Department of Internal Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
Biofactors. 2011 Sep-Oct;37(5):374-80. doi: 10.1002/biof.164. Epub 2011 Oct 11.
Both the bioenergetic and the antioxidant role of CoQ(10) suggest a possible involvement in sperm biochemistry and male infertility. CoQ(10) can be quantified in seminal fluid, where its concentration correlates with sperm count and motility. It was found that distribution of CoQ(10) between sperm cells and seminal plasma was altered in varicocele patients, who also presented a higher level of oxidative stress and lower total antioxidant capacity. The effect of vericocelectomy on partially reversing these biochemical abnormalities is discussed. The redox status of coenzyme Q(10) in seminal fluid was also determined: an inverse correlation was found between ubiquinol/ubiquinone ratio and hydroperoxide levels and between this ratio and the percentage of abnormal sperm forms. After the first in vitro observations CoQ(10) was administered to infertile patients affected by idiopathic asthenozoospermia, originally in an open label study and then in three randomized placebo-controlled trials; doses were around 200-300 mg/day and treatment lasted 6 months. A significant increase in the concentration of CoQ(10) was found, both in seminal plasma and sperm cells. Treatment also led to a certain improvement in sperm motility. In one of the studies there was also a decrease in plasma levels of follicle stimulating horhone (FSH) and luteinizine horhone (LH). Administration of CoQ(10) may play a positive role in the treatment of asthenozoospermia, possibly related to not only to its function in the mitochondrial respiratory chain but also to its antioxidant properties. Further studies are needed in order to determine whether there is also an effect on fertility rate.
辅酶 Q(10) 的生物能量学和抗氧化作用表明其可能参与了精子的生化过程和男性不育。辅酶 Q(10) 可以在精液中进行定量分析，其浓度与精子数量和活力相关。研究发现，精索静脉曲张患者的辅酶 Q(10) 在精子细胞和精浆中的分布发生了改变，他们还表现出更高的氧化应激水平和更低的总抗氧化能力。讨论了精索静脉结扎术对部分逆转这些生化异常的作用。还确定了精液中辅酶 Q(10) 的氧化还原状态：发现泛醇/泛醌比值与氢过氧化物水平之间存在反比关系，与异常精子形态的百分比之间也存在反比关系。首次进行体外观察后，辅酶 Q(10) 被给予患有特发性弱精子症的不育患者，最初是在开放标签研究中，然后是在三项随机安慰剂对照试验中；剂量约为 200-300mg/天，治疗持续 6 个月。发现辅酶 Q(10) 在精浆和精子细胞中的浓度均显著增加。治疗还导致精子运动能力的一定改善。在一项研究中，还观察到血浆卵泡刺激素（FSH）和黄体生成素（LH）水平降低。辅酶 Q(10) 的给药可能在弱精子症的治疗中发挥积极作用，这可能不仅与其在线粒体呼吸链中的功能有关，还与其抗氧化特性有关。为了确定它是否对生育率也有影响，还需要进一步的研究。
