Acupuncture for Female Infertility: Discussion on Action Mechanism and Application

Table 3

Classification of clinical evaluation indexes of acupuncture in the treatment of infertility.

Evaluation category	Specific items
Evaluation index before pregnancy
Cervix	CM	⬆	——
Endometrium	EAI, ET, EM	⬆	——
Ovary	NRO, COR	⬆	——
Embryo	FR, NHQE	⬆	——
Menstruation	Menstrual regularity	⬆	——
Ovarian function markers	NPY, AMH, BCL-2, IRS-1, (PI3K, Akt, GLUT4) mRNA	⬆	BAX	⬇
Hormone level	E2, P	⬆	T, LH	⬇
Security	——	OHSS incidence	⬇
Evaluation index after pregnancy
Pregnancy outcome	CPR, PPR, LBR	⬆	BPR, AR	⬇

Note. CM: Cervical mucus; EAI: Endometrial arterial impedance; ET: Endometrial thickness; EM: Endometrial morphology; NRO: Number of retrieved oocytes; COR: Cycle ovulation rate; FR: Fertilization rate; NHQE: Number of high-quality embryos; NPY: Neuropeptide Y; AMH: Anti-Mullerian hormone; BCL-2: B-cell lymphoma-2; IRS-1: Insulin receptor substrate-1; PI3K: Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase; AKT: Protein kinase B; GLUT4: Glucose transporter 4; BAX: Bcl2-Associated X; E₂: Estradiol; P: Progesterone; T: Testosterone; LH: Luteinizing hormone; OHSS: Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome; CPR: Clinical pregnancy rate; PPR: Persistent pregnancy rate; LBR: live birth rate; BPR: Biochemical pregnancy rate; AR: Abortion rate; ⬆: Improve; ⬇: Reduce.