Potential benefits of the use of sympathomimetics for asthmatic disease, on semen quality in men of subfertile couples

• Published in: Reproductive biomedicine online Vol. 40; no. 3; pp. 423 - 428
• Main Authors: Oostingh, Elsje C., Huijgen, Nicole A., Koedooder, Rivka, Dohle, Gert R., Stricker, Bruno HC, Steegers-Theunissen, Régine PM
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2020
• Subjects: Adult; Body Mass Index; Drug utilization; Humans; Male; Prospective Studies; Respiratory medicine; Semen Analysis; Semen parameters; Sperm Count; Sperm Motility - drug effects; Spermatozoa - drug effects; Sympathetic nervous system; Sympathomimetics - pharmacology; Semen parameters; Sympathetic nervous system; Respiratory medicine; Drug utilization
• ISSN: 1472-6483; 1472-6491
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2019.12.009

Is there an association between the use of sympathomimetics for asthmatic disease and semen quality in humans?
Between 2007 and 2012 a prospective cohort study was conducted among couples visiting the preconception counselling clinic at a tertiary hospital in the Netherlands. The study included 882 men of subfertile couples and information on medication use was obtained from self-administered questionnaires. Moreover, data on semen parameters were retrieved from medical records.
The study population of men revealed a mean (± SD) age of 34 ± 4 years with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 26.1 ± 2.3 kg/m2, and sympathomimetic use was reported by 3.6%. The use of sympathomimetics was positively associated with a 10% higher sperm motility (beta 10.265; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.258–17.272) after adjustment for smoking, alcohol use, age, geographic background, BMI, folic acid supplement use, the four astronomical seasons and asthma/bronchitis. Subgroup analysis between men with total motile sperm count (TMSC) < or ≥10 million showed that this association remained (P ≤ 0.001) after adjustment for these confounders. After adjustment for confounders the sperm concentration was also positively associated with the use of sympathomimetics, but only in men with TMSC ≥10 million (beta 0.300; 95% CI 0.032–0.568).
These preliminary data show the potential benefits of the use of sympathomimetics to improve sperm motility in men of subfertile couples, which needs further investigation.