N-acetyl cysteine’s effect on semen parameters in a sample of Iraqi men with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia

Abstract

Background: Infertility is recognized as the incapability of infertile couples to become pregnant following one year of unsafe intercourse, with male factors accounting for roughly half of the documented instances. Several reasons for male infertility factors have been reported; however, the actual cause in the majority of cases remains unknown.

Objective: To study prospectively the outcome of N-acetylcysteine on semen parameters in males with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia.

Patient and methods: A total 45 patients with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia have received N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) for 12 weeks, their seminal fluid parameters were measured at the baseline and after 12 weeks.

Results: The results showed that after 3 months of NAC treatment, the motility was statistically significantly higher than pre-NAC baseline, with no statistically significant differences in both count and morphology.

Conclusion: These results confirmed that NAC has a positive effect in improving motility in infertile men and thus resulting in better spermatogenesis and sperm function.