Poor ovarian reserve and acupuncture

Effects of electro-acupuncture on in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) of patients with poor ovarian response

[Article in Chinese]

Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2009 Oct;29(10):775-9.

Chen J, Liu LL, Cui W, Sun W.

Department of Reproduction, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of TCM, Jinan 250001, China. fusantai@126.com
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electro-acupuncture therapy on oocyte quality and pregnancy outcome of patients with the poor ovarian response or decreased reserve in the course of in vitro fertilization (IVF).

METHODS: Sixty cases accepting IVF-ET were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each group. The two groups were both treated with antagonist scheme for ovulation induction, and the electro-acupuncture intervention was also added in the observation group, Guanyuan (CV 4), Taixi (KI 3), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) etc. were selected. The therapeutic effects in the two groups were compared after treatment.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups before treatment. The symptoms of kidney deficiency in the observation group were significantly improved after treatment, and the levels of serum estradiol (E2), fertilization rate, oocyte maturation rate, good quality embryos rate, and implantation rate in the observation group were superior to those in the control group on human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) injection day (all P<0.05); the levels of stem cell factor (SCF) in follicular fluid and serum in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (both P<0.05). The pregnancy rate in the observation group was higher than that in the control group, and the abortion rate in the observation group was lower than that in the control group, but there was no significant difference between the two groups (both P>0.05).

CONCLUSION: Electro-acupuncture therapy has a good clinical effect for IVF patients with poor ovarian reserve, and can improve oocyte (egg) quality and pregnancy outcome.

PMID: 19873910 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]