Therapeutic Effects of Micronutrient Supplements on Sperm Parameters: Fact or Fiction?

BACKGROUND: Despite the limited evidence about the effect of micronutrient supplementation on the semen quality, many micronutrient supplements have been used to improve male fertility. Approximately, 40%- 50% of male infertility cases in general and up to 80% in men with idiopathic infertility cases are caused by oxidative stress and decreased level of seminal total antioxidant capacity. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the beneficial effects of micronutrient supplementation on sperm concentration, motility and morphology. METHODS: A PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase data, Web of Science and Cochrane Library database extensive research of the randomized controlled studies utilizing micronutrient vitamins and supplements was performed. RESULTS: The existent international literature is rather heterogeneous and a definitive is difficult to be drawn. Several micronutrients have beneficial effects on sperm parameters. Rational use of micronutrients might be helpful for infertile patients. CONCLUSION: Further randomized, controlled clinical trials are required to elucidate the efficacy and safety of micronutrients and propose proper protocols for their use. A well-rounded, balanced diet is more preferable than the widespread use of micronutrient supplements beyond the recommended doses. Future studies should concern the pregnancy rate as a primary outcome in their designs. Further research should be done to determine the appropriate antioxidant compounds, the duration of the treatment, as well as a certain dose of antioxidants in clinical practices. The pre-treatment evaluation of the seminal oxidative status is also an important parameter to proceed with micronutrient supplementation without the risk of reductive stress. Under these conditions, supplements could support the quality of sperm and help to alleviate male infertility.

An in-vitro study in the determination of the permeability of foley catheter to ciprofloxacin

OBJECTIVE: To examine the ability of an antimicrobial agent Ciprofloxacin to diffuse through a Foley catheter retention balloon.METHODS: The Utraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) Spectophotometer (UV-1700 PharmaSpec) was utilized to detect the diffusion of the analyte (Ciprofloxacin) through end parameters such as peak absorbance and corresponding wavelengths.RESULTS: On UV-Vis spectophotometer, the control sample of sterile water was analyzed and found to have the lowest peak absorbance value of only 0.003 at a wavelength of 343 nm. The peak absorbance values of subsequent samples, taken from the same environment (sterile water), since submersion of the catheter balloon, on day-3, day-8, day-15 had increasing peak absorbance values on their corresponding wavelengths.CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the samples of sterile water from the outside environment of the submerged catheter yielded progressively increasing peak absorbance values on the succeeding days of submersion. Thereby, In lieu of this principle, one can infr the diffusion of the analyte throgh the catheter membrane, as reflected by the summary of peak absorbance value.