Production of cloned sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) embryos by interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer using enucleated pig oocytes.

In this study, we examined the feasibility of using subzonal cell injection with electrofusion for interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT) to produce sei whale embryos and to improve their developmental capacity by investigating the effect of osmolarity and macromolecules in the culture medium on the in vitro developmental capacity. Hybrid embryos produced by the electrofusion of fetal whale fibroblasts with enucleated porcine oocytes were cultured in modified porcine zygote medium-3 to examine the effects of osmolarity and fetal serum on their in vitro developmental capacity. More than 66% of the whale somatic cells successfully fused with the porcine oocytes following electrofusion.

Effects of semen extenders and storage temperatures on characteristics of frozen-thawed Bryde's (Balaenoptera edeni) whale spermatozoa.

The present study investigated effects of three semen extenders and storage temperatures on post-thaw characteristics of Bryde's whale spermatozoa. Spermatozoa were collected from the vasa deferens of three mature Bryde's whales captured during the Japanese whale research in the north-west Pacific (May to August 2007) after death. The three semen extenders used for freezing were 1) a commercialized synthetic extender (AndroMed: AM), 2) Tris-based + 10% bovine serum albumin (BSA) and 3) Tris-based + egg yolk (EY).

[Hepatic arterial infusion of IL-2 and chemotherapy for unresectable liver metastasis from colorectal cancer].

We administered interleukin (IL)-2 with mitomycin C (MMC) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) by hepatic arterial infusion for the treatment of liver recurrence from colorectal cancer. The regimen consisted of continuous hepatic arterial infusion of IL-2 (7 x 10(5) JRU/day)/5-FU (250 mg/day) for 4 weeks. After those 4 weeks, a weekly hepatic arterial infusion of IL-2 (2.