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Table 3 Effects of atorvastatin on human semen parameters and lipids composition

From: Evaluation of atorvastatin efficacy and toxicity on spermatozoa, accessory glands and gonadal hormones of healthy men: a pilot prospective clinical trial

 

Control baseline

5-month treatment

3 months after withdrawal

Conventional semen parameters

Semen volume (ml)

3.9 ± 0.4

4.0 ± 0.6

3.5 ± 0.4

Semen pH

8.0 ± 0.1

7.9 ± 0.1

8.1 ± 0.2

Sperm concentration (106 spz/ml)

146.1 ± 17.8

119.1 ± 15.6

109.9 ± 14.8

Sperm number (106 spz/ejaculate)

540.5 ± 83.3

449.1 ± 75.6

375.0 ± 60.5*

Vitality (%)

85.2 ± 1.5

78.8 ± 1.7**

77.1 ± 2.7*

Total motility (%)

60.9 ± 1.8

65.5 ± 2.2*

62.7 ± 2.5

Progressive motility (%)

57.9 ± 1.8

58.6 ± 2.2

58.0 ± 2.8

VSL (μm/s)

50.4 ± 2.9

47.5 ± 1.5

50.6 ± 2.5

VCL (μm/s)

84.6 ± 2.5

80.8 ± 2.3

87.1 ± 3.2

Linearity (%)

61.1 ± 2.2

58.8 ± 1.4

57.9 ± 2,0

ALH (μm)

3.7 ± 0.2

3.6 ± 0.1

3.8 ± 0.2

Sperm abnormalities (%)

64.5 ± 2.6

63.5 ± 2.4

66.4 ± 2.4

Head abnormalities

66.1 ± 4,0

64.8 ± 3.5

73.5 ± 4.6‡

Excess residual cytoplasm

3.1 ± 0.6

5.8 ± 1.3

5.2 ± 0.9

Neck and midpiece abnormalities

13.3 ± 1.9

13.0 ± 2.2

17.7 ± 1.7*

Tail abnormalities

6.6 ± 1.0

4.7 ± 0.8

6.9 ± 1.2

MAI

1.6 ± 0.18

1.41 ± 0.03

1.54 ± 0.05‡‡

Cholesterol and phospholipid concentrations in Spermatozoa (nmol/10 8 )

Cholesterol

80.94 ± 6.08

95.47 ± 9.88

93.32 ± 8.09

PE

50.46 ± 6.10

61.82 ± 6.32

57.37 ± 6.91

PC

120.55 ± 17.84

158.00 ± 18.09

142.97 ± 16.83

SM

34.48 ± 4.11

42.56 ± 6.47

32.61 ± 2.42

Cholesterol/(PE + PC + SM) ratio

0.46 ± 0.04

0.39 ± 0.03

0.44 ± 0.05

Cholesterol and phospholipid concentrations in Seminal fluid (μmol/ml)

Cholesterol

34.38 ± 2.55

35.24 ± 3.00

34.48 ± 3.33

PE

5.52 ± 0.64

6.10 ± 0.73

7.95 ± 1.75

PC

6.95 ± 0.78

7.21 ± 0.95

7.90 ± 2.09

SM

12.58 ± 1.38

12.71 ± 1.42

12.07 ± 1.14

Cholesterol/(PE + PC + SM) ratio

1.44 ± 0.06

1.40 ± 0.06

1.36 ± 0.07

  1. Data are presented as the mean ± SEM. Seventeen normocholesterolaemic men received 10 mg/d atorvastatin during 5 months as described in Methods. The semen parameters and cholesterol and phospholipid concentrations were measured before (control baseline values), during and 3 months after the end of treatment.
  2. VSL: straight line velocity; VCL: curvilinear velocity; ALH: amplitude of lateral head displacement; MAI: Multiple Anomalies Index; PE: phosphatidylethanolamine; PC: phosphatidylcholine; SM: sphingomyelin. *and **indicate that the value is significantly different from those obtained before treatment with p < 0.05 and p < 0.01 respectively. ‡ and ‡‡ indicate that the value is significantly different from the value measured during atorvastatin uptake with p < 0.05 and p < 0.01 respectively.
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Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology

ISSN: 1477-7827

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