Dataset Information

Body mass index and age correlate with antioxidant supplementation effects on sperm quality: Post hoc analyses from a double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

ABSTRACT: Spermatozoa are vulnerable to lack of energy and oxidative stress as a result of elevated levels of reactive oxygen species. Therefore, it is essential that appropriate nutrients are available during maturation. This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigated the effect of 6-month supplementation with carnitines and other micronutrients on sperm quality in 104 subjects with oligo- and/or astheno- and/or teratozoospermia with or without varicocele. Semen analyses were done at the beginning and end of the treatment. In addition to main analyses, post hoc analyses for age and body mass index (BMI) were carried out. Results were interpreted by dividing the population into two age and BMI classes. In 94 patients who completed the study, all sperm parameters increased in supplemented patients compared to the placebo group. A significant (p = .0272) difference in supplementation efficacy was observed for total motility on patients with varicocele and BMI < 25. In the same group, also the progressive motility was significantly superior (p = .0159). For Responder analysis, total motility results were confirmed in both the cited group (p = .0066) and in the varicocele group with BMI < 25 and age < 35 (p = .0078). This study suggests that supplementation is more effective in subjects with varicocele younger than 35 years with BMI < 25.

SUBMITTER: Busetto GM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7065376 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Body mass index and age correlate with antioxidant supplementation effects on sperm quality: Post hoc analyses from a double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

Busetto Gian Maria GM Del Giudice Francesco F Virmani Ashraf A Sciarra Alessandro A Maggi Martina M Ferro Matteo M Porreca Angelo A Chung Benjamin I BI Agarwal Ashok A De Berardinis Ettore E

Andrologia 20200204 3

Spermatozoa are vulnerable to lack of energy and oxidative stress as a result of elevated levels of reactive oxygen species. Therefore, it is essential that appropriate nutrients are available during maturation. This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigated the effect of 6-month supplementation with carnitines and other micronutrients on sperm quality in 104 subjects with oligo- and/or astheno- and/or teratozoospermia with or without varicocele. Semen analyses were done at ...[more]

PMID: 32017167

Similar Datasets

Project description:IntroductionGreater understanding is required of how smokers with smoking-related diseases respond to smoking cessation medications. This post hoc analysis of EAGLES data compared continuous abstinence rates (CARs) in smokers with/without smoking-related diseases and assessed participant demographic and baseline characteristics that may serve as predictors of continuous abstinence (CA).MethodsEAGLES was a 24-week (12-week treatment, 12-week follow-up), double-blind, active- (nicotine replacement therapy; patch) and placebo-controlled study in motivated-to-quit smokers with/without psychiatric disorders. This analysis assessed CARs at weeks 9-12 (CAR9-12) and 9-24 (CAR9-24) in participants with smoking-related diseases [asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, and/or cardiovascular disease (n=1372)] versus controls without these comorbidities (n=6039). Participants received varenicline 1 mg twice daily, bupropion 150 mg twice daily, nicotine patches 21 mg/day with taper, or placebo for 12 weeks. Stepwise logistic modeling was also performed to analyze odds ratio (OR) for predictors of CA at weeks 9-12 (CA9-12) and 9-24 (CA9-24).ResultsSmokers with smoking-related diseases were older, had a longer smoking history, more quit attempts, and were more likely to have a psychiatric disorder and reside in the US versus smokers without comorbidities. Fagerström Test for Cigarette Dependence scores and treatment adherence were comparable between cohorts. Smokers with smoking-related diseases had lower CARs versus controls (CAR9-12: 20.8% vs 24.0%; CAR9-24: 13.0% vs 16.9%). Use of smoking cessation medication was the strongest predictor of CA after control for demographics, smoking characteristics, and psychiatric disorder. By treatment, OR and CI were: varenicline CA9-12 (OR=3.82; 95% CI: 3.21-4.54) and CA9-24 (OR=2.92; 95% CI: 2.40-3.54); bupropion CA9-12 (OR=2.17; 95% CI: 1.81-2.60) and CA9-24 (OR=1.99; 95% CI: 1.63-2.44); nicotine patches CA9-12 (OR=2.23; 95% CI: 1.87-2.67) and CA9-24 (OR=1.86; 95% CI: 1.52-2.28).ConclusionsSmokers with smoking-related diseases had lower quit rates than controls. Of the active treatments compared, varenicline was most effective in smokers with asthma, COPD, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease.Trial registrationNCT01456936 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01456936).

Project description:AimTo investigate the effect of normalizing vitamin B12 (B12) levels with oral B12 (methylcobalamin) 1000 ?g/day for one year in patients with diabetic neuropathy (DN).Patients and methodsIn this prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 90 patients with type 2 diabetes on metformin for at least four years and both peripheral and autonomic DN were randomized to an active treatment group (n = 44) receiving B12 and a control group (n = 46) receiving a placebo. All patients had B12 levels less than 400 pmol/L. Subjects underwent measurements of sural nerve conduction velocity (SNCV), sural nerve action potential (amplitude) (SNAP), and vibration perception threshold (VPT), and they performed cardiovascular autonomic reflex tests (CARTs: mean circular resultant (MCR), Valsalva test, postural index, and orthostatic hypotension). Sudomotor function was assessed with the SUDOSCAN that measures electrochemical skin conductance in hands and feet (ESCH and ESCF, respectively). We also used the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument Questionnaire and Examination (MNSIQ and MNSIE, respectively) and questionnaires to evaluate quality of life (QoL) and level of pain (pain score).ResultsB12 levels increased from 232.0 ± 71.8 at baseline to 776.7 ± 242.3 pmol/L at follow-up, p < 0.0001, in the active group but not in the control group. VPT, MNSIQ, QoL, pain score, SNCV, SNAP, and ESCF significantly improved in the active group (p < 0.001, p = 0.002, p < 0.0001, p < 0.000, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, and p = 0.014, respectively), whereas CARTS and MNSIE improved but not significantly. MCR, MNSIQ, SNCV, SNAP, and pain score significantly deteriorated in the control group (p = 0.025, p = 0.017, p = 0.045, p < 0.0001, and p < 0.0001, respectively).ConclusionsThe treatment of patients with DN with 1 mg of oral methylcobalamin for twelve months increased plasma B12 levels and improved all neurophysiological parameters, sudomotor function, pain score, and QoL, but it did not improve CARTS and MNSIE.

Project description:INTRODUCTION:Duloxetine has demonstrated efficacy in chronic low back pain (CLBP). We examined the predictors of response to duloxetine for CLBP. PATIENTS AND METHODS:This was a post hoc analysis of pooled data from 4 double-blind, ran-domized, placebo-controlled trials of duloxetine (60 mg/day for 12-14 weeks) in adult patients with CLBP. Primary outcome was proportion of patients with ?30% reduction in Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) average pain ("pain reduction") at 12-14 weeks. The proportion of patients with ?30% and ?50% (secondary outcome) pain reduction in duloxetine and placebo groups was compared. Variables for responder analyses were early improvement (?15% pain reduction at Week 2), sex, age, baseline BPI average pain score, duration of CLBP, and number of painful body sites according to the Michigan Body Map (?2 vs 1 [isolated CLBP]; 1 trial); relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. RESULTS:Compared with placebo (n = 653), a greater proportion of duloxetine-treated patients (n = 642) achieved ?30% (59.7% vs 47.8%; P < 0.001) and ?50% pain reduction (48.6% vs 35.1%; P < 0.001). Among duloxetine-treated patients, early improvement was associated with greater likelihood of ?30% (RR [95% CI], 2.91 [2.30-3.67]) or ?50% (3.24 [2.44-4.31]) pain reduction. Women were slightly more likely than men to achieve ?30% (RR [95% CI], 1.14 [1.00-1.30]) or ?50% (1.17 [0.99-1.38]) pain reduction. Response rates were similar between age, CLBP duration, and baseline BPI average pain score subgroups. Patients with ?2 painful sites were more likely to respond to duloxetine 60 mg relative to placebo than patients with isolated CLBP (RR, duloxetine vs placebo [95% CI]: ?30% reduction, ?2 painful sites 1.40 [1.18-1.66], isolated CLBP 1.07 [0.78-1.48]; ?50% reduction, ?2 painful sites 1.51 [1.20-1.89], isolated CLBP 1.23 [0.81-1.88]). CONCLUSION:Early pain reduction was indicative of overall response. Patients with multiple painful sites had more benefit from duloxetine than patients with isolated CLBP.

Project description:BackgroundFetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are conditions characterized by physical anomalies, neurodevelopmental abnormalities, and neurocognitive deficits, including intellectual, executive, and memory deficits. There are no specific biological treatments for FASDs, but rodent models have shown that prenatal or postnatal choline supplementation reduces cognitive and behavioral deficits. Potential mechanisms include phospholipid production for axonal growth and myelination, acetylcholine enhancement, and epigenetic effects.ObjectiveOur primary goal was to determine whether postnatal choline supplementation has the potential to improve neurocognitive functioning, particularly hippocampal-dependent memory, in children with FASDs.DesignThe study was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot trial in children (aged 2.5-5 y at enrollment) with FASDs (n = 60) who received 500 mg choline or a placebo daily for 9 mo. Outcome measures were Mullen Scales of Early Learning (primary) and the elicited imitation (EI) memory paradigm (secondary).ResultsThe administration proved feasible, and choline was well tolerated. Participants received a dose on 88% of enrolled days. The only adverse event linked to choline was a fishy body odor. Choline supplementation improved the secondary outcome (EI) only after immediate recall performance was controlled for, and the outcome was moderated by age. The treatment effect on EI items recalled was significant in the younger participants (2.5- to ≤4.0-y-olds); the young choline group showed an increase of 12-14 percentage points greater than that of the young placebo group on delayed recall measures during treatment. However, there was a marginal baseline difference in delayed item recall between the young choline and placebo groups as well as a potential ceiling effect for item recall, both of which likely contributed to the observed treatment effect. We also observed a trend toward a negative effect of choline supplementation on the immediate EI recall of ordered pairs; the young placebo group showed an increase of 8-17 percentage points greater than that of the choline group during treatment. There was an inverse relation between choline dose (in mg/kg) and memory improvement (P = 0.041); the data suggest that weight-adjusted doses may be a better alternative to a fixed dose in future studies. Limitations included trend-level baseline differences in performance, the post-hoc determination of age moderation, and potential ceiling effects for the memory measure.ConclusionsThis pilot study suggests that an additional evaluation of choline supplementation as an intervention for memory functioning in children with FASDs is warranted. The observed interaction between age and choline's effect on EI suggests that potential sensitive periods should be considered in future work. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01149538.

Dataset Information

Body mass index and age correlate with antioxidant supplementation effects on sperm quality: Post hoc analyses from a double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

Publications

Body mass index and age correlate with antioxidant supplementation effects on sperm quality: Post hoc analyses from a double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets