No abstract available.
Alkaline Phosphatase* ; Animals ; Embryonic Development* ; Female ; Oviducts* ; Pregnancy ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Mice* ; Oocytes*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Mice* ; Spermatozoa*

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of seminal vesicle fluid (SVF) on the acrosome reaction (AR) occurred spontaneously or induced by Ca2+ ionophore A23187, follicular fluid, and progesterone in mouse epididymal sperm. SVF was divided into high (MW>10 kM)) and low (MW<10 kD) fractions by ultrafiltration. The low MW fraction of SVF decreased the rate of spontaneous AR, however the high MW fraction did not. It suggested that the low MW fraction of SVF might have contained decapacitation factor(s) responsible for prolonging of time need for capacitation. When sperm preincubated for 60 min in the presence of SVF, the rate of AR induced by A23187 was decreased, but prolongation of preincubation time for 120 min significantly potentiated the AR by A23187. It suggested that addition of SVF into sperm preincubation medium imposed the epididymal sperm a condition similar to ejaculation. AR induced by human follicular fluid or progesterone was also inhibited by SVF. It suggested that substance in SVF might have affected AR of mouse sperm by inhibiting the interaction between AR inducing ligands and sperm surface receptors involved in acrosomal exocytosis.
Acrosome Reaction* ; Acrosome* ; Animals ; Calcimycin ; Ejaculation ; Exocytosis ; Female ; Follicular Fluid ; Humans ; Ligands ; Male ; Mice* ; Progesterone ; Seminal Vesicles* ; Spermatozoa* ; Ultrafiltration

No abstract available.
Animals ; Mice* ; Oocytes*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Mice* ; Oviducts* ; Ovum*

Protein expression patterns of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were examined in mouse reproductive organs during estrous cycle. Estrous cycle was classified into diestrus, proestrus, estrus or metestus and MMP expression was analyzed by zymography using gelatin as a substrate. Uterine fluid (UF) obtained both at diestrus and proestrus exhibited 4 major MMPs including 106kDa, 64kDa, 62kDa and 59kDa gelatinases. However, in UF at estrus, the gelatinolytic activity of 64kDa MMP disappeared and that of 106kDa and 62kDa MMPs dramatically decreased. At metestrus, 64kDa MMP activity reappeared and 106kDa and 62kDa MMP exhibited increased activities such that the band intensity of 106kDa was comparable to that in UF at diestrus. Gelatinolytic activity of 59kDa MMP was not changed throughout the cycle. Both ovarian and oviductal tissue homogenate revealed 4 MMPs which corresponded to the 4 MMPs of UF. However, unlike UF MMPs, gelatinolytic activity of these MMPs did not show distinct changes throughout the cycle. Either an inhibitor of MMP, 1, 10-phenanthroline, or a metal chelator, EDTA, abolished the appearance of the above MMP activities in gelatinated gel whereas a serine proteinase inhibitor, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, failed to inhibit the appearance of MMP activities, proving that gelatinolytic activity of the above reproductive tissues were due to the enzymatic activity of MMP. When gelatinolytic activity of mouse serum was examined, it revealed 5 MMPs (131kDa, 106kDa, 89kDa, 64kDa and 62kDa bands) and one gelatinase (84kDa) band. From these results, it is concluded that the protein expression of MMPs of mouse reproductive organs, particularly uterus, is temporally regulated during estrous cycle and uterine 106kDa, 64kDa and 62kDa MMP,3 are suggested to play an important role in cyclic tissue remodeling of mouse uterus.
Animals ; Diestrus ; Edetic Acid ; Estrous Cycle* ; Estrus ; Female ; Gelatin ; Gelatinases ; Matrix Metalloproteinases* ; Metestrus ; Mice* ; Oviducts ; Phenylmethylsulfonyl Fluoride ; Proestrus ; Serine Proteases ; Uterus

No abstract available.
Animals ; Epithelium* ; Mice* ; Oocytes* ; Oviducts* ; Phenobarbital*

The present study was designed to define the role of prostaglandin in the development and hatching of mouse embryo. The effects of indomethacin, an inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis, on the development and hatching of morula and blastocyst were examined. In early morula stage, embryos were degenerated significantly at 100 muM and 200 muM indomethacin. However, :he viability of embryos was not influenced by concentration in any other embryonic stages. In all embryonic stages, the hatching was suppressed with concentration dependent manner, but expansion was not suppressed. Particularly, in 84h embryos post hCG injection, the hatching was suppressed significantly compared with post hCG 72h or 96h embryos. When embryos were treated with 100 muM indomethacin for a specific time (12h) in according to the development stage, the hatching was suppressed all groups. These suppressional effect was decreased as embryonic development stage was progressed. However, the expansion was not affected in all treatment group. This study suggests that hatching-related metabolic substances are synthesized from morula stage and intraembryonic signaling mediated prostaglandin was important for development and hatching of mouse embryo.
Animals ; Blastocyst ; Embryonic Development ; Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Indomethacin* ; Mice* ; Morula ; Pregnancy

No abstract available.
Adenosine Triphosphatases* ; Adenosine* ; Alkaline Phosphatase* ; Female ; Ovarian Follicle*