Quantitative evaluation of spermatozoa ultrastructure after acupuncture treatment for idiopathic male infertility.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the ultramorphologic sperm features of idiopathic infertile men after acupuncture therapy.


METHODS
Prospective controlled study.


METHODS
Christian-Lauritzen-Institut, Ulm, IVF center Munich, Germany, and Department of General Biology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.


METHODS
Forty men with idiopathic oligospermia, asthenospermia, or teratozoospermia.


METHODS
Twenty eight of the patients received acupuncture twice a week over a period of 5 weeks. The samples from the treatment group were randomized with semen samples from the 12 men in the untreated control group.


METHODS
Quantitative analysis by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to evaluate the samples, using the mathematical formula based on submicroscopic characteristics.


RESULTS
Statistical evaluation of the TEM data showed a statistically significant increase after acupuncture in the percentage and number of sperm without ultrastructural defects in the total ejaculates. A statistically significant improvement was detected in acrosome position and shape, nuclear shape, axonemal pattern and shape, and accessory fibers of sperm organelles. However, specific sperm pathologies in the form of apoptosis, immaturity, and necrosis showed no statistically significant changes between the control and treatment groups before and after treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
The treatment of idiopathic male infertility could benefit from employing acupuncture. A general improvement of sperm quality, specifically in the ultrastructural integrity of spermatozoa, was seen after acupuncture, although we did not identify specific sperm pathologies that could be particularly sensitive to this therapy.
Pei
Jian
J
Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China. jianpei99@yahoo.com
Strehler
Erwin
E
Noss
Ulrich
U
Abt
Markus
M
Piomboni
Paola
P
Baccetti
Baccio
B
Sterzik
Karl
K
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*