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

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