Evidence mapPaperPMID 41567724Full record

ReviewAmerican journal of clinical and experimental immunology2025

Modes of action of traditional Chinese medicine for diabetic infertility: from molecular pathways to clinical evidence.

Huajun Bo, Wei Lu, Jingting Zhang, Bingqian Zhang, Tianjuan Wang, Hong Zhang, Yunsong Yang

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in American journal of clinical and experimental immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Huajun BoDepartment of Acupuncture and Massage, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, Tongji University 1279 Sanmen Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai 200434, China.
Wei LuClinical College of Chinese Medicine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine 188 Tanhualin Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan 430061, Hubei, China.
Jingting ZhangDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, Tongji University 1279 Sanmen Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai 200434, China.
Bingqian ZhangDepartment of Acupuncture and Massage, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, Tongji University 1279 Sanmen Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai 200434, China.
Tianjuan WangDepartment of Acupuncture and Massage, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, Tongji University 1279 Sanmen Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai 200434, China.
Hong ZhangDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, Tongji University 1279 Sanmen Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai 200434, China.
Yunsong YangClinical College of Chinese Medicine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine 188 Tanhualin Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan 430061, Hubei, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Diabetes-associated infertility results from interconnected immunometabolic, oxidative, inflammatory, and endocrine disturbances that impair reproductive function in both sexes. Conventional therapies address individual symptoms but often fail to target this systemic, immune-mediated complexity. This narrative review summarizes preclinical and clinical evidence on the role of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in managing diabetic infertility, with a focus on immune-endocrine interactions, cytokine modulation, and inflammatory signaling. TCM interventions - including single-herb extracts, multi-herb formulations, and non-pharmacological approaches such as acupuncture and mind-body interventions-enhance insulin sensitivity, suppress pro-inflammatory cascades (NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6), and regulate key immunometabolic pathways such as PI3K/Akt and AMPK. Mechanistic studies have also demonstrated improved nitric oxide bioavailability, endothelial function, and mitochondrial protection in gametogenic cells. They further show stabilization of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal and immune signaling, along with modulation of the gut-microbiota-immune axis. These immunomodulatory effects contribute to better spermatogenesis, semen quality, ovulation, endometrial receptivity, implantation, and pregnancy outcomes, particularly in individuals with insulin resistance or polycystic ovary syndrome. Overall, TCM shows promise as an adjunctive immunomodulatory strategy for diabetic infertility, supported by preliminary evidence of reproductive benefits. However, current evidence remains limited, and well-designed multicenter, immunology-informed clinical trials are required to confirm its efficacy.

Indexed as

acupunctureDiabetic infertilityherbal medicineimmune-endocrine crosstalkimmunometabolisminflammationreproductive immunologytraditional chinese medicine

Identifiers

PMID41567724
PMCPMC12816813

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.