Randomized clinical trial of astaxanthin supplement on serum inflammatory markers and ER stress-apoptosis gene expression in PBMCs of women with PCOS.

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Copper (Supplement) in the context of pcos in this randomized controlled trial publication.

This study aimed to determine the effect of Astaxanthin (ASX), as carotenoid with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, on serum inflammatory markers, apoptotic factors and ER stress-apoptotic genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of women with PCOS.

Why It Was Studied

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is related to pro-apoptotic and pro-inflammatory conditions generated by Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress.

This randomized, double-blind clinical trial included 56 PCOS patients aged 18-40.

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 56 patients were involved.

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

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study.

The patients were allocated by chance, so the Copper (Supplement) group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Neither the patients nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Copper (Supplement), so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with Copper (Supplement) could be set against what happens without it.

What Was Measured

The levels of TNF-α, IL18, IL6 and CRP were determined by obtaining blood samples from all patients before and after the intervention using Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Also, the levels of active caspase-3 and caspase-8 were detected in the PBMC by ELISA kit.

The subject headings attached to it are Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, Xanthophylls, Leukocytes, Mononuclear, Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP, Apoptosis and Biomarkers.

Author keywords: ER stress, PBMC, astaxanthin and inflammatory markers.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Copper (Supplement) in 56 patients in people with pcos.

The publication is from 2024 (Journal of cellular and molecular medicine), a journal based in England.

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