Relationship between Blood Radioimmunoreacttve Beta-Endorphin and Hand Skin Temperature during the Electro-Acupuncture Induction of Ovulation

Abstract

Thirteen cycles of anovulation menstruation in 11 cases were treated with Electro-Acupuncture (EA) ovulation induction. In 6 of these cycles which showed ovulation, the hand skin temperature (HST) of these patients was increased after EA treatment. In the other 7 cycles ovulation was not induced. There were no regular changes in HST of 5 normal subjects. The level of radioinununoreactive beta¬endorphin (rβ-E) fluctutated, and returned to the preacupunctural level in 30 min. after withdrawal of needles in normal subjects. After EA, the level of blood rB-E in cycles with ovulation declined or maintained the range of normal subjects. But the level of blood rß-E in cycles in which the induction failed to cause ovulation was kept higher that that of normal. (P< 0.05). There was a negative correlation in the decrease of blood rß-E and increase of HST after EA (r=-0.677, P <0.01). EA is able to regulate the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. Since a good response is usually accompanied with the increase of HST, monitoring HST may provide a rough but simple method for predicting the curative effect of EA. The role of rß-E in the mechanism of EA ovulation induction was discussed.