Growth hormone treatment of subfertile males.
OBJECTIVE
To study spermatogenesis and sperm motility during GH therapy in infertile men.


METHODS
Prospective open study. Each patient was treated with GH for 12 weeks and followed for a total of 36 weeks with sampling of blood and semen.


METHODS
Outpatients studied at a clinical research unit of a university hospital.


METHODS
Nine oligozoospermic (<5 x 10(6) sperm/mL) males and nine asthenozoospermic (percentage motile sperm <30 and >15 x 10(6) sperm/mL) males. The patient groups had a significantly lower GH response to an arginine GH stimulation test as compared with a control group.


RESULTS
Serum insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and serum IGF-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) levels increased significantly during GH treatment, as did seminal IGF-I. Serum E2, T, PRL, FSH, LH, and GH-binding protein were unchanged during the study. Sperm motility was increased significantly during GH treatment in both patient groups. There was no difference in sperm count during the treatment. There were three pregnancies in the nine couples from the asthenozoospermic group and no pregnancies in the oligozoospermic group.


CONCLUSIONS
The biologic and clinical results in this study encourage the initiation of double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.
Ovesen
P
P
Aarhus Kommunehospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Jørgensen
J O
JO
Ingerslev
J
J
Ho
K K
KK
Orskov
H
H
Christiansen
J S
JS
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1 / Q000097:blood; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000097:blood; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
D004967:Estrogens; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D013739:Testosterone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D011388:Prolactin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D013006:Growth Hormone