title: Treating Woman with Myo-Inositol Vaginal Suppositories Improves Partner's Sperm Motility and Fertility.
abstract: Motility is the feature that allows spermatozoa to actively reach and penetrate the female gamete during fertilization. When this function is altered, and especially decreased, troubles in conceiving may occur. In this study, we demonstrated that treating fertile women with myo-inositol (MI) vaginal suppositories ameliorated their partners' sperm motility and also positively affected their conceiving capacity, without changes in cervical mucus structural and biochemical characteristics. Indeed, by means of the postcoital test on female cervical mucus, a significant improvement especially in progressive sperm motility was recorded after MI suppository use. Concomitantly, after MI treatment, a reduction of immotile spermatozoa percentage was observed. Importantly, MI vaginal supplementation positively correlated with a pregnancy for 5 of the 50 couples enrolled in the study, leading us to speculate that this substance may substantially contribute to create in the cervical mucus an ideal milieu that makes spermatozoa more motile and functionally able to fertilize. Even though the detailed mechanism is still unclear, these results should encourage MI vaginal use for the clinical improvement of male infertility, through their partners.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Santo Spirito Hospital, 00100 Rome, Italy; IVF Unit, Villa Mafalda Clinic, 00100 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8676-1465
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montanino Oliva
authors.affiliation: IVF Unit, Villa Mafalda Clinic, 00100 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poverini
authors.affiliation: IVF Unit, Villa Mafalda Clinic, 00100 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lisi
authors.affiliation: IVF Unit, Villa Mafalda Clinic, 00100 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Carra
authors.affiliation: IVF Unit, Villa Mafalda Clinic, 00100 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lisi