REDUCTION OF BLOOD-FLOW IMPEDANCE IN THE UTERINE ARTERIES OF INFERTILE WOMEN WITH ELECTROACUPUNCTURE

In order to assess whether electro-acupuncture (EA) can reduce a high uterine artery blood flow impedance, 10 infertile but otherwise health y women with a pulsatility index (PI) greater than or equal to 3.0 in the uterine arteries were treated with EA in a prospective, non-random ized study, Before inclusion in the study and throughout the entire st udy period, the women were down-regulated with a gonadotrophin-releasi ng hormone analogue (GnRHa) in order to exclude any fluctuating endoge nous hormone effects on the PI, The baseline PI was measured when the serum oestradiol was less than or equal to 0.1 nmol/l, and thereafter the women were given EA eight times, twice a week for 4 weeks, The PI was measured again closely after the eighth EA treatment, and once mor e 10-14 days after the EA period, Skin temperature on the forehead (ST FH) and in the lumbosacral area (STLS) was measured during the first, fifth and eighth EA treatments, Compared to the mean baseline PI, the mean PI was significantly reduced both shortly after the eighth EA tre atment (P < 0.0001) and 10-14 days after the EA period (P < 0.0001), S TFH increased significantly during the EG treatments, It is suggested that both of these effects are due to a central inhibition of the symp athetic activity.