The effect of nasal oxytocin on pregnancy rates following intrauterine insemination: double-blind, randomized, clinical pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
We tested the hypothesis that the application of intranasal oxytocin (8 IU) following intrauterine insemination (IUI) would increase pregnancy rates, without causing major side effects.


METHODS
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study: eighty-six couples with idiopathic infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome and/or male sub-fertility treated with 132 homologous IUI cycles with nasal application of placebo or 8 IU oxytocin following IUI.


RESULTS
In 132 IUI cycles of 86 women, 17 pregnancies were achieved, accounting for a pregnancy rate of 12.9% (17/132) per IUI cycle. The pregnancy rates were 13.4% (9/67) per IUI cycle in the placebo group, and 12.3% (8/65) per IUI cycle in the oxytocin group, the difference not being statistically significant. No relevant side effects were observed in both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Intranasal application of 8 IU oxytocin has no major side effects but at the same time did not affect pregnancy rates after IUI in our population. This study does not exclude that a larger patient group, a different time interval between oxytocin application and IUI, higher or multiple oxytocin applications or a different mode of application would have achieved different effects on pregnancy rates.
Ochsenkühn
Robert
R
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Campus Grosshadern, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Germany. Robert.Ochsenkuehn@med.uni-muenchen.de
Pavlik
Roman
R
Hecht
Stephanie
S
von Schönfeldt
Viktoria
V
Rogenhofer
Nina
N
Thaler
Christian J
CJ
D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000628:therapy*; D007317:Insemination, Artificial, Homologous / Q000379:methods*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010120:Oxytocics / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D055815:Young Adult
D010120:Oxytocics; D010121:Oxytocin