title: A general description for Chinese medicine in treating premature ovarian failure.
abstract: Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a kind of gynecological disease that causes amenorrhea, infertility, menopause and urogenital symptoms. Currently hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the most popular choice for women with POF to get rid of menopausal syndrome. However, as the popularization of Chinese herbs made Chinese medicine (CM) shine new lights, physicians are able to treat POF with both meno-herbs and integrated therapy. HRT has its own indications and contraindications. For example, unexplained vaginal bleeding, acute liver damage, liver dysfunction, vascular embolization, and breast cancer are all contraindications of HRT, and CM is taken by more physicians as an adjuvant therapy. This review, including a range of common Chinese herbs and formulations according to the existing literature, provides a general description of CM treating POF from the aspects of mechanisms and clinical application. It also highlights acupuncture as a unique physiotherapy for POF. Although the validity of CM has been supported by the evidence of many preclinical trials, clinical trials and meta-analysis, the adverse events with CM therapy still exist and no guarantee has been made for its safety. This review concludes the updated information for CM treating POF contributing to further studies.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, Hospital and Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences (IBS), Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, Hospital and Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences (IBS), Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China.|Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai, 200011, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Lian
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, Hospital and Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences (IBS), Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China.|Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai, 200011, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, Hospital and Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences (IBS), Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, Hospital and Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences (IBS), Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors.forename: Ming-Yan
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, Hospital and Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences (IBS), Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China.|Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai, 200011, China.|The Academy of Integrative Medicine of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Min
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, Hospital and Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences (IBS), Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China.|Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai, 200011, China.|The Academy of Integrative Medicine of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors.forename: Da-Jin
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, Hospital and Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences (IBS), Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China. dr.wangling@fudan.edu.cn.|Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai, 200011, China. dr.wangling@fudan.edu.cn.|The Academy of Integrative Medicine of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. dr.wangling@fudan.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods*; D008594:Menopause, Premature / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D016649:Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal
keywords: Chinese herbal medicine; Chinese medicine; acupuncture; infertility; premature ovarian failure