title: Effects of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors on Leydig cell secretory function in oligoasthenospermic infertile men: a randomized trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to evaluate the effects of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE5-i) on Leydig cell secretory function (LCSF).
  
  
  METHODS
  in all, 75 men with oligoasthenospermia were treated daily for 12 weeks with either vardenafil (23 men, group A), sildenafil (25 men, group B) or l-carnitine (26 men, group C); a further group of 22 men with oligoasthenospermia (group D) received no treatment. Serum levels of insulin-like-3 peptide (INSL3) were evaluated before and after the end of the treatment in each of groups A, B and C, respectively. Serum INSL3 levels were measured in each participant of group D before and after the 12-week experimental period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  within group A and B, the peripheral serum mean INSL3 concentration, sperm concentration, percentage of motile spermatozoa, and percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa were significantly greater after PDE5-i treatment than before.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  we suggest that PDE5-i enhances LCSF, as the mean INSL3 concentration was significantly greater after PDE5-i administration than before, within groups A and B. This enhancement in LCSF might contribute to the increase in sperm concentration and sperm motility after administration of PDE5-i.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Tottori University School of Medicine, Yonago, Japan.
authors.forename: Fotios
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dimitriadis
authors.forename: Stavros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsambalas
authors.forename: Panagiota
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tsounapi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: Evlalia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vlachopoulou
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haliasos
authors.forename: Stavros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gratsias
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Motoaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Miyagawa
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sofikitis
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002331:Carnitine; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D058986:Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010879:Piperazines; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011687:Purines; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013450:Sulfones; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014227:Triazines; D000069058:Vardenafil Dihydrochloride
chemical_list: D007093:Imidazoles; D007328:Insulin; C084797:Leydig insulin-like protein; D058986:Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors; D010879:Piperazines; D011506:Proteins; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D014227:Triazines; D000069058:Vardenafil Dihydrochloride; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D002331:Carnitine