skip to content
Dovepress - Open Access to Scientific and Medical Research
View our mobile site

8852

Selenium–vitamin E supplementation in infertile men: effects on semen parameters and pregnancy rate

Original Research

(2926) Views  (611) Full article downloads

Authors: Mohammad K Moslemi, Samaneh Tavanbakhsh

Published Date January 2011 Volume 2011:4 Pages 99 - 104
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S16275

Mohammad K Moslemi1,2, Samaneh Tavanbakhsh3
1Highly Specialized Jihad Daneshgahi Infertility Center, Qom Branch (ACECR), Qom, Iran; 2Department of Urology, 3School of Medicine, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran

Objectives: Infertility is an important medical and social problem that has an impact on well-being. A significant development in the last 10 years in the study of human infertility has been the discovery that oxidative sperm DNA damage has a critical role in the etiology of poor semen quality and male infertility. Selenium (Se) is an essential element for normal testicular development, spermatogenesis, and spermatozoa motility and function. The predominant biochemical action of Se in both humans and animals is to serve as an antioxidant via the Se-dependent enzyme glutathione peroxidase and thus protect cellular membranes and organelles from peroxidative damage. We explored the efficacy of Se in combination with vitamin E for improving semen parameters and pregnancy rates in infertile men.
Materials and methods: The study included 690 infertile men with idiopathic asthenoteratospermia who received supplemental daily Se (200 µg) in combination with vitamin E (400 units) for at least 100 days. The mean age of cases was 28.5 years (range 20–45), and the median age was 30 years. These cases had presented with male factor infertility (primary or secondary) for at least 1 year. The longest and shortest duration of infertility was 10 years and 1 year, respectively. The median time of diagnosis of infertility was 1 year with a mean of 2.5 years.
Results: We observed 52.6% (362 cases) total improvement in sperm motility, morphology, or both, and 10.8% (75 cases) spontaneous pregnancy in comparison with no treatment (95% confidence interval: 3.08 to 5.52). No response to treatment occurred in 253 cases (36.6%) after 14 weeks of combination therapy. Mean difference between semen analyses of cases before and after treatment was 4.3% with a standard deviation of 4.29. On the basis of paired t-test results, combination therapy with oral Se and vitamin E was effective for treatment of asthenospermia or asthenoteratospermia or induction of spontaneous pregnancy (P ≤ 0.001).
Conclusions: Supplemental Se and vitamin E may improve semen quality and have beneficial and protective effects, especially on sperm motility. We advocate their use for the treatment of idiopathic male infertility diagnosed with asthenoteratospermia or asthenospermia in semen analysis.

Keywords: asthenospermia, sperm, semen, teratospermia, infertility, male, selenium, vitamin E




 

Other articles by Professor Mohammad Kazem Moslemi

An improved delivery system for bladder irrigation
Comparative evaluation of prophylactic single-dose intravenous antibiotic with postoperative antibiotics in elective urologic surgery
Evaluation of biochemical urinary stone composition and its relationship to tap water hardness in Qom province, central Iran
Evaluation of epidemiology, safety, and complications of male circumcision using conventional dissection surgery: experience at one center
Evaluation of prostate cancer prevalence in Iranian male population with increased PSA level, a one center experience
Genitourinary system trauma after 2003 Bam earthquake in Kerman, Iran
Mathieu repair of distal and midshaft hypospadias: risks and benefits of foreskin reconstruction versus circumcision
Urologist-operated ultrasound and its use in urological outpatient clinics


Readers of this article also read:

Radiolucency below the crown of mandibular horizontal incompletely impacted third molars and acute inflammation in men with diabetes
Role of aliskiren in cardio-renal protection and use in hypertensives with multiple risk factors
Anesthesiologists’ perception of patients’ anxiety under regional anesthesia
Detection of retinal changes in Parkinson's disease with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography
Efficacy and safety of a multiherbal formula with vitamin C and zinc (Immumax) in the management of the common cold
Role of glutathione in immunity and inflammation in the lung
Amino acid management of Parkinson’s disease: a case study
Erratum
Pain in patients with multiple sclerosis: a complex assessment including quantitative and qualitative measurements provides for a disease-related biopsychosocial pain model
Patient perceptions of multiple sclerosis and its treatment
  • Testimonials

    "... I was impressed at the rapidity of publication from submission to final acceptance." Dr Edwin Thrower, PhD, Yale University