Fabrication of GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As multiple quantum well nanostructures on (100) si substrate using a 1-nm InAs relief layer

Nanometer scale thin InAs layer has been incorporated between Si (100) substrate and GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As multiple quantum well (MQW) nanostructure in order to reduce the defects generation during the growth of GaAs buffer layer on Si substrate. Observations based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) suggest that initiation and propagation of defect at the Si/GaAs interface could be suppressed by incorporating thin (1 nm in thickness) InAs layer. Consequently, the microstructure and resulting optical properties improved as compared to the MQW structure formed directly on Si substrate without the InAs layer. It was also observed that there exists some limit to the desirable thickness of the InAs layer since the MQW structure having thicker InAs layer (4 nm-thick) showed deteriorated properties.

Costs of illness and quality of life in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in South Korea

OBJECTIVE

To assess the costs of illness, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and their associated factors in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in South Korea.

METHOD

Two hundred and one patients with SLE were enrolled at the Rheumatology clinic of Seoul National University Hospital. Direct, indirect and total costs and HRQOL were measured using hospital electronic data and face-to-face interview. Socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with cost of illness and HRQOL were analyzed using multiple regression and multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

The average total cost of illness was estimated to be KRW 9.82 million (US $ 8993) per year, of which 41.6% was accounted for by direct costs and 58.4% by indirect costs. In multivariate regression, patients with renal involvement and those with depression incurred an average increment in annual total costs of 37.6% (p = 0.050) and 49.1% (p = 0.024), respectively, and an average increment in annual direct costs of 26.4% (p = 0.050) and 43.3% (p = 0.002), respectively, compared with patients without renal involvement and depression, respectively. In addition, disease damage was positively associated with an average increment in annual total and direct costs (55.3%, p = 0.006; 33.3%, p = 0.013, respectively), and the occurrence of indirect costs (OR 2.21, 1.09-4.88). There was no significant difference in HRQOL between patients with and without renal involvement (0.655 vs. 0.693, p = 0.203) CONCLUSION: Renal involvement, depression, and disease damage were major factors associated with higher total and medical costs for patients with SLE in South Korea. Effective treatment of renal disorders and depression may reduce the high economic burden of SLE.

Analgesic efficacy of caudal dexamethasone combined with ropivacaine in children undergoing orchiopexy

BACKGROUND

Epidural administration of dexamethasone might reduce postoperative pain in adults. We evaluated whether a caudal block of 0.1 mg kg(-1) dexamethasone combined with ropivacaine improves analgesic efficacy in children undergoing day-case orchiopexy.

METHODS

This randomized, double-blind study included 80 children aged 6 months to 5 yr who underwent day-case, unilateral orchiopexy. Patients received either 1.5 ml kg(-1) of 0.15% ropivacaine (Group C) or 1.5 ml kg(-1) of 0.15% ropivacaine in which dexamethasone of 0.1 mg kg(-1) was mixed (Group D) for caudal analgesia. Postoperative pain scores, rescue analgesic consumption, and side-effects were evaluated 48 h after operation.

RESULTS

Postoperative pain scores at 6 and 24 h post-surgery were significantly lower in Group D than in Group C. Furthermore, the number of subjects who remained pain free up to 48 h after operation was significantly greater in Group D [19 of 38 (50%)] than in Group C [four of 37 (10.8%); P<0.001]. The number of subjects who received oral analgesic was significantly lower in Group D [11 of 38 (28.9%)] than in Group C [20 of 37 (54.1%); P=0.027]. Time to first oral analgesic administration after surgery was also significantly longer in Group D than in Group C (P=0.014). Adverse events after surgery including vomiting, fever, wound infection, and wound dehiscence were comparable between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of dexamethasone 0.1 mg kg(-1) to ropivacaine for caudal block can significantly improve analgesic efficacy in children undergoing orchiopexy. Clinical trial registration NCT01604915.

200 TELOMERASE ACTIVITY MODIFICATION WITH RESVERATROL IN CANINE ADIPOSE-DERIVED MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS

It has been established that the telomerase activity of donor cells is causally linked to the reprogramming efficiency, which includes somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Among the many cell source as donor cells of SCNT, canine adipose-derived stem cells (Ad-MSCs), a form of adult stem cells, are donor cells that have been recently used. Resveratrol (trans-3,5,4′-trihydroxystilbene), a polyphenolphytoalexin, possesses diverse biochemical and physiological action, including antiplatelet and reducing cellular senescence via telomerase activity modification. However, appropriate dose and time of resveratrol for telomerase activity modification in Ad-MSCs have not been investigated. In addition, unlike most normal somatic cells which have negative telomerase activities; low to moderate levels of the enzyme in mesenchymal stem cells have been described. In the present study, we compared the cellular telomerase activity of Ad-MSCs according to the dose of resveratrol and passages of Ad-MSCs. Cells were isolated from collected adipose derived tissues of beagle at age 7 and cultured in RCME-P provided from RNL Bio incorporation. For identification of telomerase activity in ad-MSCs, adult fibroblasts derived from same dog were used as negative control. After 2 days of cultivation, Ad-MSCs were treated with 2 μM, 10 μM, or 25 μM resveratrol or without resveratrol at 39°C for 24 h in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2 in air. Ad-MSCs with passage at 1, 4, and 7 were used for analysis. Telomerase activity was measured by the telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay. Statistical analysis was performed by the two-way ANOVA. P < 0.05 was considered as showing a statistically significant difference between means. It revealed that Ad-MSCs have telomerase activity significantly higher than those shown in fibroblasts (negative control). Resveratrol increased telomerase activity, with maximal increase at 10, 25 μM at passage of 1, 4 (P < 0.05). However, increase of telomerase activity in Ad-MSCs treated with 10, 25 μM at passage 7 was not shown and the telomerase activities of Ad-MSCs at passage 7 were lower than those of Ad-MSCs at passage 1 and 4 (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the telomerase activity was detectable in canine Ad-MSCs, which may suggest that canine Ad-MSCs have similar telomere biology compared to that of other adult stem cells. Furthermore, resveratrol can enhance activation of telomerase activity with dose dependent increase. Further studies are warranted on efficiency of establishing a stable donor cells for SCNT using Ad-MSCs treated with resveratrol. This study was supported by R&E (#550–20130027), IPET (#311062–04–2-SB010), RNL Bio (#550–20130013), RDA (PJ008975022013), the Research Institute for Veterinary Science, and TS Corporation.

37 RESTORING REPROGRAMMING ABNORMALITIES IN A CLONED DOG HAVING ECTOPIC LIVER AND GALL BLADDER BY RECLONING

The risk of reprogramming abnormalities such as placental hyperdevelopment, excessive fetal growth, or abnormalities of the immune system in cloned neonates is one of the major concerns in cloning research. However, until now, relatively few studies about birth defects have been reported in dog cloning, which might be due to the short in vitro manipulated procedure in this species. Here, we report a cloned dog having abnormal liver and investigated whether the abnormal liver was due to genetic modification. A cloned beagle was produced from a fibroblast derived from a 10-year-old donor, but accidentally died due to cannibalism of a nanny dog on the day of birth. During autopsy, an abnormal liver structure was found; 7 lobes were presented at the normal liver position inside the abdomen, but there was no gall bladder. Interestingly, 3 additional lobes with a gall bladder were found in between the rib and the skin. There were no other macroscopic anomalies observed in this puppy. To evaluate the heredity of this liver abnormality, the liver structure of the donor dog was diagnosed by computed tomography (CT). Also, to assess the possibility of restoring the liver abnormality, recloning was performed using a fibroblast cell line established from the dead pup, and liver positions in the recloned dogs were diagnosed by CT after puberty. In results, 2 recipients delivered 5 recloned dogs with birthweights of 510, 250, 460, 400, and 410 g. The smallest one showed severe bow-legged phenotype in its hind leg, and a unique coat pattern that showed the largest white coat surface. The pup died 10 days after birth, and no other abnormal phenotype was found during autopsy. The other 4 pups showed normal morphology at birth. The CT results showed normal positioning of the liver and gall bladder in all experimental dogs, including the original cell donor dog and recloned dogs. To our knowledge, there have been no reported cases of an ectopic liver and gall bladder present between rib and skin in both cloned and noncloned animals, and we consider that these abnormalities are not a due to genetic cause. Further studies regarding aberrant epigenetic reprogramming in the abnormal liver formation are needed.

36 EFFECT OF ACTIVATION METHODS ON DNA SYNTHESIS AND DEVELOPMENT OF CANINE PARTHENOGENETIC EMBRYOS

Artificial activation is an important step for successful somatic cell nuclear transfer. In mammals, different methods of parthenogenesis have been studied to increase the developmental efficiency of cloned embryos. In an attempt to improve the techniques of nuclear transfer in canine species, this study investigated the timing of DNA synthesis and in vivo development of canine parthenotes produced by different activation treatments. For canine parthenotes, in vivo matured oocytes were obtained by flushing (~72 h after ovulation) the oviducts of mixed breed bitches. Denuded oocytes were cultured for 4 min in 10 μM calcium ionophore, and then they were divided into 2 groups: (1) 2DMAP group was cultured for 2 h in 6-DMAP; (2) 4DMAP group was cultured for 4 h in 6-DMAP. The first experiment determined DNA synthesis of parthenotes by 1 h treatment with incorporation and immunofluorescent detection of thymidine analogue 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine-5′-triphosphate (BrdU). The primary antibody was mouse anti-BrdU (Sigma, St. Louis, MO, USA), and the secondary antibody was fluorescein (FITC)-conjugated affinity purified goat anti-mouse IgG (Jackson). In order to examine the pronuclear formation and the onset of DNA synthesis in experimental groups, parthenotes derived from 2DMAP and 4DMAP groups were observed by BrdU incorporation at 2, 4, and 12 h post-activation (hpa). Data were analysed using Graph Prism software (GraphPad, San Diego, CA, USa). The next experiment observed in vivo development as follows: parthenotes were surgically transferred to synchronized recipient female dogs. The implantation rate of parthenogenetic fetuses was observed in uterus of recipients on Day 26 of pregnancy. All parthenotes of the 2DMAP group showed BrdU incorporation at 2 hpa, whereas 4DMAP parthenotes showed 96% BrdU incorporation at 2 hpa. Incorporation of BrdU was detected in all parthenotes of both experimental groups after 4 hpa. A total of 98 parthenotes were transferred to 9 surrogate mothers (53 parthenotes into 5 recipients in 2DMAP group and 45 parthenotes into 4 recipients in 4DMAP group). There was no significant difference in pregnancy rate between the 2 groups (2DMAP: 60% v. 4DMAP: 50%), whereas the implantation rates were significantly higher in 2DMAP (24.5%) compared with 4DMAP (4.4%; P < 0.001). The recovered parthenotes were able to develop to the stages of limb-bud formation, but few parthenotes showed the small and degenerating formation. Regardless of treatment group, the implantation site of the fetuses indicated either one side or both of the uterus. In conclusion, the present results demonstrated that the protocols using combined treatment with 10 μM of calcium ionophore (4 min) followed by a 2-h culture with 1.9 mM of DMAP resulted in completing pronuclear formation and enhancing fetal formation. This result could be useful method for improving canine cloned embryos production. This study was supported by IPET (#311062–04–2-SB010), RNL Bio (#550–20130013), RDA (PJ008975022013), and Research Institute for Veterinary Science and Natural Balance.

Species-specific challenges in dog cloning

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is now an established procedure used in cloning of several species. SCNT in dogs involves multiple steps including the removal of the nuclear material, injection of a donor cell, fusion, activation of the reconstructed oocytes and finally transfer to a synchronized female recipient. There are therefore many factors that contribute to cloning efficiency. By performing a retrospective analysis of 2005-2012 published papers regarding dog cloning, we define the optimum procedure and summarize the specific feature for dog cloning.

33 PROPAGATION OF ELITE LIFESAVER DOGS BY SOMATIC CELL NUCLEAR TRANSFER

Canine somatic cell nuclear transfer (cSCNT) has been used as a useful tool for propagation of elite working dogs. In 2009, 7 cloned dogs were successfully produced using somatic cells derived from the excellent drug-sniffing dog of Korea Customs Service. All cloned dogs perfectly performed drug detection in Incheon International Airport. The objective of the present study was to compare the efficiency of the 2 activation culture media to clone the retired Baekdu, a veteran rescue dog that performed lifesaving activities worldwide for 6 years in Korea National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Ear tissue was collected from a 10-year-old male German Shepherd and fibroblasts were cultured for cSCNT. The cells were injected into the perivitelline space of enucleated in vivo-matured dog oocytes, fused with electric stimulation using an electro cell fusion apparatus (Nepa Gene Co. Ltd.), and activated chemically. In the activation protocol, 2 different types of media were tested to investigate the effect of proteins with undefined functions. The first medium was a modified synthetic oviduct fluid (mSOF), which is a complex culture medium with BSA that includes undefined functions. The second medium was the porcine zygote medium (PZM-5), which is a chemically defined medium with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The fused couplets were activated by mSOF medium supplemented with 1.9 nM DMAP (SOF-DMAP), and PZM-5 supplemented with 1.9 nM DMAP (PZM-DMAP) for 4 h, followed by 4 min of calcium ionophore treatment. Then, reconstructed oocytes were transferred into the uterine tube of naturally estrus-synchronized surrogate dogs. In the PZM-DMAP group, a total of 56 activated cloned embryos were transferred into 3 female recipient dogs, and a total of 64 activated cloned embryos from the SOF-DMAP group were transferred into 4 female recipients. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed using a SONOACE 9900 (Medison, Seoul, Korea) ultrasound scanner with 7.0-MHz linear-array probe between 30 and 35 days after embryo transfer. As a result, pregnancy was detected in 1 out of 3 surrogate mothers that received cloned embryos from the PZM-DMAP group (33.3%), and 1 pregnancy (25%) was detected in 4 surrogate mothers receiving cloned embryos from the SOF-DMAP group. Two pregnant dogs each gave birth to 1 healthy cloned puppy by cesarean section. This study shows that existence of proteins with undefined functions in activation medium did not affect the dog cloning. In addition, the number of elite working dogs in diverse fields can be increased by the NT technique using donor cells derived from small tissue of elite working dogs. This study was supported by RDA (no. PJ0089752012), RNL Bio (no. 550-20120006), IPET (no. 311062-04-1-SB010), Research Institute for Veterinary Science, and TS Corporation.

143 EFFECTS OF BOAR SEMINAL PLASMA IN IN VITRO CULTURE OF PORCINE EMBRYOS

Seminal plasma consisting of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids not only serves as a nutritive and protective medium for sperm cells but also play a pivotal role in inducing the tolerance to pre-existing immune cells as well as improving the intra-uterine conditions for implantation of fertilized embryos (Guerin et al. 2009 Hum. Reprod. Update 15, 517–535). However, the effects of seminal plasma in in vitro culture of fertilized embryos are unknown. In the present study, the seminal plasma was separated from the second fraction of a normal farm boar (n = 1) by centrifugation and filtered seminal plasma was stored at –30°C until use. In a preliminary experiment, the optimal activity of seminal plasma was evaluated by incubating the embryos for different time intervals. To investigate the developmental rates, electrically (EA) (triplicates, n = 490) or chemically (CA) (quintuplicates, n = 599) activated 2-day-old porcine embryos were incubated for 3 h in PZM-5 medium (Funakoshi Co., Tokyo, Japan, Catalog no. IFP0410P) containing 0% (EA: n = 122 and CA: n = 152), 0.1% (EA: n = 123 and CA: n = 148), 0.5% (EA: n = 122 and CA: n = 150), or 1% (EA: n = 123 and CA: n = 149) seminal plasma. Similarly, the developmental rate of chemically activated 2-day-old somatic cell nuclear transferred porcine embryos (quadruplicates, n = 239) was studied after incubation with 0% (n = 119) or 0.1% (n = 120) seminal plasma for 3 h. A significant difference was noticed only in the rate of blastocyst formation in the chemically activated embryos treated with 0.1% seminal plasma (31.7 v. 24.8% in the 0% group, ANOVA; P < 0.05; Prism5, GraphPad Software Inc., La Jolla, CA, USA). None of the treatments showed a significant effect on the cleavage rate and cell numbers of blastocysts. In conclusion, the seminal plasma did not show any harmful effect on early embryos development. Furthermore, the seminal plasma (0.1%) improved the rate of blastocyst formation among the chemically activated nuclear transferred embryos. The results of this preliminary study suggest that the addition of seminal plasma during embryo transfer could increase the rate of pregnancy in pig. This study was supported by MKE (#10033839-2012-21), IPET (#311011-05-1-SB010), the Research Institute for Veterinary Science, and TS Corporation.

293 EFFECT OF MEDIUM TYPE FOR CULTURE OF ADIPOSE-DERIVED MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS ON PRE-IMPLANTATION DEVELOPMENT OF CLONED EMBRYOS

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have been known as useful donor cells for somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). It has been suggested that the culture condition of donor cells causes different results on preimplantation development of SCNT embryos. In this study, we investigated the patterns of gene expression of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ad-MSC) in different culture media (DMEM and RKME), and examined the effect of ad-MSC, with the gene expression changed, used as donor cells on the preimplantation development of cloned embryos. Canine ad-MSC were isolated from fat tissue of 3-year-old female beagle and were cultured in DMEM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (MSC-DMEM) and RKME (MSC-MSC) provided from RNL Bio Corp. (Seoul, Korea). Total RNA was extracted from ad-MSC cultured in each culture medium. After synthesising cDNA of each sample, quantitative RT-PCR was done according to the Takara Bio Inc. guidelines and using the 7300 Real Time PCR Cycler System (Applied Biosystems, Carlsbad, CA, USA). The level of all tested gene transcription was normalized to β-actin expression levels. The relative quantification of gene expression was analysed by the 2–ΔΔCt method. The data from all experiments were analysed by Student’s t-test using a statistical analysis GraphPad Prism 4.02 (GraphPad Software Inc., San Diego, CA, USA). Significance was determined at P < 0.05. The stemness, the reprogramming-related gene expression level of donor cells of MSC-DMEM and MSC-MSC were compared. In order to confirm the effect of MSC cultured in 2 different culture media on somatic cell nuclear transfer, we performed interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT). The enucleated bovine oocytes were injected, respectively, with donor cells of MSC-DMEM and MSC-MSC, and were fused by electrofusion. The iSCNT embryos were cultured in modified SOF at 38.5°C for 7 days in an atmosphere of 5% CO2 and 5% O2, and the developmental ability of iSCNT embryos was observed under the microscope. The MSC-MSC contained a significantly higher amount of Sox2, Nanog, Oct4, Stella, HDAC1, DNMT1, and MeCP2 than the MSC-DMEM, whereas the amount of Rex1 was not different in either MSC-MSC or MSC-DMEM. In the development ability of iSCNT embryos, MSC-DMEM embryos resulted in a 16-cell embryo formation rate that was higher than that of MSC-MSC embryos (9.09 and 5.30%, respectively; P < 0.05). However, the blastocyst formation rate was not different between MSC-DMEM embryos and MSC-MSC embryos (4.5 and 3.2%, respectively; P > 0.05). These results demonstrate that the gene expression of ad-MSC can be modified, by culture media, into a state where reprogramming is easily done. Even so, ad-MSC with gene expression changed by culture medium did not influence the developmental ability of blastocysts. In conclusion, the alteration of gene-related stemness and reprogramming in canine ad-MSC would not be able to effectively control reprogramming in SCNT. This study was supported by RDA (#PJ0089752012), RNL Bio (#550-20120006), IPET (#311062-04-1-SB010), Research Institute for Veterinary Science, and Nestlé Purina Korea.

32 CLONING OF ELITE QUARANTINE SNIFFING DOG BY SOMATIC CELL NUCLEAR TRANSFER

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in assisted reproductive technologies has been considered for the conservation of valuable or endangered animals. Dogs that were originally bred for hunting, such as beagles, have an exceptional ability to detect a particular smell from many others. For that reason, the beagles have been used to detect quarantine risk items from a wide range of goods in assorted luggage without scaring or disrupting the passengers. Though very useful and highly in need, elite quarantine sniffing beagles with excellent abilities are rare; much time, effort, and money are required in producing them. Here, we have applied SCNT for propagation of elite quarantine sniffing dogs to save time and economic burden. Ear fibroblasts from a 10-year-old adult male elite quarantine sniffing beagle were isolated and cultured in vitro as donor cells. For SCNT, in vivo-matured oocytes, obtained by flushing the uterine tubes of oocyte donors (mixed breed), were used. The oocytes were enucleated, microinjected with donor cells, fused by electrical stimulation, and activated chemically. Reconstructed oocytes were surgically transferred into the uterine tube of naturally synchronous recipient females. A total of 212 activated cloned embryos were transferred into 12 female recipient dogs and 4 recipients became pregnant. The 4 pregnant recipients delivered 4 pups through caesarean section or natural delivery, but 1 died right after birth and did not show an abnormality. Other live puppies exhibited normal phenotypes; their appearance was similar to that of the donor dog. All cloned pups were genetically identical to the donor dog and their mitochondrial DNA was from their oocyte donor dogs. When the cloned pups were 16 weeks old, we conducted a Volhard test, which is commonly used to describe the following puppy aptitudes: social attraction, following, restraint, social dominance, elevation dominance, retrieving, touch sensitivity, sound sensitivity, and sight sensitivity. Dog behavior data on differences in transcript abundance were analyzed by a general linear mixed model. The 3 cloned pups showed similar behavioral tendencies. The present study demonstrates that NT technique using donor cell derived from 1 elite quarantine sniffing dog is useful to produce a large number of quarantine sniffing dogs. This study was supported by RDA (no. PJ0089752012), RNL Bio (no. 550-20120006), IPET (no. 311062-04-1-SB010), Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Nestlé Purina Korea, and TS Corporation.

285 GENERATION OF CANINE INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS FROM CANINE FETAL FIBROBLAST AND ADULT FIBROBLAST OF CLONED DOG

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) derived from a patient’s fibroblasts have been used as fine resources for studying disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategies. The dog is considered invaluable in human disease research because its genetic diseases are strikingly similar to those of human. Therefore, we generated cloned dogs and transgenic cloned dogs via somatic cell nuclear transfer. In this study, we tried to derive canine iPSCs from canine fibroblasts to establish a way to make iPSC from skin fibroblasts of transgenic cloned dogs. We isolated canine fetal fibroblast (FF) from normal beagles and adult skin fibroblast (ASF) from cloned beagles. Both ASF and FF were infected with all-in-one retroviral vector that delivers human reprogramming factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, c-Myc). Ten to twenty-one days after infection, the colony-shaped structure was picked and plated on a mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) feeder layer, pretreated with mitomycin C. Then, all cells were cultured with DMEM/F12 supplemented with 20% fetal bovine serum, 5 ng mL–1 basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), 5 ng mL–1 LIF, 0.1 mM β-mercaptoethanol, 1% NEAA, and 1% penicillin-streptomycin. Alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity and expression of Oct4, Sox2, SSEA1, and SSEA4, were observed in the cells to characterise the iPS cell colonies. In vitro differentiation of 10th-passage canine iPSC was performed through embryonic body formation. About 50 canine iPS-like colonies were formed on a 100-mm dish. As a result, the canine iPSC from FF (iPSC-FF) and canine iPSC from ASF (iPSC-ASF) showed typical colony morphology, and both stained positively for AP. The expression of pluripotency-associated transcription factors Oct4 and Sox2 was positively displayed in iPSC-FF colonies. The stem cell markers SSEA1 and SSEA4 were negative in canine iPSC-FF. The canine iPS-FF spontaneously differentiated into all 3 germ layers in vitro, showing positive expressions of βIII-tubulin (ectoderm), α-SMA (mesoderm), and GATA6 (endoderm). As for iPS-ASF, characterisation and in vitro differentiation experiment are in progress. These results show that canine iPS-FF are similar to embryonic stem cells in terms of morphology and the ability to differentiate into 3 germ layers. Although we did not demonstrate complete verification of canine iPS-ASF of the cloned dog, their morphology, AP expression, and iPS-FF generation should indicate the possibility of iPSC production in the cloned dog. In conclusion, retroviral transduction of 4 human reprogramming factors can reprogram canine fetal fibroblasts into canine iPSC. The technique of producing canine iPSC will stimulate the utilisation of transgenic cloned dogs and expand the range of human diseases or therapeutic application. This study was supported by RDA (#PJ0089752012), RNL Bio (#550-20120006), IPET (#311011-05-1-SB010), Research Institute for Veterinary Science, and Nestlé Purina Korea.

267 EFFECT OF FOLLICULAR FLUID CONCENTRATION ON IN VITRO DEVELOPMENT OF PORCINE OOCYTES AND THE EXPRESSION OF GENES RELATED TO CUMULUS EXPANSION AND EMBRYO QUALITY

It is well known that the presence of porcine follicular fluid (PFF) in in vitro maturation media enhances the developmental competence of porcine oocytes. However, it is also suggested that the action of PFF can be modulated positively or negatively by its components. In this study, we investigated the effects of PFF concentration (10 v. 1%) and protein-free media (PFF 0%) on the maturation of porcine oocytes in vitro, and analysed the difference in gene expression in the resulting cumulus cells and blastocysts after parthenogenetic activation. Three groups were tested: 1) 10% PFF: TCM-199 + 10% PFF (n = 638); 2) 1% PFF: TCM-199 + 3.05 mM d-glucose + 1% PFF (n = 418); and 3) 0.1% polyvinyl alcohol: TCM-199 + 3.05 mM d-glucose + 0.1% polyvinyl alcohol (n = 693). Cumulus–oocyte complexes were cultured for 20 to 22 h in the respective media that contained gonadotrophin (1 µg mL–1), epidermal growth factor (10 ng mL–1), cysteine (0.57 mM), sodium pyruvate (0.91 mM), insulin (5 µg mL–1), and 9-cis retinoic acid (5 nM). They were then cultured for an additional 20 to 22 h without hormonal supplements. Data was analysed by one-way ANOVA using the SAS program (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). No significant difference in oocyte maturation rate was observed. However, significantly higher (P < 0.05) proportions of embryos developed in the blastocyst stage when the oocytes were matured in 10% PFF group (45%) than in the 1% PFF group (31.1%). The total cell numbers were not significantly different among groups (52 ± 1.3 v. 54.6 ± 3.1 v. 54.4 ± 2.5, respectively). In addition, the expression of matrix molecule (HAS2, GREM1), steroidogenesis (HSD3B), epidermal growth factor signalling (AREG, BTC), and cell cycle regulator (CCND2) genes were upregulated in the cumulus that was obtained from oocytes that matured in 10% PFF. The expression of the anti-apoptotic gene (BclxL) was upregulated, and the expression of the pro-apoptotic gene (Bax) and metabolism-related genes (GLUT1, LDHA) were downregulated in blastocysts that developed from the 10% PFF group. Therefore, it can be concluded that supplementation of 10% PFF during in vitro maturation improves embryo development by increasing matrix molecules and maturation-enabling factors in the cumulus and by reducing apoptosis. This study was supported by IPET (No. 311011-05-1-SB010), MKE (No. 10033839-2012-21), the Research Institute for Veterinary Science, the BK21 Program, and the TS Corporation.

40 PIG CLONING AND GENE EXPRESSION PATTERNS IN MINIPIG ADIPOSE TISSUE-DERIVED MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS

In several laboratory animals and humans, adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASC) are very interesting; they are easy to harvest and can expand to generate millions of cells from a small quantity of fat. The ASC are known as useful materials for clinical applications in human cell therapy and as a donor cell in somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). In this study, we investigated the expression patterns of several genes (Oct-4, Nanog, Sox2, Dnmt1, and Dnmt3b) in minipig ASC, and whether ASC can be a suitable donor cell type for producing cloned pigs. For the study, we respectively isolated ASC, adult skin fibroblast (ASF) and fetal fibroblast (FF) from a 6-year-old female minipig. The ASC were attached to a plastic dish with a fibroblast-like morphology, expressed cell-surface marker characteristics of stem cells, and underwent osteogenic, adipogenic, and neurogenic differentiation when exposed to specific differentiation-inducing conditions. To observe gene expression, total RNA was extracted from ASC, FF, and ASF, respectively, and was used for reverse transcription (RT). After RT, real-time PCR was performed to investigate the expression of Oct-4, Sox2, Nanog, Dnmt1, and Dnmt3b. The expression of β-actin was measured and used as an endogenous control. In the following experiment, we carried out SCNT using ASC, ASF, and FF. The ratio of blastocysts to 2-cell embryos and total cell number of blastocysts were monitored as experimental parameters. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA (GraphPad Prism version 5). As a result, the relative abundance of DNMT1 in ASC (1.9 ± 0.9) was significantly higher than that in FF and ASF (0.1 ± 0.2 and 1.0 ± 0.5, respectively; P < 0.05), but no significant difference in expression of the DNMT3b gene was observed. Interestingly, the quantity of Oct-4 was significantly higher in FF and ASC than in ASF (2.8 ± 0.4 and 2.9 ± 0.5 v. 1.0 ± 0.1, respectively; P < 0.05), and Sox2 showed significantly higher expression in ASC (3.7 ± 0.5) than in ASF and FF (1.0 ± 0.1 and 1.4 ± 0.6, respectively; P < 0.05). Nanog expression was similar in ASF, FF, and ASC. After SCNT, the developmental competence to blastocysts did not differ among the 3 groups (ASF: 7.0 ± 0.2%, FF: 16.15 ± 6.1%, and ASC: 11.1 ± 0.7%). However, total cell numbers of blastocysts derived from ASC and FF were significantly higher in ASF (89.0 ± 7.9 and 105.0 ± 5.5 v. 57.5 ± 5.2, respectively). In conclusion, the present study revealed that minipig ASC and minipig FF possess slightly different gene expression patterns and ASC have potential in terms of in vitro development and blastocyst formation ability similar to ASF and FF. This study was supported by IPET (no. 311011-05-1-SB010), RDA (no. PJ0089752012), RNL Bio (no. 550-20120006), Institute for Veterinary Science, and the BK21 program.

158 EFFECTS OF AMINO ACIDS IN EMBRYO TRANSPORT MEDIA ON PORCINE EMBRYOS

Due to the distance from the laboratory to the recipient farm, several laboratories, including ours, carry somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)-derived porcine embryos to the farm using a portable incubator for a few hours. If the embryos are nourished well during the transport, viability of embryos might be increased and cloning efficiency can be improved. TALP, which is widely used as a porcine embryo transport medium, lacks amino acids (AA). Proper supply of AA in the uterus is important for the development of pre-implantation embryos because AA have functions as osmolytes, metabolic regulators, or substrates and buffers of intracellular pH. Thus, supplementation of AA could affect the embryonic viability during the transport of SCNT-derived porcine embryos. The aim of this study is to determine whether the transport medium containing AAs affects the in vitro development of parthenogenetic embryos compared to TALP. Porcine zygote medium-5 (PZM-5) was chosen as transport medium containing AA due to its similarity in constituents with TALP except for the AA. Because PZM-5 contains sodium bicarbonate as a buffer system which can not cover wide variation of pH, 10 mM HEPES was added into PZM-5 (PZM+H) as it was normally done with TALP. Porcine cumulus–oocyte complexes (COC) were collected from ovaries of slaughtered pigs and cultured for 44 h using a two-step culture protocol. After denuded, matured oocytes were activated by thimerosal for 10 min followed by dithiothreitol for 30 min. The parthenogenetic embryos were cultured in PZM-5 for 2 days, monitored for cleavage, and loaded in a straw with TALP or PZM+H, respectively. Embryos were stored in a portable incubator (MTG, Bruckberg, Germany; no CO2) at 37°C for three hours and moved to PZM-5 drop for additional 5 days culture. The development was monitored on Day 7 after activation and blastocysts (BL) were collected for total cell number counts and RNA extraction. Ten BL from the TALP group and 11 BL from the PZM+H group were stained with 10 µg mL–1 bisbenzimide (Hoechst 33342) and were visualized for cell counting under fluorescence microscopy. Messenger RNA was extracted from 7 BL of the TALP and PZM+H groups and cDNA were synthesized. Quantitative real-time PCR were done to detect expression levels of apoptosis-related genes using the cDNA. The Bax/Bcl2 ratio was investigated as expression level of apoptosis-related genes and GAPDH was used as control. Each experiment was repeated at least 3 times. Data were analyzed by paired Student’s t-test using Graphpad Prism (version 5, Graphpad Software Inc., La Jolla, CA, USA). No difference was observed between the TALP and PZM+H groups with respect to blastocyst formation rate (22.46 ± 1.47% and 23.17 ± 2.13%, respectively) and total cell number (32.9 ± 2.22 and 37.09 ± 2.18, respectively). There was no significant difference between groups in the Bax/Bcl2 ratio. The use of PZM-5 media, which contains AA, did not affect the development and apoptosis of parthenogenetic embryos. This study was supported by MKE (#10033839-2012-21), IPET (#311011-05-1-SB010), the Research Institute for Veterinary Science, and TS Corporation.

Upregulation of stromal cell-derived factor by IL-17 and IL-18 via a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent pathway

Th17 cells that produce interleukin (IL)-17 play a key role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune inflammation. Among the various cytokines that are involved in the IL-17 pathway, members of the IL-1β family, including IL-18, have recently gained attention. In this study, we stimulated synovial fibroblasts with a combination of IL-17 and IL-18 and quantified their stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) production by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and their transcript levels by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Both IL-17 and IL-18 significantly increased the level of SDF-1, not only individually but also synergistically (P< 0.05). The synergism was effectively suppressed by anti-IL-17 and -IL-18 antibodies, and a PI3K inhibitor. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of PI3K-dependent synergism between IL-18 and IL-17, and this work adds a novel perspective of the role of IL-18 in immune regulation. The individual effects of these two cytokines, and their interactions, suggest an interrelationship between the IL-1 family and IL-17.

Comparison of cell proliferation and epigenetic modification of gene expression patterns in canine foetal fibroblasts and adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells

OBJECTIVES

This study compared rate of cell proliferation, viability, cell size, expression patterns of genes related to pluripotency and epigenetic modification between canine foetal fibroblasts (cFF) and canine adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (cAd-MSC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Proliferation pattern, cell viability as well as cell size at each passage of cFF and cAd-MSC were measured when cultures reached confluence. In addition, real-time PCR was performed to investigate expression of Dnmt1, HDAC1, OCT4, SOX2, BAX, BCL2 genes with reference to β-actin gene expression as an endogenous control in both cell lines.

RESULTS

cFF and cAd-MSC differed in number of generations, but not in doubling times, at all passages. Mean cell size of cAd-MSC was significantly smaller than that of cFF. Cell viability was significantly lower in cFFs and apoptotic level was significantly lower in cAd-MSC compared to passage-matched cFF. In the expression of genes related to pluripotency and epigenetic modification, level of HDAC1 in cAd-MSC was significantly higher than in cFF, but expression of Dnmt1 did not differ between the two groups. OCT4 and SOX2 were significantly more highly expressed in cAd-MSC compared to cFF.

CONCLUSIONS

cAd-MSC have higher stem-cell potential than cFF in terms of proliferation patterns, epigenetic modification and pluripotency, thus cAd-MSC could be more appropriate than cFF as donors of nuclei in somatic cell nuclear transfer for transgenesis.