The reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated during the somatic cell transfer nuclear (SCNT) procedures may cause the mitochondrial dysfunction and DNA damage, which may result in restricts the reprogramming of SCNT embryos and play a key direct role in apoptosis. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of antioxidant treatment during the SCNT procedures on the inhibition of mitochondria and DNA damages in bovine SCNT embryos. The reconstituted oocytes were treated with antioxidants of 25 μM β-mercaptoethanol (β-ME) or 50 μM vitamin C (Vit. C) during the SCNT procedures. In vitro fertilization (IVF) was performed for controls. Mitochondrial morphology and membrane potential (ΔΨ) were evaluated by staining the embryos with MitoTracker Red or JC-1. Apoptosis was analyzed by Caspase-3 activity assay and TUNEL assay, and DNA fragmentation was measured by comet assay at the zygote stage. Mitochondrial morphology of non-treated SCNT embryos was diffused within cytoplasm without forming clumps, while the IVF embryos and antioxidant treated SCNT embryos were formed clumps. The ΔΨ of β-ME (1.3±0.1, red/green) and Vit. C-treated (1.4±0.2, red/green) SCNT embryos were significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of non-treated SCNT embryos (0.9±0.1, red/ green), which similar to that of IVF embryos (1.3±0.1, red/green). Caspase-3 activity was not difference among the groups. TUNEL assay also revealed that little apoptosis was occurred in SCNT embryos as well as IVF embryos regardless of antioxidant treatment. Comet tail lengths of β-ME and Vit. C-treated SCNT embryos (337.8±23.5 μm and 318.7 ±27.0 μm, respectively) were shorter than that of non-treated SCNT embryos (397.4± 21.4 μm) and similar to IVF embryos (323.3±10.6 μm). These results suggest that antioxidant treatment during SCNT procedures can inhibit the mitochondrial and DNA damages of bovine SCNT embryos.

Cryopreservation of canine spermatozoa affords potential exchange of genetic material, and thus may lead to improvement in the breeding management. However, canine spermatozoa undergo many damages such as, cold shock, ice crystal formation, oxidative stress during cryopreservation. In this study used the CASA for investigating the effect of various trehalose concentrations and thawing temperatures on the sperm viability. In addition, the efficacy of the most optimal of the tested cryopreservation protocols in this study was verified by AI as the in vivo test. Also, this study evaluates the variation of frozen- thawed canine spermatozoa during different incubation condition. The addition of trehalose 25 mM was optimal concentration and frozen-thawed semen quality was significantly higher better than control (Glucose) and other concentration groups. In effect of thawing temperature on frozen-thawed sperm movement and intact acrosome evaluations, which result enhance the sperm motility and movement value depending on increase temperature condition at 36, 54 and 72℃. Also, in the effect of different incubation condition on frozen-thawed sperm after thawing at 36℃ for 60 sec, that the results trehalose 25 mM was significantly better (p<0.05) than glucose in general as well as, the post-thawed sperm motility and intact acrosome was reduced depending on increase the incubation time. Especially, incubation at 4 to 8 hour was rapidly depreciation of movement value and the rate of intact acrosome was dropped similar tendency. Thus, incubation 17℃ was better than other incubation groups on sperm motility and acrosome integrity. For the in vivo evaluate of spermatozoa survival and is the most definitive test of sperm function, we performed artificial insemination in estrous bitch. The semen was prepared for intrauterine insemination using the 25 mM trehalose freezing extender and thawing at 36℃, and 2 bitches were inseminated with 1×106 motile spermatozoa by surgical method. The results of AI, the pregnancy rates, mean litter size and oocyte fertilization rate were 16.6% (1/6), and 50% (2/4), respectively. In conclusion, based on the results of these experiments, the effect of addition of trehalose on extender improves the movement and intact acrosome of frozen-thawed semen. In particular, trehalose 25 mM groups was higher than other different concentration group on movement value and acrosome integrity of frozen-thawed sperm. Also, through incubation condition, this study identify the optimal incubation temperature after thawing was 17℃. Furthermore, the information will be contributed to develop the canine ART including AI, IVF and canine ICSI. * This research was supported by iPET (Grants 110056-3), Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Republic of Korea.

Cell transplantation therapy using adult stem cells has recently been identified as a potential treatment for spinal cord injury (SCI). But, recovery after traumatic SCI is very limited. As dogs are physiologically much more similar to human compared with other traditional mammalian models in disease presentation and clinical responses, a number of researches demonstrated canis familiaris is a suitable model for human diseases. This study investigated the effect of transplantation of canine Mesenchymal Stem Cells (cMSC) and neural-induced cMSC (nMSC) to understand how these cells improve neurological function in canine SCI model. The differentiation of cMSC into neural precursor cells was induced in dulbecco’s modified eagle’s medium supplemented with N2-supplement, dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate, and butylated hydroxyanisole. SCI was induced between T1 and T2 by surgical hemi-section in adult dogs, and then assigned to two groups according to the applied cell types (cMSC vs nMSC). Pelleted cMSC or nMSC were transplanted directly into the injured site after SCI, respectively. Analysis of motor function after transplantation was evaluated by modified Olby score. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), histological and immunohistichemical analysis were also performed. Functional recovery in group of cMSC was increasing gradually after transplantation and was higher than nMSC. In MRI, we could not confirm any difference between the cMSC and nMSC experimental groups. Immunohistochemically, beta3-tubuline and nestin were observed in injury site of two experimental groups with the expression level close to non-injured groups. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells could promote neuronal reconstruction and repair motor function in SCI. These showed mesenchymal stem cells could be a great candidate as a therapeutic tools in degeneration disease, and dogs could be used to explore human regenerative medicine as a promising animal model. This research was supported by iPET (Grants 110056032CG000), Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Republic of Korea.

Acteoside (verbascoside) is a typical phenylethanoid glycoside, extracted from various plants. It has various biological functions such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammation, and anti-hypertension. Specially, it was powerful anti-oxidants either by direct scavenging of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, or by acting as chain-breaking peroxyl radical scavengers. We examined the role of acteoside in IVM medium on the morphological progress of meiosis, developmental competence, and ROS in porcine oocytes. And we investigated effect of acteoside on the oocytes condition represented by cytoplasmic maturation by homogeneous distribution and formation of cytoplasmic organelles and regulation of apoptosis-related genes. The selected COCs were cultured in TCM-199 with various concentration of acteoside: 0 (control), 10, 30, and 50 μM. After 22 h of maturation with hormones, the oocytes were washed twice in a fresh maturation medium before being cultured in hormone-free medium for additional 22 h. The oocytes maturation rates of supplemented with acteoside were no significantly different compared with control group (71.13, 75.96, 72.95 and 73.68%, respectively). Level of ROS was significantly decreased in acteoside treated group. Furthermore, the parthenogenetic blastocyst rate was significantly improved in 10 μM acteoside treated group compared with control group (40.03 vs. 22.95%). During IVM, 10 μM acteoside treated oocytes showed that the mitochondria and lipid droplet were smaller and homogeneous distribution in cytoplasm compare with non-treated control oocytes. And reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) witarthenogenetic blstocysts revealed that acteoside increased the anti-apoptoticgenes, otherwise reibued pro-apoptotic genes. In conclusion, our results represents that addition of acteoside to the IVM medium has a beneficial effect in physiology of porcine oocytes such as viability and activation, providing a improved method for porcine oocytes in vitro.

A method of estimating the lower bound of coronal magnetic field strength in the neighborhood of an ejecting plasmoid is presented. Based on the assumption that the plasma ejecta is within a magnetic island, an analytical expression for the force acting on the ejecta is derived. The method is applied to a limb coronal mass ejection event, and a lower bound of the magnetic field strength just below the CME core is estimated. The method is expected to provide useful information on the strength of reconnecting magnetic field if applied to X-ray plasma ejecta.

The H2S 22,0 - 21,1 line emission is observed to be strongly localized toward Sgr B2(M), and emissions from other positions in the more extended SgrB2 region are almost negligible. H2S is thought to form effectively by the passage of the C-type shocks but to be quickly transformed to SO2 or other sulfur species (Pineau des Forets et al. 1993). Such a shock may have enhanced the H2S abundance in Sgr B2(M), where massive star formation is taking place. But the negligible emission of H2S from other observed positions may indicate that these positions have not been affected by shocks enough to produce H2S, or if they have experienced shocks, H2S may have transformed already to other sulfur-containing species. The SO2 222,20 - 221,21 line was also observed to be detectable only toward the (M) position. The line intensity ratios of these two molecules appear to be very similar at Sgr B2(M) and IRAS 16239-2422, where the latter is a region of low-mass star formation. This may suggest that the shock environment in these two star-forming regions is similar and that the shock chemistry also proceeds in a similar fashion in these two different regions, if we accept shock formation of these two species.

Using a developed high-frequency induction heated combustion method. the simultaneous synthesis and densification of WC-xvol.%Co() hard materials was accomplished using elemental powders of W, C and Co. A complete synthesis and densification of the materials was achieved in one step within a duration of 1min. The final relative densities of the composite were over 98.5% for all cases, under the applied pressure of 60 MPa and the induced current. The hardness of the composites decreases and the fracture toughness increases with increasing cobalt content. As the carbon to tungsten ration increases, the hardness increase, but the fracture toughness decreases. The maximum values for the fracture toughness and hardness are 15.1 (at 20vol.%Co, W:C=1:1), and 1928 (at 5vol.%Co, W:C=1:1.3), respectively. Therefore we concluded that the HFIHCS method. which can produce WC-xvol.%Co within 1 minute in one step is superior to conventional ones.

1) Using a developed high-frequency induction heated sintering method, the rapid densification of WC-Co hard materials was accomplished using ultra fine powders with 260 nm size within 1 minute. 2) The relative density of the composite was 99.5% for the applide pressure of 60MPa and the induced current for 90% output of total capacity. 3) The grain size of WC-Co hard materials is about 260nm and the average thickness of the binder phase determined is about 11nm. The fracture toughness and the hardness of this work 12 , respectively. 4) Using pressureless sintering, we produced dense WC-Co hard materials with a relative density of 97% without applying pressure.

Recently, we have set up a new digital CCD camera system, MicroMax YHS-1300 manufactured by Roper Scientific for Hα observation by Solar Flare Telescope at Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory. It has a 12 bit dynamic range, a pixel number of 1300×1030, a thermoelectric cooler, and an electric shutter. Its readout speed is about 3 frames per second and the dark current is about 0.05 e-/p/s at -10°. We have made a system performance test by confirming the system linearity, system gain, and system noise that its specification requires. We have also developed a data acquisition software which connects a digital camera con-troller to a PC and acquires Hα images via Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 under Windows 98. Comparisons of high quality Hα images of AR 9169 and AR 9283 obtained from SOFT with the corresponding images from Learmonth Solar Observatory in Australia confirm that our Hα digital observational system is performed properly. Finally, we present a set of Hα images taken from a two ribbon flare occurred in AR 9283.