The Effect of a Newly Designed Needle on the Pain and Bleeding of Patients During Oocyte Retrieval of a Single Follicle.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of needle type on pain and bleeding during oocyte pick-up (OPU).

Methods: From May through November 2013, patients undergoing OPU from a single follicle without any analgesic treatment were including this study. Eligible patients (n=75) were randomized 1:1 to undergo the procedure with either a reduced needle (17 gauge body, 20 gauge tip; RN group) or a standard needle (19 gauge; SN group).

Clomiphene citrate affects the receptivity of the uterine endometrium.

Purpose: To investigate whether clomiphene citrate (CC) affects uterine receptivity or not, we evaluated pregnancy rates (PR) during the hormone replacement cycle (HRC) according to the period between the last day of CC administration and the day of embryo transfer (ET).

Methods: From March 2008 through March 2010, a total of 378 treatment cycles among 378 patients who received CC and had to avoid fresh ET due to a thin uterine endometrium were recruited. All patients underwent thawed ET using HRC.

Effects of raloxifene on the production of cytokines in stimulated whole blood in ex vivo and in vitro studies.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to determine the effects of raloxifene therapy on production of cytokines and in vitro effects of raloxifene on production of cytokines by whole blood cultures.

Methods: We obtained samples of peripheral blood from 6 postmenopausal women with osteopenia at baseline and after 3 and 6 months of raloxifene therapy and 10 postmenopausal women who did not receive raloxifene therapy. Whole blood from raloxifene-treated women was stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or phytohemeagglutinin (PHA).

ER calcium discharge stimulates GDNF gene expression through MAPK-dependent and -independent pathways in rat C6 glioblastoma cells.

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), a neurotrophic and differentiation factor, is expressed under several pathophysiological conditions but its regulatory signals have not yet been clarified. Here, we found that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca(2+) discharge by thapsigargin induced GDNF mRNA as well as COX2 and GRP78 expression in rat C6 glioblastoma cells. GDNF mRNA was immediately induced and peaked at 2h by thapsigargin, and the alternative transcript consisting of exon 3 and exon 4 appeared to be most inducible.