Oral Astaxanthin and Semen Quality, Fertilization and Embryo Development in Assisted Reproduction Techniques Procedures

NCT ID: NCT02310087

Last Updated: 2019-03-29

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

80 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2014-11-30

Study Completion Date

2019-01-31

Brief Summary

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The purpose of the study is to determine whether administration of dietary supplement of astaxanthin with vitamin E improves the quality of sperm, fertilization and embryo development in Assisted Reproduction Techniques (ART) procedures.

Detailed Description

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In the study male patients diagnosed with oligoasthenozoospermia - with an abnormal sperm concentration and motility, irrespective of the morphology of spermatozoa - treated with their female partner with assisted reproduction techniques (ISCI) will be included. In the double blind study male patients will be given astaxanthin with vitamin E (study group, 40 patients) or placebo (control group, 40 patients) for three months prior to ART. In the study and the control group the quality of sperm (spermiogram), DNA fragmentation and mitochondrial membrane potential of semen before and after the dietary supplementation will be evaluated. In the ART procedure (ICSI) the fertilization rate, the quality of embryos, pregnancy rates and miscarriages rates in 1st trimester will be compared between the study and control group.

Conditions

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Infertility, Male

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Eighty infertile men with OAT were randomly assigned to receive either daily 16 mg of astaxanthin and 40 mg of vitamin E in capsules or placebo. At baseline and after three months of treatment semen quality was assessed according to the WHO guidelines. The sperm concentration, motility and morphology were determined by standard microscopic analyses. Sperm DNA fragmentation was evaluated using a TUNEL assay . Mitochondrial membrane potential was measured by means of 3,3'-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide (DiOC6) staining as an indicator of mitochondrial membrane integrity and the mitochondrial potential capacity to generate ATP by oxidative phosphorylation. The serum level of FSH was measured by a solid-phase, two-site chemiluminescent immunometric assay.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators
no other masking

Study Groups

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astaxanthin with vitamin E

The participants in the study group will be given perorally four tablets of 4 mg astaxanthin with 10 mg vitamin E (Astasan, Sensilab, Slovenia) daily, taken in single daily dose. The total daily dose will be 16 mg astaxanthin with 40 mg vitamin E. The product will be taken for three months continuously.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

astaxanthin with vitamin E

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Four tablets of 4 mg astaxanthin with 10 mg vitamin E daily, taken at once. Daily dose is 16 mg astaxanthin with 40 mg vitamin E. Continuously for three months.

placebo

The participants in the control group will be given perorally four tablets of placebo daily taken in single daily dose. The placebo tablets are of the same size and colour as the study tablets and were produced by manufacturer of Astasan, Sensilab, Slovenia. The placebo will be taken for three months continuously.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type OTHER

Four tablets of placebo daily, taken at once. Continuously for three months.

Interventions

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astaxanthin with vitamin E

Four tablets of 4 mg astaxanthin with 10 mg vitamin E daily, taken at once. Daily dose is 16 mg astaxanthin with 40 mg vitamin E. Continuously for three months.

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Placebo

Four tablets of placebo daily, taken at once. Continuously for three months.

Intervention Type OTHER

Other Intervention Names

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Astasan, Sensilab, Slovenia

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* oligoasthenozoospermia with of without teratozoospermia by WHO criteria from the year 2010
* fresh semen
* female partner younger than 38 years
* idiopathic or tubal infertility in female partners
* at least 4 oocytes retrieved in previous ovarian punction in ART cycle, if previously performed
* 1st, 2nd or 3rd cycle of ART

Exclusion Criteria

* genetic indication for ART procedure
* donated semen
* polycystic ovary syndrome in female partner
* dietary supplementation intake of antioxidants (selenium, zink, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin A) in male participant in the last three months
* smoking in male participant \>20 cigarettes per day
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

MALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University Medical Centre Ljubljana

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Bojana Pinter

Assoc. Prof., MD, PhD, Spec in Ob/Gyn, MS (Econ)

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Bojana Pinter, MD, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Division of Ob/Gyn, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia

Locations

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Division of Ob/Gyn, University Medical Centre Ljubljana

Ljubljana, , Slovenia

Site Status

Countries

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Slovenia

References

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Imamovic Kumalic S, Pinter B. Review of clinical trials on effects of oral antioxidants on basic semen and other parameters in idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:426951. doi: 10.1155/2014/426951. Epub 2014 Mar 31.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24800224 (View on PubMed)

Yuan JP, Peng J, Yin K, Wang JH. Potential health-promoting effects of astaxanthin: a high-value carotenoid mostly from microalgae. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2011 Jan;55(1):150-65. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201000414. Epub 2010 Nov 18.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21207519 (View on PubMed)

Agarwal A, Nallella KP, Allamaneni SS, Said TM. Role of antioxidants in treatment of male infertility: an overview of the literature. Reprod Biomed Online. 2004 Jun;8(6):616-27. doi: 10.1016/s1472-6483(10)61641-0.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15169573 (View on PubMed)

Higuera-Ciapara I, Felix-Valenzuela L, Goycoolea FM. Astaxanthin: a review of its chemistry and applications. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2006;46(2):185-96. doi: 10.1080/10408690590957188.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16431409 (View on PubMed)

Comhaire FH, El Garem Y, Mahmoud A, Eertmans F, Schoonjans F. Combined conventional/antioxidant "Astaxanthin" treatment for male infertility: a double blind, randomized trial. Asian J Androl. 2005 Sep;7(3):257-62. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-7262.2005.00047.x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16110353 (View on PubMed)

Franco JG Jr, Baruffi RL, Mauri AL, Petersen CG, Oliveira JB, Vagnini L. Significance of large nuclear vacuoles in human spermatozoa: implications for ICSI. Reprod Biomed Online. 2008 Jul;17(1):42-5. doi: 10.1016/s1472-6483(10)60291-x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 18616888 (View on PubMed)

Chemes EH, Rawe YV. Sperm pathology: a step beyond descriptive morphology. Origin, characterization and fertility potential of abnormal sperm phenotypes in infertile men. Hum Reprod Update. 2003 Sep-Oct;9(5):405-28. doi: 10.1093/humupd/dmg034.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 14640375 (View on PubMed)

Virro MR, Larson-Cook KL, Evenson DP. Sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) parameters are related to fertilization, blastocyst development, and ongoing pregnancy in in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles. Fertil Steril. 2004 May;81(5):1289-95. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2003.09.063.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15136092 (View on PubMed)

Marchetti C, Obert G, Deffosez A, Formstecher P, Marchetti P. Study of mitochondrial membrane potential, reactive oxygen species, DNA fragmentation and cell viability by flow cytometry in human sperm. Hum Reprod. 2002 May;17(5):1257-65. doi: 10.1093/humrep/17.5.1257.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11980749 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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UMCLjubljana-20140041

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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