Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

  Background: Considering the decrease of omega-3 fatty acids in spermatozoa of asthenozoospermic men, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of combined docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and vitamin E supplements on spermatogram in asthenozoospermic males.

  Methods: In this randomized, triple-blind , placebo-controlled clinical trial, out of 275 men who referred to Avicenna infertility clinic, fifty asthenozoospermic males , defined as less than 50% sperm motility or less than 25% with rapid progressive motility , were randomly assigned to one of two groups according to the stratified blocked randomization. Participants in the intervention group took daily 465 mg of DHA and 600 IU of vitamin E and those in the control group took daily two placebos for 12 weeks. Sperm characteristics, dietary intakes, anthropometric measurements and physical activity were measured at the baseline and at the end of the study. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS software, the statistical tests being analysis of covariance, Student's t-test, paired-samples t-test, Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney.

  Results: Out of 50 participants, 22 men in the intervention group and 20 men in the control group completed the protocol of the study. Number of sperms, sperm concentration, percentage of motile sperms and percentage of motile sperms with a straight direction increased in the intervention group, as compared with the control values (p<0.05).

  Conclusion: According to this research, combined DHA and vitamin E supplements led to increasing sperm concentration and sperm motility however no significant changes occurred in sperm morphology and vitality in asthenozoospermic men. DHA and vitamin E, as an antioxidant, may improve sperm motility.