본 연구는 PI한 한국흑염소 수정란의 이식 결과를 통해 수란 흑염소의 수태율에 영향을 미칠 것으로 생각되는 여러 가지 요인을 분석함으로써, 높은 수태율을 얻을 수 있는 수란 흑염소의 최적 조건을 찾아낼 목적으로 수행하였다. 분석 결과, 수태율에 유의적인 영향을 주는 요인들은 발정형태, 수술 빈도, 이식 부위, 황체의 발육 단계, 수정란의 발육단계, 이식된 수정란의 수 등이었다. 자연 발정이 관찰되어 이식된 흑염소(59.1%, 13/22)들이 로 발정이

본 연구는 소 체외 수정란의 팽창 및 hatching시 prostaglandin 와 prostaglandin 의 영향에 대하여 검토하였다. 체외 수정란의 체외 배양시 다음과 같이 (1) 0, 1, 10 및 100ng/ml , (2) 0, 1, 10 및 100ng/ml , (3) low (1ng/ml : 1ng/ml), (4) low , (5) high (10ng/ml : 1ng/ml), (6) high : high (10ng/ml : 10ng/ml)로

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.

During early embryo development, Oct-4 is an important transcription factor for the early differentiation. The present study was first examined methylation status in distal enhancer and promoter region of Oct-4 during mouse pre-implantation embryo development. In oocyte and sperm, high methylation was observed in both distal and proximal of promoter in Oct-4. Following fertilization, relatively high methylation level remained until 8-cell stage embryos, but decreased at the morula and blastocyst stage. Specific gene knock down of Oct-4 by siRNA injection into zygote induced higher methylation rates of both distal and proximal region ofpromoter of Oct-4. These results suggest a functional link between the DNA methylation status of distal and promoter region in the Oct-4 gene and the gene sequence-specific transcriptional silencing by exogenous siRNA injection during mouse pre- implantation embryos.

본 연구는 인간 난관액 또는 자궁액 내에 존재하는 에너지원이 생쥐 2-세포기 배의 체외 발달에 미치는 영향을 조사하기 위하여 실시하였다. ICR 암 생쥐에 5 IU hCG 주사 후 46～50시간에 2-세포기 배를 회수하였다. 회수된 배는 3가지 배양 조건 [대조군: 0 mM, Group A: glucose(G) 0.5 mM + pyruvate(P) 0.32 mM + lactate(L) 10.5 mM, Group B: G 3.15 mM + P 0.1 mM + L 5.83 mM]에서 72시간 배양하였다. 배양 24 시간에 상실배 출현율은 group A (72.3%)와 group B (56.6%)가 대조군(34.9%)보다 유의하게 높았다(p<0.05). 그러나 48시간에 배반포기 배 출현율은 대조군(51.8%)이 group A (39.8%)와 group B (28.9%)보다 유의하게 (p<0.05) 높았다. 72시간에 투명대 부착 (ZiB, 41.0～51.8%), 투명대 탈출 (ZeB, 18.1～32.5%) 및 총 배반포기 배 출현율 (68.7～73.5%)은 실험군 간에 통계적인 차이가 없었다. 배반포기 배의 평균 세포수와 ICM 세포수는 group A (70.8, 13.4)와 group B (64.4, 11.8)가 대조군 (53.1, 5.7)보다 유의하게(p<0.05) 많았고, 통계적인 유의차는 없었으나 group A가 group B보다 많은 경향이었다. 총 세포수에 대한 ICM 비율은 group A(22.9%)와 group B(23.7%)가 대조군(14.2%)보다 유의하게(p<0.05) 높았다. 영양배엽(TE) 세포수(34.1～45.1)는 실험군 간에 통계적인 차이가 없었다. ICM에 대한 TE 비율(ICM:TE ratio)은 대조군(1:6.0)이 group A(1:3.4)나 group B(1:3.4)보다 유의하게(p<0.05) 높았다. 생쥐 2-세포기 배를 배양하여 72시간까지의 배 발달율을 살펴보면 배양액에 에너지원을 첨가하는 것이 효과적이었으며, 자궁액 농도보다는 난관액 농도로 에너지원을 조절했을 때 배 발생 능력이 높은 경향을 보였다.

The purpose of this study was to determine effects of oxytocin and interleukin-1α on in vitro development of bovine embryo cultured with endometrial epithelial and stromal cells isolated from bovine uterus. The expressions of COX-2 mRNA in bovine endometrium were also studied. When embryos were cultured with epithelial cells, the rate of blastocysts was significantly (p<0.05) higher in embryos treated with oxytocin than that of control group. The rate of hatched blastocysts was also significantly (p<0.05) higher in embryos treated with oxytocin than those of two control groups. On the other hand, when the embryos were cultured with stromal cells, the rate of blastocysts were significantly (p<0.05) higher than those of groups treated with IL-1α, oxytocin and control with stromal cells than that of control group without stromal cells. The rate of blastocysts hatched were also significantly (p<0.05) higher in group treated with IL-1α than those of control group without stromal cells and oxytocin group. In another experiment, COX-2 gene was expressed in embryo group treated with oxytocin during the co-culture of embryos with epithelial cells. In contrast, COX-2 mRNA was expressed in group treated with IL-1α when the embryos were cultured with stromal cell. This result shows that oxytocin and IL-1α were stimulate embryo development in vitro when embryos were cultured with epithelial and stromal cells, and can affect the development of bovine embryos in the uterus.

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) has been shown to have a positive effect on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and has been reported to stimulate meiosis at follicular level in variety of species. The study was designed to determine the expression patterns of TGF-β1, TGF-β receptors type Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Smads gene in bovine oocytes and embryos. TGF-β1 and their receptors were observed in the unfertilized oocytes. TGF-β1 and type Ⅱ receptor were not expressed at the blastocyst stage, however, only type I receptor was exclusively observed at the same stage. The blastocyst stage, in particular, showed high levels of mRNA expression patterns containing a TGF-β type Ⅰ receptor. The mRNA expression pattern of Smad 2 at all stages of embryonic development was similar in all respect with TGF-β1 type I receptor. On the contrary, Smad 3 and 4 were expressed with high and low level mRNA at the blastocyst stage. In conclusion, it is suggested that TGF-β signaling may be regarded as an important entity during the preimplantation embryo development.

본 연구에서는 수정란 이식을 위해 선발된 대리모에 이식 전 백신의 투여 시기가 임신과 유산에 미치는 효과와, 임신한 대리모의 분만 예정일 전에 백신의 투여가 송아지의 질병과 생존에 미치는 효과를 검토하였다. 실험 1에서는 한우 체외 수정란의 이식에 선발된 대리모의 백신 투여 시기가 임신과 유산에 미치는 영향을 검토하였다. 이식 전 주째 백신 투여시 임신율이 31.5%로서 대조군 및 주 투여군의 42.4 및 45.9%에 비하여 유의하게 낮았다(p<0.05