Electroacupuncture stimulation enhanced the clinical
pregnancy rate in patients with decreased ovarian reserve during IVF and embryo
transfer cycles, according to a clinical study published in the Journal of
Obstetrics and Gynaecological Research.
Although IVF is commonly used to treat infertility the
success rate is not satisfactory. As many women, undergoing IVF treatment, had
a decreased or diminished ovarian reserve. Ovarian reserve is a capacity of the
ovary to provide egg cells that are capable of fertilization, resulting in a
healthy and successful pregnancy. So improve ovarian reserve is very important
to enhance pregnancy rate during IVF.
Recently a group of researchers in China conducted a
clinical study to assess the effect of acupuncture on pregnancy rate in
patients with decreased ovarian reserve during IVF and embryo transfer cycles.
Two-hundred-forty patients were randomly allocated into acupuncture group,
placebo group, artificial endometrial cycle treatment group and control group.
Electroacupuncture was given to following acupoints: RN3,
RN4, DU3, DU4, SP6, ST25, BL23 and EX-CA1; for 30min, once a day during
ovulation cycle until the day of egg retrieval. Outcome measures include
pregnancy-related perimeters such as, AFC, basal estradiol (E2) level, basal
FSH level, basal luteinizing hormone (LH) level, AMH level, FSH/LH ratio, ovarian artery resistance index (RI), ovarian
artery pulsatility index (PI), and systolic/diastolic flow velocity ratio
(S/D).
At the end of treatment, if was found that the number of
egg cells retrieved and average number of embryos transferred were higher in
the acupuncture group and artificial endometrial cycle group than those of
control groups. Antral follicle count and anti-Müllerian hormone levels were
increased, whereas the estradiol level, follicle-stimulating hormone level, and
follicle-stimulating hormone/luteinizing hormone ratio were significantly
decreased following acupuncture and artificial endometrial group compared with
control groups.
The study showed that electroacupuncture enhanced
pregnancy rate in patients with decreased ovarian reserve during IVF and embryo
transfer cycle.
Reference
Zheng Y, et al., Effects of transcutaneous electrical
acupoint stimulation on ovarian reserve of patients with diminished ovarian
reserve in in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer cycles. J Obstet Gynaecol
Res. 2015 Oct 12. doi: 10.1111/jog.12810. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26455718
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