title: [Efficacy of natural vitamin E on oligospermia and asthenospermia: a prospective multi-centered randomized controlled study of 106 cases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the therapeutic effect of natural vitamin E (VitE) on oligospermia and asthenospermia in in- fertile men.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a prospective multi-centered randomized controlled study on 64 infertile men with oligospermia (31 as controls treated with Tamoxifen 10 mg bid and 33 as experimental cases treated with Tamoxifen 10 mg bid + VitE 100 mg tid) and 42 cases of asthenospermia (20 as controls treated with Levocarnitine oral solution 1 bottle bid and 22 as experimental cases treated with Levocarnitine oral solution 1 bottle bid + VitE 100 mg tid). We compared the control and experimental groups in sperm concentration and percentage of progressively motile sperm before and 3 months after medication, as well as the rate of clinical pregnancy and adverse events.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the oligospermia patients, the average sperm concentrations in the control and experimental groups were 8.00 x 10(6)/ml and 10.66 x 10(6)/ml before medication (P > 0.05). After medication, the numbers of cases evaluated as with no, slight, moderate and marked improvement in sperm concentration were 10 and 9 (P > 0.05), 16 and 14 (P > 0.05), 5 and 4 (P > 0.05) and 0 and 0 (P >0.05); and the numbers of natural pregnancies were 0 and 6 in the control and experimental groups (P < 0.01). Among the asthenospermia patients, the average rates of progressively motile sperm were 17.00% and 18.10% in the control and experimental groups before medication (P > 0.05). After medication, the numbers of cases evaluated as with no, slight, moderate and marked improvement in the percentage of progressively motile sperm were 7 and 2 (P < 0.01), 4 and 8 (P < 0.01), 3 and 2 (P > 0.05) and 1 and 1 (P > 0.05), and the numbers of natural pregnancies were 5 and 9 in the two groups (P < 0.01), but no adverse events were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As a safe and effective adjuvant agent for the treatment of oligospermia and asthenospermia, vitamin E can improve sperm concentration, the percentage of progressively motile sperm, and finally the rate of natural pregnancy.
authors: Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200001, China.
authors: Xiang-Feng
authors: XF
authors: Chen
authors: Zheng
authors: Z
authors: Li
authors: Ping
authors: P
authors: Ping
authors: Ji-Can
authors: JC
authors: Dai
authors: Feng-Bin
authors: FB
authors: Zhang
authors: Xue-Jun
authors: XJ
authors: Shang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D053627:Asthenozoospermia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002331:Carnitine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013629:Tamoxifen; D014810:Vitamin E; D002331:Carnitine