Treatment of Thin Endometrium in Infertility Based on Thought of "Blood Being Basis of Women" / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ABSTRACT

Infertility is commonly seen but difficult to treat in the department of obstetrics and gynecology. The incidence of infertility in women of childbearing age has reached as high as 25% in China， which seriously affects social harmony and people's happiness. As the lifestyle of modern women changes， thin endometrium has gradually become an important reason for infertility and embryo transfer failure. Such factors as repeated operations in uterine cavity and oral intake of hormones have resulted in destructed blood vessels and reduced blood flow in endometrium， impaired growth of glandular epithelial cells， insufficient local blood supply， retarded development of endometrium， reduced receptivity， and therefore poor acceptance of endometrium to the implanted gestational sac， which is not conducive to the implantation of fertilized eggs. As a result， the infertility will occur. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has a long history of treating infertility. During the long-term clinical practice， physicians of ancient and modern times have gained rich experience in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. The idea of "blood being the basis of women" sprouted in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods and determined in the Song Dynasty as an important guiding principle that can be applied in various physiological periods of women. It emphasizes "blood regulation" for gynecological diseases to ensure sufficient blood in blood vessels and its normal circulation， thus allowing the thoroughfare and conception vessels and endometrium to be nourished and the pregnancy to be facilitated. With blood as the basis， the paper explored the physiopathological correlations of five zang organs and thoroughfare and conception vessels with blood， pointed out the preference for "blood harmonization" in ancient literature based on the differentiation of infertility into blood stasis， blood cold， blood heat， and blood deficiency syndromes， reviewed the key methods of modern physicians in assisting pregnancy including tonifying kidney and nourishing blood， tonifying kidney and activating blood， tonifying kidney and invigorating spleen， as well as invigorating kidney and soothing liver， and summarized the efficacy of integrated TCM and western medicine in promoting ovulation， regulating hormones， improving blood supply， and nourishing endometrium to assist pregnancy. All these would contribute to the clinical treatment and scientific research of thin endometrium in infertility from multiple angles.