To explore the specific mechanism of electroacupuncture on premature ovarian failure (POF) model animals: a meta-analysis.

Premature ovarian failure (POF), also known as premature menopause, refers to a common disease of ovulation disorder and ovarian hormone disorder in women before the age of 40. Mainly manifested as secondary amenorrhea, menopause, infertility, some accompanied by hot flashes, cold sweats, bone loss, irritability, osteoporosis and other perimenopausal symptoms. According to general examination, POF is characterized by decreased estrogen level and excessive secretion of gonadotropin (follicle stimulating hormone, FSH), and its pathogenesis is related to heredity, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, ovarian surgery and immune dysfunction. Luteinizing hormone (LH) is a glycoprotein gonadotropin secreted by pituitary cells, which cooperates with FSH to promote follicular maturation, estrogen secretion, ovulation and the production and maintenance of corpus luteum. Although there have been several systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture in treating POF women, due to the high risk of bias and heterogeneity, the overall evidence level is low, and there is not enough research data to prove the specific efficacy of electroacupuncture in treating POF. Clinical animal experiments are a bridge connecting basic research and clinical trials. Many animal experiments have shown that, Electroacupuncture affects the clinical symptoms of POF model animals through various mechanisms. Zhang et al. {Zhang, 2019 #399} found that electroacupuncture can alleviate premature ovarian failure in mice by mediating PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Searching the major databases through the Internet, it is found that there is still a lack of systematic summary of the specific effects of electroacupuncture in POF animal models. This systematic review for animal experiments can effectively improve the value of animal experiments and reduce the risks related to clinical operations. Therefore, this paper is devoted to evaluating the effective evidence of electroacupuncture in POF modeling animals, and providing more valuable evidence guidance for further clinical practice.