Tag Archive for: fertility

Genetically abnormal sperm

Genetically abnormal sperm? Chinese medicine can help

Many infertile men have an increased proportion of genetically abnormal sperm.

Normally this is not an issue, because the number of unhealthy sperm is relatively small. It only fails to fertilise an egg. However, it becomes a problem in case of ICSI.

In the IVF with ICSI process, a tiny needle is used to inject a single sperm into the center of the egg. It means that the embryologist chooses sperm. The natural selection process is  surpassed. That increases the risk of genetically abnormal sperm is injected into an egg.

Moreover, this not only increases the risk of ICSI failure, but as well the risk of transmitting diseases such as Klinefelter’s syndrome, Down’s syndrome, congenital heart defects, etc.

There are no current Western Medicine treatments for poor sperm quality or genetically abnormal sperm. So scientists from The University of Kent looked if Chinese medicine can help.

They conducted research on six men who had very high levels of chromosome abnormalities in their sperm. After a course of traditional Chinese medicine each of the six men participating in the study showed a significant reduction in the proportion of sperm genetic abnormalities.

This research offers promise to male infertility patients. However, more research is needed to investigate further how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can support male fertility.

 

New study – Acupuncture improves sperm quality

Quantitative evaluation of spermatozoa ultrastructure after acupuncture treatment for idiopathic male infertility.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ultramorphologic sperm features of idiopathic infertile men after acupuncture therapy. DESIGN: Prospective controlled study.

PATIENT(S): Forty men with idiopathic oligospermia, asthenospermia, or teratozoospermia. INTERVENTION(S): Twenty eight of the patients received acupuncture twice a week over a period of 5 weeks. The samples from the treatment group were randomized with semen samples from the 12 men in the untreated control group.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Quantitative analysis by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to evaluate the samples, using the mathematical formula based on submicroscopic characteristics.

RESULT(S): Statistical evaluation of the TEM data showed a statistically significant increase after acupuncture in the percentage and number of sperm without ultrastructural defects in the total ejaculates. A statistically significant improvement was detected in acrosome position and shape, nuclear shape, axonemal pattern and shape, and accessory fibers of sperm organelles. However, specific sperm pathologies in the form of apoptosis, immaturity, and necrosis showed no statistically significant changes between the control and treatment groups before and after treatment.

CONCLUSION(S): The treatment of idiopathic male infertility could benefit from employing acupuncture. A general improvement of sperm quality, specifically in the ultrastructural integrity of spermatozoa, was seen after acupuncture, although we did not identify specific sperm pathologies that could be particularly sensitive to this therapy.

NCBI

Acupuncture fertility treatment - a last hope for many

Acupuncture: A Cure for Infertility?

NEW YORK — At 36, Lucy Appert has suffered through two miscarriages, a stillbirth at 8 1/2 months and, because of a rare pregnancy-related liver dysfunction, intensive illness and surgery.

Yet after enduring five painful years of trying to have their own baby, Appert and her husband Edward finally saw their dream come true last month when their son Henry was born — premature, but healthy.

For all the fertility treatments, technologies and prenatal care available to women today, Appert credits the success of her pregnancy to an ancient Chinese secret.

“I recommend acupuncture (search) to everyone,” Appert said. “It does work. I did everything possible for years to have a baby. I almost lost hope.” Read more