EFFECTS OF ANTIOXIDATIVE TREATMENTS ON SPERM DNA FRAGMENTATION AND PREGNANCY RESULTS IN IUI

More than half of all infertility cases are contributed by males. One of the
important causes of infertility is free radicals in seminal fluid which causes sperm DNA oxidation and
alteration in organic bases in DNA structure that finally leads to sperm destruction and reduction of its
movement and fertility ability Therefore, in addition to semen analysis, sperm function tests are
recommended. One of these performance tests is the evaluation of sperm double-stranded DNA. So
the effect of vitamins E, C, omega-3W supplementation)) and zinc (Zn) as a treatment of antioxidative stress on the level of DNA fragmentation of sperm as well as the outcome of pregnancy in
IUI candidates couples will be examined. The aim of this study was the evaluation of effects of ant
oxidative treatment on sperm DNA fragmentation and IUI pregnancy tests.
Materials & Methods: In a randomized clinical trial study, 150 infertile IUI candidates who met our
inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. A simple non-probability sampling was performed and
150 infertile couples (aged 25-40 years) attending were classified into five groups of 30 as follows:
control group , the group receiving vitamin C, the group receiving vitamin E , the group receiving
omega- 3, and the group receiving zinc (Zn); all groups were treated for 2 months. Statistical analysis
was performed by SPSS, and DNA fragmentation index results were compared between the groups.
Results: The mean DFI in group receiving Zn before and after the treatment was 33.6±2.14 and
21±2.9 respectively. The mean DFI in group receiving Vitamin C before and after the treatment was
38±5.36 and 26.9±5.4 respectively, and in the control group it was 34.7±3.66 in the first sampling and
35.3±5.4 in the second sampling. In the group receiving omega 3, it decreased from 37.2±4.72 before
treatment to 22.6±3.5 after the treatment. In the group receiving vitamin E, it was 37.1±3.54 before the
treatment that decreased to 21±3.09 after the treatment. The comparison of the changes in 5 groups
shows that vit. E was effective in reducing the fragmentation rate significantly (P<0.001). The
pregnancy rate was not significantly different in study groups based on the chi-square analysis.
Conclusion: Accordingly, this study and better response to treatment in groups receiving antioxidants
comparing to the control group, we can conclude that the antioxidant therapy can decrease the sperm
DNA fragmentation. The difference between the control and case groups was significant; the most
considerable decrease in defragmentation was in group receiving vit. E. There were no cases of
pregnancy in groups receiving the antioxidants and no cases of pregnancy were seen