Divergent regulation of angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2, and vascular endothelial growth factor by hypoxia and female sex steroids in human endometrial stromal cells.

Objective: To investigate whether hypoxia or the female sex steroids exert direct effects on angiopoietin-1 (ANGPT1), ANGPT2, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in human endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) to clarify the regulatory function of these local angiogenic factors in the endometrium.

Study Design: Human endometrial tissues were obtained from 18 patients aged 34-47 years undergoing hysterectomy for benign reasons. ESCs were cultured under hypoxic condition or treated with 17β-estradiol (E) and/or medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA).

The concentration of human follicular fluid stromal cell-derived factor-1 is correlated with luteinization in follicles.

Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1/CXCL12) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are angiogenic factors that have possible roles in ovarian function. The objectives of this study were to investigate the association between the individual concentrations of SDF-1 and VEGF and sex steroid hormones in human preovulatory follicles and to verify the SDF-1 expression in ovarian follicles. Follicular fluid (FF) and luteinizing granulosa cells (LGCs) were collected from follicles at the time of oocyte retrieval.

[Ten-year outcome of semen cryopreservation for patients with malignant disease and preservation system at Kansai Medical University].

Sperm cryopreservation allows patients with threatened fertility to preserve their reproductive potential. A total of 41 patients who had their semen cryopreserved at Kansai Medical University Hospital from January 2000 to March 2010 were enrolled in this study. For the first five years (2000-2005), cryopreservation was performed free of charge,while in the last five years (2006-2010),patients were charged for services and required to update their registration every 2 years.