ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of acupuncture on chronic pelvic pain syndromes (CPPS), and its therapeutic mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fourty-seven cases of CPPS were treated with electroacupuncture on Zhongji (CV 3), Guilai (ST 29), Yinlingquan (SP 9), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Guanyuan (CV 4), Shuidao(ST 28), Xuehai (SP 10) and Taichong (LR 3) as main acupoints. Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (CPSI) was adopted to grade the severity of pain or discomforts. Additionally, the levels of Interleukin-8 (IL-8), Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in prostate fluid were detected and the correlation between those changes and pain score was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, pain or discomfort score in CPSI decreased remarkably as compared with that before treatment (P < 0.01). The levels of IL-8, IL-10 and TNF-alpha were lower than those before treatment (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The positive correlation was obtained between IL-10 level and pain score (P < 0.05). The total effective rate was 89.4% (42/47).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture has significant efficacy on CPPS through reducing IL-10 level to ease pain, and reducing the levels of IL-8 and TNF-alpha to relieve inflammatory reaction.</p>