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Coenzyme Q(10) supplementation in infertile men with idiopathic asthenozoospermia: an open, uncontrolled pilot study
Giancarlo Balercia1, Fabrizio Mosca, Franco Mantero
1Department of Internal Medicine, Umberto I Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Ancona, Ancona, Italy. g.balercia@ao-umbertoprimo.marche.it
Objective:
To clarify a potential therapeutic role of coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)) in infertile men with idiopathic asthenozoospermia.
Design:
Open, uncontrolled pilot study.
Patient(S):
Infertile men with idiopathic asthenozoospermia.
Intervention(S):
CoQ(10) was administered orally; semen samples were collected at baseline and after 6 months of therapy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE (S): Semen kinetic parameters, including computer-assisted sperm data and CoQ(10) and phosphatidylcholine levels.
Result(S):
CoQ(10) levels increased significantly in seminal plasma and in sperm cells after treatment. Phosphatidylcholine levels also increased. A significant increase was also found in sperm cell motility as confirmed by computer-assisted analysis. A positive dependence (using the Cramer's index of association) was evident among the relative variations, baseline and after treatment, of seminal plasma or intracellular CoQ(10) content and computer-determined kinetic parameters.
Conclusion(S):
The exogenous administration of CoQ(10) may play a positive role in the treatment of asthenozoospermia. This is probably the result of its role in mitochondrial bioenergetics and its antioxidant properties.
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