Acupuncture for Treatment of Patients With Poor Ovarian Response

June 14, 2023 updated by: Royan Institute

The Effect of Acupuncture on in Vitro Fertilization/ Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection Embryo Transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET) Outcomes in Patients With Poor Ovarian Response Diagnosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This prospective randomized controlled trial is designed to investigate the effect of acupuncture on IVF/ICSI outcome in women with poor ovarian response. The study population consisted of all infertile women with a previous poor ovarian response who will undergo IVF/ICSI in Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan institute, Tehran Iran. To minimize the effect of ovarian stimulation protocol, a stratified randomization method according to ovarian stimulation protocols (GnRH agonist stopped and GnRH antagonist) is used.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Poor ovarian response (POR) is a challenging issue in assisted reproduction treatment. Different controlled ovarian hyperstimulation protocols and strategies have been used in this group of women to improve reproductive outcome, but the success rate still remains low. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of acupuncture during ovulation induction on the results of IVF / ICSI cycles in patients with POR diagnosis. The study was approved by the institutional review board. Written, informed consent will be obtained from each participant. Infertile women with a diagnosis of POR, who undergoing the IVF / ICSI cycle are assigned to four groups by stratified randomization method according to ovarian stimulation protocol. Before the starting the treatment cycle, patients will be randomized with sealed randomization envelopes. The random allocation is concealed from the physician performing the IVF/ICSI treatment cycle. All patients will receive acupuncture by the same physician (Dr.Salimi). In experimental groups (A), acupuncture will be applied for 30 minutes in each session and will be started from the month prior to onset of ovarian stimulation (two sessions of a weekly), and during the ovarian stimulation cycle (two sessions of a weekly), totally 7 acupuncture sessions will be carried out. Acupuncture will be performed using sterile needle on specific points (CV 3 (Zhongji), CV 4 (Guanyuan), ST 25 (Tianshu), ST 28 (Shuidao), ST 29 (Guilai), and LR 3 (Taichong), BL 23 (Shenshu), BL 32 (Ciliao), GV 20 (Baihui), GV 24 (Shenting), GB 13 (Benshen), ST 36 (Zusanli), SP 6 Sanyinjiao), SP 8, SP 10 and KI 3 (Taixi)). The needles were inserted to a depth of 15-30 mm, depending on the region of the body. No sham acupuncture is considered in the control group for ethical and practical reasons. There is no intervention in the control groups (B).

Controlled ovarian stimulation for patients in both groups will be performed according the long stopped protocol. GnRH agonist (Buserelin, 0.5 mg), beginning on day 18 of the previous cycle will be used for down regulation and then will be stopped on the starting ovarian stimulation. Ovarian stimulation will be done with recombinant FSH and hMG (225 IU recombinant FSH (Gonal-F®; Serono Laboratories Ltd., Geneva, Switzerland) and 75 IU hMG (Menopur®; Ferring). The doses of gonadotropins were adjusted as ovarian response in the ultrasound monitoring. Ovulation was triggered with hCG (10,000 IU) when at least three follicles have a diameter of 18 mm with an adequate serum E2 concentration.

In both group, transvaginal oocyte retrieval will be performed under ultrasound guidance 32-34 hours after hCG administration. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection will be performed for all metaphase II oocytes. Embryo transfer will be done under ultrasound guidance on day 3 for all patients.

Primary consequences in this study are the total number of retrieved and MII oocytes and quality of the obtained embryos. Secondary outcomes are implantation and clinical pregnancy rates that confirmed by vaginal ultrasound (pregnancy sac and embryonic heart activity). The IVF/ICSI outcomes are compared in four groups. Data collection will be performed by using questionnaire to be filled as per the available records and laboratory results. Data analysis will be done through descriptive and perceptive statistical methods by using SPSS software version 20 for windows.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
43

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

20 years to 35 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1- Diagnosis of Poor ovarian response (POR), according to POSSEIDON group criteria (Group 3) Young patients (<35 years) with poor ovarian reserve prestimulation parameters (AFC <5, AMH<1.2 ng/mL).

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Premature ovarian failure diagnosis.
  2. Endometriosis grade III or IV.
  3. Any contraindications to ovarian stimulation treatment.
  4. Uterine infertility factor.
  5. Previous history of ovarian surgery.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Accupuncture
Acupuncture twice a week during the preceding cycle and the ovarian stimulation by "GnRH agonist stopped protocol".
Other: Accupuncture
In experimental groups (A), acupuncture will be applied for 30 minutes in each session and will be started from the month prior to onset of ovarian stimulation (two sessions of a weekly), and during the ovarian stimulation cycle (two sessions of a weekly), totally 7 acupuncture sessions will be carried out. Acupuncture will be performed using sterile needle on specific points (CV 3 (Zhongji), CV 4 (Guanyuan), ST 25 (Tianshu), ST 28 (Shuidao), ST 29 (Guilai), and LR 3 (Taichong), BL 23 (Shenshu), BL 32 (Ciliao), GV 20 (Baihui), GV 24 (Shenting), GB 13 (Benshen), ST 36 (Zusanli), SP 6 Sanyinjiao), SP 8, SP 10 and KI 3 (Taixi)). The needles were inserted to a depth of 15-30 mm, depending on the region of the body. No sham acupuncture is considered in the control group for ethical and practical reasons
No Intervention: Non-accupuncture
Ovarian stimulation by" GnRH agonist stopped protocol" without intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Total number of retrieved oocytes
Time Frame: Day of oocyte pick-up, 34-36 hours after hCG administration (approximately Stimulation Day 10)
At the point of ovum pick-up, we can count total number of retrieved oocytes. Therefore, in one hour after ovum pick-up, outcome measurement will be possible.
Day of oocyte pick-up, 34-36 hours after hCG administration (approximately Stimulation Day 10)
Oocyte maturity
Time Frame: Day of oocyte pick-up, 34-36 hours after hCG administration (approximately Stimulation Day 10)
At the point of ovum pick-up, we can count how many mature or immature oocytes were retrieved. Therefore, in one hour after ovum pick-up, outcome measurement will be possible.
Day of oocyte pick-up, 34-36 hours after hCG administration (approximately Stimulation Day 10)
Quality of obtained embryos
Time Frame: 3 days after IVF/ICSI procedure
Embryo grade assessed under invert microscope 3 days after intracytoplasmic sperm injection procedure [ Time Frame: 3 days after intracytoplasmic sperm injection procedure ] Embryo grade assessed under invert microscope 3 days after intracytoplasmic sperm injection procedure.The quality of embryos was graded from 1 to 3 under inverted microscope 3 days after intracytoplasmic sperm injection procedure. Embryos with even-sized blastomers and/or <5% fragments were classified as Grade 1 (good quality). Grade 2 embryos (moderate quality) had blastomeres with slightly-moderate size differences and/or 5-50% fragments. Grade 3 embryos (poor quality) had markedly different-sized blastomers and/or >50% fragments.
3 days after IVF/ICSI procedure

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Implantation rate
Time Frame: 4 weeks after embryo transfer
The ratio of total number of observed gestational sacs to total number of transferred embryos.
4 weeks after embryo transfer
Clinical pregnancy rate
Time Frame: 4-6 weeks after embryo transfer
The observation of gestational sac with heart beat by using trans-vaginal ulterasound
4-6 weeks after embryo transfer

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Royan Institute

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 1, 2018

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 20, 2021

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 20, 2022

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 8, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 6, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 10, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 15, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 14, 2023

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • POR-accupuncure

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

We can share the results of study, after the publish the manuscript.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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