Prevention and Treatment of Age-related Ovarian Hypofunction with Traditional Chinese Medicine： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ABSTRACT

Age-related ovarian hypofunction includes a decrease in follicle quantity and quality as well as alterations in the ovarian microenvironment，the mechanisms of which are mainly related to mitochondrial dysfunction，free radical and antioxidant systems，telomere and telomerase alterations，and apoptosis，and is one of the major factors contributing to infertility in advanced maternal age （AMA）. Despite the tremendous progress in assisted reproductive technology in recent decades，few breakthroughs have been made in alleviating age-related ovarian hypofunction and improving reproductive outcomes for AMA. In recent years，there has been an increasing number of studies on the multi-level and multi-targeted mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） to improve age-related ovarian hypofunction by modulating mitochondrial homeostasis，alleviating oxidative stress，and inhibiting apoptosis，while more high-quality randomized controlled trials have demonstrated the clinical efficacy of TCM in assisted reproductive technology. Given this，this article presented a systematic review of recent research and randomized controlled trials on the mechanism of Chinese medicine active ingredients，single Chinese medicine， and Chinese medicine compounds in delaying age-related ovarian hypofunction，to clarify the current status and shortcomings of the research. This paper provides medication management of TCM for effectively alleviating age-related ovarian hypofunction and improving reproductive outcomes for AMA.