Effects of moxibustion on reproduction and metabolism of polycystic ovary syndrome: a protocol for meta-analysis and systematic review

Abstract

IntroductionPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrinopathy in women of reproductive age. Recently, moxibustion, as a complementary and alternative therapy, has been commonly used in assisted reproduction and improvement of metabolic abnormalities in patients with PCOS. Currently, intervention efficacy of the use of moxibustion in PCOS treatment still remains controversial due to lack of high-quality evidence. Consequently, this study protocol was designed to objectively review and evaluate the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion treatment for PCOS.Methods and analysisElectronic searches will be carried out from inception to May 2021 in the online databases of The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, Chinese Biomedical Literature, Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. The Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Center and Clinical Trials will be used for searching ongoing trials. Randomised controlled trials and the first period in randomised cross-over trials involving any type of moxibustion for patients with PCOS will be included. Primary outcomes will be the ovulation rate, pregnancy rate and sex hormone levels, and secondary outcomes will be changes in clinical symptoms and metabolic indicators, total effective rate and the incidences of side effects and adverse events. Briefly, two reviewers will independently conduct study selection and data extraction, and the risk of bias will be assessed. Prior to the formal meta-analysis, the heterogeneity of included studies will be assessed. Review Manager Statistical Software (RevMan) V.5.3 will be used for data processing. Finally, the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation method will be applied to evaluate the quality of evidence.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not necessary since this study is designed as a systematic review. This study will be disseminated by a peer-review journal or conference presentation.

Use of complementary medicine vs alternative therapies in Polycystic ovary syndrome

“…Desde la perspectiva de Li Y et al (17) y Lima et al existen resultados satisfactorios luego de las 5 sesiones del uso de la auriculoterapia, la cual se basa en la estimulación de puntos específicos de pabellón auricular y la oreja, con el objetivo de favorecer el equilibrio de las funciones corporales, la misma que es efectiva para el alivio del dolor, reducción del peso, la dismenorrea, cefalea y la ansiedad que es producida por el Síndrome de Ovario Poliquístico. En contraste con las investigaciones de Xu et al (27) y Lamba et al (32) la eficacia del uso de la moxibustión en mujeres en edad reproductiva ha mejorado las anomalías metabólicas y es beneficioso para mejorar la circulación sanguínea pélvica local, acelerando la absorción de medicamentos utilizados para la inducción a la ovulación y con ello promover la fertilidad. Sin embargo, según Feng et al (26) además del uso de la moxibustión y la acupuntura existen otras terapias como el enema de medicina china, la intervención psicológica y la estimulación eléctrica, las cuales son poco comunes y con baja evidencia científica.…”

“…Xu K et al (27) / 2021/ Scopus Proporcionar referencias para el tratamiento clínico del síndrome de ovario poliquístico.…”

The Application of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Infertility

“…According to TCM, deficiency of kidney yang, deficiency of cold in the cellular veins and stasis blocking the thoroughfare and conception vessels are important etiological mechanisms of infertility, and moxibustion is widely used in the improvement of assisted reproduction and metabolic abnormalities in infertile patients with PCOS, because of its effects on warming the menstrual channels and dispersing cold, reinforcing yang and prostration, eliminating stasis and resolving masses, as well as preventing disease and health care. [75] Yu et al [76] found in an RCT that Chinese medicine combined with moxibustion at points BL23, DU2, DU4 and other acupoints could effectively regulate the level of sexual hormones, improve ovarian hemodynamics, increase OR, and thus improve PR (OR: 84.62% vs. 64.71%, PR: 48.8% vs. 23.53%, P < 0.05). Similar to moxibustion, warm acupuncture and moxibustion is a treatment in which moxa wool is twisted around the needle handle and ignited during needle retention, and the needle body transmits heat into the acupoint, which has the effect of warming the meridians and activating qi and blood.…”

Evaluating the therapeutic potential of moxibustion on polycystic ovary syndrome: a rat model study on gut microbiota and metabolite interaction

“…In contrast, moxibustion therapy, an usual treatment of PCOS in traditional Chinese medicine, achieves therapeutic effects through warm stimulation and drug stimulation of body surface acupoints. It is characterized by its non-invasive nature, minimal adverse effects, simplicity of operation, and effectiveness ( Xu et al., 2021 ).…”