Coenzyme Q10 supplementation in infertile men with idiopathic asthenozoospermia:: an open, uncontrolled pilot study

Objective: To clarify a potential therapeutic role of coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)) in infertile men with idiopathic asthenozoospermia. Design: Open, uncontrolled pilot study. Patient(s): Infertile men with idiopathic asthenozoospermia. Intervention(s): CoQ(10) was administered orally; semen samples were collected at baseline and after 6 months of therapy. Main Outcome Measure(s): Semen kinetic parameters, including computer-assisted sperm data and CoQ(10) and phosphatidycholine levels. Result(s): CoQ(10) levels increased significantly in seminal plasma and in sperm cells after treatment. Phosphatidylcholine levels also increased. A significant increase was also found in sperm cell motility as confirmed by computer-assisted analysis. A positive dependence (using the Cramer's index of association) was evident among the relative variations, baseline and after treatment, of seminal plasma or intracellular CoQ(10) content and computer-determined kinetic parameters. Conclusion(s): The exogenous administration of CoQ(10) may play a positive role in the treatment of asthenozoospermia. This is probably the result of its role in mitochondrial bioenergetics and its antioxidant properties.