Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) play important roles in extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling during ovarian follicular development, oocytes development and ovulation. In an attempt to investigate the effect of MMP activation in development cumulus-oocytes complexes, we examined the localization and expression of MMP, and monitored MMP expression profile. Cumulus-oocytes complexes were collected and matured in vitro for 24 hr, 36 hr and 48 hr. A mRNA expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-2 and TIMP-3 was detected in all culture medium regardless of CC, OC and COCs. Activity of MMP-2 in the OC progressively was increased from 24 hr to 48 hr. But MMP-9 was not detected in all culture medium. The localization of MMP-2 was also measured by immunohistochemistry analysis. The MMP-2 and TIMP-2 was detected in cumulus cell and oocyte zone pellucida. Expression of MMP-2 protein in the COCs was progressively increased from 24 hr to 48 hr. However, MMP-9 protein was progressively decreased from 24 hr to 48 hr. And TIMP-2 protein was most highly expressed in the COCs 36 hr. Expression of TIMP-3 protein in the COCs was progressively increased from 24 hr to 48 hr. In conclusion, these results suggest that MMP-2 plays a role in maintaining normal maturation and development by controlling the ECM inhibitor concentration on cumulus cell and oocytes.

본 연구에서는 OPU를 통한 체내 유래 난자를 이용한 수정란 생산 시 1개월에서 6개월까지의 연구 기간에 따른 난포 생성수, 난자 회수율, 난자 등급율, 배반포 생성률을 분석하여 공란우의 활용 기간에 관하여 조사하였다. 1. 채란 기간에 따른 난포 생성수는 1개월에서 5개월까지의 난포 생성수는 , , , , 개로 유의적인 차이가 없었으나, 6개월째에는개로 급격하게 줄어든 것을 알 수 있었다. 2. 채란 기간에 따른 난자 회수개수는 1개월에서 3개월까지는

본 연구는 나무이끼(Climacium japonicum) 배우체의 기내증식에 영향을 미치는 몇 종류의 화학적 및 물리적 환경을 표준화하기 위하여 실시하였다. 초기 배양재료는 멸균한 배우체의 정단을 Knop 배지(1865)의 다량요소와 Nitsch와 Nitsch배지 (1956)의 미량요소를 첨가한 고체배 지에 배양하여 획득하였다. 배우체 생산을 위해 좋은 배양재료를 얻기 위하여 다져진 배우체 및 shoot의 정 단부와 기저부를 평가하였다. 배우체의 기내생산에 미 치는 영향을 검정하기 위해 배지 7종류, 총질소 4농도, sucrose 5농도, 광도와 온도 등의 요인들을 분석하였다. Shoot의 정단부가 배우체 번식을 위해 사용한 3종류의 절편체들 중 가장 우수하였으며, Knop 배지(1865)의 다량요소와 Nitsch와 Nitsch배지 (1956)의 미량요소를 첨가한 배지가 다른 종류의 배지들에 비해 배우체의 증식에 효과적 이었다. Sucrose의 농도가 높아질수록 배우체의 신장 및 증식에 좋은 영향을 미쳤으며, 질소의 결핍 및 과다는 배우체의 생장을 억제하였다. 광도의 강약에 따라 배수체의 수, 길이 및 생체중에 큰 변화를 보였으며, 배우체 생장을 위해 최적의 광도는 3000- 4000lx. 인 것으로 생각되었다. 고온 또는 저온 조 건은 배우체의 증식과 생산에 부정적인 영향을 미쳤다. 본 연구에 의해 개발된 생산과정의 단순화, 대량화 및 영 양체의 고품질화는 효과적인 이끼의 기내배양 방법으로 생각되었다.

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of vitamin B (pantothenic acid, folic acid, and myo-inositol) that was supplemented to embryo culture medium on in vitro development of parthenogenetically activated (PA) pig embryos. Cumulus-oocyte complexes derived from slaughtered ovaries were matured in TCM-199 supplemented with porcine follicular fluid, cysteine, pyruvate, EGF, insulin, and hormones (hCG and eCG) for the first 22 h and then further cultured in hormone-free medium for an additional 22 h. After maturation culture, metaphase II oocytes that extruded 1st polar body were electrically activated and treated with cytochalasin B for 4 h. Then, PA embryos were cultured for 7 days in a modified NCSU-23 that was supplemented with pantothenic acid, myo-inositol, or folic acid at different concentrations () according to the experimental design. Myo-inositol added to culture medium did not show any beneficial or inhibitory effects on embryo cleavage and blastocyst formation. However, pantothenic acid significantly inhibited blastocyst formation compared to control (no addition) (24% vs. 36%, p<0.05). Folic acid () significantly (p<0.05) increased blastocyst formation (56%) compared to control (41%). Our results demonstrated that in vitro development of PA embryos was significantly influenced by vitamin B and addition of folic acid to culture medium improved in vitro development of pig PA embryos.

PDT is an established cancer treatment modality. This can be attributed to the attractive basic concept of PDT; Combination of two therapeutic agents, a photosensitizing drug and light, which are relatively harmless by themselves but when combined, cause more or less selective tumor destruction. Hematoporphyrin-derived photosensitizers are known to be stable and highly efficient. In this study, we conducted a series of experiments to develop light-induced anticancer drugs against oral cancer cells. We tested the cytotoxicity of photodin by MTT assay and observed cell death pattern (apoptosis or necrosis) by hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide staining methods after PDT. IC50 value of photodin was 0.65 ug/ml. At higher doses of photodin ( > 7.8 ug/ml), cancer cells died exclusively from necrosis after PDT. By contrast, at IC50 value, photodin induced cancer cell to undergo apoptotic cell death. The induction begins approximately 6 hours after PDT. We investigated intracellular localization of photodin by oral cancer cell via confocal laser scanning microscopy. Oral cancer cells dual-stained with photodin and organelle-specific fluorescence probes (Mitotracker, Lysotracker, ER-Tracker) revealed that an intracellular fluorescence distribution was restricted to cytoplasmic compartments with no detectable fluorescence in the nucleus. Confocal images of cells containing photodin were overlapped with the mitochondria-specific fluorescence probe images of the same cells. These results demonstrated that photodin may play the role of a photosensitizer for oral squamous cancer cells without swelling and inflammation. Therefore, photodin-based PDT is a suitable treatment for oral cavity carcinoma patients.

본 연구는 한약재 (결명자, 계피, 산초, 감초) 추출물의 반추위내 발효와 미생물 활성에 대한 효과를 구명하기 위하여 수행되었다. In vitro 건물소화율은 계피와 산초 추출물 첨가구에서는 0시간대, 감초 추출물 첨가구에서는 3시간대에 대조구에 비해 현저히 (P<0.05) 낮았다. 한약재 추출물 첨가에 따른 발효 시간대별 휘발성 지방산 조성의 변화는 3시간대에서만 처리간 유의성이 인정되었는데, acetate 비율은 대조구가 천연 추출물 첨가구보다 유의적으로 높았으나, butyrate, isobutyrate, isovalerate 및 valerate은 대조구에서 가장 낮았다 (P<0.05). 미생물 성장율은 발효 3시간대에서 결명자 첨가구를 제외한 한약재 첨가구에서 대조구에 비해 유의적(P<0.05)으로높았으나다른발효시간대에서는차이가없었다 이상의 결과로부터 한약재로 사용되고 있는 계피, 산초 및 감초 추출물을 in vitro 반추위 배양액에 첨가하였을 때, 발효초기에 반추위 미생물의 활성을 억제하는 경향은 있었으나 미생물 성장에 대한 억제 효과는 없는 것으로 나타났다.

As a simple and economical method for in vitro produced embryos, we have used BSA instead of serum for the production and embryo transfer of Hanwoo in vitro fertilized (IVF) embryos and obtained the following results: 1) When using serum (FBS; fetal bovine serum) or BSA-containing culture media as the initial culture media for immature oocytes, it is regarded as inappropriate to add only BSA to the culture solutions from maturation of the immature oocytes to development stage culture, but serum still needs be added though there is no significant difference in the concentration, with a change from 5% to 10%. 2) The results of culturing IVF embryos after development (4 cell stage) in the Medium199 solutions containing BSA instead of serum (FBS) showed that 0.3% BSA concentration is not optimal and 0.5% or higher BSA concentration has no significant difference among 0.5%, 0.7%, 1% and 2% (p > 0.05). 3) The post-freezing survival ratio after development in 5% FBS-Medium199 showed that 1% BSA concentration of the culture solution is the most suitable in the BSA concentrations of 0.3% (51%), 0.5% (67%), 0.7% (69%), 1% (77%) and 2% (75%). 4) The pregnancy rates of the transplanted fresh(not frozen) blastocyst had no significant concentration dependency (p > 0.5), and the average pregnancy rate was 63.8%. 14% of overweight calves were found among the calves given birth to by the transfer of IVF blastocysts cultured in the serum-added culture solution, but none was found in the experimental groups in which BSA was added instead of serum.

Antioxidants partially ameliorated the detrimental effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on sperm characteristics during in vitro storage. The objective of the present study was to investigate the single or synergetic antioxidative effect of curcumin and Vit. E on the characteristics of fresh boar sperm during in vitro storage. The sperm viability in curcumin, Vit. E supplementation and curcumin+Vit. E+H2O2 groups remained over 85.0% in 3 hr incubation period, but in 6 hr incubation period, curcumin+Vit. E+H2O2 groups was sharply dropped than those of curcumin and Vit. E group. The membrane intergrity in all evaluated groups except for H2O2 group did not significantly difference in 3 hr incubation period. The viability in curcumin or Vit. E supplementation were significantly increased than in curcumin+H2O2 and Vit. E+H2O2 group in 6 hr incubation period. The percentage of mitochondrial activity and acrosome intergrity obtained similar trends within same incubation periods irrespective of treatment. The lipid peroxidation of spermatozoal plasma membrane ranged from 11.6∼17.5 nM/l×106 and 14.0∼ 19.0 nM/l×106 in 3 hr and 6 hr incubation periods. In conclusion, curcumin or Vit. E rpplementation alone or cooperatively improved sperm viability index (motility, membrane intergrity, viability and survival rates) and fertility index (mitochondria activity, acrosome intergrity and lipid peroxidation) of fresh boar sperm, indicating that curcumin and Vit. E have a antioxidative properties through its scavenging activity against hydrogen peroxide.

This study was to investigate pregnancy rate of IVM/IVF/IVC Korean cattle (registered in government) embryos according to transport time course. For the production of embryos, oocytes recovered from slaughtered excellent grade cow and highly motile frozen‐thawed bull semen (purchased from LIMC, KPN#497) was used. In vitro produced embryos were cultured in CR1aa medium for 8 days and some of them were frozen. The rate of average cleavage (>2‐cell) was 83.0% (308/371) and blastocyst rate at day 8 was 34.7% (107/308). Among in vitro produced blastocyst embryos at day 8, most healthy embryos were freshly transferred on production day and some frozen embryos were direct transferred on appropriate day. These embryos were produced in a laboratory, embryo transfer (ET) was planned in 10 areas of the remote island (Jeju) from the laboratory by airplane. Thus, we examined the pregnancy rate in recipient cow according to embryo of transport time course before ET. From embryo transferred 44 recipient cows, overall pregnancy was 40.9% (18/44), these 18 cows were all calved [single, 94% (17/18); twin, 6% (1/18)] and total embryo implantation rate was 26% (19/66). Comparing transport time in the base of 6 hr, pregnancy rate in ET group required less 4 hr (60%, 9/15) was significantly higher than that required more 6 hr (26.3%, 5/19). In direct ET of freezing embryos, the pregnancy rate was 40% (4/10). However, it was difficult to find the meaning of temperature, pH and corpus luteum quality of recipients on comparison of pregnancy rate. When the cell death level of embryos according to storage time in thermos (straw container) before ET was measured by TUNEL staining, apoptotic index was increased with storage time‐dependent. These results demonstrated that long distance transfer of IVM/IVF/IVC embryos is possible and the time of embryo transport is very important for the pregnancy rate on field trial.

To enhance the embryo preservation technology and better application of embryo transfer technique to the field (dairy science or animal reproduction. etc.), we examined the viabilities of bovine embryos produced in vitro and in vivo after cryopreservation according to their developmental stage and thawing temperature. Bovine embryos from in vivo/vitro fertilization (Hanwoo) were examined at day 7, 8, and 9. Survival rates and total cell numbers of in vivo fertilized embryos were as follows: morulae 68.8% and ; blastocysts 80.5% and ; expanded blastocysts 77.4% and , respectively. Rates of embryo development for blastocysts and expanded blastocysts after thawing were significantly higher than that of morula stage embryos (p<0.05). While survival rates of in vitro fertilized embryos according to developmental stage showed no significant difference among groups (morula 67.9%; blastocyst 74.3%; and expanded blastocyst 79.4%), total cell numbers were significantly lower than those of other groups (morula ; blastocyst ; and expanded blastocyst ) For the viability according to thawing temperature, survival rate was higher in .

The objective of this study was to determine effects of different culture media. Preantral follicles were mechanically extracted from bovine ovaries and cultured for 16 days in tissue culture medium (TCM)‐199, DMEM or alphaminimal essential medium (α‐MEM) + 10% FBS + 0.1 mg/ml sodium pyruvate + 100 mIU/ml FSH. The collected primary follicles from ovary were higher than the primary and secondary follicles. The survival rates of the follicles in TCM‐199 were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those in DMEM and α‐MEM. The diameter of the follicles progressively increased during 12 days of culture. The maximum size (139.1±5.4 μm) reached on Day 12 of the in vitro culture and decreased on Day 16. These results suggest that in a culture of bovine preantral follicles, TCM‐199 is an optimal medium and a longer‐term culture of preantral follicles (>12 days) may be needed to form antra.

In vitro physiological functions such as jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) urease inhibitory activity and retarding effect of glucose/bile acid of Aloe vera gel concentrated by the optimized DIS (Dewatering Impregnation & Soaking) process conditions were examined. Urease inhibitory activity of DIS aloes ranged from 84.6 to 94.4%, which was similar to or higher than 86.3% of fresh aloe. Also, urease inhibitory activity of DIS aloes was maintained at initial levels after heat treatment (90oC, 10 min.) and drying treatment (freeze or hot air drying). Urease inhibition pattern from Lineweaver-Burk plot indicated general non-competitive inhibition, and inhibition constants (KIE and KIES) of DIS aloes were 41-149 and 87-163 μL/mL, respectively. DIS(glucose) and DIS (polyethylene glycol) exhibited the highest retarding effect of glucose and bile acid. Their retarding effects were about 1.6 and 1.8 folds higher than that of fresh aloe after 0.5 and 1 hr of the dialysis, respectively. Conclusively, the above in vitro physiological functions of Aloe vera gel concentrated by DIS process suggested that aloe products treated with DIS would have the potential benefits for protection against Helicobacter pylori and reduction of blood glucose and cholesterol levels.