Evaluation of the efficacy of separate oral supplements compared with the combined oral supplements of vitamins C and E on sperm motility in Wistar rats.
Infertility is a major reproductive and social problem with a worldwide prevalence of 10-15%. While 11.8-39.0% of infertility cases are attributable to the female, 15.8-42.4% is attributed to the male and 8.0-11.1% to unknown factors. The study investigated the efficacy of the single versus combined regimes of antioxidant vitamins C and E oral supplements on sperm motility in the reproductively matured Wistar rats. Twenty [20] male Wistar rats aged 12 weeks and weighing between 182 g and 252 g were randomly grouped into 4 experimental blocks [A-D] of 5 rats each. Block A rats were served combined daily dose of 90 mg vitamin C and 15 mg vitamin E, block B rats had no treatment and served as control, block C rats were served daily dose of 15 mg vitamin E only while block D rats were served daily dose of 90 mg vitamin C only; all treatments were administered for 28 days. On the 29th day, the rats were humanely sacrificed and semen analyzed for sperm motility. The study showed that treatment with vitamins C and E as single regime significantly improved [P<0.01] the forward, progressive [category a] mean percentage sperm motility by 70 and 75 folds respectively while significantly decreasing [P<0.01] the non-progressive [category c] mean percent sperm motility by 8 and 5 folds respectively compared to the control mean percent sperm motility. We therefore conclude that sperm motility in the Wistar rats is significantly improved with the separate oral supplements of vitamins C and E as compared with the combined supplements.
Department of Physiology, College of Health Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria. saogli@yahoo.com
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D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D000975:Antioxidants; D014815:Vitamins; D014810:Vitamin E; D001205:Ascorbic Acid