Pentoxifylline in male-factor infertility: its therapeutic efficacy after oral administration.

Objective: To determine whether the oral use of pentoxifylline improves the fertilization ability, concentration and motility of spermatozoa of poor fertilizer male subject.

Design: Analysis of the spermiogram parameters before and after oral pentoxifylline administration.

Setting: Zeynep Kamil Women and Children's Hospital, Department of Infertility.

Patients: Fourteen healthy, untreated male partners of couples who applied to our infertility department and were found to have poor semen parameters.

Main outcome measures: Data of the semen analyses and fertilization rates are compared before and after treatment.

Results: Before the treatment, the average percentage sperm motility and density were 30.1 +/- 8 (%) and 14.8 +/- 3.2 (10(6)/ml), respectively. The same parameters were found to be 37.8 +/- 13 (%) and 19.5 +/- 10 (10(6)/ml), respectively, following the treatment. Not significant, p = 0.08 and p = 0.116, respectively).

Conclusion: None of the semen parameters evaluated were improved by oral administration of pentoxifylline. Therefore pentoxifylline does not increase percentage motility and density of spermatozoa or the fertilization rates.