Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Mar 17;14:1110266. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1110266. eCollection 2023.
To investigate the effect of acupuncture for improving the pregnancy rate of COH rats from the viewpoint of regulating the opening time of the implantation window and endometrial receptivity.
Experimental rats were randomly divided into normal group (N), model group (M) and acupuncture group(A), and samples were collected on Day 4, 5 and 6 after mating. COH rats were treated with acupuncture at SP6, LR3, and ST36 once a day for 7 times. The pinopodes were observed under a scanning electron microscope. Serum estrogen and progesterone levels were measured ELISA. The protein and mRNA levels of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), integrin β3, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) in the endometrium were evaluated West-blot, immunohistochemistry, and PCR.
Compared with group N, the pregnancy rate of group M was significantly decreased (<0.05), and the abnormal serum hormone levels and implantation window advancement were observed. Compared with group M, the pregnancy rate of group A was significantly increased (<0.05), the supraphysiological serum progesterone levels were restored to normalcy (<0.05), and the advanced implantation window was restored to a certain extent. Further, the abnormal ER, PR, LIF, integrin β3, VEGF, and FGF-2 expression levels of the endometrium got recovered to varying degrees.
Acupuncture may restore the estrogen and progesterone balance in COH rats and the forward shift of the implantation window to a certain extent, improving the endometrial receptivity and finally improving the pregnancy rate of COH rats.
从调节着床窗口开放时间和子宫内膜容受性的角度，探讨针刺对 COH 大鼠妊娠率的影响。
实验大鼠随机分为正常组（N）、模型组（M）和针刺组（A），于交配后第 4、5、6 天采集样本。COH 大鼠每日针刺 SP6、LR3 和 ST36 一次，共 7 次。扫描电镜观察针毛。采用 ELISA 法检测血清雌、孕激素水平。采用 Western blot、免疫组织化学和 PCR 法检测子宫内膜中雌激素受体（ER）、孕激素受体（PR）、白血病抑制因子（LIF）、整合素β3、血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）和纤维母细胞生长因子 2（FGF-2）的蛋白和 mRNA 水平。
与 N 组相比，M 组妊娠率显著降低（<0.05），血清激素水平异常，着床窗口提前。与 M 组相比，A 组妊娠率显著增加（<0.05），血清孕激素水平恢复至超生理水平，着床窗口提前得到一定程度恢复。此外，子宫内膜 ER、PR、LIF、整合素β3、VEGF 和 FGF-2 表达水平异常得到不同程度恢复。
针刺可在一定程度上恢复 COH 大鼠的雌、孕激素平衡和着床窗口的提前，提高子宫内膜容受性，最终提高 COH 大鼠的妊娠率。
