Effects of Electroacupuncture and Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Treatments on Hormonal Changes in Anoestrous Sows

Abstract

The therapeutric effects of acupuncture in treating reproductive disturbances of man and animals have been proven in the past is used clinically already. However, the mechanism of such therapy is not known yet. In this study, anoestrous sows were used to investigate the mechanism. Anoestrous sows with luteal ovaries were allocated to three groups. Four sows received electroacupuncture treatment at Pai-Hui and Wei-Ken (acupuncture treated group; group 1). Three sows received electroacupuncture treatment at Chiang-Feng and Chou-Shu (acupuncture control group; group 2). Four received 50 μg of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) intravenously (drug control group; group 3). The concentrations of luteinizing hormone, progesterone, oestradiol and cortisol in serum were measured by radioimmunoassay, Oestrus return was monitored during 14 days after treatment. At the end of this observation period, the number of animals returned to oestrus were 3, 1 and 1 in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. It suggests that only treatment with acupuncture at Pai-Hui and Wei-Ken had therapeutic effects in inducing oestrus. This finding is further supported by the changes of serum sex hormone concentrations. Serum LH concentrations decreased for about 2 hours after electro-acupuncture treatment both in groups 1 and 2, whereas those in group 3 increased sharply at 10 minutes, reached to a peak at 20 minutes and returned gradually to basal level between 4 and 6 hours after GnRH injection. Serum progesterone concentrations rose between 4 to 6 hours after treatment in groups 1 and 3 but not in group 2. Five sows become oestrus, showed a decreased progesterone level 2 days after treatments whereas the other six anoestrous sows did not. Oestradiol levels did not have meaningful changes during the blood sampling period of 5 to 7 days in these 3 groups. Cortisol levels elevated in 15 minutes after the electroacupuncture in groups 1 and 2. However, the increment of cortosol induced by the electroacupuncture was less than than induced by the first bleeding, indicating that the adrenal stimulation may not be the main reason of the therapeutic action. The results indicated that the electroacupuncture treatment and GnRH injection could after the release of LH from the pituitary in different ways but only electroacupuncture at Pai-Hui and Wei-Ken has a specific action on ovary and a signficant therapeutic effect. Therapeutic effects of electroacupuncture on reproductive disturbance may involve a synergism of somatic-ovary and uterus reflex and central nervous-endocrine system (the hypothalamo-pituitary-ovary axis).