Effect of copper intrauterine device on the cyclooxygenase and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in the luteal phase endometrium.

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Copper (Supplement) in the context of endometriosis, published as a clinical trial.

To evaluate the effect of copper intrauterine device (IUD) on the expression of cyclooxygenase (COX) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the luteal phase endometrium.

Main outcome measures were to evaluate the effect of copper IUD on uterine artery blood flow using pulsed color Doppler ultrasonography and the relationship of bleeding abnormalities and menstrual pain level with the uterine blood flow, COX-2 and iNOS expression.

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 30 women were involved.

PubMed indexes the participants as teenagers, young adults and adults, women only.

A prospective clinical study was conducted on 30 women who were willing to use a copper IUD contraception.

How the Study Was Run

Endometrial biopsies and blood samples were taken before and 3 months after the insertion of the IUD on Day 3 and Days 20-24 of the cycle.

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Cyclooxygenase 2, Dysmenorrhea, Endometrium, Epithelium, Intrauterine Devices, Copper, Luteal Phase and Menorrhagia.

What This Means in Plain Language

This is a clinical trial of Copper (Supplement) in 30 women in people with endometriosis.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

Its findings take up roughly 6 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 2011 (Contraception), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Copper (Supplement) compound page, Endometriosis research.