Acupuncture and Laser Acupuncture as Treatments for Emotional Distress in Infertile Women in Japan.

Objectives: Needle and laser acupuncture are often used to improve the success rate of assisted reproductive technology (ART). This study examined whether needle or laser acupuncture ameliorated the emotional distress experienced by infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Materials and Methods: Fifty-one infertile women who were undergoing IVF-ET or ICSI received needle acupuncture (needle-acupuncture group; n = 32) or laser acupuncture treatment (laser-acupuncture group; n = 19). The emotional distress experienced by the infertile women was evaluated using 2 questionnaires-the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)-both before and after 3 months of treatment. Results: In the needle-acupuncture group, the POMS detected significant post-treatment reductions in tension/anxiety (P < 0.001), depression/dejection (P < 0.001), anger/hostility (P < 0.001), confusion (P < 0.05), and total mood disturbance (TMD; p < 0.001). However, the POMS scores for vigor/activity and fatigue were not altered significantly after the treatment. In the STAI, both State and Trait scores had significantly decreased after the acupuncture (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively). In the laser-acupuncture group, the POMS detected significantly lower tension/anxiety (P < 0.05) and vigor/activity (P < 0.05) scores after the treatment. However, the POMS did not detect significant changes in depression/dejection, anger/hostility, fatigue, confusion, or TMD after the treatment. Furthermore, neither the STAI-State nor the STAI-Trait score had significantly decreased after the laser acupuncture treatment. Conclusions: These results indicate that needle and laser acupuncture ameliorate the emotional distress experienced by women who are undergoing IVF-ET or ICSI.

MCF-7aro/ERE, a novel cell line for rapid screening of aromatase inhibitors, ERalpha ligands and ERRalpha ligands.

We have previously generated a breast cancer cell line, MCF-7aro, which over-expresses aromatase and is also ER positive. Recently, this MCF-7aro cell line was stably transfected with a promoter reporter plasmid, pGL3-Luc, containing three repeats of estrogen responsive element (ERE). Experiments using MCF-7aro/ERE have demonstrated that it is a novel, non-radioactive screening system for aromatase inhibitors (AIs), ERalpha ligands and ERRalpha ligands. The screening is carried out in a 96-well plate format. To evaluate this system, the cells were cultured overnight in charcoal-dextran stripped FBS medium supplemented with 0.1 nM testosterone or 17beta-estradiol, and various concentrations of antiestrogens or AIs. We found that the luciferase activity was induced when the cells were cultured either in the presence of testosterone or 17beta-estradiol. Furthermore, a 50% decrease in luciferase activity could be achieved when the cells were cultured in the presence of testosterone together with letrozole, anastrozole, tamoxifen or fulvestrant (concentrations being 75 nM, 290 nM, 100 nM, and 5 nM, respectively), compared to the testosterone-only cultured cells. Using this assay system, we confirmed that 3(2'-chlorophenyl)-7-methoxy-4-phenylcoumarin is an agonist of ER. Furthermore, genestein has been shown to be a ligand of ERRalpha because its binding could be blocked by an ERRalpha inverse agonist, XCT790. These results indicate that MCF-7aro/ERE is a novel cell line for rapid screening of AIs, ERalpha ligands and ERRalpha ligands.

Quantitative analysis of cellular fetal hemoglobin gamma chain messenger RNA (HbF-gamma mRNA) in maternal peripheral blood.

OBJECTIVE: Fetal cells cross the feto-maternal barrier and circulate in maternal peripheral blood; thus, this study aimed to show the relationship between clinical evidence in pregnancy and qualitative feto-maternal barrier changes. METHODS: The expression of fetal hemoglobin gamma chain messenger RNA (HbF-gamma mRNA) was measured by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in maternal peripheral blood. RESULTS: HbF-gamma mRNA was detected in all pregnant women after 5 weeks of gestation. In normal pregnancy, there were two peaks at 10 and 40 weeks, and a significant increase 4 weeks prior to the onset of labor. In intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), preterm delivery and placenta previa, the HbF-gamma mRNA expression was significantly higher than in normal pregnancies. CONCLUSION: The expression of HbF-gamma mRNA relative to that of beta-actin mRNA is thought to reflect the real-time leakage of fetal cells into maternal blood.

Expression of IL-4, IL-8 and IL-18 messenger RNAs in maternal peripheral blood and relationships with the HbF-gamma chain mRNA in it.

PROBLEM: This study was designed to examine immunological changes in maternal peripheral blood and the relationship of these changes with the amount of fetal cells in the blood. METHOD OF STUDY: The expression of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-8, IL-18 and fetal hemoglobin gamma chain (HbF-gamma chain) messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in maternal peripheral blood was measured by a quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction method. RESULTS: In maternal peripheral blood, the expression of IL-4 mRNA was up-regulated from the second gestational month (GM) to delivery. The expression of IL-8 and IL-18 mRNAs was down-regulated from the third or fourth GM until the eighth or ninth GM, respectively, and both increased before the onset of labor, though IL-4 mRNA decreased. The expression of IL-8 and IL-18, but not IL-4, mRNAs was correlated with that of HbF-gamma chain mRNA. CONCLUSIONS: Immunological interactions between maternal peripheral immune cells and fetal cells appear to be related to the onset of labor.