title: Improvement of seminal quality and sexual function of men with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia syndrome following supplementation with L-arginine and Pycnogenol®.
abstract: We evaluated the effectiveness of antioxidant co-supplementation therapy using Larginine and Pycnogenol(®) in Japanese men with oligoasthenozoospermia and mild erectile dysfunction (ED). A total of forty-seven adult males with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia syndrome (OAT) were eligible for enrollment. The effectiveness of supplementation with a combination of L-arginine 690 mg and French maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol(®)) 60mg for OAT and ED was investigated. The sperm concentration was enhanced significantly after treatment 2 and 4 months (11.79 ± 9.86 to 21.22 ± 28.17 and 20.15 ± 23.99 × 106/ml). Significant improvements in the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) were observed in the total score of IIEF (57.69 ± 11.04 to 59.43 ± 12.57) and domain of Orgasmic Function (9.01 ± 1.92 to 9.34 ± 1.66) after 4 months of treatment. L-arginine acts to increase the production of nitric oxide and Pycnogenol(®) activates the endothelial nitric oxide synthase and it is a potent antioxidant and inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase. This study suggests that the combination of Pycnogenol(®) and L-arginine (Edicare(®)) is helpful for infertile men to ameliorate simultaneously quality of sperms as well as erectile functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Dokkyo Medical University Koshigaya Hospital, Saitama. ykobori@dokkyomed.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshitomo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobori
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwahata
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sadaoka
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Kojiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishio
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.forename: Gaku
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Shigehiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soh
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Jeffry Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Strong
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rohdewald
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001120:Arginine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053627:Asthenozoospermia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005419:Flavonoids; D010936:Plant Extracts; C024070:pycnogenols; D001120:Arginine