The Journal of Urology
Volume 176, Issue 4 , Pages 1307-1312 , October 2006

Drug Therapy for Idiopathic Male Infertility: Rationale Versus Evidence

  • Rajeev Kumar

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence: Department of Urology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India (telephone: 91-11-26594884; FAX: 91-11-26588663).
  • ,
  • Gagan Gautam
  • ,
  • Narmada P. Gupta

Received 31 October 2005

References 

  1. Siddiq FM , Sigman M . A new look at the medical management of infertility . Urol Clin North Am . 2002;29:949
  2. Sigman M , Jarow JP . Male infertility . In:  Walsh PC ,  Retik AB ,  Vaughan ED ,  Wein AJ editor. 8th ed.. Campbell’s Urology . vol. 2: Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Co; 2002;p. 1475
  3. Heller CG , Nelson WO , Hill IB , Henderson E , Maddock E , Jungck EC , et al.   Improvement in spermatogenesis following depression of the human testis with testosterone . Fertil Steril . 1950;1:415
  4. Lamensdorf H , Compere D , Begley G . Testosterone rebound therapy in the treatment of male infertility . Fertil Steril . 1975;26:469
  5. World Health Organization Task Force on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Infertility . Mesterolone and idiopathic male infertility (a double-blind study) . Int J Androl . 1989;12:254
  6. Vandekerckhove P , Lilford R , Vail A , Hughes E . Androgens versus placebo or no treatment for idiopathic oligo/asthenospermia . Cochrane Database Syst Rev . 2000;2:CD000150
  7. Reyes-Fuentes A , Chavarria ME , Carrera A , Aguilera G , Rosado A , Samojlik E , et al.   Alterations in pulsatile luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone secretion in idiopathic oligoasthenospermic men (assessment by deconvolution analysis—a clinical research center study) . J Clin Endocrinol Metab . 1996;81:524
  8. Gross KM , Matsumoto AM , Berger RE , Bremner WJ . Increased frequency of pulsatile luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone administration selectively decreases follicle-stimulating hormone levels in men with idiopathic azoospermia . Fertil Steril . 1986;45:392
  9. Ashkenazi J , Bar-Hava I , Farhi J , Levy T , Feldberg D , Orvieto R , et al.   The role of purified follicle stimulating hormone therapy in the male partner before intracytoplasmic sperm injection . Fertil Steril . 1999;72:670
  10. Caroppo E , Niederberger C , Vizziello GM , D’Amato G . Recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone as a pretreatment for idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermic patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection . Fertil Steril . 2003;80:1398
  11. Wu FC , Taylor PL , Sellar RE . LHRH pulse frequency in normal and infertile men . J Endocrinol . 1989;123:149
  12. Crottaz B , Senn A , Reymond MJ , Rey F , Germond M , Gomez F . Follicle-stimulating hormone bioactivity in idiopathic normogonadotropic oligoasthenozoospermia (double blind trial with gonadotropin-releasing hormone) . Fertil Steril . 1992;57:1034
  13. Chehval MJ , Mehan DJ . Chorionic gonadotropins in the treatment of the subfertile male . Fertil Steril . 1979;31:666
  14. Homonnai ZT , Peled M , Paz GF . Changes in semen quality and fertility in response to endocrine treatment of subfertile men . Gynecol Obstet Invest . 1978;9:244
  15. Knuth UA , Honigl W , Bals-Pratsch M , Schleicher G , Nieschlag E . Treatment of severe oligospermia with human chorionic gonadotropin/human menopausal gonadotropin (a placebo-controlled, double blind trial) . J Clin Endocrinol Metab . 1987;65:1081
  16. Clark RV , Sherins RJ . Treatment of men with idiopathic oligozoospermic infertility using the aromatase inhibitor, testolactone. Results of a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with crossover . J Androl . 1989;10:240
  17. Allag IS , Alexander NJ . Clomiphene citrate therapy for male infertility . Urology . 1979;14:500
  18. Bartsch G , Scheiber K . Tamoxifen treatment in oligozoospermia . Eur Urol . 1981;7:283
  19. World Health Organization . A double-blind trial of clomiphene citrate for the treatment of idiopathic male infertility . Int J Androl . 1992;15:299
  20. Vandekerckhove P , Lilford R , Vail A , Hughes E . Clomiphene or tamoxifen for idiopathic oligo/asthenospermia . Cochrane Database Syst Rev . 2000;2:CD000151
  21. Sharma RK , Agarwal A . Role of reactive oxygen species in male infertility . Urology . 1996;48:835
  22. Sikka SC , Rajasekaran M , Hellstrom WJ . Role of oxidative stress and antioxidants in male infertility . J Androl . 1995;16:464
  23. Raijmakers MT , Roelofs HM , Steegers EA , Steegers-Theunissen RRP , Mulder TP , Knapen MF , et al.   Glutathione and glutathione S-transferases A1-1 and P1-1 in seminal plasma may play a role in protecting against oxidative damage to spermatozoa . Fertil Steril . 2003;79:169
  24. Ochsendorf FR , Buhl R , Bastlein A , Beschmann H . Glutathione in spermatozoa and seminal plasma of infertile men . Hum Reprod . 1998;13:353
  25. Lenzi A , Lombardo F , Gandini L , Culasso F , Dondero F . Glutathione therapy for male infertility . Arch Androl . 1992;29:65
  26. Lenzi A , Culasso F , Gandini L , Lombardo F , Dondero F . Placebo-controlled, double blind, cross-over trial of glutathione therapy in male infertility . Hum Reprod . 1993;8:1657
  27. Palan P , Naz R . Changes in various antioxidant levels in human seminal plasma related to immunoinfertility . Arch Androl . 1996;36:139
  28. Gupta NP , Kumar R . Lycopene therapy in idiopathic male infertility—a preliminary report . Int Urol Nephrol . 2002;34:369
  29. Therond P , Auger J , Legrand A , Jouannet P . Alpha-tocopherol in human spermatozoa and seminal plasma (relationships with motility, antioxidant enzymes and leukocytes) . Mol Hum Reprod . 1996;2:739
  30. Omu AE , Fatinikun T , Mannazhath N , Abraham S . Significance of simultaneous determination of serum and seminal plasma alpha-tocopherol and retinol in infertile men by high-performance liquid chromatography . Andrologia . 1999;31:347
  31. Keskes-Ammar L , Feki-Chakroun N , Rebai T , Sahnoun Z , Ghozzi H , Hammami S , et al.   Sperm oxidative stress and the effect of an oral vitamin E and selenium supplement on semen quality in infertile men . Arch Androl . 2003;49:83
  32. Kessopoulou E , Powers HJ , Sharma KK , Pearson MJ , Russell JM , Cooke ID , et al.   A double-blind randomized placebo cross-over controlled trial using the antioxidant vitamin E to treat reactive oxygen species associated male infertility . Fertil Steril . 1995;64:825
  33. Rolf C , Cooper TG , Yeung CH , Nieschlag E . Antioxidant treatment of patients with asthenozoospermia or moderate oligoasthenozoospermia with high-dose vitamin C and vitamin E (a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study) . Hum Reprod . 1999;14:1028
  34. Agarwal A , Said TM . Carnitines and male infertility . Reprod Biomed Online . 2004;8:376
  35. Gurbuz B , Yalti S , Ficicioglu C , Zehir K . Relationship between semen quality and seminal plasma total carnitine in infertile men . J Obstet Gynaecol . 2003;23:653
  36. Soufir JC , Ducot B , Marson J , Jouannet P , Feneux D , Soumah A , et al.   Levels of seminal free L(-) carnitine in fertile and infertile men . Int J Androl . 1984;7:188
  37. Costa M , Canale D , Filicori M , D’lddio S , Lenzi A  Italian Study Group on Carnitine and Male Infertility . L-carnitine in idiopathic asthenozoospermia (a multicenter study) . Andrologia . 1994;26:155
  38. Lenzi A , Lombardo F , Sgro P , Salacone P , Caponecchia L , Dondero F , et al.   Use of carnitine therapy in selected cases of male factor infertility (a double-blind crossover trial) . Fertil Steril . 2003;79:292
  39. Lenzi A , Sgro P , Salacone P , Paoli D , Gilio B , Lombardo F , et al.   A placebo-controlled double-blind randomized trial of the use of combined l-carnitine and l-acetyl-carnitine treatment in men with asthenozoospermia . Fertil Steril . 2004;81:15784
  40. Mancini A , Conte B , De Marinis L , Hallgass ME , Pozza D , Oradei A , et al.   Coenzyme Q10 levels in human seminal fluid (diagnostic and clinical implications) . Mol Aspects Med . 1994;15(suppl):s249
  41. Alleva R , Scararmucci A , Mantero F , Bompadre S , Leoni L , Littarru GP . The protective role of ubiquinol-10 against formation of lipid hydroperoxides in human seminal fluid . Mol Aspects Med . 1997;18(suppl):S221
  42. Balercia G , Mosca F , Mantero F , Boscaro M , Mancini A , Ricciardo-Lamonica G , et al.   Coenzyme Q(10) supplementation in infertile men with idiopathic asthenozoospermia (an open, uncontrolled pilot study) . Fertil Steril . 2004;81:93

PII: S0022-5347(06)01369-3

doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2006.06.006

The Journal of Urology
Volume 176, Issue 4 , Pages 1307-1312 , October 2006