ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the therapeutic effect of natural vitamin E (VitE) on oligospermia and asthenospermia in in- fertile men.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We conducted a prospective multi-centered randomized controlled study on 64 infertile men with oligospermia (31 as controls treated with Tamoxifen 10 mg bid and 33 as experimental cases treated with Tamoxifen 10 mg bid + VitE 100 mg tid) and 42 cases of asthenospermia (20 as controls treated with Levocarnitine oral solution 1 bottle bid and 22 as experimental cases treated with Levocarnitine oral solution 1 bottle bid + VitE 100 mg tid). We compared the control and experimental groups in sperm concentration and percentage of progressively motile sperm before and 3 months after medication, as well as the rate of clinical pregnancy and adverse events.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the oligospermia patients, the average sperm concentrations in the control and experimental groups were 8.00 x 10(6)/ml and 10.66 x 10(6)/ml before medication (P > 0.05). After medication, the numbers of cases evaluated as with no, slight, moderate and marked improvement in sperm concentration were 10 and 9 (P > 0.05), 16 and 14 (P > 0.05), 5 and 4 (P > 0.05) and 0 and 0 (P >0.05); and the numbers of natural pregnancies were 0 and 6 in the control and experimental groups (P < 0.01). Among the asthenospermia patients, the average rates of progressively motile sperm were 17.00% and 18.10% in the control and experimental groups before medication (P > 0.05). After medication, the numbers of cases evaluated as with no, slight, moderate and marked improvement in the percentage of progressively motile sperm were 7 and 2 (P < 0.01), 4 and 8 (P < 0.01), 3 and 2 (P > 0.05) and 1 and 1 (P > 0.05), and the numbers of natural pregnancies were 5 and 9 in the two groups (P < 0.01), but no adverse events were observed.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>As a safe and effective adjuvant agent for the treatment of oligospermia and asthenospermia, vitamin E can improve sperm concentration, the percentage of progressively motile sperm, and finally the rate of natural pregnancy.</p>