This study was conducted to investigate the changes of hormone levels of serum progesterone (P4) and estradiol-17 β (E2) in sows of Landrace (L), Yorkshire (Y) and F1 (L × Y) (respectively n=3) with excellent ability, and to provide a baseline data for improving reproductive performance. In this experiment, the sows at the age of 12 months or more were used. The sows were fed by two way methods, one is conventional methods and the other is 3 days-flushing feed before estrus. Each pig’s blood was collected in 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 days after the estrus for the analyses of P4 and E2. Serum was separated by centrifugation for 15 min. with 3,000 rpm. Progesterone and estradiol-17β were measured by immunochemical assay (ELIZA test). In conventional feeding, serum progesterone levels were significantly (p<0.01) higher in F1 than in L and Y. No significant differences in P4 concentrations were seen between the L and Y of sows. Serum E2 levels were similar the serum progesterone levels. In the case of flushing feed, the tendency of hormonal changes were similar to conventional methods. But almost of hormonal levels were a little higher than that of conventional methods. P4 level of L and Y in flushing feed were significantly different (p<0.01). Serum E2 level of Y in flushing feed was significantly different among the breeds (p<0.01). These results were similar to the tendency of hormonal changes in general sows and moreover, flushing feed is known to develop the swine production, these results proved the fact of the methods. And these results suggested that more studies about hormonal changes in sows according to seasonal and nutritional factors should be needed.

An uterus is female reproductive tract organ that affected estrus cycle. During a various changes occur at uterus in estrus cycle, one of them is body fluids secretion be called uterine fluid. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the changes of protein patterns using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis in uterus fluids during the follicular and luteal phases in estrus cycle of pigs. In changes of protein spots were confirmed during the follicular and luteal phases. The 136 spots were expressed in follicular phase, the 57 spots of them showed reproducibility. On the other hand, the 140 spots were expressed in luteal phase, the 73 spots of them showed reproducibility. Also, spots expressed in follicular phase were number 69 and 94 spots and spots expressed in luteal phase only were number 156, 157, 184～187, 190 and 191 spots. The spots which of higher expression levels in the luteal phase than in follicular phase were number 76 and 79 spots. In conclusion, the spots expressed in follicular and luteal phases were confirmed with difference levels and these differences are function of RNA resolving, protein synthesis and cytoskeletal architecture.

The present study was undertaken to identify changes of plasminogen activators (PAs) in porcine oviductal epithelial cells (POECs) during the estrous cycle classified with post-ovulatory stages (Post-Ov), early to mid-luteal stages (Early-mid L) and pre-ovulatory (Pre-Ov) stages. The urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) was only observed on day 5 and day 7 of culture in the POECs on all the estrous cycles and gradually increased according to increasing culture times, but not Early-mid L. In POECs-conditioned medium, uPA, tissue-type (tPA) and tPA-PA inhibitor (tPA-PAI) activity were observed at all culture times during estrous cycles. The uPA activity of POECs-conditioned medium on Post-Ov stage were significantly (p<0.05) decreased during prolonged cultures. On the other hand, the tPA activity of POECs-conditioned medium at Post-Ov stage was significantly (p<0.05) higher on day 5 than compared to the other days. Although was higher on day 1 at Post-Ov stage, the tPA-PAI activity of POECs-conditioned medium was significantly (p<0.05) higher on day 7 at all stage than that of day 5 of the culture. Taken together, these results suggest that uPA, tPA and tPA-PAI are produced by POECs, and the variations of the PAs activity are regulated in the different stages of the estrous cycle.

본 연구는 개 난자의 체외성숙율 높이기 위해 개의 발정주기가 체외성숙에 미치는영향과 체외성숙율의 효율적 향상을 위해 실험을 실시하였으며, 다음의 결과를 얻었다. 1. Anestrus, proestrus, estrus와 diestrus의 발정주기로 구분하여 MII로의 체외성숙율을 48시간과 72시간 배양후 관찰한 결과 각각 15.9%, 16.3%, 23.7%와 18.2%와 22.1%, 30.8%, 36.6%와 17.5%로 나타났다. 2. 각 발정주기별로

The uterus undergoes dynamic changes during the cycle and displays many features typical of developmental process. In order to be prepared for implantation, endometrium undergoes predictable, sequential phases of proliferation and secretory changes. The uterus during estrus cycle synthesize a complex of signaling molecules with specific spatial and temporal modes of expression and which are critical for cell proliferation and differentiation. The purpose of this investigation was to use cDNA microarrays to evaluate the expression of genes of rat uterus in estrus cycle. Animals were sacrificed on proestrus, estrus, metestrus, diestrus. Differential gene expression profiles were revealed(growth-related c-myc reponsive protein RCL, heat shock 47-kDa protein (HSP47), cytochrome c oxidase polypeptide Vlc2 (COX6C2), calreticulin (CALR)). Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to validate the relative expression pattern. Using this approach, we found several genes whose expression in rat uterus was altered with estrus cycle. Our long-term goal is to determine the role of these differentially expressed genes during estrus cycle. This study was supported by through the Biohealth Products Research Center(BPRC), Inje University.