Acupuncture in reproductive medicine: Overview and summary of recent studies

Abstract

The use of acupuncture in the area of reproductive medicine is relatively new, and it has been rather poorly investigated in the past. When muscle afferents are stimulated by acupuncture in somatic segments related to the innervation of the ovaries and the uterus, functional changes occur in the neural substrate that may influence reproductive function and result in peripheral, segmental and central effects. The aims of the present studies are as follows. •To determine whether electro-acupuncture (EA) can reduce high blood flow impedance in the uterine arteries of women during in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer (ET). •To determine whether EA as an anaesthetic method can be an alternative to pharmacological anaesthetic methods during oocyte aspiration in IVF. •To elucidate whether EA can modify the release of neuropeptides, gonadotropins, and gonadal steroids and induce ovulation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and anovulation. •To evaluate the effects of EA on neuroendocrinological parameters in rats with estradiol valerate (EV)-induced PCO by analysing nerve growth factor (NGF) and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) tissue concentrations in the brain, the adrenal glands, and the ovaries. In conclusion, the results of these studies show that EA merits consideration as an alternative or complement to traditional pharmacological treatments in reproductive medicine for improvement of uterine artery blood flow, for pain relief during oocyte aspiration, and for ovulation induction in women with PCOS. The effects can most likely be attributed to an inhibition of excessive sympathetic tone and to activation of antinociceptive systems