Comparison of the effectiveness of placebo and α-blocker therapy for the treatment of idiopathic oligozoospermia

Abstract

To determine whether alpha-blocker (bunazosin) improves fertility and/or semen parameters Placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical study. Nagoya University Hospital Andrology Clinic, Nagoya, Japan. Thirty-four men with sperm density between 5 and 20 x 10(6) sperm/mL, normal serum gonadotropins and T, and a fertile partner were enrolled in this study. After a 3-month control period, patients randomly were prescribed bunazosin 2 mg/d or a placebo, two tablets per day, for 6 months. Semen and blood samples were collected before and after therapy. Semen parameters, serum gonadotropins, T, PRL, and E2 were evaluated before and after therapy. The pregnancy rate (PR) in the alpha-blocker group was 25%, compared with 6.7% in the placebo group. There was no statistical difference in the PR between groups. The alpha-blocker group had significantly higher levels of sperm density and total motile sperm count. There were no differences between the placebo and alpha-blocker groups in seminal volume, the percentage of motile sperm, and normal morphology or hormone levels. The authors conclude that alpha-blocker is a useful drug in the treatment of idiopathic moderate oligozoospermic men.