Bunting S, Gryglewski R, Moncada S, Vane JR Arterial walls generate from prostaglandin endoperoxides a substance (prostaglandin X) which relaxes strips of mesenteric and coeliac ateries and inhibits platelet aggregation. Prostaglandins. 1976 Dec;12(6):897-913.
Chillar A, Wu J, So SP, Ruan KH Involvement of non-conserved residues important for PGE2 binding to the constrained EP3 eLP2 using NMR and site-directed mutagenesis. FEBS Lett. 2008 Aug 20;582(19):2863-8. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2008.07.018. Epub 2008 Jul 22.
Coceani F, Ackerley C, Seidlitz E, Kelsey L Function of cyclo-oxygenase-1 and cyclo-oxygenase-2 in the ductus arteriosus from foetal lamb: differential development and change by oxygen and endotoxin. Br J Pharmacol. 2001 Jan;132(1):241-51.
de Lacey S, Smith CA, Paterson C Building resilience: a preliminary exploration of women's perceptions of the use of acupuncture as an adjunct to In Vitro Fertilisation. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2009 Dec 12;9:50. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-9-50.
Funk CD Prostaglandins and leukotrienes: advances in eicosanoid biology. Science. 2001 Nov 30;294(5548):1871-5. Review.
Geng L, Wu J, So SP, Huang G, Ruan KH Structural and functional characterization of the first intracellular loop of human thromboxane A2 receptor. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2004 Mar 15;423(2):253-65.
Huang JC, Goldsby JS, Wun WS Prostacyclin enhances the implantation and live birth potentials of mouse embryos. Hum Reprod. 2004 Aug;19(8):1856-60. Epub 2004 Jun 17.
Manheimer E, Zhang G, Udoff L, Haramati A, Langenberg P, Berman BM, Bouter LM Effects of acupuncture on rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2008 Mar 8;336(7643):545-9. doi: 10.1136/bmj.39471.430451.BE. Epub 2008 Feb 7. Review.
Moncada S, Herman AG, Higgs EA, Vane JR Differential formation of prostacyclin (PGX or PGI2) by layers of the arterial wall. An explanation for the anti-thrombotic properties of vascular endothelium. Thromb Res. 1977 Sep;11(3):323-44.
Ng EH, So WS, Gao J, Wong YY, Ho PC The role of acupuncture in the management of subfertility. Fertil Steril. 2008 Jul;90(1):1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.02.094. Epub 2008 Apr 28. Review.
Ni F, So SP, Cervantes V, Ruan KH A profile of the residues in the second extracellular loop that are critical for ligand recognition of human prostacyclin receptor. FEBS J. 2008 Jan;275(1):128-37. Epub 2007 Nov 27.
Pakrasi PL, Jain AK Cyclooxygenase-2-derived endogenous prostacyclin reduces apoptosis and enhances embryo viability in mouse. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2008 Jul-Aug;79(1-2):27-33. doi: 10.1016/j.plefa.2008.07.006. Epub 2008 Sep 3.
Pandian Z, Bhattacharya S, Ozturk O, Serour G, Templeton A Number of embryos for transfer following in-vitro fertilisation or intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009 Apr 15;(2):CD003416. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003416.pub3. Review. Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;7:CD003416.
Ruan CH, Wu J, Ruan KH A strategy using NMR peptide structures of thromboxane A2 receptor as templates to construct ligand-recognition pocket of prostacyclin receptor. BMC Biochem. 2005 Nov 4;6:23.
Ruan KH, Cervantes V, So SP Engineering of a novel hybrid enzyme: an anti-inflammatory drug target with triple catalytic activities directly converting arachidonic acid into the inflammatory prostaglandin E2. Protein Eng Des Sel. 2009 Dec;22(12):733-40. doi: 10.1093/protein/gzp058. Epub 2009 Oct 22.
Ruan KH, Cervantes V, Wu J A simple, quick, and high-yield preparation of the human thromboxane A2 receptor in full size for structural studies. Biochemistry. 2008 Jul 1;47(26):6819-26. doi: 10.1021/bi702501g. Epub 2008 Jun 5.
Ruan KH, Cervantes V, Wu J Ligand-specific conformation determines agonist activation and antagonist blockade in purified human thromboxane A2 receptor. Biochemistry. 2009 Apr 14;48(14):3157-65. doi: 10.1021/bi801443g.
Ruan KH, Deng H, So SP Engineering of a protein with cyclooxygenase and prostacyclin synthase activities that converts arachidonic acid to prostacyclin. Biochemistry. 2006 Nov 28;45(47):14003-11.
Ruan KH, Deng H, Wu J, So SP The N-terminal membrane anchor domain of the membrane-bound prostacyclin synthase involved in the substrate presentation of the coupling reaction with cyclooxygenase. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2005 Mar 15;435(2):372-81.
Ruan KH, Dogné JM Implications of the molecular basis of prostacyclin biosynthesis and signaling in pharmaceutical designs. Curr Pharm Des. 2006;12(8):925-41. Review.
Ruan KH, Li D, Ji J, Lin YZ, Gao X Structural characterization and topology of the second potential membrane anchor region in the thromboxane A2 synthase amino-terminal domain. Biochemistry. 1998 Jan 20;37(3):822-30.
Ruan KH, So SP, Cervantes V, Wu H, Wijaya C, Jentzen RR An active triple-catalytic hybrid enzyme engineered by linking cyclo-oxygenase isoform-1 to prostacyclin synthase that can constantly biosynthesize prostacyclin, the vascular protector. FEBS J. 2008 Dec;275(23):5820-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2008.06703.x.
Ruan KH, So SP, Wu H, Cervantes V Large-scale expression, purification, and characterization of an engineered prostacyclin-synthesizing enzyme with therapeutic potential. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2008 Dec 1;480(1):41-50. doi: 10.1016/j.abb.2008.09.010. Epub 2008 Sep 22.
Ruan KH, Wijaya C, Cervantes V, Wu J Characterization of the prostaglandin H2 mimic: binding to the purified human thromboxane A2 receptor in solution. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2008 Sep 15;477(2):396-403. doi: 10.1016/j.abb.2008.05.022. Epub 2008 Jun 17.
Ruan KH, Wu J, Cervantes V Characterization of the substrate mimic bound to engineered prostacyclin synthase in solution using high-resolution NMR spectroscopy and mutagenesis: implication of the molecular mechanism in biosynthesis of prostacyclin. Biochemistry. 2008 Jan 15;47(2):680-8. Epub 2007 Dec 15.
Ruan KH, Wu J, So SP, Jenkins LA Evidence of the residues involved in ligand recognition in the second extracellular loop of the prostacyclin receptor characterized by high resolution 2D NMR techniques. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2003 Oct 1;418(1):25-33.
Ruan KH, Wu J, Wang LH Solution structure of a common substrate mimetic of cyclooxygenase-downstream synthases bound to an engineered thromboxane A2 synthase using a high-resolution NMR technique. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2005 Dec 15;444(2):165-73. Epub 2005 Nov 2.
Ruan KH Advance in understanding the biosynthesis of prostacyclin and thromboxane A2 in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane via the cyclooxygenase pathway. Mini Rev Med Chem. 2004 Aug;4(6):639-47. Review.
Smith WL, DeWitt DL, Allen ML Bimodal distribution of the prostaglandin I2 synthase antigen in smooth muscle cells. J Biol Chem. 1983 May 10;258(9):5922-6.
Smith WL Prostaglandin biosynthesis and its compartmentation in vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells. Annu Rev Physiol. 1986;48:251-62. Review.
So SP, Li D, Ruan KH Identification of the substrate interaction site in the N-terminal membrane anchor segment of thromboxane A2 synthase by determination of its substrate analog conformational changes using high resolution NMR technique. J Biol Chem. 2000 Dec 29;275(52):40679-85.
So SP, Wu J, Huang G, Huang A, Li D, Ruan KH Identification of residues important for ligand binding of thromboxane A2 receptor in the second extracellular loop using the NMR experiment-guided mutagenesis approach. J Biol Chem. 2003 Mar 28;278(13):10922-7. Epub 2003 Jan 27.
Stener-Victorin E, Humaidan P Use of acupuncture in female infertility and a summary of recent acupuncture studies related to embryo transfer. Acupunct Med. 2006 Dec;24(4):157-63. Review.
Uchida S, Hotta H Acupuncture affects regional blood flow in various organs. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2008 Jun;5(2):145-51. doi: 10.1093/ecam/nem051.
Urbich C, Kuehbacher A, Dimmeler S Role of microRNAs in vascular diseases, inflammation, and angiogenesis. Cardiovasc Res. 2008 Sep 1;79(4):581-8. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvn156. Epub 2008 Jun 11. Review.
Weksler BB, Ley CW, Jaffe EA Stimulation of endothelial cell prostacyclin production by thrombin, trypsin, and the ionophore A 23187. J Clin Invest. 1978 Nov;62(5):923-30.
Wu J, Feng M, Ruan KH Assembling NMR structures for the intracellular loops of the human thromboxane A2 receptor: implication of the G protein-coupling pocket. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2008 Feb 1;470(1):73-82. Epub 2007 Dec 3.
Wu J, So SP, Ruan KH Solution structure of the third extracellular loop of human thromboxane A2 receptor. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2003 Jun 15;414(2):287-93.
Xu N [Effect of electroacupuncture at "taixi" point on plasma thromboxane A2 and prostacyclin in the rabbit with renal ischemia]. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 1993;18(3):240-2. Chinese.
Yuan J, Westney OL, Ruan KH, Wang R A new strategy, SuperEnzyme gene therapy in penile rehabilitation. J Sex Med. 2009 Mar;6 Suppl 3:328-33. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2008.01191.x. Review.
Zhang L, Bastepe M, Jüppner H, Ruan KH Characterization of the molecular mechanisms of the coupling between intracellular loops of prostacyclin receptor with the C-terminal domain of the Galphas protein in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2006 Oct 1;454(1):80-8. Epub 2006 Jul 25.
Zhang L, Huang G, Wu J, Ruan KH A profile of the residues in the first intracellular loop critical for Gs-mediated signaling of human prostacyclin receptor characterized by an integrative approach of NMR-experiment and mutagenesis. Biochemistry. 2005 Aug 30;44(34):11389-401.
Zhang L, Wu J, Ruan KH Solution structure of the first intracellular loop of prostacyclin receptor and implication of its interaction with the C-terminal segment of G alpha s protein. Biochemistry. 2006 Feb 14;45(6):1734-44.
Zhang S, Ye X, Shan Q, Zhang W, Ye L, Cui Y Effects of acupuncture on the levels of endothelin, TXB2, and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in apoplexy patients. J Tradit Chin Med. 1999 Mar;19(1):39-43.
Effect of Acupuncture on Vascular Biomarkers and Psychological Well-Being of Women Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.