Probiotic effects on sperm parameters, oxidative stress index, inflammatory factors and sex hormones in infertile men

Abstract

Decreased sperm motility is one of the main causes of male infertility. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of probiotic supplementation on semen quality, seminal oxidative stress biomarkers, inflammatory factors and reproductive hormones. In this randomised, double-blind controlled clinical trial, 52 men with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia attending a urology clinic, were randomly assigned to either an intervention or placebo (n = 26) group. This investigation was registered by the identification code of IRCT20141025019669N7 in the clinical trials registry of Iran. The Intervention group took 500 mg of Probiotics daily and the placebo group took a daily placebo for 10 weeks. Semen parameters, total antioxidant capacity, malondialdehyde, inflammatory factors and reproductive hormones were measured at baseline and at the end of the study. After the intervention, ejaculate volume, number, concentration and the percentage of motile sperm, total antioxidant capacity of plasma significantly increased and the concentration of plasma malondialdehyde and inflammatory markers significantly decreased in the intervention group. Probiotic supplementation in infertile men lead to a significant increase in sperm concentration and motility and a significant reduction in oxidative stress and inflammatory markers. Therefore, oral intake of probiotics has the potential to be one of the ways to deal with oxidative damage of sperm.

Keywords:

• Probiotic
• fertility
• semen analysis
• asthenozoospermia
• sex hormones

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Disclosure statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by a Grant [IR.AJUMS.REC.1396.621] from Vice-Chancellor for Research Affairs of Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.