Infertility Research Through The Application Of Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Pharmaceuticals
1. Acupuncture Benefits IVF Fertility
2. Acupuncture stimulation of ovulation.
3. Acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy
4. Auricular acupuncture in the treatment of female infertility
5 . Changes in serum FSH, LH and ovarian follicular growth during electro acupuncture for induction of ovulation
6. Effects of electro-acupuncture on anovulation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
7. Polycystic ovarian syndrome treated with Chinese traditional medicine; analysis of 117 cases
8. Ovulation inducing effect of Chinese Herbal drug-acupuncture and endometrial contents. (of estradiol receptor and progesterone receptor)
Sperm Disorders
9. Acupuncture on sperm parameters of males suffering from subfertility related to low sperm quality.
10. A substance isolated from Cornus officinalis enhances the motility of human sperm
11. An experimental study on inhibitory effect of Chinese medicine on antisperm antibody
12. Male infertility treated by Chinese Herbal drugs in clinical observation and evaluation on its curative effect
13. Acupuncture reduces the number of structural abnormalities in sperm
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Acupuncture Benefits IVF Fertility
Wednesday 3rd May, 2006 Adelaide University
Fertility rates during embryo transfer can be doubled with the use of acupuncture, a new study has found. The latest University of Adelaide trial contributes to a small but growing body of research that suggests acupuncture may help with improving pregnancy outcomes for people undergoing IVF treatment.
Dr Caroline Smith, who conducted the first single blind and controlled randomised acupuncture trial in the University of Adelaide fertility clinic Repromed, said: "Our study showed encouraging results with an increase in the pregnancy rate in the acupuncture group (31% versus 23% in the control group) among women having an embryo transfer."
This benefit was smaller than expected and did not differ statistically between the acupuncture and control groups. But when the study of 228 women was combined with the findings from three other acupuncture trials, involving a total of just under 800 women, the results clearly showed a pregnancy was twice as likely to occur in the acupuncture group compared to the control group.
"The good news of the acupuncture use in fertility therapy is the benefit is not affected by age, meaning all age groups showed the increase in IVF success rates from the acupuncture therapy," said Dr Smith.
Acupuncture is safe and no adverse effects were reported. Dr Smith said there were some research questions still to be answered and a larger study was required to confirm these findings and address outstanding questions.
"The important distinction between this acupuncture study and any previous studies is the very good research model used to develop the study design that addressed a major source of bias seen in previous studies known as the 'placebo effect'. We removed this source of bias by using the placebo acupuncture needle or a 'sham' needle."
Many women have turned to complementary medicine in the hope of reversing or at least ceasing their natural decline in fertility. Acupuncture therapy has shown to increase the blood circulation to the ovaries and uterus and hence increase the capacity for conception.
This indicative result is very good news for women who want to use acupuncture during embryo transfer to increase their pregnancy success rates. Dr Caroline Smith believes this warrants a further exploration of the clinical benefits the current studies present.
This research is published in Fertility and Sterility this month.
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Clinical studies on the mechanism for acupuncture stimulation of ovulation.
J Tradit Chin Med 1993 Jun;13(2):115-9
Mo X, Li D, Pu Y, Xi G, Le X, Fu Z.
Zhejiang College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou.
Ovulatory dysfunction is commonly seen in gynecology clinic. It may cause infertility, amenia, functional uterine bleeding and a variety of complications. This research according to TCM theory records treating with acupuncture 34 patients suffering from ovulatory dysfunction. Changes in clinical symptoms and some relative targets are reported, plus findings in animal experiments. The effect of acupuncture in improving ovulation and the rationale are discussed. According to TCM theory concerning the generative and physiologic axis of women, this research involved the following points: Ganshu (UB 18), Shenshu (UB 23), Guanyuan (Ren 4), Zhongji (Ren 3), and Sanyinjiao (Sp 6). The reinforcement and reduction of acupuncture enables it to strengthen liver and kidney. Through the Chong and Ren channels it nourishes uterus to adjust the patient's axis function and recover ovulation. Treated on an average of 30 times, the patients' symptoms improved to varying degrees. The marked effective rate was 35.29%, the total effective rate being 82.35%. BBT, VS, CMS, and B ultrasonic picture all improved to some degree. The results also showed that acupuncture may adjust FSH, LH, and E2 in two directions and raise the progesterone level, bringing them to normal. The animal experiments confirmed this result. Results showed that acupuncture may adjust endocrine function of the generative and physiologic axis of women, thus stimulating ovulation. The results of this research will provide some scientific basis for treating and further studying this disorder.
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Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy
Wolfgang E. Paulus, M.D.,[a] Mingmin Zhang, M.D.,[b] Erwin Strehler, M.D.,[a]
Imam El-Danasouri, Ph.D.,[a] and Karl Sterzik, M.D.[a]
Christian-Lauritzen-Institut, Ulm, Germany
Received June 5, 2001; revised and accepted October 16, 2001.
[a] Department of Reproductive Medicine, Christian-Lauritzen-Institut.
[b] Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical University, Wuhan,
Objective : To evaluate the effect of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in assisted reproduction therapy (ART) by comparing a group of patients receiving acupuncture treatment shortly before and after embryo transfer with a control group receiving no acupuncture.
Design : Prospective randomized study.
Setting : Fertility center.
Patient(s) : After giving informed consent, 160 patients who were undergoing ART and who had good quality embryos were divided into the following two groups through random selection: embryo transfer with acupuncture (n = 80) and embryo transfer without acupuncture (n = 80).
Intervention(s) : Acupuncture was performed in 80 patients 25 minutes before and after embryo transfer. In the control group, embryos were transferred without any supportive therapy.
Main Outcome Measure(s) : Clinical pregnancy was defined as the presence of a fetal sac during an ultrasound examination 6 weeks after embryo transfer.
Result(s) : Clinical pregnancies were documented in 34 of 80 patients (42.5%) in the acupuncture group, whereas pregnancy rate was only 26.3% (21 out of 80 patients) in the control group.
Conclusion(s): Acupuncture seems to be a useful tool for improving pregnancy rate after ART. (Fertil Steril®2002;77:721- 4. ©2002 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)
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Auricular acupuncture in the treatment of female infertility
Gynecol Endocrinol 1992 Sep;6(3):171-81 (ISSN: 0951-3590)
Gerhard I; Postneek F
Department of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproduction, Women's Hospital, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
Following a complete gynecologic--endocrinologic workup, 45 infertile women suffering from oligoamenorrhea (n = 27) or luteal insufficiency (n = 18) were treated with auricular acupuncture. Results were compared to those of 45 women who received hormone treatment. Both groups were matched for age, duration of infertility, body mass index, previous pregnancies, menstrual cycle and tubal patency.
Women treated with acupuncture had 22 pregnancies, 11 after acupuncture, four spontaneously, and seven after appropriate medication.
Women treated with hormones had 20 pregnancies, five spontaneously, and 15 in response to therapy.
Four women of each group had abortions. endometriosis (normal menstrual cycles) was seen in 35% (38%) of the women of each group who failed to respond to therapy with pregnancy. Only 4% of the women who responded to acupuncture or hormone treatment with a pregnancy had endometriosis, and 7% had normal cycles. In addition, women who continued to be infertile after hormone therapy had higher body mass indices and testosterone values than the therapy responders from this group. Although the pregnancy rate was similar for both groups, eumenorrheic women treated with acupuncture had adnexitis, endometriosis, out-of-phase endometria and reduced postcoital tests more often than those receiving hormones. Twelve of the 27 women (44%) with menstrual irregularities remained infertile after therapy with acupuncture compared to 15 of the 27 (56%) controls treated with hormones, even though hormone disorders were more pronounced in the acupuncture group. Side-effects were observed only during hormone treatment. Various disorders of the autonomic nervous system normalized during acupuncture.
Based on our data, auricular acupuncture seems to offer a valuable alternative therapy for female infertility due to hormone disorders.
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[Changes in serum FSH, LH and ovarian follicular growth during electroacupuncture for induction of ovulation]
Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi 1989 Apr;9(4):199-202, 195
[Article in Chinese]
Yu J, Zheng HM, Ping SM.
Changes in serum FSH, LH and follicular sizes were observed in chronically anovulatory patients during electroacupuncture treatment (EAT) for induction of ovulation. 7 cases were diagnosed as PCOD, 3 as dysfunctional uterine bleeding, and 1 as hypogonadotropic amenorrhea. Among them 8 cases complained of infertility for 2.7 years on average. Ovulation was confirmed by pregnancy or the combination of biphasic BBT and ultrasonographic evidence. During one cycle with 3-day EAT on acupoints Ren 3, 4, Extra 16 and Sp 6, ovulation resulted in 5 patients (ovulatory group) and among the 5 cases, 3 of 4 infertile cases became pregnant. The other 5 cases remained in anovulation (anovulatory group); of them 3 cases got biphasic BBT, but no typical ovulatory signs were found on ultrasonography; 2 cases remained in monophasic BBT. Serum FSH, LH values were elevated in ovulatory group, and FSH pulsatile frequency increased significantly during EAT (from 2.10 +/- 0.42/4h to 3.70 +/- 1.64/4h), but not in anovulatory group. No apparent changes were found in serum LH pulsatile frequency and pulsatile amplitudes of FSH and LH in this study. In ovulatory group diameters of ovarian follicles increased markedly, while diameters of anovulatory group stopped to grow at 14-16 mm. It is suggested that ovulation may be induced by EAT via a regulation on hypothalamic-pituitary function leading to normal secretion of FSH and LH.
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Effects of electro-acupuncture on anovulation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2000 Mar;79(3):180-8
Stener-Victorin E, Waldenstrom U, Tagnfors U, Lundeberg T, Lindstedt G, Janson PO.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Goteborg University, Sweden.
BACKGROUND: The present study was designed to evaluate if electro-acupuncture (EA) could affect oligo-/anovulation and related endocrine and neuroendocrine parameters in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
METHODS: Twenty-four women (between the ages of 24 and 40 years) with PCOS and oligo-/amenorrhea were included in this non-randomized, longitudinal, prospective study. The study period was defined as the period extending from 3 months before the first EA treatment, to 3 months after the last EA treatment (10-14 treatments), in total 8-9 months. The menstrual and ovulation patterns were confirmed by recording of vaginal bleedings and by daily registrations of the basal body temperature (BBT). Blood samples were collected within a week before the first EA, within a week after the last EA and 3 months after EA. RESULTS: Nine women (38%) experienced a good effect. They displayed a mean of 0.66 ovulations/woman and month in the period during and after the EA period compared to a mean of 0.15 before the EA period (p=0.004). Before EA, women with a good effect had a significantly lower body-mass index (BMI) (p<0.001), waist-to-hip circumference ratio (WHR) (p=0.0058), serum testosterone concentration (p=0.0098), serum testosterone/sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) ratio (p=0.011) and serum basal insulin concentration (p=0.0054), and a significantly higher concentration of serum SHBG (p=0.040) than did those women with no effect.
CONCLUSION: Repeated EA treatments induce regular ovulations in more than one third of the women with PCOS. The group of women with good effect had a less androgenic hormonal profile before treatment and a less pronounced metabolic disturbance compared with the group with no effect. For this selected group EA offers an alternative to pharmacological ovulation induction.
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Polycystic ovarian syndrome treated with Chinese traditional medicine; analysis of 117 cases]
[Article in Chinese]
Shi CX, Duan RL.
PMID: 4017736 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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[Study on relationship between ovulation inducing effect of drug-acupuncture and endometrial contents of estradiol receptor and progesterone receptor]
[Article in Chinese]
Tian D, Xie X, Wang B.
Maternity and Child Health Institute, Changqing 400013.
OBJECTIVE : To study the effect of Chinese herbal medicine for replenishing Kidney combined with acupuncture in treating anovulation and infertility, and the relationship between its ovulation inducing effect and endometrial contents of estradiol receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR).
METHODS: Twenty-nine cases were treated with replenishing Kidney drugs combined with acupuncture for 1-3 months. Patients' ER and PR were measured by immunohistochemical method. And patients were classified according to PR content into PR positive group and mild PR positive group. RESULTS: Fifteen cases of PR positive group, completed treatment for 45 cycles, among them, 40 cycles showed ovulation, the ovulation rate being 88.89%. Ten in 14 cases, who complicated with infertility, became pregnant, the pregnant rate being 71.43%. While in 11 cases of PR mild positive group, 9 complicated with infertility, completed treatment for 33 cycle, 10 cycles showed ovulation (30.30%), and pregnant rate 22.22% (2/9). The difference between the two groups was significant (P < 0.01).
CONCLUSION: The replenishing Kidney herbal drugs combined with acupuncture treatment could result in a good effect in treating infertility due to anovulation, especially on those with high endometrial PR content.
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Effect of acupuncture on sperm parameters of males suffering from subfertility related to low sperm quality.
Arch Androl, 39(2):155-61 1997 Sep-Oct (ISSN: 0148-5016)
Siterman S; Eltes F; Wolfson V; Zabludovsky N; Bartoov B
Institute of Chinese Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel.
The aim of this prospective controlled study was to assess the effect of acupuncture on the sperm quality of males suffering from subfertility related to sperm impairment.
Semen samples of 16 acupuncture-treated subfertile patients were analyzed before and 1 month after treatment (twice a week for 5 weeks). In parallel, semen samples of 16 control untreated subfertile males were examined. Two specimens were taken from the control group at an interval of 2-8 months. The expanded semen analysis included routine and ultramorphological observations. The fertility index increased significantly (p < or = .05) following improvement in total functional sperm fraction, percentage of viability, total motile spermatozoa per ejaculate, and integrity of the axonema (p < or = .05), which occurred upon treatment. The intactness of axonema and sperm motility were highly correlated (corr. = .50, p < or = .05).
Thus, patients exhibiting a low fertility potential due to reduced sperm activity may benefit from acupuncture treatment.
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A substance isolated from Cornus officinalis enhances the motility of human sperm
Am J Chin Med 1997;25(3-4):301-6 (ISSN: 0192-415X)
Jeng H; Wu CM; Su SJ; Chang WC
Department of Anatomy, Taipei Medical College, Taiwan.
The effects of a Chinese herb, Cornus officinalis, on the motility of human sperm was studied.
An aqueous extract was prepared from the dried fruits of the herb and used in this study. The crude extract at a final concentration of 0.5 microgram/microliter in phosphate buffered saline (pH 7.4) increased sperm motility from 25.8 +/- 7.7% to 42.8 +/- 10.3% (i.e. 68% increase, n = 7), as determined by the computer-aided-sperm-analysis (CASA) method. The crude extract was fractionated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) into four fractions: C1, C2, C3 and C4. Their effects on sperm motility were further studied by CASA. Only the C4 fraction showed substantial stimulatory effects on sperm motility. At a concentration of 5 ng/microliter, C4 increased the sperm motility from 15.7 +/- 3.8% to 34.5 +/- 6.4% (i.e. 120% increase, n = 6) by CASA and from 14.9 +/- 4.3 to 28.5 +/- 8.1 (i.e. 91% increase, n = 8) by transmembrane migration ratio (TMMR) method.
This result suggests that C4 is the active component in Cornus officinalis that enhances sperm motility
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An experimental study on inhibitory effect of Chinese medicine tai-bao on antisperm antibody
Chung Kuo Chung Hsi I Chieh Ho Tsa Chih, 17(6):360-2 1997 Jun (ISSN: 1003-5370)
Lai AN; Song JF; Liu XJ
Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of TCM, Beijing.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether Chinese medicine could inhibit antisperm antibody in experimental mice.
METHODS: The experimental immunoinfertility mice were due to antisperm antibody induced by injection of human sperm membrane antigens. The experimental immuno-infertile mice used in the present study were divided into four groups including Chinese Medicine high dose group (46.8 g.kg-1.d-1), Chinese Medicine low dose group (31.2 g.kg-1.d-1), prednisone group and normal saline group. The enzyme linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) and microcytotoxic assay were used for detection of antisperm antibody. The change of levels of antisperm antibody before and after treatment, pregnant rate, and the number of implantation were investigated in tested mice. RESULTS: The pregnant rates in normal saline group, prednisone group, Chinese Medicine high dose group and low dose were 38.89%, 47.06%, 70.00% and 75.00% respectively. The rate of pregnancy in Chinese Medicine low dose group was significantly higher as compared with normal saline group (P < 0.05). The rate of implantation in Chinese Medicine low dose group was significantly higher than that in prednisone group (P < 0.05). The results of detection of cytotoxic antibody to sperm showed that cytotoxic percentages in Chinese Medicine high dose group (63.0 +/- 10.3%) and prednisone group (56.3 +/- 13.7%) were significantly lower (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01) than that in normal saline group (72.84 +/- 5.05%).
CONCLUSION: Chinese medicine possesses a regulatory effect on reproductive immune function, inhibitory effect on antisperm cytotoxic antibody, and promoting effect on pregnancy.
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Eighty-seven cases of male infertility treated by bushen shengjing in clinical observation and evaluation on its curative effect
Chung Kuo Chung Hsi I Chieh Ho Tsa Chih, 16(8):463-6 1996 Aug (ISSN: 1003-5370)
Yue GP; Chen Q; Dai N
Institute of Acupuncture and Meridians, Anhui College of TCM, Hefei.
Eighty-seven cases of male infertility with semen abnormality were treated and observed by Bushen Shengjing, its curative effect was evaluated with quantitative assessment and analytical comparison comprehensive scoring of semen routine analysis. These patients were treated for one of three courses of treatment, the semen quality was enhanced obviously, the comprehensive semen routine analysis score was enhanced significantly (P < 0.001) as compared with that before treatment, the spouse pregnant rate was 56.32% (49/87), and total effective rate was 95.40% (83/87).
The result showed that this prescription had bidirectional regulatory function in folliclestimulating hormone, luteotropic hormone, testosterone, corticosterone, and could make the enhanced or reduced hormone level to normal value.
Acupuncture may help some men overcome infertility problems by improving the quality of their sperm, according to a new study.
Published: Thursday, 11-Aug-2005
Researchers found five weeks of acupuncture treatment reduced the number of structural abnormalities in sperm and increased the overall number of normal sperm in a group of men with infertility problems.
They say the results suggest that acupuncture may complement traditional infertility treatments and help men reach their full reproductive potential.
An estimated 10% of men are infertile, and the male partner is a factor in up to 50% of infertile couples, write the researchers. In many cases, the cause of male infertility is unknown.
Previous studies of acupuncture and male infertility have suggested that acupuncture can improve sperm production and motility (a measure of sperm movement).
In this study, researchers looked at the effects of acupuncture on the structural health of sperm in men with infertility of unknown cause. The findings appear in the July issue of Fertility and Sterility.
Twenty-eight infertile men received acupuncture treatments twice a week for five weeks, and 12 received no treatment and served as a comparison group.
Researchers analyzed sperm samples at the beginning and end of the study and found significant improvements in sperm quality in the acupuncture group compared with the other group.
Acupuncture treatment was associated with fewer structural defects in the sperm and an increase in the number of normal sperm in ejaculate.
But other sperm abnormalities, such as immature sperm or sperm death, were unaffected by acupuncture.
The researchers write that acupuncture treatment is a simple, noninvasive method that can improve sperm quality.
