Quantitative evaluation of spermatozoa ultrastructure after acupuncture treatment for idiopathic male infertility  Jian Pei, Ph.D., Erwin Strehler, M.D., Ulrich Noss, M.D., Markus Abt, Ph.D., Paola Piomboni, Ph.D., Baccio Baccetti, Ph.D., Karl Sterzik, M.D.  Fertility and Sterility  Volume 84, Issue 1, Pages 141-147 (July 2005) DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2004.12.056 Copyright © 2005 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

FIGURE 1 Median percentage of sperm submicroscopic characteristics in the control group (n = 12) and acupuncture group (n = 28) before and after treatment. The bars represent the median of the data; approximate 95% confidence intervals for the upper, lower quartiles and ranges. Pei. Acupuncture and male factor infertility. Fertil Steril 2005. Fertility and Sterility 2005 84, 141-147DOI: (10.1016/j.fertnstert.2004.12.056) Copyright © 2005 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

FIGURE 2 (a) Structural characteristics of semen before acupuncture therapy. Spermatozoa generally showed misshapen nuclei (N) and acrosomes (A) with uncondensed, necrotic, or marginated chromatin, cytoplasmic residues (CR), and coiled axonemes (arrow). Magnification ×8000. (b) Structural characteristics of semen after acupuncture therapy. Semen contained spermatozoa characterized by regularly shaped acrosome (A) and nuclei (N) with well-condensed chromatin, regularly assembled mitochondria (M), and normal cytoskeletal structures (AX). Some sperm showed altered acrosomes and nuclei, with uncondensed chromatin. Magnification ×13,500. Pei. Acupuncture and male factor infertility. Fertil Steril 2005. Fertility and Sterility 2005 84, 141-147DOI: (10.1016/j.fertnstert.2004.12.056) Copyright © 2005 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions