Effect of oral alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) on sperm parameters: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Basic and Clinical Andrology

Review Article

Xiaojin Zhang¹  Yulin Li¹  Junjun Li²  Xujun Yu³  Liang Dong⁴  Fang Yang⁴ 

[1] Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No.1166, Liutai Avenue, Wenjiang District, 611137, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China;Department of Andrology, The Reproductive & Women-Children Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China;TCM Regulating Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China;Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No.1166, Liutai Avenue, Wenjiang District, 611137, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China;TCM Regulating Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China;Department of Andrology, The Reproductive & Women-Children Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China;

关键词: Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA);    Male infertility;    Sperm;    Meta-analysis;    Systematic review;    Acide alpha-lipoïque (ALA);    Infertilité masculine;    Sperme;    Méta-analyse;    Revue systématique;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12610-022-00173-9

 received in 2022-06-09, accepted in 2022-10-02,  发布年份 2022

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundMale fertility has gradually become a worldwide problem with limitations in the treatment. Alpha-lipoic acid, has been applied to improve the quality of sperm in clinical practice. However, there was currently no high quality of systematic review to evaluate the effects of alpha-lipoic acid on sperm parameters.Material and methodsThe Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Clinicaltrials.org, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, China Biology Medicine Database, etc., were retrieved. Related randomized controlled trials had be collected and selected up to March 10, 2022. English literature and Chinese literature were searched using terms including “male infertility”, “semen”, “sperm”, “alpha-lipoid acid”, “α-lipoid acid”, “alpha lipoid acid”, “thioctic acid”. All statistical analyses were conducted by RevMan 5.3.ResultsA total of 133 participants in three studies included. Compared with sham therapy, treated with alpha-lipoic acid has significant improvement in the following sperm parameters, including abnormal sperm forms (mean difference[MD] = -1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -1.29–0.84, p < 0.00001), sperm concentration (MD = 3.98, 95%CI = 2.28–5.67, p < 0.00001), sperm total motility (grade a+b+c) (MD = 6.68, 95%CI = 4.88–8.48, p < 0.00001) and progressive motility(grade a+b) (MD = 6.90, 95%CI = 5.62–8.17, p < 0.00001) and semen volume(MD = -0.17, 95%CI = -0.31–0.02, p = 0.03).ConclusionsIn this meta-analysis of three randomized controlled trials, compared with other treatments, alpha-lipoic acid could improve normal sperm forms, sperm concentration, sperm total motility and progressive motility, but more stringent randomized controlled trials must be conducted.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2022

【 图 表 】

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