Mucuna pruriens improves male fertility by its action on the hypothalamus–pituitary–gonadal axis

• Published in: Fertility and sterility Vol. 92; no. 6; pp. 1934 - 1940
• Main Authors: Shukla, Kamla Kant, Mahdi, Abbas Ali, Ahmad, Mohammad Kaleem, Shankhwar, Satya Narain, Rajender, Singh, Jaiswar, Shyam Pyari
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.12.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Asthenozoospermia - drug therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Birth control; catecholamines; dopamine; Dopamine - blood; Epinephrine - blood; Fertility - drug effects; follicle-stimulating hormone; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System - drug effects; Internal Medicine; Male; Male infertility; Medical sciences; Medicine, Ayurvedic; Mucuna; Mucuna pruriens; Neurosecretory Systems - drug effects; Norepinephrine - blood; Obstetrics and Gynecology; Oligospermia - drug therapy; Pituitary Gland - drug effects; Plant Preparations - administration & dosage; Prospective Studies; Semen - drug effects; Sterility. Assisted procreation; Testis - drug effects; testosterone; Testosterone - blood; Young Adult; catecholamines; follicle-stimulating hormone; testosterone; Mucuna pruriens; dopamine; Male infertility; Dopamine; Androgen; Gynecology; Male; Hypothalamus; Catecholamine; infertility; Obstetrics; Sterility; Testosterone; Fertility; Gonad; Neurotransmitter; Pituitary gland; Axis; Follicle stimulating hormone
• ISSN: 0015-0282; 1556-5653; 1556-5653
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.09.045

To understand the mechanism of action of Mucuna pruriens in the treatment of male infertility. Prospective study. Departments of Biochemistry, Urology, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, C.S.M. Medical University, Lucknow, India. Seventy-five normal healthy fertile men (controls) and 75 men undergoing infertility screening. High-performance liquid chromatography assay for quantitation of dopa, adrenaline, and noradrenaline in seminal plasma and blood. Estimation by RIA of hormonal parameters in blood plasma, namely T, LH, FSH, and PRL. Before and after treatment, serum T, LH, FSH, PRL, dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline in seminal and blood plasma were measured. Decreased sperm count and motility were seen in infertile subjects. Serum T and LH levels, as well as seminal plasma and blood levels of dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline were also decreased in all groups of infertile men. This was accompanied by significantly increased serum FSH and PRL levels in oligozoospermic subjects. Treatment with M. pruriens significantly improved T, LH, dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline levels in infertile men and reduced levels of FSH and PRL. Sperm count and motility were significantly recovered in infertile men after treatment. Treatment with M. pruriens regulates steroidogenesis and improves semen quality in infertile men.