Effects of Electroacupuncture on the Gut Microbiome in Cisplatin-Induced Premature Ovarian Failure Mice

He Q, Guo J, Zhang Q, Yau Y, Yu Y, Zhong Z, Tong Z, Yang Z, Chen M · Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine · 2022 March 14

DOI 10.1155/2022/9352833

Objective

To investigate whether electroacupuncture regulates the gut microbiome and improves ovarian function in mice with premature ovarian failure.

Conclusions

Electroacupuncture restored ovarian function, improved hormone levels and ovarian cell proliferation, and regulated the abundance, diversity, beneficial bacterial populations, and metabolic pathways of the gut microbiome in mice with premature ovarian failure.

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Insights

Electroacupuncture improved ovarian function in mice with premature ovarian failure while reshaping gut bacteria linked to hormone regulation and ovarian cell growth.

Researchers induced premature ovarian failure in mice using cisplatin, then compared electroacupuncture at two traditional acupuncture points with stimulation at nearby non-acupuncture sites. They assessed reproductive cycling, ovarian tissue and molecular markers, circulating reproductive hormones, and gut microbial composition through genetic sequencing of bacterial material. Electroacupuncture restored reproductive cycling, reduced degenerating ovarian follicles, improved hormone patterns, and increased signaling associated with ovarian cell proliferation. It also increased the diversity and beneficial composition of gut bacteria, with altered microbial functions related to estrogen signaling, egg maturation, and ovarian growth pathways.