Effect of Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors on the Treatment of Male Infertility: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Liang Dong, Xiaojin Zhang, Xuhong Yan, Yifeng Shen, Yulin Li, Xujun Yu
Abstract
PURPOSE: Male infertility is a worldwide problem with limitations in the treatment. Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE5is) is the first choice for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, more and more studies show that it has a certain effect on male infertility in recent years. But there was currently no high quality of systematic review to evaluate the effects of PDE5is on semen quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Related randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were collected and selected up to May 20, 2020. We have searched literature with terms "male infertility", "phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors", "PDE5i", "Tadalafil", "Sildenafil", "Vardenafil", "Udenafil", "Avanafil", "semen", and "sperm". Mean value and its standard deviation were used to perform quantitative analysis. All statistical analyses were conducted by RevMan 5.3 and Stata software. RESULTS: There were a total of 1,121 participants in the nine included studies. There was a statistically significant improvement treated with PDE5is compared with sham therapy, which including sperm concentration (mean difference [MD]=1.96, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.70-2.21, p<0.001; MD=3.22, 95% CI=1.96-4.48, p<0.001), straight progressive motility (%) Grade A (MD=3.71, 95% CI=2.21-5.20, p<0.001), sperm motility (MD=8.09, 95% CI=7.83-8.36, p<0.001), morphologically normal spermatozoa (%) (MD=0.67, 95% CI=0.20-1.15, p=0.005; MD=1.27, 95% CI=0.02-2.52, p=0.05), sperm abnormalities (%) (MD=-0.64, 95% CI=-0.81--0.47, p<0.001), and progressive motile sperm (MD=5.34, 95% CI=3.87-6.81, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this meta-analysis of nine RCTs, treatment with PDE5is could improve some indicators of male sperm.