L-carnitine levels in the seminal plasma of fertile and infertile men: Correlation with sperm quality

Objective-To confirm the presence of L-carnitine in human seminal plasma, t o show differences between L-carnitine concentrations in fertile and infert ile subjects, and to show potential relationships between L-carnitine and s emen duality. Study Design-Seminal plasma from 101 men obtained by masturba tion was examined for the presence of L-carnitine. Semen samples were divid ed as follows: (a) in eight groups according to the etiology of fertility, ib) in two groups on the basis of normal or abnormal spermiogram, (c) corre lation of the amount of L-carnitine in seminal plasma with values of the sp ermiogram. Results-We found the following: (Ij L-carnitine levels differ si gnificantly between controls and the patient groups (P <.00011 (2) The grou p With normal spermiogram has a mean value for L-carnitine of 478.4 while t he abnormal one comes to 100.58. This difference is statistically significa nt (P <.0001). (3) There is a statistically significant, positive correlati on between L-carnitine and the number of spermatozoa, the percentage of mot ile spermatozoa, and the percentage of normal forms (P <.0001). Conclusion- These findings suggest that determination of seminal carnitine values might provide the physician with an addi tional means of evaluating the infertil e male.