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Current Research in Acupuncture pp 487–515Cite as

Acupuncture in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Potential and Challenge

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Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine and metabolic disorder affecting 5–10 % of women of reproductive age. Conventional pharmacological therapy and surgery are effective but with obvious side effects and limited long-term treatment. Therefore, acupuncture therapy, as a complement or alternative to conventional therapies, may be an alternative for women with PCOS by reducing their symptoms. Experimental, mechanistic trials clearly indicate positive effects of acupuncture on reproductive and metabolic function. However, lack of randomized controlled trials hinders the translation and application of acupuncture in the treatment of PCOS. In this chapter, we summarize the PCOS diagnostic criteria and characters, PCOS-like animal models as well as the possible physiological basis and mechanism of the effect of acupuncture in PCOS. Clinical data from studies in women with PCOS and experimental observations in PCOS-like rat models suggest that acupuncture exerts long-lasting beneficial effects on metabolic, endocrine, and neuroendocrine systems.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Swedish Institute and China Scholarship Council for their support and the Center for Mouse Physiology and Bio-Imaging, University of Gothenburg.

This program was supported by grants from the Swedish Medical Research Council (Project No. 2008-72VP-15445-01A); Novo Nordisk Foundation; Wilhelm and Martina Lundgren’s Science Fund; Hjalmar Svensson Foundation; Tore Nilson Foundation; Åke Wiberg Foundation; Adlerbert Research Foundation; Ekhaga Foundation; Swedish federal government under the ­letters of understanding agreement of Medical Education (ALFFGBG-10984) and Regional Research and Development agreement (VGFOUREG-5171, 11296, and 7861); Special grant of China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 200801170); and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81001544).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, State Key Lab of Medical Neurobiology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China

    Yi Feng & Boying Chen

  2. Institute of Acupuncture Research (WHO Collaborating Center for Traditional Medicine), Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China

    Yi Feng & Boying Chen

  3. Department of Physiology/Endocrinology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Elisabet Stener-Victorin

  4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, 150040, China

    Elisabet Stener-Victorin

Authors
  1. Yi Feng
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  2. Elisabet Stener-Victorin
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  3. Boying Chen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yi Feng .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas Medical School a, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, 77030, Texas, USA

    Ying Xia

  2. , Shanghai Research Center for Acupuncture, Fudan University, Guoshoujing Road 199, Shanghai, 201203, China, People's Republic

    Guanghong Ding

  3. Shanghai Medical School, Inst. Acupuncture Research, Fudan University, Yi Xue Yuan Road 138, Shanghai, 200032, China, People's Republic

    Gen-Cheng Wu

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Feng, Y., Stener-Victorin, E., Chen, B. (2013). Acupuncture in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Potential and Challenge. In: Xia, Y., Ding, G., Wu, GC. (eds) Current Research in Acupuncture. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3357-6_16

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