Infertility is one of the major medical problems nowadays. Couples who opt for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) face a great deal of stress which certainly affects the outcome of the procedure. Therefore, we aimed to reduce the stress during the oocyte retrieval procedure by applying midazolam. Total oxidant (TOC) and antioxidant (TAC) capacities of serum, as well as glutathione (GSH) content and catalase activity, were measured in both control and midazolam groups. Follicular fluid was also tested for oxidant capacity and IL1β. Results implied that the midazolam group increased TAC at the end of the procedure. At the same time, the control group decreased GSH at the beginning of the procedure, and both groups decreased catalase activity at the end of the procedure. The results imply that stress during the procedure affects oxidative and antioxidative parameters of the patients, but did not affect the frequency of the pregnancy at the end of this pilot study. Yet, the results imply that oxidative and antioxidative mechanisms during IVF should be investigated in detail as they could affect the outcome of IVF.
Keywords: midazolam; oocyte retrieval; oxidative stress.