Acupuncture therapy is effective in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome(CFS) and has its own unique advantages. In the present paper

we reviewed the progress of experimental researches on the underlying mechanisms of acupuncture treatment of CFS in recent 10 years from: 1) regulating the immune system including the peripheral immune organ

immune cells and immune cytokines

proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines

and lowering the increase of positive rate of multiple mycoplasma infection; 2) regulating the neuroendocrine system including the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and stress hormones

monoamine neurotransmitters

and opioid peptides; 3)raising the anti-oxidative stress ability by reducing malondiadehyde

and upregulating activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase; and 4) regulating multiple cellular molecule signaling pathways revealed by genomic and proteomic technologies. In conclusion

acupuncture can relieve CFS through multiple ways and systems

which may provide some ideas for further studies on the biological mechanisms.