Effectiveness of electroacupuncture for thin endometrium in infertile women: study protocol for a single-blind, randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background Thin endometrium negatively impacts the reproductive function. Current treatments for thin endometrium do not always improve endometrial receptivity. Preliminary evidence suggests that electroacupuncture could have potential therapy for thin endometrium in infertile women. Thus, this randomized controlled trial was designed to test whether electroacupuncture can improve endometrial receptivity in infertile women with thin endometrium. Methods This study is a randomized, single-blinded, controlled, clinical trial. A total of 142 eligible patients will be recruited and randomly assigned to the electroacupuncture (EA) group or the sham electroacupuncture (SEA) group in a 1:1 ratio. Participants will receive 36 sessions over three menstrual cycles (12 weeks in total), with the same acupoint prescription. The primary outcome of this trial is endometrial thickness in the midluteal phase. The secondary outcomes include endometrial pattern, resistance index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) of bilateral uterine artery and endometrium blood flow, serum estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P), and pregnancy rate. The pregnancy rate will be evaluated during a 6-month follow-up after completion of the trial. All other outcomes will be evaluated before treatment, during the treatment of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd menstrual cycle, and 6 months after treatment. Discussion If the outcome confirms the effectiveness of electroacupuncture for thin endometrium in infertile women, this treatment will be proposed for application in clinical practice. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trials Registry ChiCTR2000029983. Registered on 18 February 2020

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“…A thin endometrium, defined as endometrial thickness less than 7 mm, is associated with lower implantation and pregnancy rates in ART treatments [2,3]. Current therapeutic strategies for thin endometrium include long-term administration of exogenous estrogen [4], low-dose of aspirin [5], vaginal sildenafil citrate application [6], transvaginal endometrial perfusion of Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) [7] autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma Infusion (PRP) [8], stem cell therapy [9], vitamins C and E, and L-arginine supplement [10,11], electroacupuncture [12,13], steroid therapy [14], and endometrial scratching [15]. However, the effectiveness of these treatments remains controversial, and there is a need for alternative approaches that can improve IVF success rates.…”

Transplantation of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells promotes the recovery of thin endometrium in rats

“…An in-depth analysis of the tissue microenvironmental changes and elucidation of molecular mechanisms involved in endometrial injury and the UC-MSCs transplantation-mediated repair process will facilitate better reparative effects of UC-MSCs on the structure and function of the injured endometrium. The current study used a variety of methods to repair endometrial injury, though this was only partially accomplished and endometrial regeneration remains a significant challenge 18 – 20 .…”

Оптимизация Лечения Маточного Бесплодия На Основе Использования Богатого Тромбоцитами Фибрина (I-Prf)

“…Исследования, проведенные за последнее десятилетие, выявили потенциальную связь между бесплодием и эндометритом, особенно хроническим эндометритом [24,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32].…”

“…Современные методы лечения данных патологий эндометрия не всегда улучшают рецептивность эндометрия. Предварительные данные свидетельствуют о том, что электроакупунктура может быть потенциальной терапией тонкого эндометрия у женщин с бесплодием [26,27].…”