Effects of antioxidant treatment in oligozoospermic and asthenozoospermic men

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of sairei-to, an herbal medicine, as an antioxidant in oligozoospermia and asthenozoospermia (nonnormozoospermia). STUDY DESIGN: Forty-seven nonnormozoospermic and 16 normozoospermic men were the subjects of this prospective clinical study. After sairei-to (9.0 g/d) was administered daily to the 2 groups for 3 months, sperm parameters, serum hormones and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the serum and the seminal plasma was analyzed. The testicular artery was also assessed. RESULTS: After therapy, serum hormones and SOD activity did not change significantly in either group. Although men with normozoospermia did not undergo a significant change in sperm conditions or testicular artery flow, total sperm concentration (17.1 +/- 20.0 versus 28.7 +/- 35.5 x 10(6)/mL, P = .02) and sperm motility (30.1% +/- 21.6 versus 45.8% +/- 24.4, P < .0001) were significantly increased, and the pulsatility index of the testicular artery (2.03 +/- 0.84 versus 1.64 +/- 0.48, P = .04) was significantly decreased in nonnormozoospermia. CONCLUSION: Treatment with the herbal antioxidant sairei-to improves sperm condition and testicular artery flow in nonnormozoospermia.