EFFECTS OF PENTOXIFYLLINE ON SPERM MOTILITY IN NORMOGONADOTROPIC ASTHENOZOOSPERMIC MEN

Forty-seven normogonadotropic men with idiopatic asthenozoospermic wer e divided at random: group I (N = 22) received placebo and group II (N = 25) received 1200 mg of pentoxifylline/day during 6 months. Semen a nalysis was performed basal and at 3 and 6 months of the study period. No statistical changes in serum hormone concentration were found, nor in volume, sperm counts, viability, and morphology before and after t reatment. Sperm motility increased following pentoxifylline treatment after 3 and 6 months from 25.5 (21.0-30.0) to 35.5 (31.5-39.0) (p < .0 0001) and to 42.0 (38.0-46.0) (p < .00001), respectively. Although in the placebo control cases some changes were observed in the sperm moti lity, they were less significant. Furthermore, progressive motility on ly in grade A increased with pentoxifylline from 2.5 (0.0-6.0) to 12.0 (6.0-19.5) (p < .001) at 3 months and to 22.5 (17.0-26.0) at 6 months (p < .00001). In conclusion, pentoxifylline had an additional effect rather than placebo and was useful treatment ill these cases of male f actor infertility.