Treatment of idiopathic testicular failure with high-dose testosterone undecanoate: a double-blind pilot study.
The effect of high-dose (240 mg/d) intake of testosterone (T) undecanoate was studied for sperm characteristics, function of the accessory sex glands, and hormonal parameters of men with idiopathic oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, or teratozoospermia using a two-phase protocol including a 3-month double-blind period followed by a 3-month open phase. Increased sperm viability and semen content of adenosine triphosphate were either not reproducible after patients on placebo were switched over to T undecanoate or did not reach statistical significance, whereas no changes were detected in other sperm characteristics and the accessory sex glands. Intake of T undecanoate significantly increased the concentration of 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and the ratio of DHT over T in peripheral blood, suppressed the luteinizing hormone concentration, and tended to decrease serum follicle-stimulating hormone concentration. It is concluded that high-dose T undecanoate is not effective in the treatment of men with infertility with idiopathic testicular failure.
Department of Internal Medicine, State University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
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D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D013739:Testosterone; C010792:testosterone undecanoate