Association of Endogenous Seminal L-Carnitine Levels with Post-Thaw Semen Parameters in Humans
Table 3
Semen parameters in samples with high and low endogenous seminal L-carnitine levels after standard cryopreservation and cryopreservation supplemented with L-carnitine.
Variable
Low seminal L-carnitine levels# (≤38.8 µg/ml)
High seminal L-carnitine levels# (>38.8 µg/ml)
Cryopreservation method
Standard
Supplemented with L-carnitine
Standard
Supplemented with L-carnitine
n
Median (min–max)
n
Median (min–max)
p
n
Median (min–max)
n
Median (min–max)
p
Rapid progressive sperm motility (a, %)
63
7 (0–27)
63
11 (1–32)
<
62
12 (2–26)
62
18 (2–37)
<
Progressive sperm motility (a + b, %)
63
17 (0–39)
63
21 (2–44)
<
62
25 (3–40)
62
30 (5–50)
<
Total sperm motility (a + b + c, %)
63
27 (1–51)
63
33 (3–54)
<
62
36 (5–51)
62
41 (7–56)
<
Immotile sperm (d, %)
63
73 (49–99)
63
67 (46–97)
<
62
65 (49–95)
62
60 (44–93)
<
Sperm vitality (%)
63
34 (4–53)
63
35 (11–60)
62
38 (16–58)
62
43 (16–55)
<
Normal sperm morphology (%)
61
7 (1–29)
61
7 (2–26)
0.099
60
7 (0–24)
60
7 (0–26)
0.302
Sperm head defects (%)
61
88 (59–99)
61
88 (65–98)
0.738
60
86 (72–99)
60
86 (66–99)
0.598
Sperm neck midpiece defects (%)
61
32 (3–67)
61
31 (13–61)
0.386
60
30 (4–61)
60
29 (14–64)
0.772
Sperm principal piece defects (%)
61
15 (5–37)
61
14 (5–33)
0.203
60
14 (6–36)
60
13 (1–37)
0.282
Sperm DNA fragmentation (%)
62
22 (8–62)
62
20 (6–64)
0.032
62
20 (6–48)
62
19 (5–47)
0.017
Seminal sORP (mV)
62
66 (21–118)
62
64 (18–117)
62
55 (19–146)
62
51 (14–132)
# The population was categorized in two groups according to the 50th percentile of endogenous seminal L-carnitine levels. sORP, static oxidation-reduction potential. p values ≤ 0.01 were considered statistically significant. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare post-thaw semen variables between standard and supplemented with L-carnitine.
