Infertility Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Infertility, including details on male and female infertility, treatment, causes, pregnancy.

Regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor-A and its soluble receptor sFlt-1 by luteinizing hormone in vivo: implication for ovarian follicle angiogenesis.

Gutman G, Barak V, Maslovitz S, Amit A, Lessing JB, Geva E

Sara Racine IVF Unit, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.

OBJECTIVE: To determine in vivo whether LH supplementation during the late follicular phase induces ovarian follicle angiogenesis in humans, as reflected by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, its soluble receptor sFlt-1, and placental growth factor (PlGF) expression. DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. SETTING: Academic tertiary care medical center. PATIENT(S): Twenty infertile, healthy women (aged 18-39 years) undergoing IVF. INTERVENTION(S): Administration of recombinant FSH after down-regulation and equal randomization of subjects to receive recombinant LH 75 IU/day or placebo when two or more follicles reached a mean diameter of 14 mm. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Serum and follicular fluid (FF) VEGF-A, sFlt-1, and PlGF protein levels were measured. RESULT(S): Recombinant LH increased both the FF VEGF-A/sFlt-1 ratio statistically significantly and PlGF/sFlt-1 insignificantly. Recombinant LH did not affect the serum VEGF/sFlt-1 ratio. Plasma levels of PlGF were undetectable. CONCLUSIONS: This in vivo study demonstrates for the first time in humans that LH induces ovarian follicular angiogenesis via modulation of VEGF-A and its soluble receptor sFlt-1 expression. A constant VEGF-A/sFlt-serum ratio may prevent adverse effects of VEGF-A. Because angiogenesis is essential during the periovulatory period, recombinant LH supplementation during the late follicular phase may improve ovulation induction outcome.

Published 14 April 2008 in Fertil Steril, 89(4): 922-6.
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Articles on Infertility published 14 April 2008:

Opinions of infertile Turkish women on gamete donation and gestational surrogacy.   Fertil Steril, 89(4): 817-22.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the approval levels of infertile Turkish women concerning gamete donation and gestational surrogacy. DESIGN: Opinion survey. SETTING: Assisted reproductive treatment center at Gulhane Military Medical Academy. PATIENT(S): 368 women who had applied for infertility treatment. INTERVENTION(S): The patients were asked to answer a questionnaire that included questions about the patient's sociodemographic status, previous medical history with infertility treatment, and ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Progesterone supplementation during the luteal phase and in early pregnancy in the treatment of infertility: an educational bulletin.   Fertil Steril, 89(4): 789-92.

Exogenous P supplementation is a common element of treatment regimens for infertility, particularly those relating to the assisted reproductive technologies. [Abstract] [Full-text]

Luteal supplementation in in vitro fertilization: more questions than answers.   Fertil Steril, 89(4): 749-58.

OBJECTIVE: To update clinicians on different regimens of luteal phase supplementation in IVF-stimulated cycles and to identify areas that need further research in this subject. DESIGN: Literature review and critical analysis of published studies on luteal phase supplementation during the last 20 years. CONCLUSION(S): Luteal phase supplementation in IVF-stimulated cycles, both in gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist and antagonist protocols, is considered an essential requirement for optimal ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Birth of a healthy boy after fertilization of cryopreserved oocytes with cryopreserved testicular spermatozoa from a man with nonmosaic Klinefelter syndrome.   Fertil Steril, 89(4): 991.e5-7.

OBJECTIVE: To report the first birth with frozen spermatozoa and frozen oocytes in a case of nonmosaic Klinefelter syndrome. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Private IVF clinics and a university hospital. PATIENT(S): A 32-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man. INTERVENTION(S): Testicular sperm extraction and cryopreservation, oocyte recovery and cryopreservation, intracytoplasmic sperm injection. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Assessment of fertilization and chromosomal analysis of newborn child. ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Patient willingness to participate in a clinical trial with preimplantation genetic diagnosis.   Fertil Steril, 89(4): 879-84.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate patients' interest in preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) as a method for aneuploidy screening and their willingness to participate in a clinical trial using PGD. DESIGN: Anonymous questionnaire. SETTING: University infertility clinic. PATIENT(S): Women seeking treatment for infertility at the study clinic. INTERVENTION(S): Subjects completed a two-part structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included demographic and fertility history questions, followed by ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Development and in vitro testing of a new method of urine preparation for retrograde ejaculation; the Liverpool solution.   Fertil Steril, 89(4): 885-91.

OBJECTIVE: To design a new method for oral preparation of urine for sperm retrieval after retrograde ejaculation (RE) and to test the motility of sperm exposed to prepared and unprepared urine. DESIGN: In vitro testing of urine conditions and sperm motility. SETTING: Assisted conception unit at a teaching hospital in the United Kingdom. PATIENT(S): Ten healthy volunteers to provide urine and sperm specimens from men attending the unit for semen analysis. INTERVENTION(S): Various solutions of ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Subfertile couples' negative experiences with intrauterine insemination care.   Fertil Steril, 89(4): 809-16.

OBJECTIVE: To identify subfertile couples' experiences with specific aspects of intrauterine insemination (IUI) care and to determine which patient and hospital characteristics affect their experiences. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey with written questionnaires. SETTING: One large tertiary hospital and nine medium-sized hospitals, including both teaching and nonteaching centers, in the southeast of the Netherlands. PATIENT(S): One thousand seventy-nine subfertile couples who underwent IUI ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Vitrification of preimplantation genetically diagnosed human blastocysts and its contribution to the cumulative ongoing pregnancy rate per cycle by using a closed device.   Fertil Steril, 89(4): 840-6.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the survival rate and clinical results of our vitrification procedure on preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) blastocysts and to calculate its actual contribution to the reproductive outcome per cycle. DESIGN: Retrospective clinical study. SETTING: University Institute IVI, Valencia, Spain. PATIENT(S): Patients who requested cryotransfer of surplus PGD blastocysts after failed fresh elective transfer. INTERVENTION(S): Retrospectively collected data during 2 years of ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

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