Endocrinology, Andrology Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine and Applied Biotechnologies, Polytechnic University of Marche, Umberto I Hospital, Ancona, Italy.
J Endocrinol Invest. 2009 Jul;32(7):626-32. doi: 10.1007/BF03346521. Epub 2009 May 21.
We had previously demonstrated that Coenzyme Q10 [(CoQ10) also commonly called ubiquinone] is present in well-measurable levels in human seminal fluid, where it probably exerts important metabolic and antioxidant functions; seminal CoQ10 concentrations show a direct correlation with seminal parameters (count and motility). Alterations of CoQ10 content were also shown in conditions associated with male infertility, such as asthenozoospermia and varicocele (VAR). The physiological role of this molecule was further clarified by inquiring into its variations in concentrations induced by different medical or surgical procedures used in male infertility treatment. We therefore evaluated CoQ10 concentration and distribution between seminal plasma and spermatozoa in VAR, before and after surgical treatment, and in infertile patients after recombinant human FSH therapy. The effect of CoQ10 on sperm motility and function had been addressed only through some in vitro experiments. In two distinct studies conducted by our group, 22 and 60 patients affected by idiopathic asthenozoospermia were enrolled, respectively. CoQ10 and its reduced form, ubiquinol, increased significantly both in seminal plasma and sperm cells after treatment, as well as spermatozoa motility. A weak linear dependence among the relative variations, at baseline and after treatment, of seminal plasma or intracellular CoQ10, ubiquinol levels and kinetic parameters was found in the treated group. Patients with lower baseline value of motility and CoQ10 levels had a statistically significant higher probability to be responders to the treatment. In conclusion, the exogenous administration of CoQ10 increases both ubiquinone and ubiquinol levels in semen and can be effective in improving sperm kinetic features in patients affected by idiopathic asthenozoospermia.
我们之前已经证明，辅酶 Q10（也称为泛醌）存在于人类精液中，并且其含量可被精确测量，在人类精液中，它可能发挥着重要的代谢和抗氧化作用；精液中的 CoQ10 浓度与精液参数（计数和活力）直接相关。在与男性不育相关的情况下，CoQ10 含量也会发生变化，例如弱精子症和精索静脉曲张（VAR）。通过研究不同男性不育治疗方法中 CoQ10 浓度的变化，进一步阐明了这种分子的生理作用。因此，我们评估了手术治疗前后 VAR 患者精液中 CoQ10 的浓度和分布，以及重组人 FSH 治疗后的不育患者。CoQ10 对精子活力和功能的影响仅通过一些体外实验进行了研究。在我们小组进行的两项独立研究中，分别纳入了 22 名和 60 名特发性弱精子症患者。治疗后，精液中和精子细胞中的 CoQ10 及其还原形式 ubiquinol 显著增加，精子活力也增加。在治疗组中，发现基础值和治疗后基础值之间，精液或细胞内 CoQ10、 ubiquinol 水平和动力学参数的相对变化之间存在微弱的线性相关性。基础活力和 CoQ10 水平较低的患者对治疗有统计学意义的更高反应概率。总之，外源性 CoQ10 给药可提高精液中泛醌和 ubiquinol 的水平，并可有效改善特发性弱精子症患者的精子运动特征。
