Somatic cells such as oviduct epithelial cell, uterine epithelial cell, cumulus-granulosa cell and buffalo rat river cell has been used to establish an effective culture system for bovine embryos produced in in vitro. But nitric oxide (NO) metabolites secreted from somatic cells were largely arrested the development of bovine in vitro matured/ in vitro fertilized (IVM/IVF) embryos, suggesting that NO was induced the embryonic toxic substance into culture medium. The objective of this study was to investigate whether BOEC co-culture system can ameliorate the NO-mediated oxidative stress in the culture of bovine IVM/IVF embryos. Therefore, we evaluated the developmental rate of bovine IVM/IVF embryos under BOEC co-culture system in the presence or absence of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), as a NO donor, and also detected the expression of growth factor (TGF-p , EGF and IGFBP) and apoptosis (Caspase-3, Bax and Bcl-2) genes. The supplement of SNP over 5 uM was strongly inhibited blastocyst development of bovine IVM/IVF embryos than in control and 1 uM SNP group (Table 2). The developmental rates beyond morulae stages of bovine IVM/IVF embryos co-cultured with BOEC regardless of SNP supplement (40.4% in 5 uM SNP+ BOEC group and 65.1% in BOEC group) were significantly increased than those of control (35.0%) and SNP single treatment group (23.3%, p<0.05: Table 3). The transcripts of Bax and Caspase-3 genes were detected in all experiment groups (1:Isolated fresh cell (IFC), 2:Primary culture cell (PCC), 3:PCC after using the embryo culture, 4: PCC containing 5 uM SNP and 5: PCC containing 5 uM SNP after using the embryo culture), but Bcl-2 gene was not detected in IFC and PCC (Fig. 1). In the expression of growth factor genes, TGF-p gene was found in all experimental groups, and EGF and IGFBP genes were not found in IFC and PCC (Fig. 2). These results indicate that BOEC co-culture system can increase the development beyond morula stages of bovine IVM/IVF embryos, possibly suggesting the alleviation of embryonic toxic substance like nitric oxide.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of orvus es paste(OEP) on the sperm characteristics during freezing in boar semen. Semen quality was evaluated the motility, membrane integrity, mitochondria function, acrosome status, viability and abnormality. Boar semen were frozen until 5℃ for 2 hours using cell freezer and making the straws, and then freezing by lowing the straws into styrofoam box on the 8cm above the LN2 and plunged into LN2 for cryopreservation. In different concentration of OEP (0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0%) into cryo-extender, sperm motility, membrane integrity, acrosome status, viability and mitochondria function were significantly higher in 0.5% OEP than those of any other groups, but sperm abnormality were highest in 1.0% OEP group among all treatment groups (P<0.05). In the relationships of the evaluation methods for sperm viability, CBB vs membrane integrity, CBB vs HO/PI and CBB vs mitocondria function were positively correlated (0.67~0.92). Among the evaluation methods, CBB vs membrane integrity, CBB vs HO/PI and CBB vs mitocondria function were significantly correlated (P<0.001). These results of this study indicate that supplementation of 0.5% OEP in boar semen cryo-extender can improve the semen quality.

The objective of this study was to establish the optimal conditions for hypoosmotic swelling (HOS) test to assess the functional integrity of the membranes of boar fresh or frozen/thawed spermatozoa. When pooled semen sample was incubated for 30 min at 37℃ with different test solution of varied osmolarity, the highest percentage of HOS positive spermatozoa was observed in a 150 mOsmol fructose/Na-citrate solution (33.6%). Incubation time did not affect significantly the score of HOS positive spermatozoa observed in a 150 mOsmol fructose/Na-citrate solution at 37℃, but the osmolarity affected the score of HOS positive spermatozoa under the same condition above. Fresh semen was significantly better than frozen/thawed semen in semen parameters evaluated such as motility, viability, membrane integrity and lipid peroxidation (p<0.05). In the relationships of sperm parameters, motility vs viability, motility vs membrane integrity and viability vs membrane integrity were positively correlated (0.82～0.94) but lipid peroxidation vs other estimated factors was negatively correlated (－0.90～－0.98). Among the evaluation methods, motility vs viability, motility vs membrane integrity and lipid peroxidation vs other estimated factors were significantly correlated (p<0.05). These results of this study indicate that the optimal condition of HOST in boar spermatozoa is a 150 mOsmol fructose/Na-citrate solution for 30 min incubation at 37℃ and HOST can substitute the examination of motility, viability and lipid peroxidation.

Astaxanthin is a kind of carotenoid compounds, having a antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The antioxidative mechanism by which carotenoid scavenge free radicals has been clearly elucidated, but has not tried for the development of mammalian preimplantation embryo. This study was conducted to investigate the antioxidative effect of astaxanthin on in vitro development of porcine in vitro fertilized embryos. Porcine embryos derived from in vitro fertilization (IVF) were cultured in 5% CO2 in air at 38.5℃ in PZM-3 medium supplemented with different dosages of astaxanthin (0, 1, 5 and 10 M) and taurine (0, 1, 2.5 and 5 mM) as a positive control, and execute to compare the effects of various antioxidants such as taurine, melatonin and asculatin on in vitro development. The proportions of embryos developed to the blastocyst stage were increased when 1 and 5 M of astaxanthin (26.6 and 23.4%, respectively) and 1 and 2.5 mM taurine (25.8 and 26.4%, respectively) were supplemented, compared to controls (p<0.05). Also, various antioxidant-treated groups were significantly higher rates of blastocysts (astaxanthin, 27.4%; taurine, 29.1%; melatonin, 26.8%; aesculetin, 27.9%, respectively ) than control (18.8%). There was no difference in mean cell number of blastocysts between antioxidants and control. This result indicates that astaxanthin has an antioxidant feature when porcine IVF embryos were cultured in vitro.

본 연구는 내분비계 장애물질인 BPA와 DEHP가 돼지 정액 성상(운동성, 생존율, 원형질막의 정상성, 기형율)에 유해한 영향을 미치는지를 검토하였다. 일정 농도로 희석한 돼지 정액에 BPA와 DEHP를 각각 0, 1, 10, 100 μM의 농도로 처리하여 3, 6, 9시간 동안 체외배양을 실시하였다. BPA 처리에 따른 운동성과 생존율은 체외배양 시간과 첨가농도에 따라 감소하였으며, 체외배양시간이 경과함에 따라 대조구와 명백한 차이를 나타냈다. 100 μM의 농도로 처리한 경우의 운동성과 생존율은 체외배양시간에 관계없이 처리군이 대조구에 비해 유의적으로 감소하였다(p<0.05). DEHP 처리에 따른 정자의 운동성과 생존율도 체외배양시간과 첨가농도에 따라 감소하여 BPA의 성적과 유사한 경향을 나타냈다. 정자원형질막의 기능성은 배양시간에 따라 감소하였으며 BPA 및 DEHP 첨가농도 간에 차이가 인정되었으며, 특히 100 μM 처리구에서 급격히 감소하는 성적을 나타났다. 정자의 기형율은 BPA 및 DEHP 처리시간 및 농도에 크게 영향을 받지는 않았다. 본 연구의 결과로 볼 때, 고농도의 BPA와 DEHP(>10 μM)에 정자의 장시간 노출은 유해한 영향을 줄 것으로 사료된다.

본 연구는 돼지정액의 보다 간편하고 손쉽게 동결시킬 수 있은 방법을 확립하기 위하여 수행하였다. 돼지정액은 3시간에 걸쳐 5℃까지 냉각 후 Straw에 봉입하고 다양한 방법 및 step에 의해 스티로폼 용기 내에 들어있는 LN2 중에서 동결하였다. 정자의 생존성은 LN2 표면으로부터 10 cm 위에서 10분간 정치 후 침적할 경우 가장 높게 나타났다(54.0%). Straw를 -102℃에서 10분간 정치시킨 처리구가 여타구보다 높은 생존성이 얻어졌다(74.0%, P<0.05). 응해 방법에 따른 동결정액의 생존성 실험에서는 37℃의 융해구가 52℃ 융해구보다 유의적으로 높은 결과를 나타냈다(P<0.05). 1단계 동결 방법과 3단계 동결방법으로 돼지 정액을 동결시킨 결과 정액의 일반적 특성 및 첨체의 이상 유무를 평가하는 CTC 검사에서는 커다란 차이가 인정되지 않았다. 동결정액을 이용한 체외수정 결과에서는 상실배기 이상 발육율에서 1-step이 3-step보다 높은 발육율을 나타내었다(27.5 vs 14.7%, P<0.05). 본 실험의 결과 돼지정액 동결 시 -102℃에서 10분간 정치시키는 1단계 동결방법이 간편하면서 유리한 동결 방법으로 활용될 수 있음을 보여준다.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different straw volume (0.5 and 5.0 ㎖) on cryopreservation in boar semen. Semen quality was evaluated the motility, viability, abnormality, acrosome intactness and membrane integrity. And there were also examined the development rates of IVM/IVF embryos using frozen-thawed boar semen. Boar semen were frozen until 5℃ for 3 hours using cell freezer and making the straws, and then freezing by lowing the straws into styrofoam box on the 8 cm above the LN2. In different straw volume (0.5 and 5.0 ㎖), sperm viability and abnormality were not differ in 0.5 and 5.0 ㎖ straws, but sperm motility were significantly higher in 0.5 ㎖ straws (61.3%) than in 5.0 ㎖ straws (56.3%) (p<0.05). In the Coomassie Brillient Blue (CBB), Hoechst 33258/Propidium Iodide (H258/PI) staining and Hypoosmotic Swelling Test (HOST), the acrosome intactness and sperm membrane integrity were not differ in 0.5 and 5.0 ㎖ straws, but sperm survival rate was significantly higher in 0.5 ㎖ straw (65.0%) than in 5.0 ㎖l straw (55.0%) (p<0.05). Employing the Chlortetracycline (CTC)/Hoechst33258 (H258), all treatment group were not differ in characteristic of uncapacitated acrosome-intact sperm (F), capacitated and acrosome-intact sperm (B-type) and acrosomereaction seprm (AR-type). In the developmental rate of IVM/IVF embryos using frozen-thawed boar semen in different straw volumes, the developmental rate of morula plus blastocysts were 19.9% in 0.5 ㎖ straw and 18.8% in 5.0 ㎖ straw, respectively. These results indicated that straw volume affects the semen motility and sperm survival rate, but not other semen characteristic and developmental rate of IVM/IVF embryos.