Electroacupuncture improves ovarian metabolic disorders and promotes follicle development in mice with premature ovarian failure
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Updated: Oct 26, 2026
Doppler Ultrasonography for Live Imaging and Quantification of Ovarian Vascular Function in Mice
Published on: November 14, 2025
Qi-da He1, Wei-Hong Yan2, Yu-Bin Li2
1Xiamen Key Laboratory for Clinical Efficacy and Evidence-Based Research of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361000, China; Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Xiamen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361000, China.
Objective:
This study employed to identify ovarian metabolic alterations in premature ovarian failure (POF) mice and their correlations with serum sex hormones, aiming to reveal the holistic regulatory mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) on ovarian function.
Methods:
Cisplatin was administered via intraperitoneal injection to induce POF in mice. Subsequently, the mice were treated with EA for 3 weeks. The vaginal exfoliated cells, ovarian pathomorphology and serum sex hormone levels were used to assess the efficacy of electroacupuncture. 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy was used to identify the ovarian metabolites. Associations among characteristic metabolites and serum sex hormones were examined using Pearson correlations.
Results:
EA improved ovarian pathological morphology and promoted dominant folliculogenesis in POF mice. Further, EA treatment led to improvements in the estrous cycle and sex hormones of POF mice, while also reversing ovarian metabolic disorders in POF mice. Thirteen characteristic metabolites in the ovaries of POF mice were regulated by EA, and ovarian characteristic metabolites were closely related to the levels of serum sex hormones.
Conclusion:
EA was able to improve ovarian function and modulate ovarian metabolites. EA therapy may improve mitochondrial and neural function and exert anti-oxidation, anti-apoptosis, anti-fibrosis and immunomodulatory effects, thereby promoting follicle development. This research offered a scientific foundation for identifying comprehensive intervention targets of EA therapy for POF. Please cite this article as: He QD, Yan WH, Li YB, Hong WB, He XR, Huang YX, Zheng FP, Yang ZB, Chen XQ. Electroacupuncture improves ovarian metabolic disorders and promotes follicle development in mice with premature ovarian failure. J Integr Med. 2026; Epub ahead of print.
