pm$5.4%). 3) The post-thawing viability of ova dehydrated and rehydrated using a cooling machine (95.8$\pm$4.2%) was significantly(p<0.05) higher than that on ice(84.1$\pm$9.9). In conclusion, in order to efficiently cryopreserve ova in vitro with ultrarapidly freezing method, highly viable embryos should be selected, heavy osmotic shock to the dehydrating ova should be avoided, and embryos in high osmotic condition were dehydrated and rehydrated in a constantly low temperature.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.494-499
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• 2011

Cold pretreatment, washing medium and composition of nutrient media may have marked effects on microspore embryogenesis. When microspores isolated from radish (Raphanus sativus L. cv. Gwanhun) flower buds were washed with Nitsch & Nitsch (NLN) medium liquid medium containing $130g{\cdot}L^{-1}$ sucrose (NLN-13), yields of microspore-derived embryos were greater than when using B5 liquid medium containing $130g{\cdot}L^{-1}$ sucrose. Microspore viability is known to decrease rapidly with storage; however, in this experiment, microspore viability was maintained for 24 h at $4^{\circ}C$ without media. Among the various medium concentrations used ($0.25{\times}$, $0.5{\times}$, $1.0{\times}$, $2.0{\times}$, and $4.0{\times}$ NLN liquid medium), $0.5{\times}$ NLN liquid medium induced the most efficient formation of microspore-derived embryos. In addition, microspore-derived embryos yields were greater when microspores were cultured in $0.5{\times}$ NLN liquid medium supplemented with $0.25{\times}$, $0.5{\times}$, and $1.0{\times}$ NLN microelements, compared to medium not supplemented with microelements. In this study, the highest yield of microspore-derived embryos was observed when the microspores derived from flower buds were washed using NLN-13 liquid medium and then cultured on $0.5{\times}$ NLN liquid medium supplemented with $0.25{\times}$ NLN microelements, followed by incubation at $25^{\circ}C$ for 30 days.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.44-46
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• 2001

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 1988

There studies were conducted using inbred ICR mice to examine the sex of preimplantation mouse embryo. The morphological normality of mice embryos treated with the culture medium containing rat H-Y antiserum(10%, v/v) plus complement(20%,v/v) was observed and also the sexing of embryos was investigated by chromosomal analysis. The results obtained were summarized as follows: 1. The viability of preimplantation mouse embryos, which were incubated in vitro with different media condition, was scored 68.9-85.5% in control group. However, 151 embryos normally developed up to blastocyst and 160 embryos were retarded growth or destroyed out of total 311 embryos treated in the medium containing H-Y antiserum(10%, v/v) plus complement(20%,v/v). 2. H-Y antiserum was prepared from inb red rats (Wistar and Donryu strain) with different immunization times (4, 5 and 6th) to examine the specific titer of embryos by the number of immunization. Precentage of normally developed embryos incubated either in the medium containing the antiserum of Wistar plus complement or Donryu plus complement was revealed 50.9, 47.4 and 50.0% (4, 5 and 6th immunization and 47.8, 41.2 and 48.7%, respectively. 3. Twenty two females and five males were identified out of fourty-eight normally developed embryos incubated in the medium containing H-Y antiserum plus complement by chromosomal analysis.