Coenzyme Q10 treatment in infertile men with idiopathic asthenozoospermia: a placebo-controlled, double-blind randomized trial

Received 12 December 2007; received in revised form 4 February 2008; accepted 12 February 2008. published online 07 April 2008.

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of coenzyme Q10 treatment in improving semen quality in men with idiopathic infertility.

Design

Placebo-controlled, double-blind randomized trial.

Setting

Andrology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Italy.

Patient(s)

Sixty infertile patients (27–39 years of age) with the following baseline sperm selection criteria: concentration >20 × 106/mL, sperm forward motility <50%, and normal sperm morphology >30%; 55 patients completed the study.

Intervention(s)

Patients underwent double-blind therapy with coenzyme Q10, 200 mg/day, or placebo; the study design was 1 month of run-in, 6 months of therapy or placebo, and 3 months of follow-up.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Variations in semen parameters used for patient selection and variations of coenzyme Q10 and ubiquinol concentrations in seminal plasma and spermatozoa.

Result(s)

Coenzyme Q10 and ubiquinol increased significantly in both seminal plasma and sperm cells after treatment, as well as spermatozoa motility. A weak linear dependence among the relative variations, baseline and after treatment, of seminal plasma or intracellular coenzyme Q10 and ubiquinol levels and kinetic parameters was found in the treated group. Patients with a lower baseline value of motility and levels of coenzyme Q10 had a statistically significant higher probability to be responders to the treatment.

Conclusion(s)

The exogenous administration of coenzyme Q10 increases the level of the same and ubiquinol in semen and is effective in improving sperm kinetic features in patients affected by idiopathic asthenozoospermia.

Key Words: Male infertility, coenzyme Q10 therapy, ubiquinol, idiopathic asthenozoospermia

a Andrology Unit, Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine and Applied Biotechnologies, Umberto I Hospital, School of Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy

b Institute of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy

c Department of Neuroscience, Unit of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy

d Department of Economics, School of Economics, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy

e Andrology, Pathophysiology of Reproduction and Endocrine Diagnosis Unit, Policlinico Umberto I, University of Rome “La Sapienza,” Rome, Italy

Reprint requests: Giancarlo Balercia, M.D., Andrology Unit, Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine and Applied Biotechnologies, Umberto I Hospital, Torrette, Via Conca, 60100 Ancona, Italy (FAX: 39-071-887-300).

G.B. has nothing to disclose. E.B. has nothing to disclose. A.V. has nothing to disclose. L.T. has nothing to disclose. F.P. has nothing to disclose. S.A. has nothing to disclose. G.R.-L. has nothing to disclose. M.B. has nothing to disclose. A.L. has nothing to disclose. G.L. has nothing to disclose.

PII: S0015-0282(08)00487-1

doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.02.119

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