Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Infertility is defined as inability to conceive after 1 year of unprotected intercourse and it affects 7% of male population and 8-10% of couples. According to estimates WHO, 13-19 million couples in India are infertile. Oxidative stress is the causative factor in 25% of infertile males. AIM: To study the efficacy of antioxidant therapy on oxidative stress parameters in seminal plasma of infertile male. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty patients of male infertility were enrolled in study after two abnormal semen analyses reports at 2-3 weeks interval, of oligozoospermia and/or asthenozoospermia, as per WHO guide line 1999. First semen sample was collected at a time of enrollment of study and second semen sample was collected three months after combined antioxidant therapy. Semen samples from the infertile male (the second confirmatory sample of oligoasthenozoospermia) were taken and after liquefaction semen sample were utilized for various analyses, 0.5 ml of sample for standard semen analysis, 1.2 ml sample for separation of seminal plasma to evaluate Oxidative stress (OS) parameters like Malondialdehyde (MDA), Protein Carbonyl (PC) and antioxidant capacity by Glutathione (GSH). We followed the patient for three months after completion of the treatment. RESULTS: Semen parameters - Out of 40 patients recruited in the study group 7 patients had only oligospermia (1 to 20 million/ml) and 31 patients had oligoasthenozoospermia (motility range 0-50%) and 2 patients had oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. There was no patient with asthenospermia alone as abnormal semen parameters. After the three months treatment with combined antioxidants the semen parameters like count (mean SD = -1.70±1.44) and motility (mean +SD= -9.56±9.05) were significantly increased (p-value=0.000). Oxidative Stress Assessment - The level of MDA which is a marker of oxidative stress was significantly lower after the three months therapy of antioxidants (p-value=0.002) whereas another marker which is denoted by PC was also lower after the treatment but not statistically significant (p-value=0.584). The level of antioxidants GSH also significantly increased after the treatment (p-value=0.000). After the treatment out of 40, five patients conceived (16.7%). CONCLUSION: As we have seen through this study antioxidant dramatically reduced the oxidative stress markers and enhancing the antioxidant enzymes. They should be used on routine basis in case of male infertility.