The efficiency of daily intake of selenium, vitamin E and folic acid on the sperm parameters: A blinded clinical trial study

Background: Since 1940, many pieces of literature have introduced reactive oxygen species as the pivotal factors in the pathophysiology of 30-40% of males with idiopathic infertility. In order to confront with excessive generation of ROS, various antioxidants have been examined to suppress detrimental production of ROS and improve sperm quality and the chance of fertilization.Objective: Evaluation the effect of daily intake of selenium, folic acid and vitamin E on the sperm parameters.Materials and Methods: This randomized, blinded, placebo-clinical trial study was conducted by 70 men who were diagnosed as idiopathic infertile patients and conferred to clinics of urology affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and met the inclusion criteria. They were conducted to daily intake of 200μgr, 400 I.U and 5mgr folic acid for three months. After three months semen analysis was repeated by SQAV and data was analyzed.Results: We assessed the effect of daily intake of 200 μgr of selenium, 400 units of vitamin E and 5 mg of folic acid on the sperm parameters of infertile men once at the beginning of the study and once three months after the incidence of treatment. We detected no significant improvement in the sperm concentration (p=0.12), total motility (p=0.171), progressive motility (p=0.767), SQAV morph (p=0.48), SMI (p=0.375) and functional sperm (p=0.087) between the experimental and the control group at the end of experiment. Significant improvement in semen volume (p=0.038) and microscopic morph (p=0.003) was observed. In order to detect the real enhancement in the semen volume and microscopic morph, difference in difference test was applied. The results showed no significant amendment in semen volume (p=0.61) and sperm microscopic morph (p=0.90) between the experimental and control group at the end of the intervention.Conclusion: Based on our results, the treatment has not been effective in improving the sperm parameters in patients with oligoasthenoteratospermia. Further investigations with larger sample size is required to assess the efficacy of these antioxidants on the sperm parameters more accurately.

Keywords:

Male infertility , Antioxidants