Plasminogen activators (PAs) are serine proteases that convert plasminogen to plasmin. The PA/plasmin system has been associated with a number of physiological processes such as fibrinolysis, ovulation and fertilization. Although correlations have been reported between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oocyte maturation, the relationship between PA activity and ROS is unknown. The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of cumulus cells on PA activity in matured porcine oocytes under xanthine (X)-xanthine oxidase (XO) system. When oocytes were matured under the X-XO system, the proportion of oocytes remaining GV stage was higher (p<0.05) in oocytes without cumulus cells. The incidence of degenerated oocytes was higher (p<0.05) in the X+XO ( and ) than in the control group ( and ). The proportion of TUNEL-positive oocytes and activity of caspase-3 were higher (p<0.05) in cumulus-free oocytes and oocytes exposed to ROS. Tissue-type plasminogen activator-plasminogen activator inhibitor (tPA-PAI) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) activity were detected in oocytes that were separated from cumulus-oocytes complexs (COCs) at 44 h of maturation culture, and only tPA was produced in oocytes that were denuded before the onset of maturation culture. On the other hand, the activities of PA were increased (p<0.05) when oocytes were cultured under the X-XO system. The higher activity of tPA was observed in denuded oocytes (DOs) underwent apoptotic changes by oxidative stress. In COCs, however, tPA-PAI as well as tPA activity was detected and apoptotic changes such as DNA cleavage or caspase-3 activation were not observed. These results suggest that tP A may be relevant to apoptotic cell death in porcine oocytes by oxidative stress.

This study was carried out to assess the effect of vitamin E against the reactive oxygen species (ROS) on chemical activation of in vitro matured oocytes. Bovine oocytes were aspirated from slaughtered ovaries and transferred to maturation medium with or without vitamin E (). After 22 hours of culture, oocytes with polar bodies were selected and submitted to activation treatments with or without vitamin E. After activation, oocytes were cultured in mSOF medium and rate of development was monitored. For ROS () detection, in vitro matured and activated oocytes were selected and stained with DCFDA and observed under fluorescence microscope. The ROS contents were not significant differences in IVM rate, activation process and embryonic development to blastocysts with or without vitamin E. The cell number of blastocyst showed significant difference (p<0.05) in embryos matured and activated with vitamin E. The results of the present study demonstrated that the exposure of vitamin E in IVM and activation process improved the quality of embryos evaluated by the cell number of blastocysts.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the collection time, co-culture and sperm penetration of canine oocytes on in vitro maturation and fertilization. The oocytes were cultured in TCM-199 media containing hormonal supplements (10% FCS, 10 IU/ml HCG, 10 IU/ml PMSG) at 5% CO2, 95% air, 38℃. The in vitro maturation rate to MⅡ stage of in vitro oocytes recovered from ovaries that collected at follicular, luteal and inactive phases of the reproductive phase for 44～72 hrs were 19.2%, 12.2%, and 6.0%, respectively. Follicular phases oocytes had a significantly higher in vitro maturation rate than oocytes collected at luteal and anestrus stage (p<0.05). The in vitro maturation rates to the MII stage of canine oocytes after 48 hrs of culture with glutathione, pyruvate, or glutathione + pyruvate were 12.5%, 10.7%, and 17.5%, respectively. This was higher than that in both alone or the combination of the two compared to the control group (19.0%). The sperm penetration rates of in vitro matured oocytes by fresh and frozen semen were 29/80 (36.3%) and 18/80 (22.5%), respectively. Although there are limited reports about canine oocytes co-culture and in vitro fertilization, our results on in vitro maturation is comparable to the results from other researches.

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.

Polar body was usually used as a determinant of oocyte's maturation. Polar body morphology could reflect the embryo quality and implantation competence. This review only focuses on morphology of the first polar body and embryo developmental rate in the presence or absence of polar body. However, it is very difficult to describe whether polar body has any effects on embryo development in vitro or in vivo. Further intensive research is needed to determine its function on embryo development.

멸종위기에 처한 꼬치동자개(Pseudobagrus brevicorpus)의 보전과 복원을 위한 기초 자료를 제공하기 위하여 인공사육 환경에서 사육된 종묘에서 친어까지의 성장과 성성숙 특징들을 조사하였다. 부화 후 698일의 인공사육 기간 동안 전장과 체중은 각각 89.22±10.29mm와 70.93±7.68g로 성장하였고, 전장 (TL)과 체중(BW)의 관계는 BW=5×10-5 TL2.678 (R2=

This study examined the maturation and main spawning season of Japanese spear lobsters, Linuparus tirgonus(Von Siebold) captured around Jeju island from January to September, 2008. Carapace length(CL), body weight(BW) and gonad weight(GW) were measured. Gonadosomatic index(GSI) and sex ratio were calculated. In female group, CL showed the highest value in June and decreased after August. GW showed a peak in July and decreased rapidly after August. The mean gonadosomatic Index(GSI) reached a maximum value between June and August. Number of egg ranged from 143,360 to 189,504.

Maturation and spawning of the jack mackerel, Trachurus japonicus was investigated based on the samples captured in the coastal waters around Jeju Island from January 2007 to December 2008. Gonadosomatic index began to increase in March, and reached a maximum between April to June. After spawning it began to decrease from August. Reproductive season was estimated to March-July, with peak in April. Fecundity was proportional to the size of the female, with the clutch size varying from 33,493 eggs in the smallest female(FL=27.0cm) to 627,061 eggs in the largest(FL=40.6cm). Size at 50% sexual maturity(FL50), determined from mature females, was 26.6cm FL. Annual reproductive cycles of this species could be divided into six successive stages; immature stage(September-December), nucleolus stage(January-February), yolk vesicle stage(February-March), vitellogenic stage(March-April), ripe stage(April-July) and spent stage(July-September).

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of porcine epididymal fluid (pEF) on in vitro-maturation and subsequent fertilization of porcine follicular oocytes. Porcine cumulus-oocytes complexes retrieved from antral follicles were cultured in tissue culture medium (TCM)-199 supplemented with pEF of different concentrations. At 48 h after culture, development of oocytes to germinal vesicle (GV) breakdown, metaphase I, anaphase-telophase I, and metaphase II were examined. Significant (p<0.05) increase in the proportion of oocytes developed to MII stage was observed in oocytes cultured in pEF-containing TCM-199 than in oocytes cultured in pEF-free TCM-199 (46.2% vs 16.7%), which was a dose-dependent manner. Subsequently, the proportion of monospermic fertilization were significantly (p<0.05) increased in oocytes cultured in the TCM supplemented with pEF than those cultured in pEF-free TCM-199 (51.0% vs 24.1%). In the second series of experiment, the percentage of MII oocytes was significantly (p<0.05) increased after exposure of oocytes to pEF during the first 22 h period of culture than after exposure of oocytes to pEF during the next 24 h of culture, while no significant difference in the percentage of monospermy was observed. The results of this study demonstrate that pEF contains at least enhancing component(s) for nuclear maturation.

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of eCG and various concentrations (20, 40, and 80 ) of porcine FSH on nuclear maturation and intracellular glutathione (GSH) level of oocytes, and embryonic development after parthenogenetic activation (PA) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in pigs. Immature pig oocytes were matured in TCM-199 supplemented with porcine follicular fluid, cysteine, pyruvate, EGF, insulin, and hormones (10 IU/ml hCG and 10 IU/ml eCG or FSH) for the first 22 h and then further cultured in hormone-tree medium for an additional 22 h. Nuclear maturation of oocytes () was not influencem foreCG and various concentrations FSH. Embryonic development to the cleavage stage () and mean number of cells in blastocyst ( cells) after PA were not altered but blastocyst formation e-treignificaddlor(p<0.05) improvem forthe supplementation eith 80 FSHr(64%) compared to 47%, io8%, iand 47% in oocytes that were treated with eCG, 20,i and 40 FSH,i numectivelo. In SCNT, fusion () of cell-cytoplast couplets and siosequent embryo cleavage () were not influencem fordifferent gonadotropins but blastocyst formation tended to increase forthe supplementation eith 80 FSHr(25% vs. ). Our nuults demonstrated that oocyte maturation and embryonic development after PA and SCNT e-frinfluencem fortype of gcem fortype of gits concentration. In this study, supplementation of maturation medium eith 80 FSHrimproved preimplantation development of PA and SCNT pig embryos, probably by increasing intracellular GSH concentration of matured oocytes.

This study was conducted to examine the effects of human follicular fluid and gonadotropin (FSH+HCG+rhEGF) on in vitro maturation, fertilization and development of human immature oocytes. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected following for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles of the patients. At the time of oocytes collection, oocytes were classified into MII, MI and GV in accordance with their appearance (MII: Fully mature oocyte at metaphase II of meiosis; MI: Nearly mature oocytes at metaphase I of meiosis; GV: Immature oocytes at prophase I of meiosis). After controlled ovarian stimulation using gonadotropin(FSH) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in 70 ICSI cycles, 158 MI to MII matured oocytes were intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) h after in vitro culture and 553 MII oocytes were ICSI after denudation. The aspirated MI and GV oocytes were cultured in culture medium containing 10% (v/v) serum protein substitute (SPS), 10% (v/v) human follicular fluid (hFF) and 10% (v/v) serum protein substitute (SPS)+1 IU/ml FSH+10 IU/ml HCG+10 ng/ml recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF). The maturation rate of immature oocytes was similar among the three group. When maturation medium was supplemented with 10% SPS, 10% hFF or gonadotropins, the fertilization rate of in vitro matured oocytes was higher in 10% SPS (80.0%), but there was no statistical significance (78.2%; hFF, 76.9%; gonadotropin, p>0.05). The development rate of human embryos developed to cells were not significant difference in the medium containing SPS, hFF and gonadotropins (65.6%, 65.9% and 66.7%). The results of these study suggest that human follicular fluid and gonadotropins supplemented in the culture medium was not effected on the in vitro maturation, fertilization and development of human immature oocytes.