title: The effect of follicle-stimulating hormone therapy on sperm quality: an ultrastructural mathematical evaluation.
abstract: We investigated the effect of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) administration on the ultrastructure of spermatozoa in order to evaluate the potential of FSH therapy for improving sperm quality. Forty-six patients exhibiting idiopathic oligoasthenoterato-zoospermia who attended the intrauterine insemination (IU), in vitro fertilization (IVF), or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) program at our clinic received FSH in daily dosages of 150 IU over a period of 12 weeks. Using transmission electron microscopy, the ultrastructural analysis of spermatozoa was performed prior to the start of FSH therapy, after the treatment had been finished, and 6 weeks posttherapy. Applying a mathematical formula based on submicroscopic characteristics, we calculated the number of morphologically normal spermatozoa. After the FSH treatment, the examined subcellular organelles achieved a higher percentage of integrity. Follicle-stimulating hormone treatment leads to a higher number of morphologically normal spermatozoa. The electron microscopic findings indicate that treatment with pure FSH may be an effective way to improve sperm quality in cases with oligoasthenoterato-zoospermia. Applying the mathematical analysis based on the whole complex of the selected sperm characteristics, we obtained a way to evaluate the success of therapy for the first time.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Strehler
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sterzik
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Santo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abt
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wiedemann
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bellati
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Collodel
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Piomboni
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baccetti
mesh_terms: D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008954:Models, Biological; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone