중금속 이온이(Cd2+, Hg2+, Cu2+, Pb2+) 산개구리 여포난자의 성숙에 미치는 영향을 알아보기 위해 배양액에 일정 농도의 이온들을 첨가한 후 여포난자들을 일정시간 배양하였다. 여포난자의 성숙을 유도하기 위하여 FPH(Frog pituitary homogenate: 0.1p.e./ml)를 사용하였으며 여포난자의 성숙율은 난자의 핵막 붕괴율로부터 구하였다. 실험결과 Cd2+은 0.1ppm의 농도부터 여포난자의 성숙을 억제하였으며 Hg2+과 Cu2+는 1ppm부터, Pb2+는 5ppm에서 현저히 억제효과를 나타내기 시작하였다. 이들 중금속 이온 작용의 가역성을 조사하기 위해 3시간 동안 여포난자들을 중금속 이온에 노출시킨 후 보통 배양액으로 옮겨 계속 배양을 해 본 결과 Cd2+은 1ppm에서 가역성을 나타내었으나 2.5ppm에서는 비가역적인 손상을 주었다. Hg2+, Cu2+, Pb2+의 효과는 2.5ppm에서는 비가역성을 나타냈다. 위 결과로부터 개구리 여포난자의 배양계는 환경오염물질의 독성 검정에 요긴하게 사용할 수 있을것으로 생각되었다.

In vitro development of parthenogenetic embryo was examined after ethanol treatment of follicular oocytes matured in vitro for 42, 48, 54 and 60h in the pig. The follicular oocytes were matured in TCM 199 containing 15% FCS and gonadotrophins in an atmosphere of 39 5% . The cumulus-free oocytes were activated by 10% ethanol treatment in M2+4mg /ml BSA for 10 min. The ethanol-activated oocytes were washed and further cultured in TCM199+20%FCS containing granulosa cell monolayer. Maturation rates at 42, 48, 54 and 60h of IVM were 75.0, 86.5, 81.6 and 87.9%, respectively. Thus the oocytes maturated in vitro for longer periods did not improve nuclear maturation much. Pronuclear formation rates at 18h post-activation in ethanol-activated oocytes were 21.9, 25.0, 47.4 and 32.6%. The cytoplasmic maturation leading to pronuclear formation upon activation increased when the I VM period was extended from 42 to 54h. When the activated oocytes were cultured for 96~120h to analyse early development of the activated oocytes, the rates of embryonic development upto 5~8 cell were 5.3, 5.8, 12.0 and 11.7% among the cultured embryos. The result indicate that earlier development of activated porcine occyte is dependent on the duration of oocyte maturation, and that better development could be obtained from the oocyte matured for 54h.

Purine metabolism is known factor for nuclear maturation of oocytes through both follicle cells and oocyte itself. However, it is largely unknown the roles of purine metabolism in the oocyte competence for fertilization and early development. In this study, the effects of adenosine in oocyte competence for development were examined using adenosine and its synthetic inhibitors. Adenosine treatment from GV intact stage for 18 hr (fGV) caused of decrease the fertilization rate but of increase the cleavage rate compared from the other stage treatment groups. Hadacidin did not effect on fertilization rate but increased cleavage rate without stage specificity. Adenosine did not block the effects of hadacidin with the exception of fGV group. By the inhibition of purine synthetic pathways the fertilization rate was decreased in the fGV and fGVB groups but increased in the fMII group. Exogenous adenosine caused of decrease fertilization rate in the fGVB group but increase in the fMII group. Cleavage rate was dramatically increased in the adenosine treatment with synthetic inhibitors. It means that the metabolism of purine has stage specific effects on fertilization and cleavage. Exogenous adenosine had only can improve oocyte developmental competence when it treated at GV intact stage. On the other hand, endogenous synthesis in all maturation stage caused of increase the cleavage rate without effects on fertilization. These data suggest that adenosine at GV stage as a paracrine fashion and inhibitions of endogenous adenosine in all stage improve oocyte developmental competence..

Throughout their meiotic maturation in most mammals, oocytes are arrested twice, prophase I and metaphase II. Being released from these arrests, transient or oscillation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration is observed in the ooplasm, which is not answered in relation to the specific role in the resumption of meiotic arrest. Recently, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM KII) has been known as a Ca2+ oscillation decoder from the in vitro experiment. CaM KII is multifunctional serine/threonine kinase observed in most cells. Present studies were performed to investigate the role of CaM KII during resumption of meiotic arrest and activation in vitro of mouse oocytes. It was questioned whether CaM KII might be involved in the meiotic resumption of mouse oocytes. Compared to the control, both of CaM KII inhibitors, KN-93 and KN-62, significantly inhibited germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) of mouse oocytes in a dose-dependent manner. As the concentration of KN-93 increased, concomitant decrease of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) was also observed using confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) and an intracellular Ca2+ indicator, fluo 3-AM. When GVBD oocytes were treated with 6% ethanol, small [Ca2+]i transient was observed in oocytes bathed with Ca2+-free medium and large increase was observed in oocytes bathed with Ca2+-containing medium, suggesting that [Ca2+]i transient could happen from intracellular Ca2+ store as well as Ca2+ influx through Ca2+-channel on the oolemma. However, KN-93 inhibited the [Ca2+]i transient of GVBD oocytes in both cases. Using monoclonal antibodies against α-subunit of CaM KII, tubulin and microtubule-assocaited proteins (MAPs), CaM KII has been colocalized on the spindle with tubulin and MAPs. The present study also demonstrated the presence of α-subunit of CaM KII in heart, kidney, testes, ovary as well as in brain of the mouse. In ovarian follicles, CaM KII was expressed in granulosa cells and oocytes. Based on overall the above results, followings are suggested. First, CaM KII might be involved in the regulatory mechanism of meiotic resumption. Second, CaM KII might play a regulatory role in the stabilization of microtubule.

To evaluate the effects of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), one of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), on in vitro oocyte maturation (GVBD) and sex steroid hormone production, maturing oocytes (oocyte diameters=0.74, 0.88 and 0.93 mm) of the longchin goby, Chasmichthys dolichognathus were incubated with B[a]P (1, 10 and 100 ng/mL) for 24 hours. After incubation, the oocytes were fixed with clearing solution (ethanol:formalin:glacial acrtic acid=6:3:1). The location of the germinal vesicle was observed under low-power magnification using a dissecting microscope. Steroids in aliquots of the incubation media were extracted twice using five volumes of ethylacetate:cyclohexane (1:1). Then, the T, E2 and 17α20βP levels were measured by RIA. In oocytes 0.74 mm diameter (vitellogenic oocytes), B[a]P had no significant effect on GVBD at the concentrations tested. In oocytes 0.88 mm diameter (fully vitellogenic oocytes), B[a]P inhibited GVBD significantly at 1 and 100 ng/mL. T production was decreased and the ratio of E2/T was increased significantly at 1 and 10 ng/mL compared with control. In 0.93 mm diameter oocytes (germinal vesicle located near the center of oocytes), B[a]P induced GVBD significantly at 10 and 100 ng/mL and decreased the ratio of E2/T significantly at 1 and 10 ng/mL compared with control. These findings suggest that B[a]P has different sensitivity to the oocyte maturation according to the oocyte diameters.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants derived from incomplete combustion of carbons and crude oil. In this study, we investigated the effects of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), a representative PAHs on in vitro sex steroid hormone production and germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) using isolated oocytes of longchin goby (Chasmichthys dolichognathus) and chameleon goby (Tridentiger trigonocephalus). Oocytes in diameters of 0.8-0.9 (end vitellogenic stage) and 0.9-1.0 mm (germinal vesicle migratory stage) from longchin goby and 0.5 mm (fully vitellogenic stage) from chameleon goby were used. In GVBD assay, B[a]P at 10 nM stimulated GVBD in the oocytes of 0.8-0.9 mm from longchin goby. B[a]P at 1 nM stimulated GVBD in the oocytes with diameter 0.5 mm from chameleon goby. In steroid production from oocytes of longchin goby, B[a]P at 100 nM decreased testosterone (T) production, B[a]P at 1,000 nM increased estraiol-17 (J (E2) production and 10 and 100 nM increased -dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one () production in the oocytes with diameter 0.8-0.9 mm. B[a]P at 1,000 nM increased E2 production, 100 and 1,000 nM increased production in the oocytes with diameter 0.9-1.0 mm. In steroid production of oocytes from chameleon goby, B[a]P at 1,000 nM increased production. B[a]P at 10 nM increased production. In the ratio of to T (/T), B[a]P at 100 and 1,000 nM increased /T in the oocytes of longchin goby. B[a]P at 100 nM also increased /T in the oocytes of chameleon goby. Taken together, these results suggest that B[a]P have not only weak estrogenic effects but progestogenic effects on oocyte maturation.

본 실험은 생쥐 난자의 성숙과 생존에 미치는 selenium의 영향을 알아보고자 수행하였다. 난자의 성숙은 현미경을 통해 관찰하였으며, 핵막 붕괴(germinal vesicle breakdown, GVBD)와 극체 형성(polar body formation, PB)은 체외 배양 시작 후 각각 2.5, 13시간에 확인하였다. 난자의 생존은 72 시간동안 체외 배양하면서 형태학적 차이로 정상 난자와 비정상 난자를 판별하였다. 또한 각 단계별로 수집된 난자의