OBJECTIVETo observe clinical therapeutic effect of catgut implantation at Shu- and Mu-acupoints of liver, spleen and kidney on premature ovarian failure.

METHODSOne hundred and thirty-two cases of premature ovarian failure were randomly divided into a catgut implantation group and a medication group, 66 cases in each group. The catgut implantation group were treated by catgut implantation at She- and Mu-acupoints of liver, spleen and kidney, and the medication group were treated with oral administration of Estradiol Valerate 2 mg, qd, for 20 days, and 10 days later, Medroxyprogesterone Acetate 4 mg was added, b. i. d, for 10 days, averaging 6 months of medication. The therapeutic effects and changes of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2) were observed in the two groups.

RESULTSAfter treatment, serum FSH and E2 significantly improved in the two groups (P<0.01), with the serum E2 in the catgut implantation group increased more significantly than that in the medication group (P<0.01). The cured rate and the total effective rate were 84.9% and 97.0% in the catgut implantation group and 31.8% and 84.8% in the medication group, the cured rate in the catgut implantation group being better than that in the medication group (P<0.05). Ten month later, the therapeutic effect in the catgut implantation group was kept.

CONCLUSIONCatgut implantation at Shu- and Me-acupoints of liver, spleen and kidney has a good therapeutic effect on premature ovarian failure with no side effect.