Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2019-2
Transcutaneous electrical acupuncture point stimulation improves pregnancy outcomes in patients with recurrent implantation failure undergoing in vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer: a prospective,randomised trial
To evaluate the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupuncture stimulation (TEAS) on pregnancy outcomes in patients with recurrent implantation failure (RIF) undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
Methods:
A total of 122 women with RIF undergoing fresh embryo transfer cycle IVF were randomly allocated to a TEAS or mock TEAS (MTEAS) group. Gonadotrophin therapy using a long protocol was provided in both groups. TEAS consisted of 30 min of stimulation (9–25 mA, 2 Hz) at SP6, CV3, CV4 and Zigong from day 5 of the ovarian stimulation cycle once every other day until the day of embryo transfer. The patients in the control group received MTEAS. Implantation, clinical pregnancy and live birth rates were compared.
Results:
In the TEAS group, the implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate (24.3%, 32.8% and 27.9%, respectively) were significantly higher than in the MTEAS group (12.1%, 16.4% and 13.1%, respectively).
Conclusions:
TEAS significantly improves the clinical outcomes of subsequent IVF cycles among women who have experienced RIF.
CoughlanCLedgerWWangQ, et al. Recurrent implantation failure: definition and management. Reprod Biomed Online2014; 28: 14–38.
2.
ThornhillARdeDie-SmuldersCEGeraedtsJP, et al. ESHRE PGD Consortium ‘Best practice guidelines for clinical preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and preimplantation genetic screening (PGS)’. Hum Reprod2005; 20: 35–48.
3.
de MouzonJGoossensVBhattacharyaS, et al. Assisted reproductive technology in Europe, 2006: results generated from European registers by ESHRE. Hum Reprod2010; 25: 1851–1862.
WangYLiYChenR, et al. Electroacupuncture for reproductive hormone levels in patients with diminished ovarian reserve: a prospective observational study. Acupunct Med2016; 34: 386–391.
6.
CarrD. Somatosensory stimulation and assisted reproduction. Acupunct Med2015; 33: 2–6.
7.
JoJLeeYJ. Effectiveness of acupuncture in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome undergoing in vitro fertilisation or intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Acupunct Med2017; 35: 162–170.
8.
NgEHSoWSGaoJ, et al. The role of acupuncture in the management of subfertility. Fertil Steril2008; 90: 1–13.
9.
WhiteA. A cumulative review of the range and incidence of significant adverse events associated with acupuncture. Acupunct Med2004; 22: 122–133.
10.
PinborgALoftAAndersenAN. Acupuncture with in vitro fertilisation. BMJ2008; 336: 517–518.
11.
ZhengCHHuangGYZhangMM, et al. Effects of acupuncture on pregnancy rates in women undergoing in vitro fertilization: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Fertil Steril2012; 97: 599–611.
12.
AndersonBJHaimoviciFGinsburgES, et al. In vitro fertilization and acupuncture-clinical efficacy and mechanistic basis. Altern Ther Health Med2007; 13: 38–48.
13.
HuangSTChenAP. Traditional Chinese medicine and infertility. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol2008; 20: 211–215.
14.
VillahermosaDISantosLGNogueiraMB, et al. Influence of acupuncture on the outcomes of in vitro fertilisation when embryo implantation has failed: a prospective randomised controlled clinical trial. Acupunct Med2013; 31: 157–161.
15.
ZhangRFengXJGuanQ, et al. Increase of success rate for women undergoing embryo transfer by transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation: a prospective randomized placebo-controlled study. Fertil Steril2011; 96: 912–916.
16.
RashidNALalitkumarSLalitkumarPG, et al. Endometrial receptivity and human embryo implantation. Am J Reprod Immunol2011; 66(Suppl 1):23–30.
17.
ShuaiZLianFLiP, et al. Effect of transcutaneous electrical acupuncture point stimulation on endometrial receptivity in women undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer: a single-blind prospective randomised controlled trial. Acupunct Med2015; 33: 9–15.
18.
JiangYHaoYZhangY, et al. Thirty minute transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation modulates resting state brain activities: a perfusion and BOLD fMRI study. Brain Res2012; 1457: 13–25.
19.
LambertCBerlinILeeTL, et al. A standardized transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation for relieving tobacco urges in dependent smokers. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med2011; 2011: 1–8.
20.
ZhangWTJinZHuangJ, et al. Modulation of cold pain in human brain by electric acupoint stimulation: evidence from fMRI. Neuroreport2003; 14: 1591–1596.
21.
ZhangYJiangYGlielmiCB, et al. Long-duration transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation alters small-world brain functional networks. Magn Reson Imaging2013; 31: 1105–1111.
22.
NiXXieYWangQ, et al. Cardioprotective effect of transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation in the pediatric cardiac patients: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Paediatr Anaesth2012; 22: 805–811.
23.
BaczkowskiTKurzawaRGłabowskiW. Methods of embryo scoring in in vitro fertilization. Reprod Biol2004; 4: 5–22.
24.
Stener-VictorinEWuXXkW. Effects and mechanisms of acupuncture in the reproductive system. Auton Neurosci2010; 157:46–51.
25.
SmithCCoyleMNormanRJ. Influence of acupuncture stimulation on pregnancy rates for women undergoing embryo transfer. Fertil Steril2006; 85: 1352–1358.
26.
ChenQHauC. [Impacts on pregnancy outcome treated with acupuncture and moxibustion in IVF-ET patients]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu2015; 35: 313–317.
27.
CraigLBRubinLEPeckJD, et al. Acupuncture performed before and after embryo transfer: a randomized controlled trial. J Reprod Med2014; 59: 313–320.
28.
AndersonBJHaimoviciFGinsburgES, et al. In vitro fertilization and acupuncture: clinical efficacy and mechanistic basis. Altern Ther Health Med2007; 13: 38–48.
29.
ChenSLWuFRLuoC, et al. Combined analysis of endometrial thickness and pattern in predicting outcome of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer: a retrospective cohort study. Reprod Biol Endocrinol2010; 8: 30.
30.
FuHHeYGaoY, et al. Acupuncture on the endometrial morphology, the serum estradiol and progesterone levels, and the expression of endometrial leukaemia-inhibitor factor and osteopontin in rats. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med2011; 2011: 1–9.
31.
ChangRChungPHRosenwaksZ. Role of acupuncture in the treatment of female infertility. Fertil Steril2002; 78: 1149–1153.
32.
Stener-VictorinEWaldenströmUAnderssonSA, et al. Reduction of blood flow impedance in the uterine arteries of infertile women with electro-acupuncture. Hum Reprod1996; 11: 1314–1317.
33.
HoMHuangLCChangYY, et al. Electroacupuncture reduces uterine artery blood flow impedance in infertile women. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol2009; 48: 148–151.
34.
Stener-VictorinEWaldenströmUNilssonL, et al. A prospective randomized study of electro-acupuncture versus alfentanil as anaesthesia during oocyte aspiration in in-vitro fertilization. Hum Reprod1999; 14: 2480–2484.
35.
KimJShinKHNaCSCsN. Effect of acupuncture treatment on uterine motility and cyclooxygenase-2 expression in pregnant rats. Gynecol Obstet Invest2000; 50: 225–230.
36.
AghajanovaL. Leukemia inhibitory factor and human embryo implantation. Ann N Y Acad Sci2004; 1034: 176–183.
37.
XiongFGuiJYangW, et al. Effects of acupuncture on progesterone and prolactin in rats of embryo implantation dysfunction. Chin J Integr Med2015; 21: 58–66.
38.
HeDJHuangGYZhangMM. [Effects of acupuncture on the luteal function of rats with dysfunctional embryo implantation]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu2009; 29: 910–913.
39.
GaoWNYangWLiuYF, et al. Effect of acupuncture on CXCL8 receptors in rats suffering from embryo implantation failure. J Huazhong Univ Sci Technolog Med Sci2014; 34: 91–98.
40.
GaoWTangXChenZ, et al. Effects of acupuncture on CCL2 and CXCL8 expression and the subset of uNK cells in rats with embryo implantation failure. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med2013; 2013: 1–12.
41.
Stener-VictorinEHumaidanP. Use of acupuncture in female infertility and a summary of recent acupuncture studies related to embryo transfer. Acupunct Med2006; 24: 157–163.
